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They may cost less, but they still deliver results that will please even the pickiest of coffee drinkers Bean To Cup
Sitting back with a tasty cup of coffee is one of life’s great simple pleasures, but the best coffee machines can be expensive.
But enjoying barista-style coffee at home doesn’t have to come with the hefty price tag. Some of the best models tested at the Good Housekeeping Institute offer everything you need without breaking the bank.
We’ve sorted the good brewers from the bad to find the best budget buys, including pod, espresso and bean-to-cup coffee machines. Tot up how much you spend on coffee on the go, and you’ll quickly make your money back with one of these more affordable picks.
Every machine in this list costs £150 or less, with one exception; our bean-to-cup recommendation. One for real coffee snobs, these allow you to personalise your cup of Joe the most. Bean-to-cup machines with built-in grinders are always pricier, with many costing over £600 – the one on this list costs £276 so we're still considering that a bargain. But if you don’t fancy spending that much, you can still enjoy delicious results with one of our superb pod or espresso machines.
For more on the different types of coffee machine out there, check out our detailed buying guide and scroll on for the very best buys on the market. Or, if you already know the style you’d like, these are the best budget coffee machines to buy now:
To find the best coffee machines, our coffee-loving expert made a series of drinks with each model to assess their consistency. They particularly focused on shots of espresso, looking for a smooth texture, chestnut crema and drinks at the optimal temperature of between 60 and 75C.
For machines with milk frothers, they tested the steam wands with both a dairy and vegan alternative milk, looking for stable yet velvety foam. Lastly, every machine is judged for its ease of use, efficiency and overall design.
These are the best models to buy on a budget.
Enjoy great tasting coffee in seconds with this simple machine that’s easy to set up and adjust, so you can enjoy your brew exactly how you like it. It’s designed for speciality coffee pods and served consistently top-notch espressos.
It can accommodate taller mugs, but it's fairly noisy in use. Our expert also found the main lever for inserting capsules a little stiff, but these niggles aren’t dealbreakers, especially when it will deliver precise, speciality coffee day in, day out. One for the real coffee aficionados.
As the smallest coffee machine in the Nespresso range (just 25cm tall), this is a standout buy for bijou kitchens. Its miniature stature doesn’t mean you compromise on your coffee, though; our experts were impressed with its consistent espresso delivery, earning it a perfect score for that test.
Of course, due to its size, its water tank needs refilling regularly. But that shouldn't be an issue if you only make a few brews a day. It’s also intuitive to use and cleaning the drip tray proved fuss-free, too. A real treat for coffee-lovers.
If you want to live your barista dreams, an espresso machine is the way to go. This no-nonsense number costs less than £100 and performed best on test (which is why we’ve only included one espresso machine on this list).
It doesn’t have an automatic espresso function, so you need to turn off its “express coffee” setting once it’s poured enough coffee for you, but our expert enjoyed its consistent results.
Its other setting is its reliable milk steamer, which created our ideal velvety texture. There’s no reason not to press buy...
Compact and colourful, this bright red pod machine will bring some cheer to your countertop even if you’re tight on space. You can easily programme it to dispense the right volume of coffee for you, and you can fold away its espresso stand if you want a mug-full.
Our expert was surprised by how slowly it heats up (50 seconds on test) but the resulting coffees were worth the wait every time. That tank is fiddly to remove but it’s a great value buy.
For just shy of £90, you’re not buying the most advanced of coffee machines, but it does boast clear instructions and controls, a compact design and quick coffee brewing skills. Thanks to its 20-second heat-up time, our tester was sipping on an espresso a mere 41 seconds after turning on the machine.
Note, you can’t edit the drink sizes, and the double shot setting served a lot more coffee than expected. The machine dripped a fair bit too, but given its price, we can’t complain too much!
This was the most affordable bean-to-cup machine we’ve tested – and it scored full marks for its espresso delivery. The compact design should fit into most kitchens and it’s simple to use with a clear control panel. It heats up quickly too, but we’d have liked more information on how to use the milk frother, as it spluttered at times.
The grinder is a bit fiddly to clean and the machine has a few idiosyncrasies; you need to press the touch controls firmly, and when you’re changing the volume of your coffee, the button must be held down until it’s finished pouring. That said, the excellent coffee renders these only minor inconveniences.
Hannah is our homes editor, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment. Hannah has written about hundreds of products, from air fryers to smoothie makers to pillows, and is committed to finding the most reliable and best value for money buys.
Hannah is also interested in sustainability in the home and has completed a course with the University of the Arts London in sustainable textiles, so she can help cut through the noise on what’s green and what’s not. Hannah has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously worked as a freelance lifestyle and women’s sports journalist, working for Stylist, Sky Sports and more.
Hannah has also previously worked in a florist and can normally be found caring for her house plants or sewing something new for her home or wardrobe.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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