The best bean to cup coffee machines, out of 56 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 – we’d welcome this high scorer into our kitchens in a flash.

Score: 95/100

De’Longhi’s latest innovative model also deserves its place at the top. With a 3.5” full-touch colour display, 16 automatic drink settings, and a personalised coffee menu for different times of the day, this machine acts like your own private barista, offering a coffee experience that’s completely tailored to you. Seriously cool.

Quick to pre-heat, it proved consistent and efficient at making espressos (it didn't drop a single mark in our lab tests). For milky coffees, our testers found the frother easy to adjust, and it only failed to reach the target temperature within the claimed time on one recipe. It made a great cappuccino, taking just two minutes to produce good foam at the optimum temperature.

There are only seven grind sizes, which isn’t the biggest range; however, you should still be able to find the right setting for your tastes. Plus, if you’re a fan of cold brews, you can add on the LatteCrema Cool upgrade set when shopping online. Containing a carafe, four glasses, and a recipe book, our testers loved this refreshing add-on – certainly worth the extra cost in our opinion.

Score: 94/100

Sage’s latest model couldn’t quite pip the Barista Express Impress to the crown, but it’s still an incredibly high-quality bean-to-cup machine. It ensures making professional-grade coffee is as easy as possible with a digital display that allows you to swipe and select your favourite specialty coffee.

The machine will then auto grind, dose and tamp the coffee grounds ready for extraction – there are 45 (!) settings to help you find the right grind for your tastes. Testers liked that the hopper could hold enough beans for up to 18 cups too, making it better for large families.

Some of the espresso shots were off the ideal weight by a few grams, but the on-screen Barista Guidance automatically detected the error and advised our testers on the changes they needed to make to create the perfect coffee.

You’ll need to wait just two seconds after extraction has finished to start frothing your milk. The Auto MilQ function can take all the stress out of frothing too, with settings for steaming dairy, soy, almond or oat milks, adjustable temperatures, and eight texture levels. The steam wand was a little stiff but that’s something we can cope with for the perfect oat milk flat white.

Score: 94/100

Taking its first step into the coffee machine market, Ninja’s Luxe Cafe three-in-one 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.

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 so you can save your preferred aroma and volume settings to create the perfect cup every time. Overall, it’s a brilliant buy, particularly if you’re a beginner wanting café-quality coffees at home.

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 – plus, it’s a cheaper alternative to many of our other top-scoring machines.

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.

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.

Score: 92/100

Another classy offering from Sage, this coffee machine was a real multitasker on test, serving up our quickest cappuccino in just 93 seconds, thanks to its ability to steam milk while simultaneously brewing an espresso. Plus, the steam wand did its job in as little as 48 seconds. It delivered outstandingly consistent espressos, too.

Unlike the Sage Express Impress above (which looks more like a typical espresso machine), this model has an LCD screen that shows your drink settings. It also has five more grind settings and tamping is done manually. Sage has coffee experts on hand to support you from purchase through to brewing, too.

Our one note is that if you like to use taller glasses, you may struggle to fit them under the dispenser, and opening the water tank and removing filter baskets can be fiddly. But again, these are only small drawbacks – this is another thoughtfully designed and high-quality buy from Sage.

Score: 92/100

For larger households, this is a smart pick. It has a 2.2-litre water tank, 40 pre-set drinks, and six user profiles for saving shortcuts for your go-to coffees. Testers appreciated that it could dispense two cups at the same time, but it had to reheat the water before serving the next two. This didn’t slow things much though as they only waited an extra minute.

Each shot was consistent in weight and temperature and had a nice layer of crema. Our experts found the automatic steam system frothed milk easily too, and the plant-based mode made enjoying oat lattes simpler than ever.

Needless to say, it's an expensive machine, and it took up a considerable amount of our counter space, but it has all the features a coffee buff could wish for.

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.

Score: 90/100

This is the first time ProCook, the B-Corp certified kitchen brand, has dipped its toe into the world of bean to cup coffee machines, 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.

Score: 90/100

Sage has cemented its spot as one of the best brands to go to for at-home brewing perfection. This one costs substantially more than the brand's other models on our list, so what does your investment give you?

Well, this premium machine works at the touch of its easy-to-read screen. With its set coffees, everything is automated – from grinding, dosing and tamping to its outstanding steam wand – so the temperature and milk texture perfectly suits your chosen coffee. The results were notably consistent too. You can also use the machine manually, if you'd prefer.

It’s also worth noting our tester found removing the coffee puck messy, even with the accompanying knock box, and its portafilter was drippy. But otherwise, it’s a smartly designed machine that can deliver drinks guaranteed to impress any guests.

Score: 89/100

Preparing reliably delicious coffees is a doddle with this De'Longhi, which scored full marks in our espresso tests. It was one of the easiest machines to use, thanks to helpful QR codes in the manual that take you to extra information online about set-up and functionality. De’Longhi even has a YouTube channel where you can learn how to conquer latte art!

The model comes with dosing and tamping tools to help reduce coffee waste, plus it has a tamping mat and a storage compartment on top. The steam wand worked quickly too, although it was a little stiff to move and could have been more powerful. Its milk jug was also on the small side.

Aspiring baristas may find it frustrating that there’s no information on how much coffee the grinder has dosed, so for maximum precision you would need to empty the coffee and weigh before brewing. That said, our tester did find it consistently effective, making it a dependable addition to your kitchen.

Score: 88/100

This strong, sleek KitchenAid coffee machine has 15 grind sizes available (with seven finer sizes in between for better precision). It uses ‘smart dosing technology’ that automatically adjusts the volume and consistency for a single or double shot to create the perfect espresso every time. Those with more particular tastes can also manually adjust the settings if needed.

When brewing, the shots remained consistent in weight and yield but failed to reach the ideal temperature. We also had to reheat the machine in between each double shot, which isn’t ideal for busy households. Prepping the milk function takes another minute too, but it was worth the wait as we achieved silky, glossy micro foam that topped our latte perfectly.

As the steam wand isn’t automatic, it may take some practice if you’re new to bean-to-cup coffee machines. Plus, with lots of icons on the control panel, it isn’t the most intuitive, but the clear instructions included on how to make espresso should help.

Score: 86/100

With an innovative, professional-style steam wand, this machine is a standout if you love milky coffees and want more control than most offer. It reaches a range of temperatures quickly and will help you whip up any style of drink in a jiffy.

You’ll have to wait for it to power up after extracting an espresso, and it only moves from side to side, but if it’s lattes or flat whites you like to start your day with, it will definitely please.

Don’t let the professional descriptor put you off either; it’s a thoughtfully designed machine that comes with clear instructions and an intuitive digital interface and controls. You can also adjust the settings to suit your taste.

While it delivered consistent single espressos, it struggled to deliver identical doubles, with the finished volume varying. Our tester also would also have liked more detail on how to dose coffee and different brew temperatures. The grinder lacked finer settings and was tricky to clean, too. Overall, however, it’s a compact and efficient machine.