What is the best automatic coffee machine to buy is a question that can have several answers. Let’s first talk about how the perfect cup of coffee is made.
The coffee has to be brewed – everything else is a compromise. The beans have to be ground to a certain fineness within minutes, preferably right before, brewing. Ideally, the coffee should be brewed at 92 to 96o C and under pressure.
The best brewing temperature can depend on the roast. The fineness or coarseness of the grind can affect the pressure. Brewing temperature or pressure that is too low can make the coffee sourer and thinner than the ideal, which might still be better than brewing at overly high temperature which will make the coffee too bitter.
An espresso machine is needed to make brewed coffee, so what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy is going to be an espresso machine. The question is which one?
The espresso is coffee made the Italian way. The Italians also brew coffee with more water and they called it lungo, which means long, or in this case, long coffee. Add hot water to two shots of espresso it becomes what the Italians called Americano, which is more like the black coffee that the rest of the world has come to love and enjoy.
Home espresso machines can be broken down into 3 basic types: semi-automatic, super-automatic, and Nespresso machines. The semi-automatic machines are the most tweakable, and they are also much cheaper than super-automatic machines. Many of them also have a coffee grinder built in.
Nespresso machines use Nespresso capsules containing pre-ground coffee. Although this is a compromise, these machines can brew better coffee than Starbucks, which uses drip machines to make their regular coffees (not brewed).
Let’s figure out what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy.
Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express is an espresso machine with integrated grinder, steam wand, and hot water dispenser. After grinding coffee bean into the portafilter, you can make single or double shots of espresso in manual or automatic mode.
The hot water dispenser is a new feature for the latest model – extremely useful for making Americano. The steam wand is used to froth milk for making latte or cappuccino. You can make all your favorite coffee drinks with this machine.
The conical burr grinder has dose control for grinding just the right amount of beans. The dose and grind size are adjustable.
The Barista Express features a 15-bar pump and a thermocoil heating system with digital temperature control. It includes two double-wall pressurized filters that automatically control the pressure and two single-wall non-pressurized filters that let you tinker with the tamping pressure when brewing.
As for what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy, the Breville Barista Express is a candidate for its versatility. It makes excellent coffee right away. Spend some time and effort to experiment and you can make it great.
Pros
- Hot water dispenser for making Americano
- Top-loading hopper holds one-half pound of coffee beans
- Grind size and dose selectors
- Sizable 67oz water tank with filter
- Pressure gauge with espresso range highlighted
- Makes single or double shots, or program your desired shot volume (up to 6oz)
- The steam wand swivels 360 degrees
Cons
- Like all semi-automatic espresso machines with integrated grinders, it can make a bit of mess from spills out of the portafilter.
Saeco Pico Baristo
The Seaco Pico Baristo is our favorite super-automatic espresso machine. The one-touch coffee options are espresso, double espresso, lungo, ristretto (even less water than espresso), and caffe crema (longer than lungo).
It has an integrated grinder. You hit a button and the machine grinds the beans, brews the grind, extracts the coffee into your cup, and dumps the waste into a container (empty only when it’s full). The milk frother on the side is fully automatic. Just add the right amount of espresso to make your favorite drinks.
The grinder uses ceramic blades that will not heat up the coffee after extended use (which can cause bitterness). The whole brewing group can be easily removed and it is dishwasher safe. New and improved AquaClean filter means this machine will not have to be descaled.
To answer what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy, the Saeco Pico is the one if you can afford it.
Pros
- Ceramic grinder with 10 fineness settings
- Descale-free AquaClean filter lasts 5,000 cups
- Brew group is removable and dishwasher safe
- Easy access to top-loading water and coffee beans containers
- Makes 8 different coffee drinks
- Super-fast boiler with no wait time between brew
- Programmable dose, temperature, shot length, milk volume
Cons
- Expensive
- The top-loading water tank may restrict placements under kitchen cabinets
Aicok Espresso Machine (for Nespresso Capsules)
The only thing easier and more convenient than a super-automatic espresso machine is an espresso machine that uses Nespresso capsules. The Aicok Espresso Machine is a newcomer to this category and it comes with a number of high-end specs.
It is equipped with a 20-bar pump. Very high pressure is required to achieve the kind of espresso crema and flavor associated with conventional espresso machines. Its 1255W heating element takes 25 seconds to reach operating temperature (which is fast for these machines).
Two sets of side panels are included: gloss black and gloss red. The parts that require occasional cleaning come apart easily (in 8 pieces) and are dishwasher safe. You don’t have to discard the Nespresso capsule after every use for it has a trash container that holds up to 11 used capsules.
As far as what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy, the Aicok Espresso Machine is the one if you value convenience over all else.
Pros
- Easy and straightforward: pop in a capsule and hit “espresso” or “lungo”
- The waste container holds up to 11 used capsules
- Dishwasher safe parts
- 20-bar pump ensures excellent brewing results
Cons
- The capsules add up to cost quite a bit more than a bag of premium coffee beans
- Sacrifices ultimate quality for convenience
Summary
What is the best automatic coffee machine to buy comes down to price, convenience, and willingness to tinker.
If you want absolute convenience, the answer to what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy is the Aicok Espresso Machine. It makes high-quality lungo coffee that is much more flavorful than non-brewed regular coffee at coffee shops.
In our opinion, what is the best automatic coffee machine to buy is the super-automatic Saeco Pico Barista. This machine makes the creamiest and most flavorful coffee from the get-go. You can further program the settings to your taste even though it is just about as good as it gets.
On the other hand, the Breville Barista Express is worthy of consideration if you don’t mind saving a few bucks and having to clean up the mess more often. It is very versatile, so with experience and a bit of tinkering, you can make coffee as awesome as the Saeco. The milk frother doesn’t compare to the Saeco’s but after all this write-up is about coffee.
