Best Ground Coffee Machines For 2021

Rebecca Marcus

In this article

A traditional ground coffee espresso machine is perfect for creating that authentic coffee shop experience in the comfort of your own home.

It may take a bit of practice to get used to measuring out and preparing the ground coffee yourself, but once you get the hang of it you'll have the freedom to experiment with different blends and make the perfect coffee for you.

We've rounded up five of the best ground coffee machines below. Each of these coffee machines excels at producing flavourful coffee with minimum faff. We've also highlighted three poor coffee machines uncovered by our tests. These mediocre models left our tasting panel unimpressed, and are best avoided.

Log in to unlock our table below to reveal the best and worst ground coffee machines. Not yet a Which? member? Join Which? to get instant access to all our Best Buy coffee machine reviews.

Not sure if a ground coffee machine is right for you? Our coffee machine buying guide explains the different types available and their pros and cons to help you decide. See all of our top picks in our roundup of the best coffee machines.

Top five best ground coffee machines

79%

£74.97

Reviewed Mar 2019

This budget coffee machine makes exceptional espressos and is incredibly easy to use. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything better at a price this low.

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74%

£189.00

Reviewed Feb 2018

This stylish compact coffee machine makes excellent espressos and cappuccinos, all while taking up much less space than your average ground coffee machine. It's a good bet if you want a top-notch traditional coffee maker with a small footprint.

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72%

£79.00

Reviewed Mar 2019

This stylish, yet affordable, model makes fantastic espressos and deliciously creamy cappuccinos. It’s easy to use, quiet and incredibly speedy, knocking out an espresso in just 12 seconds.

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67%

£299.00

Reviewed Nov 2018

This stylish model is an excellent choice if you’re after a ground coffee machine that’s as fuss-free as possible. It not only makes great coffee, but it’s quiet and easy to use too.

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Last updated: November 2019.

Table note: we changed our coffee machine test programme in August 2018. Results for the Breville One Touch are not directly comparable to the results for older models.

Not found the coffee machine for you? See all of our coffee machine reviews to find the best option for your budget.

Three ground coffee machines to avoid

A great ground coffee machine is a thing of beauty. You will be able to brew the espresso you want, to the length you desire, using coffee you have chosen. But choose the wrong model and however hard you try you may end up with a disappointing and weak espresso due to poor extraction.

We've uncovered coffee makers that fail to heat milk to the right temperature, ruining the froth, and models which make thin, watery espressos with an unappetising crema. See the models to steer clear of below.

50%

£92.00

Reviewed Jun 2014

The Dualit XPRESS 3-in-1 84705 is a compact, user-friendly machine, but the espressos it makes just aren't good enough. Buy this machine and you'll be stuck with some of the least impressive espressos around.

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50%

£199.00

Reviewed Oct 2013

This versatile coffee machine is simple and quick to use, however it makes disappointing espresso. For the price, we think you can do much better.

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If you're not sure an espresso coffee machine is right for you, browse other models, including popular Nespresso coffee machines in our coffee machine reviews.

Our coffee machine tests

Each espresso machine goes through tough tests to see how easy it is to use and clean, whether it makes piping hot coffee or not, how well it steams milk and how noisy it is. We also get our taste test panel to taste the coffee from each machine in a blind taste test.

The panel rate each espresso on its appearance, aroma and taste so only the very best brews will make the grade to become a Best Buy. We use the same ground coffee in each machine so we can compare how well each machine extracts the flavours. All the traditional espresso machines we have selected above gained five stars in our espresso taste test, so you know you'll be getting a machine that makes a top-notch cuppa.

Need help getting the best from your machine? See our video guide to making the best espresso and other espresso-based coffees.