Which coffee machine brand is the most reliable?

We've investigated the performance and reliability of some of the most popular coffee machine brands, including DeLonghi, Melitta and Sage.

In our unique small-appliance survey, we ask more than 5,000 Which? members and members of the public whether they're happy with their coffee machine and if they've experienced problems, so you can see which brands are worth the money.

Head to our round-up of the best coffee machines to help you decide which type of coffee machine you need.

Which coffee machine brands develop the fewest faults?

This table summarises what we found about how quickly coffee machines develop faults or break down, based on coffee machines bought in the past six years.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the full results of our brand reliability survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Prefer coffee pods? See the best pod coffee machines.

Which coffee machine brands do owners recommend?

As well as faults, our survey also revealed which coffee machine brands owners feel happy with – and which they'd recommend to a friend.

These results are shown as each brand's customer score, and are based on coffee machines bought in the past six years.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the full results of our brand reliability survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Head over to our coffee machine reviews to see all the models we've tested.

The three most common coffee machine faults

There's little worse than being denied your caffeine fix in the morning. Here are the three most common problems, according to our survey of more than 4,000 coffee machine owners.

We also give you tips on how to stop these common faults from developing in the first place.

1. Issues dispensing coffee (20% of faulty products)

If your coffee isn't dispensing properly, it could be because there is a blockage somewhere. This can happen more often if you use a very fine grind of coffee and, in the worst cases, can lead to coffee 'explosions'. 

If your machine has a portafilter, unclogging it with a long pin can help to keep the coffee running freely. Some coffee machines come with a pin for this purpose, which can also be used to unblock the steam pipe. If it isn't included, any long pin will do the trick. 

The brew head could also need cleaning. Usually, it can be rinsed under the tap, but check your machine's manual for specific instructions. 

2. Leaks (19%)

A leaking coffee machine could be down to a number of reasons. 

If you use a traditional espresso machine with ground coffee, take care not to over-tamp the coffee (pushing it too hard into the filter basket), as water may not be able to pass through. This can lead to a build-up of pressure and cause water to leak from the portafilter. 

A full drip tray can also overflow and make it look like the machine is leaking, so it's important to empty it regularly. Some machines have a 'drip tray full' indicator to help with this. 

3. Machine's body cracks or is damaged (8%)

Cracks or damage in a machine's casing can be inconvenient at best, and can introduce a host of other issues at worst. Depending on the severity of the damage, you risk moisture or rust causing further issues to your machine, including the internal electrics and mechanics.

If your coffee machine is still within the warranty period, contact the manufacturer to see about getting the necessary parts replaced.

Unless you're skilled and knowledgeable, repairing the body of your coffee machine probably isn't a job you'll be able to do yourself.

See our guide on how to clean your coffee machine for tips on keeping yours in top condition.

Can a broken coffee machine be repaired?

Some minor problems with coffee machines - such as limescale building up - can be solved with a quick clean and descale. Find out how to do this in our guide: How to clean your coffee machine.

For more serious issues, we'd recommend contacting the manufacturer, as trying to fix problems yourself can often make them worse.

We've had a look at popular coffee machine brands to see what they offer in terms of repairs, servicing and spare parts:

• Bosch – offers a two-year standard warranty with a repair or replacement service. The brand has an online service to book a repair and a dedicated section for spare parts. Spare parts are available for up to 10 years on built-in coffee machines.
  
• DeLonghi – will service and repair your coffee machine, even outside the warranty period. It offers different price bands depending on the level of repairs or servicing that's needed. You can buy a limited selection of extra accessories online, such as milk jugs and filters, but there isn't a wide range of spare parts available to buy directly.
• Krups – offers repairs and spare parts both within and outside the guarantee period. The official website has a Repair Centre section that provides a helpline for products still under guarantee and a direct-contact map/online booking tool for out-of-guarantee repairs. It also states a commitment to providing spare parts for up to 15 years.
• Lavazza – doesn't directly offer a repair service or sell spare coffee machine parts online. Lavazza's warranty documents state that its customer service will handle technical assistance and decide whether to repair or replace a defective machine within the 12-month warranty period. 
• Sage – provides a two-year guarantee and will repair or replace a defective product at its discretion. It does not offer repairs outside the guarantee period, but does have a spare parts and accessories section on its website where customers can buy components.
• Siemens – will cover the cost of repairs and spare parts within your coffee machine's guarantee period. Outside of this and you'll need to call it to discuss repair options and costs. Using the model number of your coffee machine, you may also be able to buy spare parts online.

Is your machine unrepairable? Find out how to recycle electrical items.

Which coffee machine brands offer the best guarantees?

Most coffee machine brands offer product guarantees of one to two years as standard, but there are a handful of brands that offer longer cover, including:

• Lakeland – three-year guarantee as standard.
• Bosch – two-year warranty as standard, but can be extended for up to five years if bought within 28 days of buying the appliance.

Bought a faulty coffee machine? Here's how to get a refund, repair or replacement.

How we discover the most reliable coffee machine brands

Which? has a wealth of information on Britain's favourite brands.

Every year, we ask Which? members to tell us about the home appliances they own – from how likely they would be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they get them home.

This year, 7,643 Which? Connect panel members and 6,978 members of the public told us about more than 48,000 individual products, including 5,864 coffee machines. We calculate each brand's customer score, fault rate and reliability rating using the results of our annual survey.

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best coffee machine to buy.

To find out more about what it takes to be a Best Buy, see how we test coffee machines.