Best cheap coffee machines
Need to know
- Our latest expert reviews of coffee machines include over 60 manual and semi-automatic models and 29 automatic coffee machines from popular brands like Sunbeam, Breville, DeLonghi, Gaggia, Jura and Smeg
- Our testing revealed cheaper models that performed well against models costing hundreds of dollars more
- We rate coffee machine performance on metrics like taste, temperature, milk frothing and ease of use
Are expensive coffee machines better?
Expensive coffee machines don’t always deliver the performance results you’d expect in our expert tests.
We’ve been surprised to see some cheap models outperform top of the range machines in our blind taste test, where a panel of experts taste a 30mL shot of espresso from each machine to rate them on colour, thickness of the crema, the aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and aftertaste.
However, expensive models are usually sturdier and made of higher quality materials. They often look fancy too, making a statement in your kitchen.
In our home espresso machine reviews seven of the 18 manual and semi-automatic machines we recommend cost over $1000, up to as much as $4990. But there are other pricey machines that are outperformed by sub-$1000 models, highlighting the importance of checking our reviews before you buy.
Which type of coffee machine should you buy?
In short, the kind of machine that’s right for you depends on how much involvement you’d like to have with the coffee-making process and how seriously you take your coffee (and many of us take it very seriously indeed).
An automatic coffee machine takes the guesswork out of coffee making. And if you choose right, you can get a barista-quality coffee with one of these machines.
To make a coffee with an automatic machine you simply add your coffee beans, put your cup under the spout and select the type of coffee you want. From there the machine will automatically grind the beans and make the espresso.
If you like your lattes and cappuccinos, some models will automatically froth the milk too.
“If you like a good coffee but want to get it without any fuss, an automatic machine would be best,” says CHOICE appliance expert Rebecca Ciaramidaro.
“You can still experiment with specialty coffee beans and these machines still offer some customisation like coffee strength.”
You simply add your coffee beans, put your cup under the spout and select the type of coffee you want
Automatic machines are undoubtedly easy to use. They also give you more options around your choice of coffee beans and grind settings than capsule machines.
However, you won’t get as much control over the coffee-making process as you would with a semi-automatic or manual machine. And since you can’t change some of the settings, if you don’t like the coffee there’s only so much you can do to improve it.
The extra programming and functionality also comes at a cost – automatic machines can be quite expensive and a high price tag doesn’t always guarantee you’ll get a great coffee.
They can also be bulky and take up space on your bench and despite being ‘automatic’, they often require a lot of cleaning and maintenance: with some machines you’ll need to clean the milk system after every single coffee you make.
Read our automatic coffee machines review to compare models.
“A capsule machine is another option for people who want to get their coffee with minimal fuss – however, you’re limited to the coffee blends provided in the capsules,” says Rebecca.
There’s also the cost, both financial and environmental, that you’ll need to take into account if you’re buying capsules. Buying capsules will bump up the cost of your coffee in comparison to buying beans, and while some capsule manufacturers claim they can be recycled, getting them to a facility that can recycle them can be difficult.
Most capsule machines are well under $600 so we haven’t included any in this round up. If you’re looking to buy a capsule, then check out our best pod machines to see which ones we recommend.
At the other end of the spectrum, if you want to nerd out over every single element of coffee making, get yourself a manual or semi-automatic machine (and a good grinder if your machine doesn’t have one built in).
“If you take pleasure in spending time making a coffee, then a manual machine will give you a much higher level of satisfaction than a pod or automatic machine,” says CHOICE coffee machine expert Adrian Lini.
“However, manual machines require more knowledge in terms of operation and maintenance. While buying beans is much cheaper than pods, you’ll also need to make sure you keep the beans and grounds fresh, which is more work compared with just using pods.”
So what’s the difference between a semi-automatic and manual machine?
If you want to nerd out over every single element of coffee making, get yourself a manual or semi-automatic machine
They mostly operate in the same way – you’ll need to put the required amount of ground coffee into the portafilter, insert it into the group head, then set the machine to pour the shot.
A semi-automatic machine will automatically cut off the flow of coffee once the pre-set amount has been poured into your cup. However, with a manual machine you’ll need to cut off the flow yourself, giving you complete control over how big a shot you make.
Making a coffee on one of these machines is much more hands-on. You’ll need to learn and practice how to grind, dose and tamp to make the perfect shot of espresso but you’ll have the satisfaction of making coffee just the way you like it.
These machines usually come with milk frothing capability (which in itself requires learning and practice) but they don’t always have an inbuilt coffee grinder, so you may need to buy one separately.
Adrian says, “If you want to get hands on with your coffee making but don’t want full control, look for a semi-automatic machine. If complete control is what you’re after then a manual machine is for you”.
The pros of buying a cheap coffee machine
Unless you’re a coffee aficionado and want to splurge on a fancy machine that has all the bells and whistles, our testing shows that some cheaper machines can still produce a great coffee with the added bonus of being great value for money.
The best performing cheaper machines we highlight in this article:
- are generally basic with limited features which can make them easy to use
- are quite compact in size, taking up a small footprint on your kitchen bench
- heat up relatively quickly – under a minute
- have good to very good results in our taste test
- are generally very good at frothing milk.
What you may miss out on with a cheaper machine
While price is no indicator of performance, the unfortunate fact is that certain features will just cost you extra. So what will you have to forego if you’re buying a cheaper coffee machine?
“Cheaper manual machines may be smaller and take longer to build steam or froth milk,” says CHOICE coffee machine expert Adrian Lini.
“They may also be made of cheaper materials that can potentially break or wear out more easily during use.
“The biggest factor may be forgoing control over your coffee machine. A cheaper machine might not give you the ability to change settings like the grind, bean type, pressure of grinds in the group head or extraction.”
Cheaper manual machines may be smaller and take longer to build steam or froth milk
Adrian Lini, CHOICE coffee machine expert
Cheaper manual and semi-automatic machines also generally don’t come with an in-built grinder, so you’ll need to purchase one separately. The coffee grinders our experts recommend cost between around $100 and $600.
There’s no doubt, though, that in the long term, you’ll save money making your own coffee instead of buying from a café.
We’ve crunched the numbers for you and found that it’s definitely worth buying a home espresso machine – you could save yourself some serious cash by going DIY on your caffeine hit rather than buying from your local café. And if you shop smart, you could save even more by buying a cheaper machine, without sacrificing taste.
How to get a good deal on a coffee machine
The prices in our reviews are based on the RRP, but there are often good deals to be had so it pays to shop around.
Sales often occur at retailers like Harvey Norman, Bing Lee and The Good Guys where you can usually find popular brands like Breville, DeLonghi and Sunbeam. These retailers may be open to haggling and in some cases will price match a lower price found elsewhere.
The pricey coffee machines from brands like Profitec, San Remo, Bezzera and Expobar are often available at specialist coffee retailers but if you do your research you can also find these brands discounted.
What are the best cheap coffee machines?
We independently test and review dozens of new coffee machines each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.
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