The 14 best bean to cup coffee machines out of 65 models tested in our lab

Score: 95/100

Sweeping in to take the (joint) coffee-making crown is this Sage model. This outstanding machine takes control of everything from the grinding to the tamping to the milk frothing, making it extra easy to get your hands on a delicious morning coffee. Our experts raved about its clear instructions, quick 30-second heat-up time and generally easy-to-use design, which produced consistent espressos every time.

As with all bean-to-cup coffee machines, some features take a bit of getting used to – in this instance, it’s adjusting the volume of drinks and finishing the milk steaming process. But these are only temporary niggles. While it’s on the pricey side, it’s worth spending the extra money for the consistency, reliability, and premium build of this machine.

We’ve also tested three other Sage models. The Sage The Oracle Jet (94/100) features a premium, hybrid system that can work automatically while still giving you the option to make manual tweaks to achieve your ideal flavour. The Sage The Barista Pro (92/100) offers a more manual approach to making your morning cup, while the Sage The Oracle Touch (90/100) is great if you want a fully automatic coffee machine.

Score: 94/100

Taking its first step into the coffee machine market, Ninja’s Luxe Cafe 3-in-1 machine for espresso, filter coffee and cold brew did not disappoint.

While the option of 25 grind sizes may sound overwhelming if you’re new to at-home coffee making, this machine’s grinder is automated with built-in scales, simplifying the brew-making process. Then there’s the Barista Assist technology – it will recommend grind settings based on your tastes, creating perfect pucks using a spring-loaded assisted tamper, and auto-adjusting settings depending on the basket you use.

But did the drinks live up to the hype? In short, yes. Each espresso was consistent (although larger than the average volume) and always topped with a smooth, rich layer of crema. The four presets on the automatic milk frother were a hit with our testers too – choose between steamed milk, or thin, thick, or cold froth for fuss-free milky drinks just to your taste.

If we’re being picky, the control panel feels a little cluttered, but coffee-lovers will appreciate all the information provided, including the progress bar that tracks your drink. The Ninja Luxe is more affordable than our overall winner while also offering more grind sizes and a dedicated hot-water dispenser. However, it’s worth spending that little bit extra on our winner from De’Longhi if convenience, customisation, and one-touch drinks are a priority.

Score: 94/100

This coffee machine was super easy to use and impressed across the board in our lab tests. Everything from set-up to selecting your preferred beverage is simple and efficient. And if you do struggle to adjust the settings, the manual is easy to follow.

When it came to making barista-style espressos, it didn’t drop a single mark. The extraction time was fairly average, but the shots stayed consistent and had a wonderful crema on top.

One of its best features is that it removes the faff of having to steam your own milk. Its innovative LatteGo technology consistently froths both normal and plant-based milks to the right temperature and makes the perfect micro-foam. However, you can’t move the spout, which meant our testers experienced a few spills when the milk was being dispensed into the cup.

It also features four user profiles, something that the machines above don’t offer, so you can save your preferred aroma and volume settings to create the perfect cup every time. Overall, it’s a brilliant buy, and is our top pick for anyone wanting a more beginner-friendly interface and the ability to use both beans and pre-ground coffee.

Score: 93/100

If you still class yourself as a beginner when it comes to perfecting the art of your morning coffee, this Beko machine has a “no frills” design that performed well across our in-house tests. Featuring a dual nozzle, integrated steamer, and a sleek touch-screen menu, our testers found it easy to use, with an espresso only taking an average of 25 seconds to brew.

Milky coffee-lovers may find the automatic steaming function tricky to get to grips with at first, as the steam takes a few seconds to shut off after pressing the button. However, once our testers got used to the timings, they created some delicious cappuccinos and lattes.

The grinder has 13 settings, so you should be able to find one to suit your tastes. All in all, this machine impressed across the board, with testers also declaring it easy to clean and adjust. If you love espressos, choose this machine over the models above. However, you may want to spend a little more on one of our higher scoring buys if drink variety and personalisation are important.

Score: 93/100

With 10 drinks available at the touch of a button, Smeg’s stylish coffee machine is all about creating a quick, hassle-free barista experience. It powered up quickly and delivered consistent espressos with a steady average temperature.

There isn’t a specific programme for double espressos, but we found you could easily pour back-to-back espressos without the machine needing to rebuild the temperature, so this shouldn’t be an issue.

Prepping milk was just as fuss-free – one touch of the button pours the right ratio of milk to coffee, and when you’re done, the portable milk container can be popped in the fridge to keep fresh. Very handy.

If style and aesthetics are a priority, or you need a machine to fit in a compact space on your countertop, this is a smart choice. However, our overall winner might offer better value for money if you want the option of personalising your drink or fine-tuning the taste.

Score: 92/100

Americano-lovers, listen up. With this machine your morning brew couldn’t be simpler; it was ready to brew as soon as the button was switched on and there’s a dedicated button just for Americanos. Of course, you’re covered for consistent single and double espressos too, should you wish to switch it up, or make a milky drink.

Speaking of which, you can’t use the frothing wand while the espresso is brewing but once finished, our testers were impressed with its smooth, shiny, and stable microfoam.

The controls were intuitive throughout testing and our experts liked having the option to customise settings for the built-in burr grinder. So, the perfect cup can be yours, every time.

The Philips Barista Brew offers a good middle ground between the fully automatic models and the super technical coffee machines. If you want effortless, hands-free coffee making, it might be worth investing more in one our overall winner from De’Longhi. Otherwise, this ticks lots of boxes at a lower price point.

Score: 92/100

Philips’ latest fully automatic coffee machine has over 50 hot and cold drinks available through its one-touch display, making it ideal if you like to switch up your drinks on a regular basis or have a household with lots of different tastes.

We loved the connected app which tells you if your machine requires maintenance, but our favourite feature was the ability to control the machine remotely. As long as there are beans, milk, and a cup in the right place, you can click a button on your phone, and it’ll make your drink for you. Morning coffees just got a whole lot easier…

Our milky lattes and cappuccinos were fantastic, but our espresso shots lacked a thick crema, so we’d recommend the Beko Caffe Experto or De’Longhi Rivelia if you mainly stick to short drinks.

The touchscreen display on this model is much sleeker though, and we appreciated how clear and intuitive the controls were, along with the innovative app which tech-lovers will certainly enjoy.

Score: 91/100

A great option for the price, this machine delivers consistent, reliable coffees every time. With 30 grinds sizes available, there’s plenty of scope for finding your perfect cup. We also found the hopper easy to refill when the beans were running low.

The water tank is on the small side at just one litre, but this meant it was quick to preheat, taking just 48 seconds before we could start pouring espressos. It produced espressos at an average of 65 degrees (the ideal temperature post-extraction), each topped with a thick crema.

For milky drinks, you’ll need to master the manual steam wand, but our experts found it intuitive and capable of creating micro-foam for cappuccinos and lattes. Overall, it’s one for coffee-lovers looking to improve their home barista skills.

We’ve also tested the Breville Barista Sense, which scored 90/100. While it gives you the option of different brew temperatures and flow profiles, we found these extra features didn’t make it a better coffee machine overall. Instead, we found the Classic model more consistent across our espresso and milk tests.

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Score: 91/100

With a touchscreen display delivering step-by-step instructions on how to make your coffee, this is an excellent choice for bean-to-cup beginners. There are 15 different grind sizes available and your preference can be saved to minimise any faff. Just 18 seconds are needed for pre-heating, too, so you won’t have to wait long before enjoying your morning coffee.

Double shots were consistent, but both the target yield and temperature of our single shots varied slightly. You can’t steam milk and extract espresso at the same time either, but you can get frothing almost immediately after your coffee’s served, so this shouldn’t prove too much of an issue. And if you haven’t perfected your frothing skills yet, no worries – this machine has auto-programmes for flat whites and cappuccinos, which achieved silky, glossy micro foam every time. In fact, this would be one of our top picks if you love milky drinks, as it boasts both automatic and manual controls and scored full marks when making lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites.

We’ve tested two more models from De’Longhi. The De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo (85/100) is a good pick if you're taking the step up from a beginner model and want something with a few more customisable settings, while the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Next (84/100) is a fully automatic mid-range model.

Score: 90/100

This is the first bean to cup coffee machine from ProCook, the B Corp certified kitchen brand, and we couldn’t wait to see how its new tech held up in testing.

The answer: excellently. Pre-heating took 50 seconds, and the machine consistently poured three double espressos in a row. Making your perfect cup is simple too – just select your preferred drink from the full colour menu and the screen will guide you through the process. Customisations to the brewing temperature and extraction volumes can be made but note that our tester did find this quite confusing at first due to a lack of clear instructions on this function.

You can’t steam milk at the same time as extracting but the manual wand was ready to use straight after and we quickly achieved the perfect micro foam for a range of drink types. If you get stuck though, the instructions offer plenty of tips on how to perfect your latte art.

This machine is ideal if you want to learn how to make espresso and steam milk manually, without spending more for the high-tech controls or convenience of automated programmes. If you don’t mind a higher price tag, the Philips Barista Brew also has manual controls, but offers more settings and a stronger performance overall.

Score: 88/100

If you’re looking for consistency and reliability at an affordable price point, look no further. Cuisinart’s Grind, Tamp and Brew machine was easy-to-use thanks to its intuitive, well-labelled controls, and it preheated in just 10 seconds.

We used the pre-set grinding settings for our single and double espressos and found the machine often overfilled the filter baskets, which meant we had to waste some coffee. You can work around this by holding down the button and releasing when you reach your ideal dose, but it’s not ideal. We were happy with the consistency of the shots though, as each had a good layer of crema and reached the perfect temperature (around 65-degrees).

The steam wand worked well, creating good foam for cappuccinos, but it sometimes struggled to make the smaller bubbles that are ideal for flat whites. There are plenty of tips in the instruction manual though, so some extra practice should iron out any teething problems.

Score: 85/100

Reliable and well-designed, this bean-to-cup coffee machine is a smart buy if you have a limited budget. Despite the lower price tag, HOMCOM hasn’t skimped on customisation options, with 15 easily adjustable grind sizes and the option to manually stop and start the grind button to change the dosage size.

It preheated in just over 30 seconds too, and its espresso shots were consistent once we’d played around with settings. After pouring multiple espressos, we found the extraction volume ran slightly high and that the crema wasn’t as thick as we’d have liked. They all reached an ideal temperature though, and the machine let us pour three coffees back-to-back without needing to reheat in between.

The steam wand achieved excellent micro foam for our lattes, and the system was easy to clean afterwards. Beginners may need to use an online tutorial or some guesswork at first as the manual’s guidance on the coffee making process is quite limited. That said, it’s a worthwhile trade-off for such a budget-friendly machine.

Score: 81/100

In testing, this Melitta model was easy to get to grips with and preheated in just 30 seconds. It produced a nice, thick crema on all the espressos we pulled and didn’t need to reheat in between. At only 20cm wide, the slim machine is ideal if counter space is tight.

It’s best suited to espresso drinkers as the actual dispenser is too low to fit big mugs underneath. Americano lovers will need to decant the shot into their chosen cup afterwards. There’s also no milk frother, so you’ll need to buy one separately if you love a latte.

The grind sizes are limited but there are still plenty of ways to adjust the settings to find your perfect favour, from the dosage size and coffee strength to brew temperature. If you love an espresso, you’ll appreciate this machine’s simplicity and reliability.