One of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines is what you need if you want a cup of quality coffee with minimal effort. These full-featured appliances will do everything for you: grind the beans, use the right amount of water and brew at the right strength. They might cost more than most of the best coffee makers, but for many people the amount of time and effort saved make them well worth the initial outlay.
If you’re not sure if these are the right type of coffee maker for you, we suggest learning how a bean-to-cup coffee machine works. If you'd rather get more involved in making your coffee, our roundup of the best espresso machines is well worth a look, while our guide to espresso machines vs bean-to-cup coffee machines can help you decide which option might suit you best.
You'll find options from De’Longhi, Gaggia, Breville (Sage in the UK), and Smeg in this guide, and we've tested every one of them extensively. Our reviewers have assessed them in terms end results, ease-of-use, design and feature set, as well as how easy they are to clean and how loud they are during use, to ensure they're worth their high prices. In short, we’re confident that these are the best bean-to-cup coffee machines available right now.
The quick list
Below is our quick guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines around. Use it to narrow down your options, then either hop down to the more in-depth entry, or head straight to a retailer to buy.
Best overall
This outstanding bean-to-cup machine (branded as Breville in the US and Sage in the UK) delivers excellent coffee every time. We appreciated the ability to choose between automatic and manual modes, so you can have the machine handle the technical work, or hone your own barista skills.
Hot and cold drinks
From espresso to iced lattes, the De’Longhi Eletta Explore does the lot brilliantly and comes with all the accessories you're ever likely to need. Our reviewer enjoyed using the touchscreen to pick from the huge array of drinks on offer, then sitting back and letting the Eletta Explore handle the rest.
Best semi-automatic
With industrial looks and loads of settings, this premium machine handles dosing, tamping, grinding, and milk steaming. All you have to do is transfer the portafilter from the grinder to the group head, then pour the textured milk onto the finished espresso shot. Latte art optional.
Best fully automatic
The stylish Smeg BCC13 handles the entire coffee-making process from start to finish. Just select your drink using the buttons on top (no touchscreens here) and let it do the rest. Espressos and americanos are excellent, and you can attach the automatic milk frothing system for consistently delicious lattes and cappuccinos (though it doesn't work well with non-dairy).
Best for non-dairy milk
Gaggia's Magenta Plus will give you a no-effort cup of espresso, but if you want something milky you'll have to get fully manual with its steam wand. That's good news if you enjoy oat, almond or soya milk, because you'll be able to fine-tune the texturizing process on the fly rather than relying on automatic settings that are usually optimized for dairy.
Best value
Bean-to-cup coffee machines always cost more than fully manual espresso machines, but the Ninja Luxe Café is much more affordable than our other recommendations, and delivers superb coffee for the price. It's a semi-automatic machine that will pay for itself within a year if you regularly buy drinks from coffee shops.
The best bean-to-cup coffee machines 2024
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The best bean-to-cup coffee machine overall
✅ You appreciate the skills of a good barista: If you enjoy the process of making coffee, this machine will not disappoint.
✅ You enjoy lattes and cappuccinos: This machine's steam wand is particularly well designed.
❌ You don't drink coffee daily: This isn't the most expensive bean-to-cup coffee maker around, but you'll need to use it frequently to justify the cost.
❌ You have limited space: The Barista Express Impress is relatively large, so measure your kitchen counter before buying.
This bean-to-cup coffee machine is definitely for espresso connoisseurs, promising to use the perfect quantity of ground beans, the perfect temperature, the perfect water pressure and the perfect micro-foam to make the perfect coffee. Sold in most countries as the Sage the Barista Express Impress, it's available in the US with Breville branding.
The Barista Express Impress uses 18 to 22g of freshly ground beans to create its rich and creamy espressos, which also make the perfect base for intense flat whites and creamy cappuccinos. It's similar to a commercial espresso machine, so it's a bit more complicated than a standard bean-to-cup model, but that's a huge part of the appeal. Creating decent-tasting coffee in the way a professional barista would takes time – but we found that the ceremonial approach to using this machine, whereby you need to tamp and dose correctly, made the process of making coffee almost as enjoyable as drinking it.
If you enjoy the process of making coffee, this machine will not disappoint. It has everything you need to enjoy specialty coffee at home.
Read our full Sage The Barista Express Impress review
The best bean-to-cup coffee machine for hot and cold drinks
✅ You live with other coffee fans: This machine lets members of your household make their own profiles with drink preferences.
✅ You don't want the full coffee-making ritual: This machine makes great coffee, and handles the labor-intensive parts of the process for you.
❌ You mostly drink espressos and americanos: This machine has an excellent milk frother, but you can save money if you opt for a model without one.
❌ You're on a budget - especially if you're in the US: This is one of the more expensive machines in our roundup, and the cost is particularly high in the US.
Want a bean-to-cup coffee machine that literally does it all and don't mind paying for it? The De’Longhi Eletta Explore may well be the answer to your prayers. This impressive option manages to cram a whole load of features into a relatively compact footprint and it'll deliver everything from smooth espresso to cold brew coffee with you barely having to lift a finger.
It isn't the prettiest bean-to-cup machine but it's far from an eyesore with its black and deeper gray looks, and it comes with plenty of accessories including two milk carafes, a travel mug and even an ice tray for cold drinks. The Eletta Explore has a sizeable (but not airtight) bean hopper and a fantastic conical burr grinder with seven coarseness settings, while its touchscreen makes it a breeze to make exactly the drink you want; you can also use De'Longhi's Coffee Link app to get the best possible drinks out of your particular beans.
Our reviewer absolutely loved it, although she found some annoying design issues such as a water tank that wouldn't always slide back in properly, plus a frustrating need for separate hot and cold milk carafes. Note that you're in the US, this one's a harder sell as it retails for a lot more than you'd pay elsewhere.
Read our full De’Longhi Eletta Explore review
The best semi-automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine
✅ You want to minimize hassle: This machine handles dosage, water temperature, water pressure, and steam pressure for you.
✅ You love a good latte: The Oracle Touch has a separate boiler for its steam wand, so you don't need to worry about pressure dropping low.
❌ You have limited space above your kitchen counter: This machine is tall, and you'll need even more space to load its top-mounted hopper with beans.
❌ You want something understated: With its bold, bulky design and bright touchscreen, this is a bean-to-cup coffee machine that stands out.
This top-of-the-range coffee machine (sold in most of the world as the Sage the Oracle Touch) comes with an eye-watering price tag. But it has a sleek industrial coffee shop style and a range of customizable settings that’ll give you barista-style drinks with minimal effort. It’s not entirely hands-off, though: you’ll have to move the portafilter into position once the ground coffee has been automatically added and tamped.
Meanwhile, it looks like a manual machine with a professional-looking steam wand and stainless-steel milk jug. Still, the milk heating and texturizing are fully automated. Just pop the jug of milk under the wand and let the machine take care of creating the perfect microfoam.
On test, it produced great coffee, and the simple touch screen walks you through every process. So despite needing next to no barista skills, you’ll be able to make excellent quality barista-style coffees, so long as you can stretch to the budget-busting price tag.
Read our full Sage The Oracle Touch review
The best fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine
✅ You value ease of use: The BCC13 makes brewing espresso as straightforward as possible, and delivers consistently good results.
✅ You drink multiple coffees a day: You'll need to be a regular coffee drinker to justify the price.
❌ Coffee-making is your hobby: The BCC13 takes over dosing, grinding, tamping, selecting water pressure, timing extraction, and steaming milk for you.
❌ You prefer plant-based milk: The auto milk frother works well with dairy, but isn't calibrated for vegan alternatives.
The Smeg BCC13 is a bean-to-cup coffee machine that combines style with substance. Its minimalist, retro style design looks stunning on your kitchen counter, and it delivers consistently delicious coffee every time.
This is a fully automatic machine, so all you have to do is fill the large water tank, load your beans into the hopper, and (if you want a latte or cappuccino) attach the milk container. Then, just take your pick from the nine drink options and let the machine do the rest. You'll need to keep the manual on hand at first, because there's no touchscreen and each button can make two different drinks, but that's a minor quibble.
Every part of the machine is thoughtfully designed, and during testing our reviewer was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to keep clean and maintain. Unlike some lesser bean-to-cup machines, the grounds are stored in an easily accessible caddy, there's nowhere inside for stray coffee grounds to get stuck, and the 60-second quick clean option keeps everything fresh between deeper cleans.
Read our full Smeg BCC13 review
The best bean-to-cup coffee machine for non-dairy milk
✅ You want your coffee fast: This machine delivers four types of coffee in 30 seconds flat.
✅ You sometimes like decaf: The Gaggia Magenta Plus can take ground coffee as well as beans, so you can easily try something different to your usual brew.
❌ You're sensitive to noise: This is one of the loudest bean-to-cup coffee machines we've tested, reaching 90dB when steaming milk.
❌ You're not comfortable using a steam wand: Take a look at a machine like the Smeg BCC13 if you want your milk foamed automatically.
The Gaggia Magenta Plus is an excellent bean-to-cup coffee machine for those who want more input into the finished drink. It'll still take care of grinding fresh coffee beans and pouring coffee. But for milky drinks, you'll need to become familiar with the steam wand and master the correct technique for texturizing milk. However, it's not too tricky once you get the hang of it, and it means you can adjust your technique to suit plant-based milks rather than relying on an automatic frother that's optimized for dairy.
We were impressed with the espresso's robust crema and rich flavor on the test. We also liked that the drinks can be customized regarding strength, aroma, drink size, and temperature.
It's loud, though, mainly when grinding beans and steaming milk, so it's not one for early risers who want to make a coffee without disturbing the rest of the household. This sleek black machine looks great on your counter, and it's more affordable than most bean-to-cup machines, but it's not tiny, so make sure you have space to accommodate it.
Read our full Gaggia Magenta Plus review
The best value bean-to-cup coffee machine
✅ You like variety: This machine can brew single, double, and quad espressos, long coffees, cold brew, and milky drinks.
✅ You want a guiding hand: This bean-to-cup machine isn't fully automatic like the Smeg BCC13, but it takes the guesswork out of making delicious coffee.
❌ You want a hot water line: You'll need a separate electric kettle to heat water for tea.
❌ You want a compact coffee machine: Bean-to-cup coffee makers are often quite big, and this is a no exception.
It looks like it belongs in the hands of a professional barista, but the Luxe Café is surprisingly easy to use, making it simple for even beginners to start making delicious, well extracted espresso drinks. Our reviewer found it easy to master, with consistently good results.
The price is impressive, too. Although bean-to-cup coffee machines are never cheap (take a look at our roundup of the best espresso machines for some more affordable manual options), the Ninja Café Luxe is one of the most affordable models we've tested, and offers the same build quality and features as alternatives costing several hundred dollars more.
We would have appreciated the ability to use the steam wand manually, though. Although there are dedicated settings for plant-based milks, we found that we generally got a better texture with silkier microfoam when using dairy,
Read our full Ninja Luxe Café review
How to choose a bean-to-cup coffee machine
What to consider when buying a bean-to-cup coffee machine
Bean-to-cup coffee machines are some of the most expensive home coffee machines you can buy, so if you’re considering investing in one of these pricey appliances, it’s worth getting it right.
First up, work out how hands-on you want to be. For example, if you need milky coffee delivered at the touch of a button while you butter your toast, then you should look for a fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine with texturized milk in your cup. But if you fancy playing barista and learning to steam milk and perfect the art of creating a smooth microfoam, then a machine with a manual steam wand is the way to go.
Consider how many different drinks you want to be able to create. All fully automatic bean-to-cup machines can deliver a basic espresso, cappuccino, and latte. Still, if you’re looking for more niche coffee shop favorites like a cortado or macchiato, you’ll need to check what drink options come on the standard menu.
If you’re very particular about things like coffee temperature and size of drink dispensed, it’s worth checking out what customizable settings are available. For example, some machines allow you to fine-tune things like grind size, aroma, strength, and temperature. These settings will enable you to personalize the machine to produce bespoke drinks.
Another critical factor is the size. Due to the additional grinding function, these machines can be bigger than other coffee makers, such as espresso machines. So work out what space you have available on your counter and carefully check the dimensions of each coffee machine. Likewise, they all come equipped with different size water tanks, bean hoppers, and milk carafes, so if you need a big water tank, for example, check the specifications before buying.
What coffee machine does Brad Pitt advertise?
If you've seen a clip on TV of Brad Pitt driving a motorcycle along a stunning-looking coastline, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a trailer for his latest movie. Instead, however, it's an advert for a coffee machine.
Pitt is now a brand ambassador for De'Longhi and, in the latest advert he can be seen enjoying a cup of coffee brewed using the De'Longhi Eletta Explore bean-to-cup coffee machine, which you'll find at #2 in this list.
How we test bean-to-cup coffee machines
When we test coffee machines, there’s more to it than drinking too much coffee and spending the day high on a caffeine buzz. It starts with the setup. We evaluate how easy it is to configure all the settings and get the coffee machine up and running.
Next, we assess its ability to make espresso. This includes noting how quickly it pours the drink and the temperature and amount of liquid dispensed. We’re also looking at the quality of the crema, its thickness, color, and how well it reforms when cut with a spoon. Then, of course, we taste it. Again, we’re looking for a balanced, rich flavor, not excessively bitter, burnt, or weak.
Cappuccino is one of the most popular frothy, milk-based coffees, so this is the drink we make when trying out milk texturizing. For machines with manual steam wands, we steam the milk and evaluate how easily the steam wand creates fine microfoam and whether it’s noisy. If the milk texturizing is fully automatic, we dispense a cappuccino and check the quality of foam as well as the temperature of the milk, giving it a go with both dairy and non-dairy milk.
While using the coffee machine, we’re continually assessing general ease of use and checking what settings are customizable. We also try out different cup sizes to see what can fit under the dispenser, and if it can take two cups, we check to see if it fills both evenly. Finally, we clean it after use, hoping for easy-to-clean parts that aren’t too tricky to disassemble.
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