Best coffee machines 2026 - the ultimate home barista guide
A coffee machine can change your life. Whether you prefer a punchy espresso or a silky latte, you can master making the perfect brew at home with your dream coffee maker. With so many types out there, our buying guide is a great place to start, helping you think about what style suits you best; do you want the convenience and reliability of a pod-based model or the taste and variety offered by a bean-to-cup machine?
Best overall: Sage Barista Express Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine
Best value using pods: Nespresso Vertuo Pop Coffee Pod Machine
This Nespresso pod machine has a sleek, compact design, and delivers reliably great coffee with a rich crema. It works for multiple cup sizes, from espresso to large mugs, and could not be more user-friendly or easier to clean. A budget-friendly winner with consistent results.
Best value using beans: De’Longhi Dedica Barista Bundle Coffee Machine Set
This sleek, space-saving and great value De’Longhi machine comes with a bundle of all the cafe-level essential accessories; with an electric grinder, pump-driven espresso maker, knock box, tamper and milk frothing jug, it’ll see you making silky-smooth cappuccinos in no time.
Best for small spaces: De’Longhi Dedica Duo Espresso Coffee Machine
An ultra-slim manual espresso maker, measuring just 15cm wide, the Dedica Duo will see you instantly mastering flat whites and perfecting milk texturing with the steam wand. Buy decent espresso and you’ll never look back with this tiny-yet-mighty machine, which also comes in pink.
Best pod coffee machine: Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machine
Equipped with a powerful 19-bar high-pressure pump and fast heat-up system, Nespresso’s bestselling Pixie uses pods to create a luxurious, rich crema at a great price – all while taking up an impressively small amount of counter space and being a doddle to clean.
Best eco pod model: Lavazza Tabli Automatic Tab Coffee Machine
Designed exclusively for Lavazza’s innovative 100-per-cent coffee, capsule-free tabs, the Tablì is the zero-plastic, no-waste pick. Not only that, but its three pre-set options – espresso, lungo and double espresso – also reliably provide the unmistakable coffee aroma and long-lasting crema you love.
Best easy-clean bean machine: Philips Baristina Automatic Bean-To-Cup Machine
If you’re looking for a hassle-free caffeine hit, meet the Philips Baristina. As well as automatically grinding beans, tamping and brewing your coffee, it’s easy to clean – simply remove the portafilter and rinse. With precise pressures and accurate doses, there’s no tweaking and no coffee wasted.
Best luxury pick: Sage Oracle Dual Boiler Automatic Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine
Sage’s most advanced machine yet has 15 preset drinks, and the highly responsive 5.7" touchscreen offers step-by-step guides to many more (even espresso martinis). Impressively user-friendly, it’s an investment buy – while it does need regular cleaning, it guarantees barista-level coffee every day.
Coffee maker FAQs
Which coffee machine type is easiest to clean and maintain?
Filter coffee machines and pod coffee machines are typically the easiest types of coffee machines to clean and maintain, as you only have to empty the small internal container and rinse the drip tray every few days. Manual coffee machines require more effort, including cleaning the drip tray, wiping the steam wand after every use, and performing regular chemical backflushes.
What's the difference between bean-to-cup and a manual espresso machine?
A bean-to-cup machine does everything automatically at the push of a button, while a manual espresso machine requires you to add whole beans, grind, dose, tamp and brew each shot by hand. Different models either froth the milk automatically or require you to froth the milk in a jug using the integrated wand.
Are coffee pod machines cheaper to run than bean-to-cup machines?
Coffee pod machines are cheaper to buy upfront, but they are more expensive to run over time than bean-to-cup machines because whole beans are much cheaper per gram. Coffee pods average about 35p to 80p per cup, depending on the chosen brand, while whole beans are roughly 10p to 30p per cup (although speciality beans can be pricier). The higher initial cost of a bean-to-cup machine is usually offset by the savings within 10 to 12 months for regular coffee drinkers.
Why buy your coffee machine from John Lewis?
Buying your coffee machine from John Lewis & Partners gives you a reliable two-year guarantee on electrical items, as well as access to dependable customer support. Plus, we price match all coffee makers.
