If you can’t even contemplate starting your day without a cup of coffee, then you’re probably thinking of buying a coffee espresso machine for home or the office.

There are several different types available, depending on your needs and budget, as explained in our coffee machine buying guide below.

Manual coffee machines

Manual coffee machines are the cheapest available - you should be able to pick up a basic one for less than $200. However, as the name suggests, all functions are manual so you’ll be doing most of the work (including frothing the milk - there’s art to this). Cheaper manual coffee machines are likely to be made out of plastic, however if you spend a little more cash you will be able to get one with a better build quality, possible made from stainless steel.

Semi-automatic coffee machines

The next step up from a manual model is a semi-automatic coffee machine. These cost a few hundred dollars more (but usually under $1000) and have some automated features. These could include programmable control panels, an LCD screen for viewing the temperature or an in-built coffee grinder.

Automatic coffee machines

If you’re looking to buy at the top of the range, then you need an automatic coffee machine. As the name suggests, everything about this machine is automated so you should always be able to prepare the perfect cup of coffee to your liking. With the touch of one button, your milk will be frothed, your beans ground, your coffee brewed and poured.

Another bonus of automatic coffee machines is that they clean themselves - cleaning a coffee machine manually can be quite a tricky process, considering all the small parts and crannies.

Of course, for this kind of quality you are going to have to pay. The most expensive automatic coffee machines can cost anywhere up to $4000.

Capsule coffee machines

Capsule coffee machines are newish to the market and offer an alternative to their traditional manual and automatic counterparts. These are very small and compact machines that use pre-packaged capsules of coffee, which come in individual serves. You simply load the capsule, fill the water tank, press a button and out comes the coffee. Most come with a manual milk frother.

Unfortunately, these capsules usually need to be ordered online so if you run out and forgot to stock up, you may be without your coffee until replacements can be delivered.

Best coffee machines

Popular brands of coffee machines include DeLonghi and Saeco. Nespresso is the best-known brand of capsule coffee machine.

Buy a cheap coffee machine on sale

By Caroline Warnes