Which? Don't Buy coffee machines

Our rigorous coffee machine tests reveal the machines that turn out consistently great coffee, as well as the ones you should avoid.

We label the very worst coffee machines we've tested Don’t Buys. These machines are so poor at their main job, that we simply can’t recommend them.

What makes a Don't Buy coffee machine?

Don’t Buy coffee machines struggle to extract the best from your coffee, leaving you with a thin, watery and flavourless brew. They may also be slow, produce lukewarm drinks, or fail to froth up milk to bubbly perfection.

The worst models will also be a nightmare to use, leaving you tearing your hair out in the mornings when you should be sipping a punchy espresso.

On the other hand, the best coffee machines consistently churn hot and tasty espressos (and creamy cappuccinos if they're designed for that). They also have easy-to-use controls and they're simple to clean and descale.

We test coffee machines more thoroughly than everyone else, and because we're completely independent we're not afraid to say when a machine isn't worth buying.

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How we test coffee machines

Over the years we’ve tested hundreds of coffee machines from big brands such as Nespresso, DeLonghi, Dualit, Tassimo and Dolce Gusto. Our detailed coffee machine reviews reveal which coffee machines make delicious espressos and cappuccinos, and which models give you a coffee that lacks flavour.

• Our expert coffee taster does a blind taste test of the espressos and cappuccinos made by each model. We'll only recommend the machines that have his stamp of approval for bringing out the best in your coffee.
• Our rigorous lab tests look at the mechanics of coffee making – we assess how easy each coffee machine is to use and clean, as well as how noisy it is, and how hot the coffee is, so you can avoid a lukewarm brew.
• All of our tests ignore price, giving an overall Which? score and a detailed review. You can see the best and worst at a glance or dig in further for all the details, whichever way you prefer it.

Coffee machines that score particularly poorly in our tests pick up a Don’t Buy warning from us – clearly marked – so you can see immediately which models to avoid.

There's no room for unconscious bias, so you can trust our results and easily compare the best and worst coffee machines. We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves, so our advice helps you to make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.