Not since the invention of the double-sided toaster have consumers taken to a household appliance with the same gusto with which they have embraced the home espresso machine.

If you love your coffee and are in the market for a home machine, then you have the inalienable right to expect barista-quality coffee as part of your morning ritual.

Use our easy to follow guide to decide which one is right for you

Manual espresso machine:

Skill level: Medium to advanced

How they work: Manually grind the coffee beans, spoon ground coffee into the filter handle, and froth your own milk. You also need to manually stop and start the flow of coffee through the filter.

Benefits:

The user has full control over the coffee making process.

Most models are smaller and less obtrusive than their automatic counterparts.

Tip: The perfect single shot espresso only requires 30ml of coffee

Semi-automatic

Skill level: Intermediate. Perfect for anyone who can froth milk, or is willing to learn.

How they work: Add ground coffee to the pod that sits in the filter handle, tamp it down tightly, screw handle into the machine, and press a button. You will also need to froth the milk.

Benefits:

These models are the most popular home espresso machines because they are easy to use.

Pre-set water amounts let you create the perfect cup.

Pre-set your desired amount of coffee for either a stronger or weaker brew.

Tip: To avoid buying a coffee grinder and having extra kitchen clutter, look for one with a built in grinder. Built in frothing devices are also more reliable and less messy than external options.

Fully automatic:

Skill level: None. Perfect for coffee lovers who like their coffee to appear at the touch of a button.

How they work: Supply the machine with coffee beans, milk and water, press a few buttons.

Benefits:

Start and stop by themselves.

Grind beans and froth milk for you

Used grounds are neatly dumped into a compartment.

Usually self-cleaning.

Pod machines

How they work: Pod espresso machines require pre-packaged coffee pods into a designated slot and the rest is done for you.

Main benefit: No mess, no fuss

Drawback: Your choice of coffee is limited and true connoisseurs for this reason often shun them.

A very popular brand of pod machines are the Nespresso range. They look very chic on the kitchen benchtop especially with all their amazing colours!

The word espresso comes from the Italian `esprimere’ which means `to express’.  So next time you sip an espresso, remember it’s a true expression of  your roasted coffee beans.

The only way to get this true expression into your cup of coffee - say the experts - is to grind freshly roasted beans and turn them instantly into an espresso - each and every time! 

To make a machine that delivers this perfect coffee expression (and meet the high expectations of both Italian baristas and Australian coffee lovers), Breville’s latest Fresca Espresso Machine has an inbuilt coffee bean grinder - you can easily alter the aromatic profile of your espresso by fine-tuning the grind. The hopper holds 28 shots-worth of beans and the 2 litre water tank delivers shot after shot for weekend brunches.

Italian baristas also pride themselves on their crema (creamy foam) on top of every espresso they make. The Breville Fresca scored very well on its crema in a recent coffee machine test where it was pitted against many of the machines currently available in Australia. The Fresca espresso `continued to blossom’ after it was made, commented the testers - which means it trapped the lighter floral aromas that first come from the coffee, then the heavier aromas that take longer to emerge. Coffee snobs say that it’s the crema that’s the most important part of your coffee (after using freshly-ground beans) because it’s this that creates your very first impression.

The Breville Fresca is around $660 and comes with a cleaning kit, tamping spoon and stainless steel frothing jug. Click here to see more coffee machines on Lasoo.

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