A quick guide to finding the best coffee machine in Australia (and what makes them the best).
Australia’s best coffee machines: reviewed and ranked
5 min readAustralia loves its coffee, but more and more of us are choosing an at home coffee machine over a daily trip to the cafe. Manufacturers have responded to this demand by flooding the marketplace with hundreds of espresso and pod machines. When we're so spoiled for choice it can be difficult to figure out which coffee machine is the best.
We've put our hearts through the caffeine-fuelled rigmoral to identify the best coffee machines available in Australia. Over the past few years we have sipped hundreds of cups of coffee, from more coffee machines than you can count on both hands, to review and rank the best espresso machines available in Australia.
How we pick the best coffee machines
Price
Coffee machines vary greatly in price. You can grab a basic espresso machine for under $150, or splurge out with a $2,000+ device. When reviewing we scale coffee machines based on their pricepoint. The more a cheap espresso machine can offer, the better it is rated, while the more expensive the machine is the more we expect in the details.
Design
Design and features takes into account not only the physical aesthetic design, but also how user friendly the coffee machine is. Does it auto-clean? Does it have a descaling alarm? Are the buttons pre-programmed or is it entirely manual? Can you fit a mug under the spout?
Performance
For performance we look at aspects like grind precision, wattage, and pump pressure. All the technical things that go into brewing a cup of joe. The more precise these aspects are the more control you'll have when brewing.
Expert testing
Every coffee machine we review goes through hands-on testing to determine how well its specs translate to reality. We look at aspects like cleaning ease, how long it takes to brew a shot of espresso, what the milk frothing experience is like, and how good the coffee tastes at the end of it all.
Best all around coffee machine
DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro
Reasons to buy
- Auto grind and tamper
- Fancy design
- Makes cold brew
Reasons to avoid
- Pricey
- Tuning machine takes a lot of trial and error
While the Specialista Maestro isn't for the novice at-home brewer, if you're ready to step things up a notch this coffee machine will deliver and then some. It allows for grind control cup-to-cup, has an integrated tamper for that perfectly level tamp every time, and it makes cold brew.
All around the machine sits somewhere between a manual and an automatic machine. You still get the experience of playing with grind and tamping your beans, but less of the mess.
But the biggest drawcard for this machine is the extra control it gives you. You can play with grind settings and volume with every cup of coffee you brew, plus the automatic milk steaming allows for multiple hands-free options.
Brewing both hot and cold coffee it is an obvious boon for this version of the Maestro, plus we found that the coffee it makes is flat out delicious. No matter which form you prefer it in.
Reasons to buy
- Space saving design
- Simple user interface
- Powerful despite its size
Reasons to avoid
- Needs to be cleaned after every use
- Takes a while to get the right grind size
Even though the DeLonghi Dedica Pump is an older model, its cheap price through Aldi's special buys makes it worth considering for anyone on a budget. This coffee machine has a simple three button interface, a powerful steaming wand, and an excellent 15 bars of pressure. It isn't anything fancy, but it brews damn good coffee.
You'll need to have your own grinder to go alongside the Dedica Pump, or buy pre ground coffee beans instead. This does make cleaning up a bit more finnicky as you'll need to grind and tamper your coffee seperately from the machine, but if you're looking for that barista-at-home experience this is an affordable way to achieve that.
I still use this coffee machine after having it for four years. It lives at my inlaws place for when we visit, and I actually look forward to the ritual of tampering the coffee and taking my time to create a warm and rich cuppa. If you can relate, this budget pick might be for you.
Pssst
Psst! There are newer versions of the Dedica Pump called the Dedica Arte and the Dedica Maestro. These have all but replaced the Pump with most retailers.
We have reviewed the Dedica Arte, but at the time the RRP was $469, making it far too expensive for what it offerd. Now down at $199 it is a solid option if you can't get your hands on the Pump from Aldi.
Here are a couple of places to get one.
Best automatic coffee machine
Delonghi Magnifica S
Reasons to buy
- Dishwasher safe components
- Coffee at the press of a button
- Simple clean up
Reasons to avoid
- Limited manual options
If you want reliably great coffee without the mess, the Magnifica S is a great all arounder machine but you'll need to make some sacrifices. You can't play with temperature settings on either the coffee or the milk frother, but you do get grind control.
In our review we described the DeLonghi Magnifica S as the coffee machine for the coffee snob who isn't really a coffee snob. This automatic machine creates excellent espresso at the touch of a button, without any extra effort. Just select your beans and your grind size, and the Magnifica S takes care of the rest.
You can pick between espresso, or a long black in either single or double quantities. The only manual part is frothing the milk which does take a little bit of extra effort, but is well worth it when you look at how much time the rest of the machine saves you.
Compare coffee machines
We have drunk countless cups of coffee in the search for the best coffee machine you can get. Here are how products from leading brands like Breville, De'Longhi, and Nespresso stack up.
Product | Our score | Price | Coffee type | More info |
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🔥From
| Semi-automatic espresso | See it at Bing Lee | |
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| Manual espresso | See it at Aldi | |
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From$1399
| Automatic espresso | See it at De'Longhi | |
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🔥From
| Pod coffee | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Pod coffee | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Pod coffee | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Pod coffee | See it at Amazon | |
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From$399
| Manual espresso | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Manual espresso w/ grinder | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Manual espresso w/ grinder | See at Amazon | |
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From$299
| Pod coffee | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥 From
| Automatic espresso w/ grinder | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥 From
| Automatic espresso w/ grinder | See it at Amazon | |
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🔥From
| Manual espresso | See at Amazon |
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