The best coffee machine depends entirely on how you drink coffee and what you’ll actually use. If you want quick, consistent espresso capsules, the Nespresso Vertuo Next Premium at £132.30 wins on speed and ease. If you prefer traditional drip coffee, the Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus at £113.99 delivers excellent value for 12 cups. For those willing to invest in automatic grinding, milk frothing, and specialty drinks, the Jura C9 at £2,199 is genuinely worth it — but only if you use it daily.
Our Top Picks
Best Value Overall: Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker
Price: £113.99 — Best for budget-conscious households that drink 8+ cups daily.
This 12-cup automatic drip maker brews 1.25 litres in roughly 10 minutes and includes a glass carafe with measurement markings. The touch control display lets you programme brew times up to 24 hours in advance. It’s not fancy, but it’s reliable, fast, and costs less than a week’s coffee shop visits.
Best for Speed and Convenience: Nespresso Vertuo Next Premium by DeLonghi
Price: £132.30 (without frother); £167.95 (with Aeroccino milk frother) — Best for espresso drinkers who value convenience over volume.
This capsule machine brews espresso, double espresso, or coffee (up to 410ml) in under 30 seconds. It uses Nespresso’s Vertuo capsules (recyclable via the brand’s programme), which means zero grinder cleaning. The Aeroccino frother version adds heated milk in 60 seconds. It’s ideal if you want one or two drinks per morning, not a full carafe.
Best Budget Espresso Machine: Hamilton Beach Espresso & Cappuccino Maker
Price: £139.99 — Best for trying espresso without major investment.
This manual pump espresso maker produces 15 bars of pressure and froths milk by hand. It won’t match a £2,000 machine, but it’s genuinely functional for cappuccinos and lattes. You’ll grind beans separately, so expect a learning curve, but that’s part of the appeal for espresso enthusiasts.
Best Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine: Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Machine
Price: £299.95 — Best for people who enjoy the ritual of manual espresso brewing.
The Aiden combines pre-infusion (which saturates grounds evenly before extraction) with precise temperature control. It has a 1-litre water tank and produces 9 bars of pressure. This is for people who want to dial in their own shots rather than rely on capsules or full automation.
Best Semi-Automatic with Convenience: Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series Espresso Machine
Price: £599.95 — Best for espresso plus milk-based drinks without full automation.
The Ninja includes a built-in grinder, steam wand for milk frothing, and pressure gauge. It brews traditional espresso shots alongside milk-based drinks. You control the process, but the grinder integrated into the machine reduces setup steps. This bridges the gap between capsule machines and fully automatic models.
Best for Full Automation: Jura C9 Fully Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine
Price: £2,199.00 — Best for people who drink espresso drinks multiple times daily and want zero manual work.
This Swiss-engineered machine handles everything: grinding whole beans, dosing, tamping, brewing espresso, steaming milk (via an integrated milk system), and cleaning itself after every shot. Programme your favourite drinks and hit one button. The C9 brews 12 cups per hour and includes a 0.5kg bean hopper. Only buy this if you’ll use it every single day.
Best Premium Integrated System: Miele CM 6360 with WiFi
Price: £2,250.00 — Best for kitchens where the coffee machine doubles as a design statement.
Miele’s CM 6360 offers similar automation to the Jura but adds WiFi connectivity, allowing you to programme drinks from your phone. The obsidian black finish suits modern kitchens. Like the Jura, this is for daily users only.
Most Versatile: Café Grind and Brew Drip Coffee Maker
Price: £213.99 — Best for households wanting both filter coffee and the option to use ground coffee immediately.
This machine includes an integrated burr grinder, so you can brew whole beans directly or use pre-ground coffee from a cafetière. It’s a 12-cup capacity with a glass carafe. Useful if your household has mixed preferences (some want espresso drinks, others want traditional filter coffee).
Best Ultra-Premium: Smeg CMSU4104S Fully Automatic Coffee Machine
Price: £3,799.00 — Best for kitchens where budget is unlimited and the machine must be visually distinctive.
This 24-inch Italian-designed fully automatic machine includes a 2kg bean hopper, automatic milk frother, 16 pre-programmed drinks, and descaling function. The touch screen controls are intuitive. At this price, you’re paying for design heritage, warranty, and build quality rather than dramatically different performance from the Jura.
Quick Comparison Table
| Model | Price | Best For | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus (12-cup) | £113.99 | Budget drip coffee drinkers | 24-hour programmable brew |
| Nespresso Vertuo Next Premium | £132.30–£167.95 | Speed and espresso capsules | 30-second brew; recyclable pods |
| Hamilton Beach Espresso | £139.99 | Budget espresso enthusiasts | Manual pump pressure brewer |
| Café Grind and Brew | £213.99 | Flexible households | Integrated burr grinder |
| Fellow Aiden Precision | £299.95 | Ritual-focused espresso lovers | Pre-infusion and temperature control |
| Ninja Luxe Café Pro | £599.95 | Semi-automatic espresso + milk | Built-in grinder and steam wand |
| Rivelia Fully Automatic | £1,199.95 | Premium automation with style | Compact footprint, sand beige finish |
| Jura C9 Fully Automatic | £2,199.00 | Daily all-in-one espresso users | One-button drinks; self-cleaning |
| Miele CM 6360 | £2,250.00 | WiFi-enabled automation | App control; obsidian design |
| Smeg CMSU4104S | £3,799.00 | Ultimate design-led purchase | 24-inch width; Italian heritage |
How We Chose
- Daily usage: Machines priced above £1,000 only justified if used 5+ times weekly. A Jura sits idle in most kitchens; a drip maker earns its cost through repetition.
- Brew speed: Espresso machines range from 30 seconds (capsule) to 3+ minutes (manual). Match speed to your morning routine, not to perceived “quality.”
- Milk handling: If you drink milk-based drinks, check whether the machine steams automatically (Jura, Miele, Smeg), semi-automatically (Ninja, Fellow), or manually (Hamilton Beach). This single feature drives user satisfaction more than bean quality.
- Capacity vs. users: A 12-cup drip maker suits 3+ people; a 1-cup espresso machine suits 1–2 people. Oversizing wastes energy; undersizing creates queues.
The Bottom Line
For most households, the Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus at £113.99 is the correct choice—it makes excellent drip coffee, brews quickly, and costs less than two weeks of café visits. If you specifically want espresso drinks and have 30 seconds to spare each morning, the Nespresso Vertuo Next at £132.30 is brilliant value. Only upgrade to a Jura (£2,199) or Miele (£2,250) if you drink espresso-based drinks daily and genuinely hate manual work; otherwise you’re paying for unused features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best coffee machines under £150?
The Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus at £113.99 is the best drip coffee maker under £150—it brews 12 cups with a programmable timer and includes a glass carafe. The Nespresso Vertuo Next at £132.30 is the best espresso option under £150 if you don’t mind capsule pods and want drinks in 30 seconds. The Hamilton Beach Espresso Maker at £139.99 is the cheapest true espresso machine, though it requires manual steam wand work for milk.
Should I buy a capsule machine or a grinder machine?
Buy a capsule machine (Nespresso Vertuo) if you drink one or two espresso-based drinks daily and value speed and consistency. Buy a grinder machine (Jura, Miele, or Rivelia) if you drink three or more coffees daily, enjoy experimenting with different beans, or refuse to produce capsule waste. Capsule machines cost £130–£180 upfront but cost £0.40–£0.60 per drink in pods; grinder machines cost £1,200+ upfront but cost £0.10–£0.20 per drink in beans.
Is a fully automatic coffee machine worth £2,000+?
Yes, but only if you drink espresso-based drinks (cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites) at least once daily. A Jura C9 (£2,199) or Miele CM 6360 (£2,250) eliminates grinding, dosing, tamping, and milk frothing—machines that would otherwise take 5–10 minutes per drink now take 60 seconds. If you drink filter coffee or cold brew instead, a fully automatic espresso machine is completely wasted money; buy the Melitta Aroma Tocco Plus (£113.99) instead.
What’s the difference between a Jura C9 and a Miele CM 6360?
Both are fully automatic and cost roughly £2,200. The Jura C9 is proven Swiss engineering with a 20-year market presence; it grinds, brews, and self-cleans reliably. The Miele CM 6360 adds WiFi app control (so you can programme drinks from your phone) and includes a more advanced milk system (Miele’s Milk Perfection dispenser). If WiFi connectivity matters to you, choose Miele; if you just want reliable daily espresso without apps, choose Jura. Both require weekly descaling and monthly deep cleaning.
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