Founded in 2015, Dreame has really hit its stride in recent years. It’s become a go-to brand name for vacuums, air fryers, and other kitchen appliances – and it’s even reportedly working on a rocket-powered EV car! It’s safe to say that Dreame has quite extensive expertise, but its coffee machines are what you should be most excited about.

For example, if you’ve been putting off buying a bean to cup coffee machine because you have minimal room in your kitchen, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim Fully Automatic Espresso Machine could be the solution. With a width of just 18cm, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is incredibly compact and with its cream colourway and touchscreen display, it looks the part, too.

But looks aside, how does the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim perform? I spent a few weeks using it to find out.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: price and availability

The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is available to buy for £499 / $799 at Dreame. It comes with a 2-year warranty, and in a cream colourway. Compared to other bean to cup coffee machines, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is on the lower end of the price spectrum.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: unboxing and setup

The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim arrived in a cardboard box with the main espresso machine unit, water tank, milk reservoir and base, milk tube, a power cord and cleaning tools. Most of it was wrapped in plastic but some items like the milk reservoir base were hidden inside the machine, so make sure to check that before you start using it.

Setting up the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim took no time at all. Once I’d taken it out of its box, all I had to do was remove the plastic wrapping and tape. From there, I added coffee beans to the bean hopper, filled the water tank and plugged the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim into an outlet.

The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim self-cleans automatically when you turn it on and shut it down. It also comes with descaling and deep clean modes.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: design and features

Starting with the design, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim lives up to its ‘slim’ name as it measures 18cm in width, 40.25cm in length and 31.5cm in height. It only weighs 8kg and coupled with its dimensions, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is easy to move around and slot into small spaces in your kitchen.

The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim has a 1.5-litre water tank which is located at the back of the machine. It’s easy to remove and refill via its handle that folds away within the lid. At the top of the machine is a 150g bean hopper and grinder which has nine grind levels to choose from to suit multiple bean types.

At the front of the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is its touchscreen control panel. The display is relatively simple as it shows your five drink options. It’s worth noting that because the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is fully automatic, you can’t change or customise your drink other than adjusting the bean grind within the hopper. The drinks available – which are shown via colour icons – are espresso, lungo, flat white, cappuccino and latte macchiato.

Also at the front of the machine is the dispenser where the coffee and milk comes out. This can be adjusted to suit different mug heights. A drip tray sits at the bottom, and you can open the lower half of the machine to find a container which catches your used coffee grounds.

For milk-based drinks, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim attaches to a 240ml milk reservoir via a milk tube. Promising ‘golden silky smooth extraction’, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim has 19 bar pressure which when combined with precise water temperatures and micro-pressure technology, makes delicious coffees with a smooth texture.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: performance

I loved the look of the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim, and felt it made my kitchen look more stylish and professional. Its cream colour might be basic for some, but the sleek lines on the main body and colour touchscreen controls look great in any kitchen aesthetic.

Dreame boasts about its 18cm width, and rightfully so. The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim took up hardly any room on my countertop, and while it’s mainly made of plastic, it felt high quality, especially the control panel, water tank, bean hopper and grinder. What felt a bit lacking was the milk reservoir, as it felt like more of an afterthought. It’s not built-in but instead connects on the side which I wasn’t a huge fan of.

As a fully automatic coffee machine, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim was very easy to use. I found it made rich espresso but was surprised to find it made quite small amounts of coffee. It made single and double shots well, but it felt more like a trickle of coffee than full shots, compared to other coffee machines I've tested. I tended to have half a mug of coffee when making a latte or cappuccino rather than a full one.

The Dreame Ecceluxe Slim frothed and heated milk first before dispensing coffee which was something I wasn’t used to. I’ve tested many coffee machines, and the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is the first machine I’ve tried that makes coffee this way round.

Due to this, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim didn’t make a huge amount of foam for my cappuccino or latte macchiato drinks, so if you like your latte art, you won’t get it with this machine. However, the coffee tasted amazing, and I found the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim to heat both dairy and plant-based milk exceptionally well.

Everything was well packed away and designed with the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim. The drip tray and coffee puck container is built-in to keep everything tidy, and I enjoyed how you could raise the coffee dispenser up and down to suit different mug sizes. I was also surprised by how quiet the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim was, even when grinding beans.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: verdict

For those with smaller kitchens who don’t want to faff around customising their own coffees, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is a brilliant choice. It’s compact, stylish and fits in any space, plus everything is packed away tidily to save even more space and minimise kitchen clutter.

In terms of performance, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim made delicious tasting coffee, but at very small amounts. I’d say it works best for espresso, and despite its cheap-feeling milk reservoir, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim can also heat both dairy and plant-based milks to perfection – you just won’t get a huge coffee, nor very foamy milk.

At £499, the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim is in the mid-range of bean to cup coffee machines. I’d recommend it to espresso lovers and small kitchen owners, as well as those who want something easy to use and quick coffees from a single touch.

Dreame Ecceluxe Slim review: alternatives to consider

One of our favourite automatic coffee machines is the KitchenAid KF8. It’s exceedingly more expensive than the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim at £1,899, but it has an easy touchscreen interface, and a wide variety of espresso options. It’s also the most hygienic coffee machine we’ve ever used as it’s always constantly self-cleaning!

For something more versatile, the Ninja Luxe Cafe makes espresso, filter coffee and cold brew. It has an attractive black and stainless steel design, and simple touch, button and dial controls. It’s not as simple to set up as the Dreame Ecceluxe Slim, but it’s great value for money once you get started.

Ninja is no stranger to the world of coffee machines, having launched several models over the past few years. However, what's been particularly interesting is how the brand has approached coffee from multiple angles. We've seen traditional coffee makers, bean-to-cup machines and hybrid systems that attempt to do a bit of everything. Now, Ninja is taking another step forward with the new AutoBarista Pro, a machine that puts a much bigger emphasis on automation than ever before.

Like some of its predecessors, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro combines multiple brewing methods into a single appliance. This time, however, it's bringing together bean-to-cup espresso, filter coffee and rapid cold brew functionality, creating what is arguably Ninja's most ambitious coffee machine to date.

I'm a big fan of both Ninja as a brand and the coffee machines it's released so far, so I couldn't wait to put the AutoBarista Pro to the test.

Price and availability

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is priced at £899.99 in the UK, making it the brand's most premium coffee machine yet. It's available directly from SharkNinja, as well as retailers including Currys, John Lewis and Argos. In the US, it retails for $949.99.

At launch, the machine is available in a stainless steel finish, although Ninja's website also lists several alternative colours currently marked as sold out, including Midnight Blue, Oat Milk, Mocha and Vista Green. That suggests a wider range of finishes could become available in the near future.

Unboxing and set up

As with most Ninja machines, but somewhat surprisingly compared to other bean-to-cup coffee machines, the AutoBarista Pro is incredibly easy to set up. The whole process mainly involves removing the seemingly endless amount of packaging stickers (something Ninja is very thorough with), attaching the cup rack, and filling both the bean hopper and water tank.

You're also prompted to install the included water filter, which I'd highly recommend if you live in a hard water area like I do. The process is straightforward, and requires soaking the filter for a few minutes, inserting it into the holder, and setting the reminder dial to the month you installed it. Once that's done, it clips into the bottom of the water tank and stays securely in place. After everything is filled and ready to go, you can switch the machine on and start getting familiar with the controls.

At this stage, I did find it slightly disappointing that the water tank isn't accessible from the front, requiring you to pull the machine forward to remove and refill it. Plenty of manufacturers have started addressing this issue on newer models, so it feels like a missed opportunity here.

GrindIQ

Now, the main step to focus on between physically setting the machine up and pouring your first shot is the GrindIQ process. You'll want to run this before you start brewing and again whenever you switch to a different bag of beans. During the sequence, the machine pulls 2-3 shots whilst automatically calibrating the grinder.

GrindIQ works by pulling a shot and monitoring the flow rate and pressure. If either is off, it'll tweak the grind for the next shot, repeating the process until it's happy. That said, if you prefer your espresso a little finer (or coarser), you can still manually offset the grinder by up to two steps either way.

When I ran the calibration, it used around 200g of beans, which felt like quite a lot for the process. It's definitely worth doing to get the best results, but it's something to bear in mind. Personally, it'd make me think twice about using an expensive specialty coffee for calibration, and I'd probably reach for a more affordable bean that I still enjoy instead.

Design and features

Despite featuring 3-in-1 functionality, the AutoBarista Pro is an incredible looking machine. The integrated grinder, central control panel and automatic milk frothing system are all neatly incorporated into the unit, and it all feels very premium indeed. However, there's no getting around the fact that it's a fairly substantial appliance that will demand a decent amount of countertop space.

At the front, you'll find an intuitive control interface that provides access to 13 one-touch drinks, including Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White, Cold Brew and filter coffee. The machine features the brand's new AutoBarista Technology, which removes much of the trial and error traditionally associated with home espresso machines.

It automatically adjusts key brewing variables depending on the drink selected, including Grind iQ Technology, which calibrates the grind size to suit the beans being used, helping to maximise flavour extraction without requiring manual adjustment. Alongside this sits Calibrated Brewing Technology, which optimises water temperature and pressure to ensure each drink is brewed consistently.

The AutoBarista Pro also allows users to create and save up to two custom profiles, storing preferences such as drink strength, size, temperature and froth style. For households with multiple coffee drinkers, this means favourite drinks can be recreated with a single tap rather than having to manually adjust settings each time.

Milk-based drinks are handled by Ninja's FrothPerfect Technology, and it's a significant step up from the simpler frothing system found on the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System. The automatic wand works with both dairy and plant-based milk and offers five froth settings – steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth, extra-thick froth and cold foam.

Ninja has also included two interchangeable 340g bean hoppers, making it easy to switch between different coffee beans without emptying the grinder. This is particularly useful if you like to alternate between regular and decaf coffee or experiment with different roasts.

A dual-shot brewing function is also included, allowing two espresso shots to be prepared simultaneously for faster drink preparation.

Performance

Once I'd finished admiring the AutoBarista Pro, it was time to see how it actually performed. If you've read my reviews before, you'll know that a cappuccino is always my starting point, so that's exactly where I began.

The first thing that caught me off guard was that this isn't the quickest automatic bean-to-cup machine I've tested. After selecting my drink, there was around two to three minutes of grinding, whirring and preparation before anything actually started pouring. That's not necessarily a problem if you're not in a rush, but compared to many rivals, it does feel a little slow.

You're also prompted to pour milk into the jug before the drink starts. Like the Ninja Luxe Café, the jug features clear measuring markers so you know exactly how much milk to add. I particularly liked its larger size, which seemed to help heat the milk more evenly during the frothing process.

Once the brewing process began, the milk was frothed first. Initially, I was concerned that it might cool down before the espresso was ready, but that wasn't an issue and the temperature remained excellent throughout.

I also loved the small lights positioned above both the milk and coffee dispensing areas. It's such a minor detail, but it's something I haven't seen on many machines before. When the milk starts frothing, one light illuminates, and when the espresso begins pouring, another switches on above the coffee outlet. It makes the machine feel more premium and I can imagine it being particularly useful on dark winter mornings.

That said, my first cappuccino was a little disappointing. Despite running the GrindIQ sequence in advance, the espresso shot felt quite watery and lacked the rich crema I'd been expecting. Given it was the machine's first brew, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. On the plus side, the milk texture was excellent and produced a silky finish.

The next day, I decided to try some different beans to see if the results changed. I therefore ran the GrindIQ sequence and brewed a straight espresso, which definitely helped. There was more crema this time and the shot seemed thicker, so I'd strongly recommend changing coffee beans and running the sequence again if your experience is similar to mine.

Performance then seemed to improve slightly after several drinks, and the machine became quicker once it had settled in. That said, it's still not the fastest bean-to-cup machine I've tested. I'll pop a TikTok below, but please be aware I've cut it down for timing purposes and it features the first cappuccino I made before switching beans.

Where the AutoBarista Pro really shines is customisation. The large display is excellent, making it easy to adjust drink strength, add an extra shot, alter milk texture and tweak brewing temperatures. Everything is clearly laid out and straightforward to navigate.

One feature I particularly appreciated was the dual bean hopper system, which is something you typically see more often on manual bean-to-cup machines than fully automatic models. Whilst I probably won't switch between hoppers every day, I love the fact that they're removable for cleaning.

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to tip a machine upside down to remove leftover coffee beans before returning it to a brand, so being able to lift the hopper off entirely will make maintenance far easier.

Verdict

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is an incredibly user-friendly automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine. Setup is simple, the interface is intuitive, and the sheer amount of drink customisation on offer makes it easy to tailor drinks to your exact preferences. Features such as the dual bean hoppers, automatic milk frothing system and user profiles also help justify its premium positioning.

That said, it isn't perfect. Brewing can feel slower than some rivals, and a high espresso quality can involve multiple GrindIQ sequences, which uses up a lot of beans. However, if convenience, versatility and ease of use are your priorities, the AutoBarista Pro is a highly capable all-in-one coffee machine that you will immensely enjoy.

Alternatives to consider

If you'd prefer to stay with Ninja but don't necessarily need the AutoBarista Pro's fully automatic approach, the Ninja Luxe Café remains an excellent alternative. It's a little more hands-on and requires more user input, but it rewards that effort with fantastic coffee and remains one of the brand's strongest machines.

Another impressive alternative is the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra. It's one of the newest premium bean-to-cup machines on the market and offers an enormous drinks menu alongside excellent personalisation features. It is more expensive than the AutoBarista Pro, however, so you'll need to decide whether those extra features justify the additional outlay.

Fellow's one of those brands that has really only just made a name for itself in the last few years. It's a brand based out of the US that's designing some of the most cutting-edge coffee tech we've seen in the industry to date, and the Espresso Series 1, is its first debut on a fully fledged coffee bar, and I'll tell you right now, for the price, it is outstandingly good.

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 coffee machine has been designed in part with ex-barista champions and all manner of technical experts and delivers extraordinary espresso, through and through. It's a difficult product to review because there are so few negatives to be said about it. That's not to say it's perfect; there is the odd hiccup here and there, but overall, what you're getting for the price, it's well worth living with and it's easily one of the best espresso machines money can buy.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Price and availability

As of June 2026, you can pick up an Espresso Series 1 in the US for around $1,499 from Fellow directly. Alternatively, you can also grab one on pre-order in the UK for about the same price from Origin as well. Although availability is still limited at this time.

There's all manner of different finishes as well. You can pick up the Cherry Red & Walnut version we have here, but Fellow will also sell you a black version, along with malted chocolate & maple, a woodland green and walnut, sesame white and maple, a marine blue and walnut.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Design and build

I'm going to sound like a broken record for much of this, but the overall build is exemplary. The unboxing experience isn't anything too special, but once you get the Series 1 out of its packaging, that's when you really get to appreciate it. The chrome-plated group head, the walnut handle, the bold fellow logo lovingly etched into everything. Even the steam wand looks good. The finish, too, with that gloss metal body, is just lush.

The group handle itself is a hefty wooden unit, with a naked bottomless portafilter, meaning your espresso prep needs to be on point to avoid any mess (perhaps my only gripe is that they don't include a full metal dual-spout portafilter as well). The basket is the industry standard 58mm design, but the group handle itself is bespoke to the Series 1, so if you want to swap it out, you'll need to get one that's compatible with the group head design.

Fellow also included a full water hardness kit, used during the first setup (the machine asks you to test your water before proceeding to fill it so it can set its own descaling cycle, with a handy digital indicator and PH test stick). Alongside that, there's also a small milk pitcher included, as well as a wooden tamp as well. The tamp is a little light, but that's mostly an aesthetic grievance (as realistically you're going to be using your body weight, not the tamp, to compact your coffee puck).

Other things to point out. Steam wand? Fully articulating, with a built-in temperature probe. It's got a 2L water reservoir on the right side that's fully removable, and a fairly sizable drip tray too. Oh, and of course, you get a full circular display and control dial, plus three simple buttons on top for quick use as well. Although more on that in a bit.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Performance

It's the display of the Fellow Espresso Series 1 that's half the fun here as well. Once you've finished your setup and you've got the tank full (don't worry, it'll let you know if it's running short, because of course it does), you can then run through all the settings, including the insane amount of espresso logic that's built in here.

You get a whole plethora of different shot profiles as standard, modern-arc, classic, turbo shots, and tonnes more, all fully customizable. You can control pre-infusion times, shot duration, water ratio, temperature to within 0.1 of a degree (thanks to a digital PID), ramp curves, the lot. It's properly deep, and there's even more nerdy settings (in a menu literally called settings for nerds).

Shot analysis too is top tier, with a very simple display that shows you pressure, shot completion percentage, and total time all in a handy little circular panel. It's perfect for dialling in quick too. Switch to steaming milk after you've pulled that perfect shot, and that too is all visible on the display, where you can set what temperature you want, hit go, and then it'll auto-shut off once it reaches that point.

There's just so much going on here, it's radical. It's commercial-grade tech in a machine that costs half as much as it probably should. Combined with a pump that's honestly as silent as the grave. Compared to Gaggia's Classic UP (itself a more than capable machine) I could barely hear it at all, when it was pulling a double.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Verdict

I can't express enough just how impressed I've been with my time with the Espresso Series 1. I've been using it for about two weeks now at the roastery, and it's by far my favourite bar to use in place.

Is it perfect? Well, there's a few things that frustrate me a little. But they're very minor. It's still not quite as heavy as I'd like. That's particularly annoying when you're trying to lock the group handle into position with a fresh puck prepped in it, and the steam wand is very low to the drip tray as well. Which is great if you're ghosting milk (the act of just leaving the steam wand in the jug while it steams and not controlling the pitcher), but less useful if you want to actually control your texturing.

The pucks, too, are a little on the wet side. From my research, this seems to be a result of the solenoid design in the Series 1. But again, it's mostly cosmetic and doesn't impact flavour at all, just the clean-up.

And yet still, if someone came to me, looking to build the ultimate home espresso setup, without breaking the bank, I'd recommend this over practically every other machine out there. Particularly if you've got the budget. Pair it with something like a Niche Zero single-shot zero-retention grinder, and you'll never need to visit a coffee shop ever again.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Alternatives to consider

At this point, there's no use denying just how phenomenal the Espresso Series 1 is, but if you're not keen on all the manual faff involved with pulling your own shots and steaming your milk, but are still looking for a solid alternative, I'd highly recommend you check out Sage's Oracle Dual Boiler. It's a brilliant automatic machine, ideal for those too tired to worry about what the pressure profile is on their latest batch of Ethiopian Gesha.

Alternatively (and to be honest, it's quite a bit cheaper) the Gaggia Classic UP is a redesigned icon that refuses to go down without a fight. At £800, the UP refresh finally brings dual PID to the legendary line-up, and the handy display gives you a good chance of getting the perfect shot dialled in. Is the steam wand as good as the Series 1? No, but it's pretty close, particularly at near half the cost.

Lavazza has just announced its new Tablì pod coffee machine and tabs in the US. The most revolutionary part of the new system is the tabs which are completely free of plastic and made entirely of 100% coffee.

Many people love pod coffee machines as they’re quick and easy to use, and they come with a wide variety of pod options to choose from, including espressos, lattes and even flavoured coffees. But as most pods are single-serve and made from plastic, they can be extremely wasteful.

Lavazza is addressing this problem with the US debut of its Tablì pod coffee maker and its accompanying coffee tabs. Instead of using plastic or other outer packaging, the Tablì tabs are made from 100% coffee, so there’s no capsule, wrapping or coating on them at all.

To make its Tablì ‘pods’, Lavazza compresses precisely ground and tamped coffee into a solid tab. The tabs are circular, and have a concave shape to let the coffee expand as it brews to get that full flavour and smooth crema. Not only do the Tablì tabs look cool, but they have completely removed any and all plastic to cut down on waste.

The Tablì tabs are compatible with the Tablì pod coffee maker, and act the same as traditional pods. Designed in Italy, the Lavazza Tablì machine is the first espresso machine to use these types of pods, and it comes with a simple bean-shaped sliding mechanism at the top where you can add your tabs.

The top of the Tablì houses the controls, including on/off, and single and double espresso options. The Tablì machine also comes with an adjustable coffee spout, and removable base and drip tray to cater to different cup sizes. It’s available in Sand White, Walnut Brown and Graphite Black colours.

The new Tablì tabs will launch with five blends available – Espresso, Double Espresso, Lungo, Super Crema and Decaf. The Lavazza Tablì bundle is available to pre-order now, which gives you a 60 variety collection of tabs, the Tablì machine, Tab Tweezer and a milk frother for $99.99.

It’s expected to officially launch in the US later this year, but no pricing or availability has been announced for the UK just yet.

While it might not look or feel like summer right now – the joys of UK weather – Grind is gearing up for the sunny season by launching its new summer coffee pod flavours. Perfect for your pod coffee machine, the limited edition collection features Honey Nut and Sweet Miso flavours that are specifically designed for your iced coffee fix.

The new summer coffee pods from Grind are inspired by seasonal flavours, and its customers’ favourite drinks served in Grind cafes. For example, you can now make Grind’s popular Honey Nut Shaken Latte from its cafes in the comfort of your home with its new Honey Nut pods.

The Honey Nut pods might be my favourite from the range, as I love a sweet syrup in my morning latte. While the taste is definitely sweeter than standard coffees, the Honey Nut flavour combines rich coffee with golden honey and toasted nuts for a smooth, balanced flavour.

For those who prefer sweet and savoury tastes, the Sweet Miso pods is what you’ll want from Grind’s new summer range. It blends Grind’s specialty-grade coffee with caramelised and umami notes, so you should get a combination of sweetness and saltiness in each sip.

The new Grind summer pods can be used to make both hot and cold drinks, but the flavours really shine when served as iced coffees. As is the case with all Grind pods, the Honey Nut and Sweet Miso pods are Nespresso-compatible so you can use them with any Nespresso pod machine, including Grind’s very own Grind One machine.

What’s even better about Grind coffee pods is that they’re home-compostable, and made from plants to make them more ethically and easy to dispose of. The coffee they use is also ethically sourced, and you can create your own blends.

Grind’s new summer coffee pods are available to buy in 30, 60 or 100 pods. Prices start at £15.75 for a one-time purchase of 30 pods, or you can sign up for Grind pod subscription which is £13.95. For first-time delivery, you can get 25% off.

Ninja just shrunk its popular Luxe Café coffee machine, and I think I like it better than the original. Designed with smaller kitchens in mind, the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus makes espresso and drip coffee, grinds its own beans and expertly froths milk, all in a much smaller size.

Never one to do things by half, Ninja first entered the coffee machine in 2015, but it really made its mark within the space when it launched the original Ninja Luxe Café in 2024.

Since then, it’s launched Pro and Premier versions with more coffee and froth presets, and debuted even more machines, including the Prestige DualBrew System and the AutoBarista Pro.

Ninja’s coffee machine line-up has definitely taken a ‘bigger is better’ approach – until now, that is. Ninja’s newest espresso machine, the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus has gone in the opposite direction, and has been downsized to be 30% smaller than the Luxe Café Pro.

With a 1.3-litre water tank and 250g bean hopper, the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus measures 26.01cm in length, 30.91cm in width and 34.11cm in height. It takes up minimal space in your kitchen, but still looks the part with its luxurious black and silver colourway.

As a 2-in-1 coffee maker, the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus makes single and double espressos, and drip coffee. Its built-in grinder offers 60 grind sizes, and uses Barista Assist technology to automatically recommend specific grinds for your drink. It also monitors and adjusts brewing temperatures and pressures, so you get the best flavour and texture from your coffee.

The control panel is easy to use, and gives you a lot of freedom to personalise your drinks. Users can choose from single and double shots, three brewing strengths, three hot water settings, and three froth presets for dairy and plant-based milks. The panel also has a progress bar to guide you through the coffee-making process.

The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus comes with a precision scale, tamper, steam wand and milk jug. Ninja has really thought of everything, and it packs a lot of features into the smaller, compact design. We’ve tested a few Ninja coffee machines at T3, and have always been impressed, so I expect great things from the Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus.

The Ninja Luxe Café MINI Plus Espresso Machine is available to buy now for £499.99 / $449.99 at SharkNinja.

Summer is fast approaching which can mean only one thing – it’s iced coffee season! To celebrate, Nespresso has launched its new iced coffee range, featuring limited edition pods in unusual flavours, and the return of its popular travel tumblers.

Nespresso’s iced coffee collection for summer 2026 is all about the pods. Compatible with Nespresso Vertuo pod coffee machines, the standout from the new range is the Vanilla Yuzu flavour and fans of sweet coffees are sure to love it.

Vanilla Yuzu is a combination of sweet vanilla, bright citrus and pastries, alongside a light-roast Arabica blend. A zesty coffee does sound slightly strange to me, but as it’s meant to be served over ice or with a tonic, Vanilla Yuzu definitely sounds like a refreshing option for when the weather heats up.

While Vanilla Yuzu is the new launch for this iced coffee collection, Nespresso has also brought back some fan favourites. Coconut Vanilla is back, featuring a blend of – you guessed it – coconut and vanilla – and you can also find White Chocolate & Strawberry making a reappearance.

Another returning product is the Oatly Barista Edition pod. This collaboration between Nespresso and Oatly came out in 2025 and oat milk fans loved it, as the coffee perfectly compliments oat milk, and produces smooth, sweet drinks.

One of the hits from Nespresso’s spring pastel collection from last year was its colourful travel tumblers. They quickly went viral due to their stunning pink and yellow colours, with the Travel Tumbler in particular winning fans over with its straw and cap accessories.

Now for summer 2026, the Travel Tumbler is back in Bubblegum Pink, and I think I like it more than before. The Small Travel Mug is also returning in a bold Yuzu Yellow colour.

Prices on the Nespresso iced coffee collection start at 63p per pod or £6.30 a sleeve which comes with 10 pods. The tumblers start at £19. An affordable way to get your iced coffee fix? Sign me up!

If you’re looking for a new pod coffee machine, why not make it one from Ducati?! You read that right – Ducati, the Italian motorcycle brand, has collaborated with Swiss company Cuisine Barista on its very own (and very expensive) pod coffee machine.

The Barista M3 by Ducati is in celebration of Ducati’s 100 year anniversary of Italian engineering. While the coffee maker is definitely a fitting tribute to the Italian brand, it struck me as funny that it used a Swiss coffee manufacturer to make the machine but never mind about that – what’s the actual machine like, I hear you ask.

Firstly, the Barista M3 by Ducati is a pod coffee machine and uses Nespresso Original pods as Cuisine Barista is known to specialise in Nespresso machines. The design is undeniably attractive with carbon fibre panelling throughout the styling, and Ducati badges dotted around it. Made from stainless steel, it’s available in black, white or red with the latter being my favourite.

Speaking of carbon fibre, the Barista M3 by Ducati has been dubbed as the “only true carbon-fibre capsule coffee machine in the world.” While it’s a pod coffee machine and more suited for espressos, the Barista M3 by Ducati has a “world’s first in-cup milk frother” so you can make lattes, cappuccinos and other milk-based drinks.

The milk frother on the Barista M3 by Ducati is extremely clever. Users simply add their milk of choice in the steel cup, and put it in the cupholder for frothing. Using heat induction, the Barista M3 by Ducati froths milk expertly to your preferred temperature, and you can use it to make hot and cold foam.

The Barista M3 by Ducati is definitely advanced for a pod coffee machine, and gives you more control over your coffee making. It has a PID controller that maintains the right heat, which you can also adjust to your tastes. Users can select brewing temperature and flavour profile, too and the machine is quick to heat up in just seven seconds.

As you might expect, the Barista M3 by Ducati will cost you quite a bit. It’s on the higher end of the pod coffee machine budget, and will set you back 1,599 Swiss Francs which converts to around £1,500 / $2,000.

The Barista M3 by Ducati is available to pre-order now with an expected shipping date of October. It’s limited to just 1,926 machines as in keeping with Ducati’s 1926 origins.

Ninja has announced the launch of its new AutoBarista Pro in the UK, introducing an all-in-one coffee machine that combines espresso, filter coffee and rapid cold brew functionality into a single setup.

It follows the hugely successful Ninja Luxe Café and the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System. Whilst the DualBrew was still an impressive machine, its combination of pod functionality and filter coffee never quite landed in the same way. This time around, Ninja is leaning much more heavily into espresso and cold brew – two of the biggest coffee trends right now – which suggests the AutoBarista Pro will be more popular.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro Coffee Machine is available to buy now for £899 directly from SharkNinja's website.

The machine offers 13 different drink options altogether, including cappuccino, latte, americano, espresso and cold brew, whilst Ninja’s new AutoBarista Technology automatically adjusts grind size, brew settings and milk frothing depending on the drink being made.

Users can also create up to two custom profiles to save preferred drink settings, including coffee strength, temperature, size and froth style. For households with multiple coffee drinkers, there are two interchangeable 340g bean hoppers included, making it easy to swap between different coffee beans depending on preference.

“For too long, coffee lovers have had to choose between the convenience of a quick brew or the quality of a barista-crafted drink at home,” said James Kitto, SVP EMEA Managing Director at SharkNinja.

“With the Ninja AutoBarista Pro, we’ve eliminated that trade-off. We’ve combined advanced brewing technology with intuitive design to deliver a truly effortless coffee experience that doesn't compromise on quality. Whether it’s a classic espresso or a refreshing cold brew, users can enjoy barista-style results every time, without the learning curve.”

Over the last few years, De’Longhi has become one of the biggest names in premium bean-to-cup coffee machines, producing models that demonstrate how good the brand is at combining convenience with impressive coffee results. Now, the company is back with its newest machine – the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra.

Launched earlier this year, the Eletta Ultra adds a quieter design, upgraded milk frothing, smarter drink recommendations and one of the largest automatic drinks menus I’ve seen on a coffee machine so far.

I’ve been using it for several weeks to see whether it really justifies its premium price tag, and whether it’s actually worth the upgrade.

Price and availability

The De'Longhi Eletta Ultra has an RRP of £1,149.99, making it one of the the brand’s most premium coffee machines yet. It comes in a stylish metallic finish and is available directly from De'Longhi as well as Amazon.

Unboxing and set up

Setting up the Eletta Ultra was very simple and fully guided through on-screen instructions, meaning you barely need to touch the paper manual if you don’t want to. The process involves attaching the water spout, filling the water tank and bean container, and running the initial rinse cycle. The machine then asks you to complete a water hardness test before inserting the filter into the tank, after which it runs through one final rinse and a quick walkthrough of the interface before you’re ready to start.

There are also fewer loose accessories and attachments to worry about compared to some other premium machines. For example, unlike the De'Longhi Eletta Explore, the Eletta Ultra doesn’t include the takeaway cup and ice cube tray. However, I actually preferred this approach because it makes the overall experience feel cleaner and simpler.

Design and features

Visually, the Eletta Ultra features a large glossy touchscreen display at the centre, framed by brushed metallic finishes and clean edges. Measuring 49 x 30 x 52cm, it’s fairly similar in size to the Eletta Explore, so you’ll still need a decent amount of counter space. De’Longhi also says its new Silent Technology makes the Eletta Ultra up to 65% quieter than previous models.

One of the biggest highlights is just how many drinks the Eletta Ultra can make automatically. It offers an enormous menu of both hot and cold drinks, including espresso, cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato, iced coffee and cold brew-style drinks. De’Longhi has also leaned heavily into personalisation, allowing users to adjust coffee strength, milk texture, temperature and drink size before saving favourites to individual user profiles.

Another standout feature is the new Collections system, which suggests drinks depending on the time of day, your previous choices or even the kind of coffee mood you’re in. For example, the Intense and Energising collection focus on stronger espresso-based drinks, whilst Discover and Explore introduce recipes inspired by coffee styles from around the world.

The Eletta Ultra also uses De’Longhi’s updated LatteCrema milk frothing system, which automatically textures milk directly into your cup. It supports both dairy and plant-based milk settings and comes with redesigned carafes that are compact enough to fit neatly into a fridge door. Internally, the machine also features an integrated grinder with multiple grind settings, allowing you to fine-tune coffee strength and extraction depending on your beans and preferred drink style.

Many components, including the drip tray and milk system, are removable and dishwasher-safe, whilst automatic rinse and descaling programmes help keep maintenance easy to handle. There’s also app connectivity, allowing you to customise drinks remotely, receive maintenance alerts and browse recipe inspiration from your phone.

Performance

I’ve reviewed a number of De’Longhi machines over the years, and it’s immediately clear that the Eletta Ultra fits perfectly into the lineup. To me, it feels like a refined and upgraded version of the Eletta Explore, improving an already excellent machine with a more polished overall experience.

Before testing, I filled it with Wood Fired Coffee's organic coffee beans, which I’d highly recommend. They’re sourced from certified organic farms and slow-roasted over a range of hardwoods, resulting in a rich and full-bodied espresso that worked brilliantly with the machine.

Straight away, the biggest thing that stood out during testing was the sheer number of drinks available. It was almost difficult to know where to start, which is exactly why the new Collections feature worked so well. I loved being able to narrow things down depending on my mood or time of day, which meant I looked forward to using the machine and trying different drinks.

I also found the overall design much more thoughtful than previous models. Instead of having open storage space on top, there are now dedicated carved-out slots for the water spout and scoop, which made everything feel tidier. The upgraded LatteCrema carafes also felt improved, and despite being thoroughly impressed with the tube-free system on the Philips Café Aromis Series 8000, the Eletta Ultra’s system still worked extremely well in practice.

The actual coffee results were excellent too. If you’ve read my reviews before, you’ll know cappuccinos are always my benchmark drink, and the Eletta Ultra delivered one of the better examples I’ve tested recently. The milk froth was thick and creamy, with two texture settings available depending on how dense you want it. I personally preferred the richer foam setting, whilst the espresso underneath produced a strong crema and full-bodied flavour. I was also impressed by how hot the milk came out, even on the default setting.

The 1.8-litre water tank (that's accessible from the front) and 300g bean container also lasted much longer than expected, and it’s probably the longest I’ve gone testing a machine without constantly needing to refill something. The user profiles returning from previous De’Longhi models is another small touch I really liked too.

Finally, I loved just how much of the maintenance process the Eletta Ultra handles for you. The milk carafes clean themselves, the machine runs automatic rinse cycles, and it constantly keeps you updated on water and bean levels. If something needs cleaning or attention, the screen walks you through it step-by-step, making the whole ownership experience feel much less intimidating than many other bean-to-cup machines.

Verdict

The De'Longhi Eletta Ultra successfully builds on everything that made the De'Longhi Eletta Explore so popular, whilst refining the experience with a noticeably more premium and polished feel throughout. For me, the standout addition is easily the new Collections feature, which cleverly simplifies the enormous drinks menu and makes the machine feel far more intuitive to use day to day. Combined with consistently excellent coffee results, impressive milk frothing performance and hands-off maintenance, the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra feels like a luxury coffee setup that’s been designed to slot effortlessly into everyday life.

Alternatives to consider

If you want to stay with De’Longhi, the obvious alternative is the De'Longhi Eletta Explore. The two machines are very similar overall, with the Ultra essentially acting as the newer, quieter and more feature-packed version.

Another comparable option is the Philips Café Aromis Series 8000, which offers a similarly premium experience at a slightly lower price point. That said, the Eletta Ultra definitely feels more luxurious overall, particularly thanks to its drink collections system and upgraded interface.

Smeg has just launched a new coffee-making bundle so customers can finally buy its Espresso Coffee Machine with its Mini Milk Frother together in one package. This bundle is designed to bring a professional barista-style set-up to your home, and the price is surprisingly affordable.

Smeg launched its ECF12 Espresso Coffee Machine in 2023. Complete with Smeg’s quintessential retro-inspired design, the coffee machine makes single and double espresso shots that are rich in flavour, thanks to its pressurised filters and fast heat-up system.

But as you may have noticed, the Smeg ECF12 Espresso Coffee Machine isn’t able to froth milk as it doesn’t have a built-in steam wand. So, if you want it for making milky coffees like lattes and cappuccinos, you’ll need an additional milk frother – like the Smeg Mini Milk Frother.

One of Smeg’s most recent launches, the Smeg Mini Milk Frother debuted in 2025. With the rise in popularity for cold brew coffees, the Smeg Mini Milk Frother makes both cold and hot foam, as well as warm milk, so you can make a range of iced drinks, milky coffees, and even hot chocolates and mochas.

Now, you can buy the two coffee-making gadgets together to create your own home coffee bar for a cheaper price. Previously, you’d have to buy the two separately with the coffee machine costing £399.95 and the milk frother priced at £99.95 which totaled to £499.

Thanks to this new Smeg bundle, you can get both the espresso machine and milk frother for just £399.95. The bundle comes in black, white and cream colours to fit any kitchen aesthetic, and both gadgets have stylish curved lines as inspired by the 1950s.

The Smeg Espresso Coffee Machine bundle with Mini Milk Frother is available to buy now.

Finally! Fellow’s first-ever espresso machine which I’ve had my eye on since it launched in the US last year has arrived in the UK. Available at Harrods, the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine is the brand’s most advanced coffee maker to date, thanks to its three independent heating elements – here’s everything you need to know.

Based in San Francisco, Fellow has become well known for its premium coffee equipment. The Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine is no exception and is designed to offer “café-level precision without requiring professional expertise.”

I’ve tested many coffee machines in my time at T3, and the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine is unlike one I’ve seen before. It’s extremely compact, measuring 438mm length x 315mm width and 279mm height so it can sit comfortably in your kitchen, and even underneath cupboards.

As a semi-automatic coffee machine, the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine does require an additional bean grinder, or you can buy pre-ground coffee. Whatever you decide, the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine talks you through the entire coffee-making process via its colour screen or app.

While the app unlocks pre-sets and allows users to create, save and share espresso profiles, the actual controls on the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine are very simple to use. It has a precision control dial and three customisable shortcut buttons so you can make your favourite coffee almost instantly without having to play around with the settings.

The Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine uses a Boosted Boiler System which combines three independent heating elements to brew the perfect coffee at the right temperature. These elements include a flow-through heater, boiler and grouphead which work together to get temperatures ‘to-the-degree’ while warming up in less than two minutes.

The flow-through heater preheats the water before it enters the boiler, which helps prepare hot water without a long warm-up time. From there, the boiler minimises temperature fluctuations between brewing and steaming, while the grouphead heats up and keeps the right temperature to extract the flavour and texture from the coffee puck.

While this is all very clever, my favourite feature of the Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine is actually its smart steam wand. It uses a temperature-sensing tip to automatically stop the steaming process at your target temperature.

As an oat milk drinker, this type of milk is very easy to burn, so this feature is a real game changer. The wand also purges after each use so I can use it for my oat milk coffees while my husband can enjoy his dairy flat whites, all while avoiding cross-contamination and achieving the right temperature and textures of our milks of choice.

The Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine is available to buy now for £1,299.95 / $1,499.95 at Fellow and select retailers, like Harrods. It comes in black, red, sesame and woodland colours, and you can choose between plastic, walnut or maple handles.

You might not know this, but we’re only five months into 2026 and Philips has already launched two coffee machines. First came the Philips Baristina, which delivered impressively strong results in its full review thanks to its incredible ease of use. Now, Philips is moving much further upmarket with the Philips Café Aromis Series 8000.

This machine sits much closer to models like the Philips Series 5500 LatteGo, offering over 50 drink options, app connectivity and support for up to eight user profiles. In other words, it’s clearly designed for busy households with multiple coffee drinkers who all want their drinks slightly differently.

Naturally, I couldn’t wait to see whether Philips’ most expensive coffee machine yet actually lives up to its premium positioning.

Price and availability

The Philips Café Aromis Series 8000 has an RRP of £849.99 in the UK and $1,699.95 in the US, and is available directly through Philips, as well as retailers including Argos, John Lewis and Currys.

That makes it the priciest coffee machine Philips has released so far, with the Series 5500 LatteGo sitting just below it at roughly £550-£650 depending on the retailer.

Unboxing and set up

The machine arrives heavily protected with moulded inserts and separate packaging for all the removable components, including the LatteGo milk system, drip tray, water tank and bean hopper lid. Despite being a fairly substantial model, the whole setup is organised and it didn't feel intimidating to unpack.

Most parts simply click or slide into place, whilst the large touchscreen walks you through the entire first-time setup process step by step. It guides you through installing the AquaClean filter, filling the water tank, adding beans and running the initial rinse cycle before your first coffee. There’s also an automatic cleaning cycle built in, which takes a few minutes but means everything feels properly ready to go from the start.

Connecting the machine to Philips’ HomeID app is optional, but if you want access to additional drink customisation and the Barista Assistant features, it's recommended.

Design and features

At a first glance, it's quite clear that the Café Aromis is a strong upgrade over Philips’ older automatic machines. The silver finish and large 4.3-inch touchscreen gives it a premium feel, and the 1.9-litre water tank, 275g bean hopper and integrated milk system are all easy to access from the front, which is so appreciated.

Philips has also focused on making the machine quieter this time around, with its SilentBrew technology reducing both grinding and brewing noise compared to many other fully automatic machines. I have more to say on this though, so I'll get onto it in a little while.

The machine offers more than 50 hot and cold drinks, ranging from espresso and cappuccino to iced lattes and even cold brew. One of the headline upgrades is Philips’ new BrewExtract system, which compresses and doses more coffee grounds into each brew for a stronger flavour profile. There are also 12 grind settings, seven intensity levels and the ability to brew two drinks simultaneously.

The LatteGo Pro milk system is also great, and unlike traditional milk tube systems, it uses a tube-free design that can produce both hot and cold milk froth whilst remaining easy to clean. Philips claims it can be rinsed in around 10 seconds, and the removable parts are dishwasher safe as well.

Through the HomeID app, users can access the Barista Assistant feature, which essentially acts like a virtual coffee guide by helping tailor extraction settings to your beans and preferred drink styles. As mentioned, the machine also supports up to eight individual user profiles, making it particularly useful for households where everyone has completely different coffee preferences.

The AquaClean filtration system also significantly reduces how often descaling is needed and can last up to 5,000 cups, according to Philips. There's also an Eco Mode which helps lower both water and energy consumption during everyday use.

Performance

I’ve really enjoyed having the Café Aromis Series 8000 in my kitchen over the last few weeks, and after recently reviewing the De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro, it felt like an complete breeze getting this machine up and running. As mentioned earlier, setup took hardly any time at all, and because the entire process is so guided, I was making coffee very quickly without worrying about grind size, dosing or extraction settings. I suppose that’s the real beauty of a good automatic bean-to-cup machines.

Whilst filling the machine for the first time though, I did discover it also has a dedicated pre-ground coffee compartment for decaf or pre-ground coffee. I mention this because I accidentally poured beans into that section first, mainly because it sits right next to the main bean hopper. Completely my fault, admittedly, but hopefully worth flagging in case you read this before doing exactly the same thing.

The overall layout of the machine feels extremely well thought out, and I absolutely loved how customisable everything is. Being able to adjust the espresso amount in much smaller increments – rather than just choosing between small, medium or large – makes a huge difference in daily use. Some mornings I wanted an extra shot because I was running on very little sleep, whilst other times I preferred more milk for a slower drink, so having the flexibility was great.

I also really appreciated being able to adjust the temperature, which still isn’t something every coffee machine offers properly.

The actual brewing process itself is very seamless too. The adjustable coffee spout is another small but really useful feature, especially when swapping between espresso cups and larger mugs.

Attaching the two milk carafes is also very straightforward, and it’s easy to tell which one is designed for hot drinks and which is for cold drinks. I will say they feel slightly wobbly once attached to the machine, but thankfully that doesn’t affect milk pouring or frothing performance at all.

The tube-free milk system is probably one of my favourite parts of the whole machine though. No matter how thoroughly you clean traditional milk tubes, they somehow never quite feel clean enough, and old milk residue is definitely not something you want lingering inside your coffee machine.

When it came to general cleaning, the experience was mostly straightforward, although I did run into one frustration. I noticed used coffee grounds regularly leaking throughout the base of the machine rather than staying neatly inside the removable grounds container. That meant I couldn’t simply empty the tray every so often – instead, I found myself fully removing and cleaning the lower section several times a week because loose grounds had spread underneath. I’m not entirely sure whether this is intentional or just something specific to my unit, but it definitely increased the amount of cleaning required.

Finally, I have to talk about the sound levels. Philips makes a big point about the machine’s SilentBrew technology, which, to be fair, probably is quieter compared to some other bean-to-cup machines. However, by absolutely no means would I call this machine quiet. The first time it automatically rinsed itself, it made me jump because of how loud it suddenly became.

So whilst the noise reduction may technically be working, I wouldn’t recommend buying the Café Aromis purely because you’re expecting a silent coffee machine as there are definitely quieter options out there.

Verdict

The Philips Café Aromis Series 8000 stands out for its premium design, smarter features and an almost overwhelming level of drink customisation. However, what really impressed me is just how approachable the whole experience feels. From the guided setup process to the responsive touchscreen, the Café Aromis delivers excellent coffee without constantly demanding your attention.

The LatteGo milk system continues to be one of the easiest I’ve used, and smaller details like adjustable drink temperatures and highly flexible espresso sizing quickly become features you end up using every single day.

It’s not completely flawless – the grounds leakage became slightly frustrating during testing, and despite the SilentBrew branding, this is still a fairly noisy machine when grinding beans or running rinse cycles. That said, if you want a premium bean-to-cup coffee machine that balances convenience, customisation and enjoyable everyday use exceptionally well, the Café Aromis Series 8000 is easily one of Philips’ strongest coffee machines to date.

Alternatives to consider

If you want to stick with Philips but spend a little less, I’d still strongly recommend the Philips Series 5500 LatteGo. It offers many of the same headline features, including the LatteGo milk system and app connectivity, but now comes in noticeably cheaper thanks to its age.

Alternatively, the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra is now one of the Café Aromis’ closest rivals. It’s slightly more premium overall, but offers a similarly huge drink range and equally strong smart features for coffee lovers.

Where would we be without Mr Gaggia? Honestly, the man single-handedly invented the modern-day espresso bar back in 1938. Still, nearly 90 years later, the world of coffee and the science behind it has changed irrevocably.

Gaggia's Classic espresso machine (its staple home range, that's been around since the early 90s) has been a kitchen icon, but if I'm honest, it's starting to show its age. Enter the new and improved Gaggia Classic UP. This refinement of an already solid design takes what modders have been doing for years now and fully implements all of it at a factory level, all in an attempt to take the top spot as the best espresso machine of 2026.

Gaggia Classic UP review: price and availability

The Classic UP that I have on test here, launched in March 2026, and you can pick one up for around £849 in the UK from Amazon, $849 in the US from Whole Latte Love (likely coming to Amazon later in the year), €849 in the EU (baristadelight.de), and for AU, $1,899 (it is on offer currently for $1,599 but that's only until May 15th).

Interestingly, Gaggia has only launched a single model of the Classic UP, so if you don't like that matte black finish, you're out of luck, at least for the time being.

Gaggia Classic UP review: design and build

The good news is that straight out of the box, Gaggia's Classic UP looks utterly stunning. That matte black finish, combined with the iconic Classic styling, gives it the feel of a machine that costs twice as much. There's this modern flair to it. The old school buttons have been replaced with toggle switches; there are white LEDs sat behind illuminating them, the cup warming tray has a mirror finish, and the 2-inch TFT LCD display fits seamlessly into a crisp black panel that sits flush into the top of the machine, complete with a suite of capacitive touch buttons. It just oozes sophistication.

A quick dissection of the group-handle reveals an industry standard 58mm, 18g basket, complete with a dual-spout housed in a full-length metal body. There's no naked portafilter here, but to be honest, unless your puck prep is on point and your coffee close to dialled already, this design is nine times out of ten a tidier solution anyway.

The only downside is that the grip itself does feel a bit cheap. The entire machine has this svelte powder-coated stainless steel all over it that just exudes excellence, and yet the group-handle grip and the steam wand dial seem to have been kitted out with plastic recycled from a 1990s Jurassic Park T. rex toy.

The UP comes with two assorted drip trays that you can choose from, depending on how high you want your cups to sit underneath the portafilter, and there's a telescopic drain port that runs along the left-hand side, which, although fiddly to install, helps to purge any excess moisture from the group-head during shot pours.

As for the steam wand, it's fully articulating and has a rubber grip on it, allowing you to touch it without necessarily burning your fingertips to a crisp. You might want to shuffle that up a bit on first setup, just to help manoeuvre your milk jug underneath, but more on that in a bit.

All in all, it's a well-rounded machine and surprisingly compact. Although that does lead to its own issues, particularly as it does like to shuffle a bit when you lock the group-handle in place, very similarly to the Sage Bambino Plus. But still, you're getting a lot for the money here, and the design is exceptional. Sure, there's no broad variety of colourways just yet, but that crisp black finish just looks outstanding, so I'm happy to let that slide.

Gaggia Classic UP review: performance

After spending close to a month with the Classic UP, I can tell you now, this machine pulls some seriously clean shots. I've been a head barista for close to two years, working in an independent speciality coffee shop, and I've roasted coffee commercially for about a year as well. In that time, I've worked on Contis, Faemas, La Marzoccos, Victoria Arduinos, the lot, crafting top-quality lattes, caps, and flat whites across the country. Basically, I've pulled and drank a lot of espresso, so when I say the Classic UP is an absolute king in that department, I really do mean it.

The most recent iteration, the E24, was a bit old-school in its internal workings. It didn't have a modern-day PID inside; rather, it relied on a bimetallic thermostat instead (think of the clicky thermostat inside your kettle). What that means is you were constantly waiting for the boiler to get to temp, but that temperature could swing, if you were unlucky, up or down by two to three degrees at a time, on a per-shot basis. You couldn't control exactly what temperature you wanted it to be.

The older Classic line, before that, was even worse and could shift by upwards of 10 - 15 degrees depending on the time of year, although that was before the introduction of the Evo Pro line's brass boiler in 2023.

With the introduction of that dual PID, it effectively allows the Classic UP to keep incredibly tight control over the temperature of the water being pushed into your coffee grounds. That means your shots are far more consistent from pull to pull, drink to drink.

Not only that, but you can control and observe the temperature of the boiler with that TFT display, keeping it within a single degree. What that means is that you can get that light roasted Ethiopian natural running at 96 degrees, or your medium-roast Colombian at 91, and really get the most out of the flavour, with back-to-back shots being near identical.

Gaggia's included two other nice-to-haves with the UP as well. The first is pre-infusion. Now it's a bit of a controversial one, but effectively this setting pre-wets the coffee puck, applying just enough water to saturate the espresso grounds and get those flavour molecules flowing, before applying the pressurised water. It does generally lead to a better-tasting shot, although I'd be reluctant to say there's much difference between the three modes. Still, definitely keep it enabled.

And second, and perhaps far more important, is the pump timer. The Classic E24 had a manual control. You'd pull the shot, then decide when you wanted to stop it by hand. Ideally, you'd use a set of scales, pop 18g of ground coffee in your basket, pull it, wait until you hit 36-40g of espresso out, then stop the machine and hope it finished within the 28-32 second mark that you've diligently just timed yourself. All to get that perfectly balanced espresso.

The UP features a time-based pump with its own memory. On first use, you can effectively dial in your coffee and set it so you get that 36-40g out within 30 seconds. From there on, each time you pull a shot, the pump will run for the same length of time, but the weight will change, then it's just a case of adjusting the grind size to get the weight right using a decent set of coffee scales, and the shot time should stay remarkably consistent, along with that balanced flavour profile.

As for the steam wand, that too doesn't disappoint, as anyone who's used one of the more recent Evo Pro lines will know. Although it's a single-boiler design, heating up after a shot's been pulled is rapid, and with a quick purge, it's surprisingly potent. The only downside is that the dial is a bit underwhelming. Again, it has that same cheap plastic feel that the group handle grip does, and more frustratingly, it spins quite a lot going from off to on and back again.

Turning the steam off once your milk is up to temp and textured appropriately is a bit of a mission that can actually ruin both the temperature and the texture in the process if you're not fast enough. A lever design, or less rotation on the dial, would've been far more welcome.

Still, does the milk live up to café quality? Nearly. It doesn't quite have the edge over a dedicated dual-boiler, or a La Marzocco Linea PB S, but then those are £5-10,000 machines. It's not meant to be that good. If all you're after is the option to make one or two lattes or cappuccinos back to back, it's more than capable of delivering on that promise, with smooth, well-textured milk, as long as you can get past that wild dial.

Gaggia Classic UP review: verdict

At this price point, this is, by far, the best Classic espresso machine Gaggia has ever made. It's not necessarily this huge revolutionary step up over its E24 sibling, but more of a refinement of an already solid build. It incorporates a lot of features that modders and home espresso tinkerers have been adding for years, but in a beautifully clean fashion, with a factory warranty attached.

The addition of dual PID control, pump timers, pre-infusion, and that display with its touch controls and a built-in shot timer takes what was great about the original Classic E24 and dials it right up all the way to 11, without breaking the bank.

As far as home machines go, yes there are still better options out there, bars with dual-boilers, and volumetric flow control, insulated steam wands, and every other bell and whistle under the sun, but you're typically going to be paying twice as much for a feature set that doesn't necessarily translate to a better drink.

The Classic UP is for the price-conscious in that regard. It's not perfect; that portafilter grip still needs some work, and the steam wand dial needs a real refinement pass, but if this is any indicator of where Gaggia is going with this series, I can't wait to see the next one. And if you buy the UP, you're not going to ever leave your kitchen disappointed.

Gaggia Classic UP review: alternatives to consider

There's no denying that the Classic UP is a purist's espresso machine. If you're looking for something a little more automated, then De'Longhi's La Specialista Opera is a fantastic solution that includes a built-in grinder, auto-milk steaming solution, and a similar touchscreen workflow.

Alternatively, and I've already mentioned it, but Sage's Bambino Plus is a remarkably well-built and similarly budget-friendly alternative that just gets the job done at a far lower price.

With the cost of living still high, many people are looking for ways to cut down on their expenses. Takeaway coffee is one of these main expenses, and while it’s nice to get your caffeine fix, buying them on a regular basis can add up over time.

Investing in a good quality coffee machine is a big investment up front but it can help you save money in the long run. At-home coffee has seen a major surge in recent years, with Italian coffee company illy reporting increased sales of espresso machines, grinders and barista-style tools.

However, it’s one thing having the right equipment, but if you’re not using it properly, your coffee – and machine – could suffer. “People often assume once they have an espresso machine, good coffee is guaranteed, but that’s not always the case,” say illy experts at the Università del Caffè. “Many home baristas are repeating the same fundamental mistakes, which can mask the flavour and aroma of their coffee.”

To find out more, I spoke to illy’s team of experts who identified five home coffee mistakes you’re making and how to fix them.

1. Grinding your coffee beans incorrectly

Whether you have a bean to cup machine with a built-in grinder or a separate bean grinder, the way you grind your coffee beans impacts the taste, aroma and strength of your coffee. The best way to tell if you’re grinding your beans incorrectly is if your coffee tastes bitter, weak or unbalanced. To fix this, illy advises to choose fine grounds for espresso, medium for filter and coarse for cold brew.

2. Not regularly refreshing your water

“Coffee is more than 90% water yet it’s often overlooked,” says illy experts. As someone who has a bean to cup coffee machine, I often forget to refresh the water until it’s nearly empty, which isn’t recommended, even if you only filled up the tank in the morning or day before. Instead, “start with fresh, cold water (filtered if possible) and brew at around 90–96°C” for the best results.

3. Forgetting to clean your coffee machine

Let’s face it, cleaning any appliance isn’t fun and you likely put it off for as long as possible. But with coffee machines, old oil and residue from your previous coffees can ruin the flavour of your current coffee, and the ones that come after it. After each use, illy says to wipe the steam wands and clean machines and grinders regularly.

For more details, see our guides on how to clean a bean to cup coffee machine and how to clean a pod coffee machine.

4. Storing beans in the fridge

Many people store coffee beans in the fridge to keep it fresher for longer but “it’s a big no!” according to illy. In order to keep this freshness, illy recommends storing beans in an airtight container away from light and heat instead.

5. Batch grinding your coffee

Batch grinding your coffee beans might seem logical and time-saving, but it actually makes your coffee taste and quality worse. The reason for this is “once ground, coffee quickly loses its aroma” so stick to grinding beans just before brewing. Another tip is to use your coffee beans within a few weeks of opening the bag so you get the best taste and smell from your beans of choice.

For quick and easy brews in the morning, you can’t go wrong with a pod coffee machine. There are many pod coffee maker manufacturers on the market with Nespresso and Lavazza popping up, but one brand that should also be acknowledged as making one of the best pod coffee machines has to be Illy.

Italian coffee company, Illy has been around since 1993, and is considered a luxury coffee brand. Until recently, I only knew Illy as a bean to cup coffee machine brand, mainly because of its eye-catching X1 coffee machine which looks a bit like E.T.

But I recently got my hands on the new Illy X-Caps X3 pod coffee machine, and it’s seriously impressed me with its functionality, design and cost – here’s how I got on.

Illy X-Caps X3 review: price and availability

The Illy X-Caps X3 is available to buy for £135 at Illy. It comes in matte black, matte white and glossy black. This pod coffee machine works exclusively with X-Caps capsules. Prices on these pods start at £5.20 for a pack of 10 capsules.

Illy X-Caps X3 review: design and features

The Illy X-Caps X3 was created by designer and architect, Luca Trazzi. Measuring just 10 cm in width, 34.8 cm in depth and 25.4 cm in height, the Illy X-Caps X3 is extremely slim and can easily fit into any kitchen size. It also weighs 3.4kg so it’s easy to move around if needed.

In terms of design, the Illy X-Caps X3 is very minimalistic. At the back is an 800ml water reservoir which sits behind a capsule container. At the front is a cup stand which doubles as a drip reservoir. The controls are just above the coffee dispenser, and have one shot on the left and two shots on the right.

When turning on the Illy X-Caps X3 for the first time, the buttons will appear blank. If you press them, they’ll flash until they go solid white, indicating that it’s ready to use. To make a coffee, simply slot the coffee pod into the top of the Illy X-Caps X3 and push the silver lever down. Press the shot button you want and it will start making your coffee – yes, it’s that simple.

When your coffee is down, you can push the lever back up and the used capsule will drop down into a separate container. This box can hold a good amount of used coffee pods so you don’t have to empty the bin every time you make a coffee.

Speaking of pods, the Illy X-Caps X3 works best with espresso and café lungos. It doesn’t have a milk frother so you’ll have to get a separate one if you like milky coffees. The Illy X-Caps X3 also uses Hyperinfusion technology to extract the perfect espresso by infusing water with coffee at optimum pressure and temperature conditions.

Illy X-Caps X3 review: performance

After unboxing the Illy X-Caps X3, I was surprised by how simple the controls and design were, but with pod coffee machines, you don’t need all that faff! I really appreciated how streamlined and easy the Illy X-Caps X3 was to use, and felt that it really didn’t need anything more added to it, especially for those who love espresso.

Espresso is undoubtedly what the Illy X-Caps X3 is best at making. Illy makes a wide range of coffee pods and flavours, but its espresso pods were my favourite. The taste is rich and not too bitter, so despite the coffee dispensing a little on the slower side than I was used to, clearly the Hyperinfusion technology was doing its job properly.

The integrated capsule container in the Illy X-Caps X3 was a nice touch and it held a good amount of pods at a time. I also found that the Illy X-Caps X3 was surprisingly quiet when in action, and didn’t make loud annoying ‘start-up’ noises that other pod coffee makers do. It also heated up quickly too, so I was never waiting too long for it to be ready.

The only issue I found with the Illy X-Caps X3 is that its coffee pods would occasionally stick to the inside of the machine before dropping down into the used container. I wouldn’t say this was a major problem, but it’s worth mentioning.

Another thing to point out (again) is that the Illy X-Caps X3 is a black coffee machine so if you want milk-based coffees, you’ll need to buy a milk frother or choose a different pod maker.

Illy X-Caps X3 review: verdict

I can confidently say that the Illy X-Caps X3 makes the best espresso out of any other pod coffee machines I’ve tried, so if the perfect espresso is what you’re after, I’d recommend this machine. For milky coffee drinkers, the Illy X-Caps X3 probably won’t be for you.

Overall, the Illy X-Caps X3 looks the part, performs exceptionally well, and has cute additions that most other brands haven’t thought of, like its integrated pod container. I really couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about it which is why it gets five stars.

Illy X-Caps X3 review: alternatives to consider

If simplicity is what you’re after, the ProCook Coffee Pod Machine is a good alternative to the Illy X-Caps X3. It has two controls, is compatible with multiple pod types and has a similar price to the Illy X-Caps X3.

If milk based drinks are more your thing, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Desea is a great pod coffee machine with a built-in steam wand and milk frother. It has an unusual design and costs £100 more than the Illy X-Caps X3 at £249 but you do get the option to make cappuccinos and lattes.

Ninja has just upgraded its popular Luxe Café Pro bean to cup coffee machine with a new limited edition colourway – and it’s David Beckham approved. The Ninja Luxe Café Pro has been co-designed with Beckham and is now available in matte black, stainless steel, gold and wood.

Former professional footballer David Beckham has been a global brand ambassador for SharkNinja since 2024. He has endorsed many of Ninja’s appliances, including its line-up of coffee machines and air fryers. As an avid coffee fan, the new Ninja Luxe Café Pro now comes in colours and material that are inspired by his roots.

For those new to Ninja’s coffee machine range, the brand launched the Ninja Luxe Café back in 2024. Since then, it’s introduced the ‘pro’ version which differs from the original with its control panel, milk frother and integrated tamper.

The new Ninja Luxe Café Pro still has the same design and features as the non-limited edition version, but it now has a more luxurious colour. It features a matte black and stainless steel body but has been enhanced with gold on the logo, control knob, milk frother, tamper and jug.

Wood is also a new accent that’s been introduced to the Ninja Luxe Café Pro. The black chestnut wood grain material has been added to the milk jug and tamper handles. It’s inspired by the natural textures of the English countryside which is where Beckham is from.

I’m usually a bit hesitant about celebrity appliance collaborations, but I love the look of the Ninja Luxe Café Pro x David Beckham. It looks more premium than before and is definitely something that would look beautiful in any kitchen type. It will cost you though at £849.99 / $899.

This David Beckham collaboration isn’t the only limited edition colour that Ninja will be announcing. In May 2026, Ninja will be introducing seven limited edition colours for its Ninja Luxe Café Pro and Ninja Luxe Café Premier machines, including colours like Oat Milk, CyberSpace, Ash Green and Raspberry Blush.

Dreame has launched its very first bean-to-cup coffee machine, and it’s just as compact as it is stylish. The Dreame Ecceluxe measures just 18cm wide and 31.5cm high, making it around 35% slimmer than your typical coffee machine. Despite that, it still offers five different drink options, ranging from espresso to cappuccino.

The Ecceluxe marks Dreame’s first step into coffee, launching around the same time as its debut smart locks. It’s not entirely surprising, especially after the brand revealed at CES in January that it was expanding into a full ecosystem of smart home appliances.

It’s available now via Dreame’s online store for £469 (currently reduced from £499) and comes with a two-year warranty. It hasn’t launched in the US just yet, but when it does, it’s expected to cost $799.

In terms of features, Dreame highlights a 9-level low-noise grinding system alongside what it calls “golden silky-smooth extraction.” The external milk frother has a 240ml capacity – enough for around two drinks before needing a refill – whilst the 1.5-litre water tank is also a good size for a machine this compact.

There’s also a built-in self-cleaning system that takes care of everything from the brewing unit and descaling to milk system cleaning and tube emptying. It appears to fit neatly into the back of the machine, with controls accessible via the touchscreen.

It’s definitely one we’re keen to try, especially as compact, fully automatic machines continue to grow in popularity. If you’re looking for an alternative in the meantime, the Philips Baristina recently earned four stars in its full review.

Philips has launched yet another bean-to-cup coffee machine just weeks after the Baristina. However, the new Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series is much closer to models like the Series 5500 LatteGo, offering over 50 drink options and up to eight user profiles, making it ideal for busy households with multiple coffee drinkers.

It’s also the first machine in the Philips range to feature a Virtual Barista Assistant. Built directly into the machine and accessible via the Philips HomeID app, it helps guide you through personalising your coffee – from strength and volume to texture.

The Café Aromis 8000 Series is available now for £849.99 from the Philips website, as well as retailers like Argos and John Lewis. It’s also already launched in the US (around a month earlier) with an RRP of $1,699.99.

The Café Aromis uses its BrewExtract technology to dose and press more freshly ground beans, aiming to deliver a more consistent result with every cup. It also comes in a sleek silver finish – which we haven’t really seen from Philips before – and features a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, 15-bar pump pressure, 12 grind settings and the ability to brew two drinks at once.

Philips has also focused on making the machine easier to live with day-to-day. Its SilentBrew technology uses sound shielding and quieter grinding to reduce noise levels, whilst the LatteGo Pro milk system can be cleaned in as little as 10 seconds, either by hand or in the dishwasher.

Charley Parnell, coffee expert at Philips, said: “The Café Aromis is perfect for people who want to take their love of coffee to the next level. There are 54 hot and cold drink options to choose from, and combined with the LatteGo Pro milk frother, it delivers a barista-quality experience all year round.”

A lot of you will know I’m a huge fan of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, especially the ones from De’Longhi itself. I’ve been lucky enough to test most of the brand’s machines, ranging from the Eletta Explore to the La Specialista Touch, but after realising we’d missed a pretty important gap from 2023, I thought it’d be a good idea to go back and fill it in.

So, if you’re wondering why I’m reviewing the De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro despite its launch being a few years ago – this is exactly why. I also know a lot of potential buyers like to compare models side by side, so think of this as helping you do just that.

You’ll find my full thoughts below, including whether the Maestro is still worth considering alongside all the newer models.

Price and availability

The La Specialista Maestro is priced at £1,299.99 in the UK and $1,299.95 in the US, placing it right at the top of De’Longhi’s La Specialista range.

There’s no denying it’s expensive, but there’s also a lot going on here that helps justify that price. It’s available directly from De’Longhi’s online store, as well as retailers like Argos and John Lewis.

Unboxing and set up

Setting up the Maestro involves unboxing everything and giving the removable parts – like the water tank, drip tray and accessories – a quick rinse and dry. Once that was done, I inserted the drip tray and cup rest, filled the 2.5-litre water tank with fresh water and slotted it back into place, and finally plugged the machine in and switched it on.

The machine also prompted me to run an initial rinse cycle to clean the internal system, which involved placing a container under the hot water spout and steam wand, then starting the rinse. After that, I inserted a filter basket into the portafilter, attached it to the group head, and ran another short water cycle through it. This warms everything up and ensures it’s clean before your first coffee.

Once everything was rinsed and warmed up, I moved onto my coffee setup. This includes filling the bean hopper, adjusting the grind size and starting to experimenting. I'll talk about this more in a little while, but that's all there is to it.

Design and features

The De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro is definitely a bean-to-cup machine for people who enjoy the coffee-making process. You’ve got the integrated bean hopper and grinder at the top, alongside a front-facing control panel with dials and buttons that make it feel more interactive than a typical automatic machine.

That said, it is big. I actually had to move it to a completely different part of my kitchen because it didn’t fit where I usually test machines, so I’d definitely recommend measuring your space beforehand, especially if you’re planning to place it under cabinets. It’s also pretty heavy at over 14kg, so it’s not something you’ll want to move around often.

Alongside the bean hopper, you get an integrated burr grinder with up to 15 grind settings, so you can fine-tune your coffee depending on the beans you’re using. This pairs with De’Longhi’s Smart Tamping Station, which lets you tamp directly in the machine with consistent pressure and minimal mess. We’ve only really seen this on the La Specialista Opera, and I think it makes one of the trickier parts of espresso-making much easier.

Active Temperature Control with PID keeps the water temperature stable throughout extraction, whilst dynamic pre-infusion adjusts based on your grind and dose for more even saturation. It also heats up quickly thanks to its thermoblock system, meaning it’s ready to go in under 20 seconds.

You also get a wide range of pre-set drink options, including espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white and even cold brew. The cold extraction feature lets you make cold brew-style drinks in under five minutes, which you don’t often see on machines like this.

Milk frothing is handled by the My LatteArt steam wand, designed to create silky microfoam for latte art whilst staying cool to the touch. There’s also the LatteCrema system for automatic frothing, so you can choose between a hands-on or hands-off approach depending on your mood or skill level.

Performance

When it comes to actually using the machine, the Maestro is definitely one of the more complex machines I’ve used – especially within De’Longhi’s lineup. It took me quite a while to dial everything in properly as I often found my grind was too fine, and getting the dose right took a bit of trial and error. Eventually, I settled on a dose of 18 for a double shot and a grind setting of 6, which gave me consistently great espresso. Just be aware that you’ll likely need to experiment a bit before finding your perfect setup.

Once everything is settled, it's clear that the Maestro strikes a really nice balance between automation and control. After tamping with the Smart Tamping Station, you just have to lock in the portafilter, select your drink via the dial and press the central “OK” button. From there, the machine takes over with pre-infusion and extraction, clearly shown on the display. I will say that the tamping wasn’t the most effective I’ve tried. I often had to go back in once or even twice to get a more compact puck, but it was more the case with double shots rather than singles.

It’s all very intuitive, and impressively quick too. The fast heat-up time makes a real difference, and I especially appreciated it during busy mornings. Take a look at my TikTok below for a better visual:

Milk frothing is another area where the Maestro feels versatile. The steam wand is powerful and capable of producing excellent microfoam, but it does take a bit of practice to get right, especially if you’re particular about texture. On the other hand, the LatteCrema system just involves attaching the milk container and selecting your froth level – even adjusting the order of milk and coffee depending on the drink.

That said, you can’t fully customise the milk quantity, and I did find that on some settings, the milk wasn’t quite hot enough for my liking. Still, it’s a great time-saving option, and I like that you can adjust the froth level via the dial. Just be prepared to clean it thoroughly, as milk can easily get trapped in the tubes.

I found the performance across each drink option to be very impressive, and the results were always consistently strong. The cold extraction mode doesn’t perfectly replicate traditional cold brew, but it gets surprisingly close in both taste and texture – and is, of course, a lot faster.

Verdict

The De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro is a premium espresso machine that’s best suited to coffee enthusiasts who really enjoy the process of making coffee. It delivers excellent results across a wide range of drinks and offers a great balance between hands-on control and helpful automation. That said, it’s not the most beginner-friendly option – dialling it in takes time, and its size and price won’t suit everyone. However, if you’re willing to put in the effort, it's a great machine that still holds its own against newer models.

Alternatives to consider

If you’re after something a bit simpler and more approachable from De’Longhi, the La Specialista Touch is a great alternative. It’s more compact but still delivers really customisable, café-quality coffee.

If you’re looking for something a bit more budget-friendly, the Ninja Luxe Café is also well worth considering. Its 3-in-1 functionality makes it a versatile option, especially if you want a strong performance without spending quite as much.

KitchenAid has launched three new bean-to-cup coffee machines, each introducing dedicated over-ice coffee and espresso settings. These brew at a lower temperature, allowing coffee lovers to create lighter drinks that can be enjoyed hot or poured over ice.

The new KF2, KF3 and KF4 models are also designed to be more compact, coming in at around 25% smaller than KitchenAid’s KF6, KF7 and KF8 fully automatic machines, whilst still offering an impressive 24 pre-set drink options.

All three machines will be available from 4th May, launching first in the US before rolling out to the UK and Europe. Pricing starts at $799.99 for the KF2, $999.99 for the KF3 and $1,299.99 for the KF4.

When it comes to milk-based drinks, there are two different approaches depending on the model. The KF3 and KF4 feature KitchenAid’s AutoMilk System, which automatically textures milk for smooth foam, whilst the entry KF2 model opts for a more hands-on Panarello steam wand.

All three models are also certified by Quiet Mark as some of the quieter machines in the espresso category. They also include the brand’s IntelliGrind and Aroma Balance systems, which automatically adjust grind and extraction based on the unique characteristics of each bean, such as size, density and roast level.

Speaking about the launch, Chadwick Ries, Global Head of Product, Brand and Insights at KitchenAid Small Appliances, said: “We designed the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with Iced Coffee to help people explore a world of coffee at home in an easy, intuitive way. From perfectly brewed iced coffee to classic espresso drinks, this compact machine delivers variety, performance and quiet operation in a format that fits effortlessly into any home and everyday life.”

JURA has just debuted the Automatic Milk Frother, a new coffee machine accessory that will excite both coffee and chocolate drink lovers. Inside a stylish and compact design, the JURA Automatic Milk Frother makes both hot and cold foams and can even make chocolate milk – and it’s surprisingly affordable, too.

A trend that many bean to cup coffee machine manufacturers have started to embrace in recent years is cold brew. Iced or cold brew coffee is much more complicated to make than you might first think – no, pouring cold water over coffee grounds isn’t the way to do it!

Instead, making iced and cold coffees is quite a rigorous process and can even take up to 24 hours. Now, modern coffee machines come with cold brew settings which use rapid, low-pressure extraction and circulate cold water into coffee grounds to drastically reduce extraction time to around five minutes.

But what about if you just want cold foam? Well, that’s where the JURA Automatic Milk Frother comes in. The new milk frother has four preparation options which can make hot and cold milk foam, hot milk and even chocolate milk. It can also be used for both dairy and plant-based milks.

The chocolate milk feature is my favourite as it works in a similar way to the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser in that it whips up the milk using pieces of fine chocolate. The JURA Automatic Milk Frother is easy to use too, with just four buttons down the middle of the frother that activate pre-programmed settings for the best results.

The design of the JURA Automatic Milk Frother is surprisingly compact, measuring just 21cm in height and 13cm in diameter. It has a curved spout for easy pouring and the conic base acts as a stand for the gadget so it can sit comfortably in your kitchen.

Made from stainless steel, the JURA Automatic Milk Frother regulates temperature for each milk and froth type, and has automatic switch off and standby modes to help save energy. JURA has really thought of everything with this new accessory, and it makes the perfect companion to its coffee machines.

The JURA Automatic Milk Frother is available to buy for £99.95 at JURA.

Aarke has debuted its latest drip coffee maker, the Aarke Coffee Maker, and it might be the most stylish and smartest model I’ve ever seen – but it’ll cost you.

As someone who has tested many coffee machines, including bean-to-cup and pod models, I have become a complete coffee snob. While I have tried drip coffee makers previously, they never quite live up to my expectations, nor the performance that my bean-to-cup machine has.

But the Aarke Coffee Maker might have convinced me to try drip coffee again, although I will have to save up for a bit before I buy it! The Aarke Coffee Maker is an electric drip filter coffee brewer that’s packed full of clever coffee making features inside an attractive, stainless steel package.

Compared to traditional drip coffee makers, the Aarke Coffee Maker looks much more modern and stylish. Personally, I think it looks like something out of a sci-fi film with the tube-like interchangeable brewing container, and round drip shower head, and it looks a lot less clunky than drip coffee makers you see in offices.

With its 1.25-litre capacity, the Aarke Coffee Maker can brew a full pot of coffee in just six minutes, which can cater for up to 10 people. Its temperatures vary between 92°- 96°C regardless of the volume of coffee you’re making, and it has a smart hot plate which keeps coffee warm while it sits there. It does this without burning the coffee and preserving the flavour.

The Aarke Coffee Maker has a simple one-button design for quick use. If you hold it for three seconds, the Aarke Coffee Maker will start the blooming mode which pre-soaks your coffee grounds at the start of the brewing process to enhance the flavour.

Other handy features of the Aarke Coffee Maker include its water level sensor, 360° filter basket and its water tank which lights up so you can reach the water level. You’ll need to buy a separate coffee grinder but it comes with everything else you need, including a filter basket, glass carafe, lids and measuring spoon.

The Aarke Coffee Maker comes in matte black and steel colours, and is priced at £300 / $400 at Aarke. The brand has also added a new stylish colourway called Sand which is already available in the US, but is up for pre-order in the UK with an expected launch date of May 5th.

Nespresso is undoubtedly the king of pod coffee machines. From their original series to their Vertuo range, they’ve consistently set the benchmark for what a good pod machine can do, and with the new Nespresso Vertuo Up, they’ve raised the bar again. If you’re in the market for one of the best pod machines that money can buy, then this one should be at the top of your list.

It’s been years since Nespresso has had a revamp on their Vertuo range, and the Vertuo Up arrives with a handful of genuinely impressive upgrades. For a start, they’ve increased how fast you can get your coffee with a three-second heat-up time, and included Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity via the Nespresso app. An iced coffee mode is there for the ice latte fans, and there’s even an option to customise brew strength and temperature. All that is before we start looking at the design upgrades, which include a slimmer body and enough space for a travel cup.

I’ve spent some serious time with the Nespresso Vertuo Up over the last couple of days, testing out all the functions and working through a variety of capsules. What really stood out to me was how effortless the whole experience feels. This pod machine is perfect for anyone who wants to be able to enjoy a range of coffee sizes and styles without the faff of a bean-to-cup coffee machine.

As with any Nespresso Vertuo, there are a few downsides that are worth considering before making that commitment, such as the cost of the pods, these things aren’t cheap if you enjoy multiple cups of coffee a day. But without further ado, read on to find out whether I think the Nespresso Up is worth the upgrade or not.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: price and availability

The Nespresso Up retails at £179.99 and is available from Amazon or directly from Nespresso. All Nespresso Vertuo machines come with a 2-year limited warranty from the date of purchase.

The Nespresso Up sits right in the middle of the Nespresso Vertuo range. It’s not as budget-friendly as the Vertuo Pop, which retails at £99, but nowhere near as pricey as the Vertuo Creatista, which has a price tag of £649. It should be noted that Nespresso run regular sales throughout the year, which offer significant savings for new customers.

The real cost when it comes to purchasing a Nespresso Vertuo Up is the pods. There’s no better way of putting it – they are not cheap. You have to buy them in sleeves of 10, and prices start from £4.70 for a 25ml ristretto pods all the way up to £8.50 a sleeve for limited edition, XL and coffee creation pods.

Nespresso do offer a subscription service on their Vertuo machines. You pay less for your machine, and then pay a monthly direct debit, which turns into credit to spend on pods. You receive benefits like a free sleeve if you order over 70 pods, money off accessories and free delivery.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: design and features

The Nespresso Vertuo Up has had a bit of a glow-up in terms of design. Let’s start with the colour choices, you can choose from white, black, blue and grey. I tested the blue and it’s lovely, it’s more of a dark teal and the colour is just on the side panels with the rest of it in black so it looks sleek and stylish on the side.

It’s a great choice for anyone who doesn’t have loads of free space on their counter because the Nespresso Vertuo Up is very compact. It measures in at 49 x 12 x 25.5cm and the 1.4 litre water tank can be manoeuvred to sit on the left, right or directly behind the machine, so whatever space you’re placing it in, you can work it so it takes up the least room. It’s not as tall as other versions so if you have wall cupboards, you can easily push it under them and still be able to lift the lever and pop your pod in without having to pull the machine out every time you want a coffee, something I struggled with when I owned a different Nespresso Vertuo.

The build quality is solid, it doesn’t feel cheap or plastic. I think the redesigned lever and the brushed gold accents give this machine a premium look and feel. For anyone who likes to take a coffee with them on the go, it now has clearance for a travel mug so you can pop the pod in and be out of the door in less than a minute.

The Nespresso Vertuo Up comes with a host of feature upgrades. The standout is the coffee creations button, which allows users to brew a more concentrated version of their favourite coffee to use specifically with iced and milky drinks. There’s also a faster heat-up time, and it now takes just three seconds to heat up, plus WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. My personal favourite feature is the ability to adjust brew size and temperature within the app, so you can get your ideal cup of coffee.

Like with other models in the Vertuo range, you still have access to 7 cup sizes, including Ristretto, Espresso, Double Espresso, Gran Lungo, Mug, XL Coffee and Carafe.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: performance

The Nespresso Vertuo Up machine performs incredibly well and just from my first pod, I was left wondering why I ever got rid of my old Nespresso Vertuo in the first place. It’s incredibly easy to use, which is something you really notice if you’ve been using a bean-to-cup machine.

There’s just two buttons to master, the first being the coffee creations button and the second the brew button. If you’ve not owned a Vertuo before and you’re wondering how you switch from an Americano to an espresso, the pod does all the hard work. Each pod has a barcode which is read by the machine and it releases the right amount of coffee for the type of pod you’ve selected.

This feature has been made even better by the app. When you open the machine up you get a QR code to scan that downloads the Nespresso app. Just have your WiFi password ready, turn on the machine and the app will automatically connect with the Vertuo. This was super easy, and it didn’t spend ages trying to find it, just took less than a minute and I was connected.

If you’re wondering why you’d need an app for a coffee machine, which I’ll be honest, I was a little grumpy about myself, believe me, you do. The app gives you access to be able to customise your drinks. You select the pod you’re using, decide whether to make the drink longer or shorter (great if you’re like me and have a giant mug) and also, which is honestly one of my favourite things about this machine, you can make it hotter. One thing I hate about pod machines is the water is never as hot as I’d like it, and thanks to the Vertuo Up, that problem is solved.

The coffee creations mode is another game-changing feature. It allows you to create concentrated versions of your coffee so you can use them with iced or milky drinks. If you love an iced latte, you’ll already know how frustrating it is to make one at home and have it taste weak and watered down. This function stops that from happening.

I was really impressed by how this function kept the depth and flavour of the coffee with no bitterness at all, perfect for an iced latte. Same goes for a regular latte too, the coffee creations button just makes it taste so nice, you’d struggle to tell the difference between your at home creation and something whipped up by a barista.

It's quite noisy, and certainly louder than previous versions. It’s not the kind of noise that will ruin your morning, as even if you’re making a mug of coffee it produces it so quickly that it’s not running for that long.

The biggest limitation, which I know I’ve already mentioned, is the cost of the pods. Unlike original Nespresso pods, you can’t buy generic versions of the Vertuo capsules. You have to buy them from Nespresso (although Amazon do sell them, just don’t expect a wide choice) and you can only buy in packs of 10. The regular coffee isn’t too bad with prices starting from £4.70 for a pack of Ristretto pods but if you want limited edition flavours or speciality coffee, like the iced coffee pods, then you’re going to be looking at spending up to £8.50 for 10.

How you view the pricing does depend on how you drink coffee. If you’re replacing your daily Starbucks with a cup from your Vertuo, it’s a no-brainer as you’ll find yourself saving money. If you have multiple cups of coffee a day, you’re going to find that it starts to get a little expensive.

Overall, if your priority is a good, barista-style coffee at home with no-fuss or mess or you love your iced and milky drinks, the Nespresso Vertuo Up delivers and is a great choice.

Nespresso Vertuo Up review: verdict

The Nespresso Vertuo Up hasn’t exactly reinvented the pod machine as you’ll still get a decent cup of coffee with any of the Vertuo range. But what it has done is improve the machine to make it more user-friendly and customisable.

The coffee creations button is a huge plus for anyone who prefers an iced latte or flat white to a black coffee, because you’ll be able to create coffee shop-style iced and milky drinks at home with no fuss and no loss of flavour.

If you already own a Vertuo and you’re wondering whether it’s a good time to upgrade, then this machine does genuinely have some useful upgrades like the coffee creations button, faster heat-up time, a sleeker design and the ability to customise your drink to how you like it. It would definitely make me consider an upgrade, especially if the machine is in daily use.

Back to the price of the pods again, the pod costs do add up. If you’re a coffee purist, nothing is going to lure you away from the control you get from a traditional coffee machine, but if you’re looking for a machine that delivers great coffee with minimal effort, the Nespresso Vertuo Up is one of the best pod machines you can buy right now.

It’s not often you wait a whole year from first hearing about a product to finally getting the chance to try it, but that’s exactly what happened with the Philips Baristina. I first saw it when it launched in Europe last spring, and after months of waiting, it finally arrived here. You can bet I was first on the list to give it a go.

The Philips Baristina is an interesting hybrid between a manual espresso machine and a fully automatic bean-to-cup model, designed to make real espresso from whole beans with minimal effort.

It’s quite a unique machine for this reason, so before you make any rash decisions based purely on how gorgeous it looks, it’s worth making sure the way it operates actually suits you too.

Philips Baristina review: price and availability

The Philips Baristina has an RRP of £299.99 in the UK, and can be purchased from a number of retailers, including Argos, Currys and Philips’ own website. It's also available in black or white.

The matching milk frother isn’t currently available separately in the UK, but there is an option to buy the machine and frother together for £379.99. I’ll update you as soon as the frother becomes available on its own, as it does make sense to have the pair, especially since the Baristina doesn’t have one built in. There is already a listing for the frother on the Philips website showing it will cost £79.99, but exactly when it’ll be available to buy is still unknown.

Philips Baristina review: design and features

Unlike many of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, the Philips Baristina is very simple in its design. It’s built to fit easily into smaller kitchens and really only consists of the main machine body and the portafilter.

In terms of aesthetics, it has a very slim footprint and is made primarily from plastic to keep both the weight and price down. The bean hopper has a capacity of 170 grams, whilst the water tank holds 1.2 litres, which feels perfectly reasonable for a machine of this size. There’s also a drip tray and lid, both of which are dishwasher safe.

The portafilter itself is made from metal, whilst the handle uses the same plastic finish as the machine’s body. It also features a small button that helps eject the coffee puck once it’s been brewed, which is great if you’ve ever spent far too long trying to shake a stubborn puck out by banging the portafilter against your kitchen bin.

One of the more appealing features when the Baristina first launched was the idea that users could buy separate portafilters in different colours to customise their machine. Unfortunately, that option isn’t available in the UK just yet, but I’m hoping it will be soon because it’s a fun way to personalise the setup.

The way the machine works is also quite unique. Instead of manually grinding, dosing and tamping the coffee yourself, the Baristina handles it all automatically. It houses an integrated grinder that grinds the beans directly before brewing, and it uses a 16-bar pressure pump, which is the typical pressure required for proper espresso extraction.

For anyone who has spent hours trying to dial in the perfect grind size or coffee dose, this feels pretty revolutionary.

The Baristina also focuses on the core espresso drinks rather than offering a huge menu. You can make an espresso, a lungo, or opt for extra-intense versions of either by using the boost mode, which basically just increases it from a single shot to a double shot.

Philips Baristina review: performance

The Philips Baristina Espresso Machine is undoubtedly a refreshing entry into the bean-to-cup coffee machine market, and it’s easily a top choice for anyone who loves high quality coffee but hates the complexity that often comes with traditional machines.

The main thing that stands out about its performance is just how easy it is to use. As a user, you literally just insert the portafilter, choose the type of shot you want, and then swipe the portafilter to the right, where the machine grinds the beans. It then automatically moves the portafilter back to the left side of the machine and starts brewing.

I discovered fairly quickly that the single shot was a little too weak for my taste, so the extra-intense boost mode became my go-to setting. I’ve been using Lost Sheep Coffee’s Get to the Hopper beans, which are absolutely delicious with a smooth, chocolatey flavour. I also like that the bags are 200g, which means I can pretty much pour an entire bag straight into the machine’s 170g bean hopper without too much leftover.

The coffee itself is really high quality, producing a lovely shot with a nice layer of crema on top. The flavour is smooth and consistent, and because the machine handles the grind and dosing automatically, you get a great result from the very first brew without having to spend time choosing the right settings.

Cleaning is also far simpler than most bean-to-cup machines because there’s no internal brew group. Instead, you just remove the portafilter, press the built-in button to eject the coffee puck, and rinse it under water. If you’re used to constantly cleaning and maintaining more complicated machines, this feels pretty revolutionary.

That said, the portafilter eject button was slightly disappointing, mainly because it was one of the features I was most excited about. It still required a small tap to fully release the puck, but it’s definitely still easier than some machines I’ve used.

The other thing worth mentioning is the lack of a built-in milk frother. As someone who loves a frothy coffee, I found it to be a shame. The Baristina is clearly designed with espresso and black coffee drinkers in mind, but considering the machine costs around £300, it would have been nice to see one included in the box.

Philips Baristina review: verdict

The Philips Baristina Espresso Machine is one of the most interesting coffee machines to launch in years. It’s incredibly easy to use, compact enough for smaller kitchens and produces consistently smooth espresso with very little effort. Whilst the lack of a built-in milk frother and limited drink options might put off some users, the Baristina excels at what it’s designed for – making great espresso quickly and simply. If you love good coffee but don’t want the hassle of a typical bean-to-cup machine, it doesn't get much better than this.

Philips Baristina review: alternatives to consider

If you want something with a similar level of simplicity but still within the bean-to-cup world, I’d suggest looking at the Sage Bambino Plus. It’s a similar price and includes an integrated milk frother, which the Baristina lacks.

Another option would be the Philips Series 5500 LatteGo if you want something a bit more developed that can make a wider range of drinks.

The new Nespresso Vertuo Up pod coffee machine is finally available to buy in the UK. It first launched in the US back in January and arrives as the brand’s first Vertuo pod coffee machine release in years.

It’s now been listed on Amazon, and will also be available to buy directly from the Nespresso website from the beginning of next month. Available in both black and white, and one of Nespresso’s slimmest pod machines yet, it’s already proving to be very popular.

If you’re interested, you can currently pre-order the black version of the Nespresso Vertuo Up for £179.99 on Amazon, with shipping starting from 1st April. For now, only the black model is available to pre-order, but the white version is expected to arrive very shortly.

One of the Vertuo Up's standout upgrades is the new Coffee Creations button, which brews a more concentrated coffee specifically designed to be poured over ice. It’s also Nespresso’s fastest Vertuo machine yet, heating up and ready to brew in just three seconds.

Elsewhere, the Vertuo Up features a smooth opening and closing lever, a slim footprint that won’t dominate your worktop, and enough clearance to fit travel mugs up to 7.5 inches tall.

De'Longhi has officially unveiled its latest bean-to-cup coffee machine after first teasing it via the brand’s newsletter last month. The new Eletta Ultra joins the Eletta lineup as a fully automatic coffee machine, sitting alongside the Eletta Explore, which scored a full five stars in our review back in 2024.

The Eletta Ultra brings a huge menu to the table, offering more than 50 customisable drinks. For the first time, UK users can also easily switch between hot and cold beverages thanks to the machine’s dual LatteCrema systems – LatteCrema Hot and LatteCrema Cool.

The Eletta Ultra is available now in the UK in a sleek brushed metal finish, priced at £1,149.99, and can be purchased directly from De’Longhi’s online store and Amazon.

Drinks are selected via a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, which is organised into seven themed “collections”. The interface is also designed to be intuitive, suggesting drinks based on the time of day or your previous choices. It even includes guided on-screen recipes for more adventurous drinks – such as an espresso tonic – with step-by-step instructions to help you get it right.

Like its predecessors, the Eletta Ultra comes with many of De’Longhi’s core technologies. One highlight is the Bean Adapt system, which automatically adjusts grinding and extraction settings depending on the type of beans you’re using, helping maintain consistent flavour without requiring manual tweaks.

The machine also introduces De’Longhi’s new Silent Technology, which the brand claims makes it up to 65% quieter than previous models.

Watch out, Sage – Gaggia has just launched its new manual espresso machine to suit all coffee makers, from beginners to baristas. Based on its original Classic coffee machine, the Gaggia Classic Up brews the right strength and length espresso, thanks to its upgraded brewing technology.

Italian coffee manufacturer Gaggia originally launched its Classic espresso maker in 1991. Since then, it’s introduced the Classic GT, a ‘semi-pro’ version of the original, and more recently, the Classic Up. All three models are designed and crafted in Italy, and vary in terms of expertise level.

The newest model, the Gaggia Classic Up looks to be the perfect ‘middle man’ from the collection. It features a combination of features from both the Classic and Classic GT – the best of both, if you will.

In terms of design, the Gaggia Classic Up looks a lot like the Classic with its brass boiler and group head, oversized heating element, and three dial controls. It also has a steam wand and portafilter, and a similar slim design.

Made from stainless steel and finished in black, the Gaggia Classic Up differs from its siblings with its new front brew pressure gauge. It also has a 2-inch colour display at the top, and two drip trays to fit different cup sizes.

Internally, the Gaggia Classic Up has a dual PID system which precisely manages the water temperature and flow. The first PID focuses on the brew of the espresso which you can adjust to suit specific temperatures, and the second is for steam. Pre-infusion of the coffee grounds, and the length of shot can be programmed by you.

As a manual espresso machine, the Gaggia Classic Up does require you to be more involved in the coffee making process. But that shouldn’t put off beginners – its simple controls make it easy to use, although you will need a separate coffee grinder.

The Gaggia Classic Up is available to buy now for £849 at Gaggia.

To celebrate Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, Grind has teamed up with them on a limited edition coffee and clothing collection, and it might be the cutest collaboration of the year (so far!). The Grind x Pokémon range features three popular Pokémon characters on coffee tins, cups and clothing with prices starting at just £14.95.

During my time covering home on T3, I have to say that coffee collaborations are the most fun and playful, and Grind is one of the best brands that do this. Last summer, Grind teamed up with Peanuts for its 75th anniversary, and featured Snoopy on a cafetiere, mugs and coffee tins.

This new collaboration has a similar vibe, and if you’re a Pokémon fan, you’ll love the limited edition collection. In the range is Pokémon-branded Grind refillable coffee tins, reusable coffee cups, iced latte cans, and clothing, including T-shirts and baseball caps.

Three of Pokémon’s most iconic characters are featured on the clothing and coffee tins. Pikachu is available on the blue and yellow coffee tin, while Eevee comes in yellow and red, and Mew is in a dark red and blue shade.

The characters also feature on Grind’s iced coffee cans, which has Pikachu as the ‘face’ of the Iced Caramel Latte, and Eevee is on the Iced Oat Vanilla Latte can. Pikachu and Eevee are also available on a T-shirt and coffee cup, while Mew is pictured on the cap.

I really like the new Grind x Pokémon collaboration, and I’m not even a Pokémon fan! It’s cute, whimsical and a fun collectors item for fans of Pokémon and Grind. The coffee tins are available in 17 blends so you can customise your coffee pods in your choice of Pokémon tin. Shoppers can also choose from pods, ground coffee or whole beans.

The Grind x Pokémon collection is available to buy now online and in select Grind stores. Each item can be bought separately or you can pay £94.85 for the Complete Collection.

Italian coffee company, Illy has launched its new X-Caps Pod Coffee Machine range, and it might have changed my mind about pod coffee makers. The X1 and X3 machines from Illy have stunning vintage-inspired designs that make full-bodied espressos – but are they worth the steep price?

As someone who tests coffee machines for a living, I’ve become a bit of a coffee snob. While I don’t mind dabbling in pod or drip coffee every now and then, my bean-to-cup coffee machine is the centrepoint of my kitchen, and it excels in way more areas than your standard pod coffee maker.

But Illy may have just changed my mind with its X-Caps Pod Coffee Machines. Originally launched back in 2025 during Milan Design Week, Illy have kept relatively quiet about the new pod coffee makers, but they might be their best models yet.

The standout of the series is the Illy X-Caps Coffee Machine X1. If you’re in the know about coffee machines, the Illy X1 has the brand’s most recognisable design with its curved, retro vintage-inspired look, complete with silver switches and temperature dial.

Designed by architect Luca Trazzi, the Illy X1 looks more like a bean-to-cup machine with its portafilter and built-in milk frother. But in fact, the Illy X1 is a luxurious pod machine that uses Hyperinfusion technology to infuse water with coffee at optimum pressure to extract the full aroma.

Compatible with X-Caps pods, the Illy X1 is best at making espressos and lungos but you can make milk-based drinks with its integrated frother. At £579, the Illy X-Caps Coffee Machine X1 is the most expensive pod coffee machine I’ve come across, but it does promise a luxurious coffee-making experience – I’ll have to test it to decide whether it’s worth the cost.

The other pod coffee machine from the new X-Caps line is the Illy X-Caps Coffee Machine X3. Also designed by Luca Trazzi, the Illy X3 looks more like a pod coffee maker with its minimalist design, built-in container and cup stand. Available in matte or glossy black, the Illy X-Caps Coffee Machine X3 is priced at £125.

One of the most iconic ways to make and drink coffee is with a Bialetti Moka Pot. Invented by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, the Moka Pot has been given many design upgrades since then, thanks to its many collaborations with the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and even Bridgerton – but this Hermès concept design is one I really wish was real.

As someone who loves coffee, I’m always looking for the latest coffee trends, and I recently came across this Hermès Bialetti Moka Pot by designer Jane Morelli. In an Instagram post, Morelli showed off her latest concept design which celebrates the Year of the Horse and imagines what a Hermès and Bialetti collaboration would look like.

Before I get into specifics, I want to make it clear that this Hermès Bialetti Moka Pot is unfortunately not real. It’s an unofficial collaboration that neither Hermès or Bialetti are involved in, and instead, is a fun concept and design challenge that Morelli has created – but I have to say, I’m glad she did.

The Hermès Bialetti Moka Pot takes elements from both brands and puts them together in a unique stovetop coffee maker. It keeps the octagonal-shaped coffee pot look that Bialetti is known for – see our Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Coffee Maker review for more details – and gives it fun, horse-inspired detailing and Hermès branded colours.

On the top of the Moka Pot is a 3D horse that makes up the lid and spout of the coffee maker. It’s mainly shown in an orange colour – a shade that’s most associated with Hermès – which offsets the main cream body of the Moka Pot. It also has a long brown handle which is meant to represent the horse’s tail.

Morelli took this idea a step further and made an entire set, including a display box and an accompanying espresso cup, which is my favourite part of this Hermès Bialetti Moka Pot concept. The cup has another orange horse as the handle, and sits on a horse shoe-shaped saucer which has a dip for a spoon rest.

The Hermès Bialetti Moka Pot is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while, and I wish it was actually a real product – I would dread to think how much it would cost though!

AeroPress just upgraded its bestselling portable coffee maker, and I think I like it even more than before. The new AeroPress Steel is made from 18/8 stainless steel, making it the brand’s most durable and stylish coffee machine yet.

When AeroPress hit the market back in 2005, it immediately impressed coffee fans due to its unique way of brewing espresso. The AeroPress uses a 3-in-1 brewing system that features fast immersion, micro-filtration and air pressure to brew, extract and dispense your coffee.

As the age old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” which is why AeroPress hasn’t really upgraded its technology since then – but it has introduced new colours and designs, like this latest steel upgrade.

The new AeroPress Steel is engineered and crafted from stainless steel, including the plunger, chamber, filter cap, stirrer and scoop. It's AeroPress’ most durable model yet, and features a double-wall vacuum-insulated chamber for improved heat retention inside while remaining cool on the outside.

Compared to its predecessors, the AeroPress Steel has the same type of technology, so you use it the same way, and can adjust grind size, steep time and water temperature. Aside from the new material, the AeroPress Steel has a larger capacity at 360ml which is 20% more than the original.

Ideal for travel, the AeroPress Steel is lightweight and easy to pack in your bag for camping trips, work commutes and hiking adventures. It also has a new non-porous surface that makes clean-up easier, although in my experience, AeroPress coffee makers are extremely easy to clean already.

I recently tried the AeroPress Clear which I gave five stars in my AeroPress Clear review. I noted how I enjoyed the clearer shade as I could see the press and drip process much easier than the original black model.

But I think I’m going back on my word after seeing the AeroPress Steel. I like this design even more than the Clear, and if I could give it six stars, I would! Sadly, though, I’m based in the UK so I’ll have to wait a little longer to get my hands on the steel version.

The AeroPress Steel is available to buy for $169.95 on the US version of the AeroPress website. It’s expected to launch in the UK during spring.

De’Longhi has surprised fans this week by quietly launching a new bean-to-cup coffee machine via a newsletter email. The new Eletta Ultra joins the Eletta lineup alongside the Eletta Explore, which scored five stars in our full review back in 2024.

The Eletta Ultra is a fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine designed to make a wide range of hot and cold coffee drinks at home. It combines espresso, filter coffee and cold brew preparation in a single appliance, with more than 50 preset recipes available from the touchscreen menu.

Available to buy now from De’Longhi’s online store for £1,149.99, it’s also one of the brand’s more premium machines so far. It hasn’t launched in the US yet.

In terms of design and usability, drinks are selected from a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen organised into seven “collections”. The interface can also suggest drinks based on the time of day or your previous choices, and it includes guided on-screen recipes for a few more unusual options – such as an espresso tonic – with step-by-step instructions.

It shares a number of core features with its predecessors. Like other Eletta machines, it uses De’Longhi’s Bean Adapt system to adjust grinding and extraction parameters to suit different beans, aiming to keep flavour consistent without manual calibration. Milk drinks use the brand’s LatteCrema system, which froths milk directly from the carafe and runs automatic cleaning cycles after use.

Where the Ultra differs is in its focus on quieter operation. De’Longhi says brewing can be up to 65% quieter than previous models, reducing grinder and pump noise during use. That’s a common gripe even with the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, so it’s a welcome improvement if it holds up during testing.

I’ve reviewed many coffee machines in my role as T3’s Home Editor, including bean to cup, pod and drip makers. But a name I hear time and time again is AeroPress, a manual coffee maker that uses a combination of French press, filter and espresso brewing methods into one portable device.

Compared to the original AeroPress which launched back in 2005, the AeroPress Clear came out in 2023. It still has the same features and functionality as its predecessor but it comes in a range of clear shades which is a marked difference from the classic black colour that the original comes in.

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this type of coffee maker for a while, and I’ve spent the last few weeks using the AeroPress Clear to make my coffees – here’s how I got on.

AeroPress Clear review: price and availability

Launched in 2023, the AeroPress Clear is available for £54.99 / $49.95 and is available to buy at AeroPress and select retailers, like Amazon. It comes in multiple colours, including clear, black, blue, red, green, pink and purple.

AeroPress Clear review: unboxing

Included in the AeroPress Clear packaging is the plunger, chamber, stirrer, filter cap, paper filters and a scoop. The AeroPress Clear measures‎ 5.25-inches in height and 4.2-inches in width, and an overall weight of 340g. It has a 300ml capacity which it claims can make up to two cups of coffee at a time.

AeroPress Clear review: design and setup

How the AeroPress Clear differs from other coffee brewing options is it combines three methods in one. Like a French press, the AeroPress Clear uses fast immersion, micro-filtration and air pressure to brew and dispense your coffee. The entire extraction process is quick and smooth, and takes just two minutes to make a full-flavoured non-bitter cup of coffee.

Made from Tritan materials, the main plunger and chamber of the AeroPress Clear is durable and shatterproof. The material does look good and has a nice feel, but the filter cap, scoop and stirrer does feel a bit plastic, but overall, the design of the AeroPress Clear gets top points from me.

The entire coffee maker is small and lightweight, so it can easily come with you on-the-go – as long as you have ground coffee and a kettle nearby. To use the AeroPress Clear, an instructions manual details how to use it if you do or don’t own a coffee grinder, of which I’m in the latter group.

To start, I boiled my kettle to 85°C which is the recommended temperature for using the AeroPress Clear. I put a paper filter in the filter cap before twisting it onto the chamber part which has helpful 1-4 numbers on the side. After positioning it atop my mug, I added coffee grounds to the chamber using the scoop before pouring boiling water over it.

After a quick stir using the stirrer, I inserted the plunger into the chamber – just enough to create a vacuum. After a minute, I pressed down on the plunger which caused the coffee to pass through the filter and filter cap. The AeroPress Clear made a hissing sound during this and stopped when all the coffee had been decanted.

AeroPress Clear review: performance

As detailed above, the entire process of using the AeroPress Clear was easy and took around three-five minutes. While this might not be as quick as pressing a button on a pod coffee machine, it’s still very speedy and feels like a lot less faff and moving parts.

Having said that, you do require a lot of additional accessories in order to use the AeroPress Clear. A kettle and coffee beans are needed to actually start the brewing process, and if you want to grind your own beans, you’ll need a coffee grinder. If you don’t love black coffee, you might also want to consider a milk frother, as the AeroPress Clear only makes black coffee.

All of that aside, the AeroPress Clear is great at what it does, which if you like drip or black coffee, you’ll love it! I’m more of a latte girl but I really enjoyed using the AeroPress Clear, mainly because the process is so satisfying and fun to be part of. The design may be simple but as the old saying goes – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and that’s exactly how I feel about the AeroPress Clear.

Having tried the clear version, I’m definitely happy I had it in that shade rather than the original’s black colour. This is mainly because I could see the press and drip much easier which I like as I wanted to check if I had inserted the plunger too much or interrupted the brewing.

I found that the AeroPress Clear fit comfortably over most of my coffee mugs and it didn’t move or wobble while in action. It’s a coffee maker I’d take with me to the office, and at just £54.99, you can’t ask for much more.

AeroPress Clear review: verdict

I can confidently say that the AeroPress Clear definitely lives up to its reputation. Will milky coffee drinks love it as much as black coffee drinkers? Probably not, but it’s catered to the right market which is drip, filter and French Press coffee lovers so if you’re one of those, you’ll love the AeroPress Clear.

AeroPress Clear review: alternatives to consider

If it’s a portable coffee maker you’re after, I tried the Wacaco Minipresso Gr2 and rated it highly. While I found it more of an ordeal compared to the AeroPress Clear, the Wacaco Minipress Gr2 is smaller and better for camping trips or hikes.

If this method of brewing is something you’re interested in, I’d also recommend buying a regular French press.

Nespresso has launched its smallest milk frother to date, the NanoFoamer. It's a compact, portable device that’s designed to produce cold foam, marking a departure from the brand’s usual countertop frothers.

According to Nespresso, the NanoFoamer is designed to create a "smooth, velvety foam suited to iced coffees and similar drinks." It offers two foam settings, allowing users to choose between a lighter, airy texture or a denser consistency depending on preference.

The NanoFoamer is priced at £40 in the UK and $49 in the US. It’s available exclusively through Nespresso’s website and at the Nespresso Covent Garden Boutique.

The device runs on a USB-rechargeable battery and has a small, lightweight design intended to be easy to pack or store. Cold foam has also grown in popularity in recent years, particularly in iced coffee and Dalgona-style drinks that circulated widely on TikTok during lockdown.

The launch follows Nespresso’s recent release of its new pod coffee machine, the Nespresso Up, in the US. The machine has not yet been announced for the UK, but we're hoping it won't be long before it appears.

JURA has just upgraded its Z10 coffee machine with more drink options than ever before – and it even makes hot chocolate! The updated JURA Z10 now makes sweet milk and chocolate foams, and comes with exclusive assistants for a personalised coffee making experience – but it’ll most definitely cost you.

The JURA Z10 originally came out back in 2021. Even five years ago, this fully automatic coffee machine was ahead of its time, as it already offered cold coffee options, something that coffee machine manufacturers have started to introduce in the past few years.

In our JURA Z10 review, our reviewer gave it five stars and found it to make brilliant hot, cold and speciality coffees. Now, the JURA Z10 has been upgraded to offer 51 different coffee options, including hot, cold, light and sweet drink categories – so any hot drink you could ever want, basically!

My favourite feature of the JURA Z10 is its new chocolate attachment. The JURA Z10 now makes sweet foam and chocolate foam to make delicious hot chocolates and mochas, by users adding chocolate powder or syrup to the drinks.

Available in aluminium black or aluminum white, the JURA Z10 has a similar design to its predecessor, including its 4.3-inch touchscreen which is speedier than before. It now comes with a P.R.G.2+ precision grinder which recognises each drink selection and automatically adjusts its grind to make lattes, cappuccinos, espresso and more.

The JURA Z10 has WiFi connectivity so you can make drinks remotely by using the JURA app on your phone or tablet. It also comes with Milk and Quality assistants, Coffee Timer and Caffeine Regulator features so you can personalise your coffee to your preferences.

The JURA Z10 seems to offer every hot or cold drink you could possibly want so it’s somewhat expected that it’ll be pretty expensive, although the price still surprised me. The JURA Z10 is available to buy now for £2,500 at JURA.

Baratza, the US coffee and espresso grinder manufacturer, has just expanded its popular Encore range with a new at-home coffee grinder. The Baratza Encore ESP Pro promises its most precise grinds yet, thanks to its stepless grind adjustment and micron-level precision – but is it worth the cost?

Upgrading your coffee-making set-up isn’t just about picking the best coffee machine – it’s all about the beans you use. Good quality coffee beans are easy to come by, but if you’re not grinding them properly, you could be making watery, bitter-tasting coffee rather than rich, flavourful cups of joe.

As experts in espresso grinders, Baratza has introduced its latest model, the Encore ESP Pro. While it looks similar to its Encore predecessors, the Baratza Encore ESP Pro has been upgraded with new design features and technology, which should make it Baratza’s most precise grinder yet.

The Encore ESP Pro still uses the Baratza M2 precision steel burrs, but these have now been combined with a new stepless grind adjustment mechanism. This gives the grinder 2.2 microns of vertical movement per degree of rotation.

Now, I’ve covered coffee machines and grinders for years now on T3, and I wasn’t completely sure what this actually meant, so if you don’t either, join the club! But essentially, most coffee grinders have pre-set controls or ‘clicks’ that allow you to select between fine or coarse, which gives you a minimal amount of control over your coffee grind.

What the Baratza Encore ESP Pro does differently is it gives you consistent control over your coffee grind size and style rather than having to select a fixed ‘click’. It has a dial on the front which gives you more choice over your grind’s fineness or coarseness, and a digital display which shows grind setting and time, and dose method.

Speaking of method, the Baratza Encore ESP Pro has two modes to play with: Single Dose mode and Timer mode. The former will automatically stop the grinder when it’s ground the last bean, while the latter accurately does to a tenth of a second.

Within the matte black design of the Baratza Encore ESP Pro is a flow control disk and hopper. It also comes with a 54 / 58mm dosing cup for espressos and a cleaning brush. Although the Baratza Encore ESP Pro has been given Ion generating technology which reduces mess and static during grinds, so you should have minimal spills to clean up.

Now onto the cost which I found surprising. The Baratza Encore ESP Pro is priced at £249.95 / $299.95 at Baratza. Coffee grinders can be tricky to estimate a price, as some cheaper models will be around £50 while you can get professional-level ones that get up to £1,000.

The cost of the Baratza Encore ESP Pro is definitely in the middle of this price average, but it’s still on the higher side than what I was expecting. But its design and materials should make it last for decades, as the brand states.

Xiaomi – a brand I didn’t expect to see making coffee machines – has just quietly launched its new espresso maker. At just 14cm wide, the Xiaomi Mijia Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine can fit into the smallest of spaces, and it’s pretty affordable, too.

When I was at university, I survived on a lot of coffee to get me through long nights of studying. I even had a pod coffee machine in my room for late-night caffeine hits, although it took up quite a lot of room as pod makers were a lot chunkier back then – wow, that sounds old.

So, when I saw the new Xiaomi Mijia and how compact it was, it definitely made me wish it had been around when I was in my university room. As mentioned, the Xiaomi Mijia has a 14cm width, making it extremely slim so it can fit into small spaces in your kitchen, on your desk and even in dorms.

Made from stainless steel, the Xiaomi Mijia has a touchscreen for quick and easy controls that make single or double espresso servings. Despite its slim design and simple screen, the Xiaomi Mijia is packed full of coffee-making expertise, including 20 bar pump to extract the full flavour of coffee beans.

While it doesn’t have a built-in grinder, the Xiaomi Mijia uses pre-infusion technology to evenly soak the ground coffee puck within the portafilter to draw out the flavour. It has precise temperature control to make the right strength espresso for each cup without it being too watery or weak.

Despite its lack of bean grinder, the Xiaomi Mijia does have a built-in steam wand, so you can turn your espresso drinks into milky coffees, like lattes and cappuccinos. The steam wand expertly heats and froths milk, and has a flexible design so you can rotate it out and around the coffee machine.

The size of the Xiaomi Mijia isn’t the only thing that’s small either. The new Xiaomi Mijia Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine is extremely budget-friendly and is available to buy for £92.99 at Xiaomi.

Philips has finally launched its new Baristina coffee machine in the UK, nearly a year after it was first announced. The machine is designed to save coffee lovers both space and time, delivering the perfect espresso or lungo without an overwhelming list of options.

Its minimal, compact design (180 mm x 345 mm x 380 mm) makes it ideal for smaller kitchens or apartments, and the brew time of under 60 seconds means it's great for those with busy lives.

Whilst it’s been available in Europe and the US for €300/$400 since last year, UK fans (myself included) have been eagerly waiting for it. It should be available to buy from 6th February, and whilst we’re not entirely sure of the UK price yet, I’ll make sure to update you as soon as it’s confirmed.

Whilst a lot of the best bean-to-cup machines are perfect if you love having 20 different coffee options at your fingertips, many people prefer the simplicity of a pod machine. The Baristina bridges that gap, providing high-quality bean extraction in a machine that’s just as simple to use.

It offers a 16-bar pressure pump to ensure full flavour from your beans, and the two-section bean container makes it easy to switch between bean types by twisting a knob. That said, one of my favourite touches is the small button on the back of the portafilter, which ejects the used coffee grounds straight into the bin.

The machine is currently available in white or black, but if Philips follows the European model, users will be able to customise the filter in colours. It's also worth noting that the Baristina doesn’t include an integrated milk frother, but you can pick up a matching Baristina frother from Philips' website that whisks both hot and cold milk.

We’ll be reviewing the Philips Baristina on the site very soon, so keep an eye out for our full thoughts.

Nespresso has just launched a limited-edition Vertuo pod called French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato, and it’s arrived at a pretty perfect time. It's ideal for those who are trying to cut back on caffeine and lean into healthier habits this year, and it's also great if you’re someone who loves a coffee later in the day.

The blend combines smooth decaffeinated Arabica with vanilla sweetness and a subtle hint of French lavender – all flavours that feel soothing rather than stimulating. It also fits nicely alongside Nespresso’s Coffee+ range, which focuses on thoughtfully crafted blends with added lifestyle benefits.

French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato capsules are available for Vertuo machines only, priced at £8.50 per sleeve. You can pick them up now via Nespresso’s website or in Nespresso Boutiques.

It’s also one of the first capsule launches we’ve seen from Nespresso in a while that isn’t tied to Christmas, so it’s nice to see something new arrive so early in the year. It follows closely on from the recent reveal of the Vertuo Up machine in the US, which hopefully should make its way to the UK soon.

Anna Lundstrom, CEO Nespresso UK & ROI, says: “January is a time when many people reset their routines. With French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato, we wanted to create a coffee that fits naturally into moments of wellbeing and mindfulness, whilst offering the comfort and premium taste that Nespresso is known for, just without the caffeine."

Nespresso has surprised fans by unveiling a brand new Vertuo pod coffee machine for the first time in years. The Vertuo Up pairs a slim, modern design with everyday convenience, featuring a generous multi-position water tank to suit different kitchen setups.

The last machines we saw from the brand were the Vertuo Pop and Pop+, so this marks Nespresso’s first proper Vertuo release in a while. Like its predecessors, the Vertuo Up can brew six different cup sizes, and users can customise cup size and temperature via their phone.

It’s already available in the US for $229.99, in both black and white. However, UK coffee fans will have to wait as Nespresso hasn’t yet confirmed when it’ll arrive here or how much it’ll cost.

One of the standout upgrades is the new Coffee Creations button, which brews a more concentrated coffee designed specifically to be poured over ice. With iced coffee’s popularity showing no signs of slowing down, it feels like a very timely addition. It’s also Nespresso’s fastest Vertuo machine yet, firing up and ready to brew in just three seconds.

Elsewhere, the Vertuo Up features a smooth opening and closing lever, a slim footprint that won’t dominate your worktop, and enough clearance to accommodate travel mugs up to 7.5 inches tall.

I’m very excited about this one, and I’ll be sure to update you as soon as we hear more about a UK launch. I'm sure it'll be amongst our best pod coffee machine roundup in no time.

I thought I was done talking about CES 2026 but the event is the gift that keeps on giving! My new favourite launch from CES is the Ecoldbrew, a ‘world’s first’ personal automatic cold brew machine that makes coffee within its Stanley Cup-inspired design – a mug that makes cold brew in five minutes?! Sign me up!

Cold brew coffee typically takes between 12 - 24 hours to make, which is why many bean to cup coffee machines have been upgraded with cold brew extraction technology to make quicker cold brew coffee. But the new Ecoldbrew can do this even faster.

The Ecoldbrew looks like a Stanley Cup, but rather than just being a drinking vessel, it actually makes cold brew coffee within the mug or thermos itself, and it does so in just five minutes. The lid of the Ecoldbrew stores coffee beans and grinds them to your specifications which you can customise via the dial on the lid.

By pressing the button on the Ecoldbrew, the machine pulls water from the cup to make your cold brew coffee. It moves this water into a separate reservoir before decanting it into the main cup area. As mentioned, the process takes five minutes but you can lengthen the brewing time if you want a stronger cup of coffee – you can also monitor your drinks’ progress via the dial display.

The Ecoldbrew comes in three versions – the Essential, Standard and Home & Go. The Essential is just the brewing core so it doesn’t come with a cup but is compatible with 40oz tumblers, so you simply screw it onto a mug or thermos like you would a normal lid.

The Standard is the full brewing system complete with the cup, and the Home & Go has an additional brewing stand so you can use and store it on your kitchen counter. The Ecoldbrew is primarily a portable cold brew maker, and its lid also has a built-in straw so you can easily drink from it like you would a normal Stanley Cup or water bottle.

The Ecoldbrew is such a great idea, especially as cold brew has been a huge trend in the past couple of years. It won many awards at CES 2026, although it’s still in the prototype stage and some users found the cold brew to be a little watery when they tried it.

However, this is expected to improve once the Ecoldbrew is no longer a prototype and is officially launched on the market. As of writing, the Ecoldbrew can be reserved for $99 – UK pricing and availability hasn’t been announced.

The best bean-to-cup coffee machines can now be found in homes everywhere, especially as more people start prioritising the quality of their daily brew. However, despite using your machine multiple times a day, there’s one handy feature many people don’t even realise they have – particularly if you own a Sage or Breville coffee machine.

Much like the built-in hidden meat thermometer inside the Ninja Foodi, some Sage and Breville machines include a heated cup-warming surface, helping to keep your drink hotter for longer.

Keep reading to find out if your coffee machine is one of the lucky ones, because it might just change your routine for good.

As mentioned, a lot of Sage and Breville models feature a top tray or flat surface that gently heats up as part of the machine’s thermoblock operation. This makes it perfect for warming cups before you brew, and is usually completely passive, meaning it starts warming up automatically as soon as the machine is turned on.

That said, before you ask – no, not every machine has this. Some brands use that space purely for storage, including several De’Longhi and Smeg models. Models that do include a dedicated cup-warming surface are the Sage Oracle Dual Boiler, Sage The Barista Express, Sage The Barista Express Impress, Breville Barista Slimline and the Breville Barista Classic VCF186.

So, before you grab a cold mug straight from the cupboard next time, try storing your cups on top of your coffee machine instead. They’ll be warm, ready to go, and your coffee will stay hotter for longer too.

If you know someone who lives and breathes coffee, then you’ll love this coffee-themed Christmas gift guide.

Coffee is surprisingly versatile, as everyone likes their cuppa a certain way. If you know someone who enjoys pod coffee, a selection of pods or a new pod coffee machine would make their day. Alternatively, if you have more budget, a bean to cup coffee machine, bean grinder or milk frother would complete their barista-level set-up.

Regardless of your budget, I’ve picked out 15 best Christmas gifts for coffee lovers, from beginners to experts and beyond.

P.S. If you need more present ideas, check out T3’s Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide.

Cuisinart has recently taken the covers off no less than five new coffee machines, which is impressive. The Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso model you see here sits at the more expensive end of the product spectrum, but for good reason. This is a coffee machine aimed at enthusiasts and budding baristas, with lots of manual controls along with no less than 16 grind settings.

The built-in burr grinder lets anyone passionate about their coffee get to work on their beans and get the best brew possible, while showing off a bit in the process. Not only that, the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine has a cold extraction setting, along with assisted tamping. It’s therefore going to take a little longer to produce coffee, unlike those frenetic best pod coffee machines that are seemingly everywhere.

So, if you’ve got time to spend on making coffee in the mornings – or evenings for that matter, then forget about the pod coffee systems you were thinking of buying and take a look at the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso offering. On paper, it’s easily up there with the best bean to cup coffee machine models we’ve looked at previously, so read on to find out how I’ve been getting on with it recently.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine review: Price and availability

The Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine is available now, has a RRP of £449.99 and can be purchased direct from Cuisinart or other online retailers, including Amazon.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine review: Unboxing and set-up

One thing that’s immediately noticeable with the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine is its bulk. This appliance not only takes up quite a lot of countertop space, it’s a beefy thing too. Even getting it out of the sizable box it arrived in took a little bit of time. Nevertheless, once it was positioned into place, I thought it looked really good.

This is a reasonably pricey appliance and therefore the general quality of the components seems to be solid enough. It’s basically a mix of quality plastics and metal fixtures and fittings. Accessories like the jug and the filter component seem well made and likely to last the test of time. Cuisinart also supplied a decent manual with this machine too, which is just as well as there was a little to get my head around in terms of setup.

The other thing was to ensure all of the bits of packaging were removed, especially where the removable water tank was concerned and that all of the accessories were placed correctly. However, while this appliance does look like a bit of a handful, everything is actually nicely laid out, with key areas including the grind dial on the top and the major mode buttons on the front all being self-explanatory.

So, water tank topped up, beans loaded into the grinder at the top and we were good to go. There was a big circular power button on the front to press, once the reasonable length power cable was plugged in.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine review: Design and features

The Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine boasts an impressive specification, which is why it sits at the more premium end of the spectrum and has that high price tag. There are an impressive 16 different grind settings, which comes via a built-in conical burr grinder so that everything can be done in situ.

On top of that, the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine offers 20-bar of pressure, which means it’s easily able to deliver top dollar espressos. This is displayed via a small circular pressure dial on the front of the appliance. Add on assisted tamping, cold extraction capacity plus a steam wand and there’s everything onboard to make just about any kind of coffee that’s required, which in my case is lattes and cappuccinos. The 2.2-litre front-loading water tank makes it surprisingly low-maintenance too.

The Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine feels very versatile.. The brewing area on the front can handle mugs right up to 600ml, and those components and accessories are nicely designed. The other thing is enough of it comes apart for proper cleaning duties, with easy access to the steam wand, plus a charcoal water filter and removable dishwasher safe parts all contributing to a fairly low fuss factor machine.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine review: performance

One of the obvious benefits of the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine is the way it offers much more control over the coffee making process than many rival machines. This is a good thing if you’ve always fancied yourself as a bit of a barista as all of the tools are at your disposal with this model plus there’s the ability to pre-warm cups too. The downside is that, initially, it looks a little on the intimidating side for anyone not au fait with manual coffee making.

I took my time studying the manual before doing anything too drastic and decided to start off with a bare-bones coffee. The grind settings are handy, with a manual dial that can let you decide how much to grind whole beans. The water tank is generous too, which means that this is less fussy to maintain than some machines I’ve tried. I also liked the level of involvement I could have with the manual tamping lever, which was quite cool to get to grips with.

In terms of the results; I thought the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine produced commendable coffee. The cold option was great too, with quick and easy room temperature coffees on tap that could be a neat iced option in the hotter months. The frother wand was perhaps the trickiest aspect of this machine to get to grips with, although that’s no different to other models I’ve tried with this functionality. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a barista.

Overall, though, the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine is a slick solution for people who don’t want to spend a small fortune but still want versatility and great coffee.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine review: Verdict

I’ve been mightily impressed by the Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine. It’s got a great specification and an array of features and functions that make it a good option for folks who need to make a wide variety of different coffees.

There’s a solid level of capability, plus the ability to customise drink orders. The cold extraction feature is a boon if you’re a sucker for iced lattes while the lever for manual control of the tamping process is cool if you’re a budding barista.

Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine: Alternatives to consider

There are a lot of bean-to-cup coffee machines out there, so if you're a fan of fresh brews then the likes of the De'Longhi Rivelia or the Sage Barista Touch Impress are unlikely to disappoint. Elsewhere, something like the De'Longhi Eletta Explore is a recent arrival that has had us, here at T3 Towers, raving over the quality of its coffee production.

Elsewhere, the De’Longhi La Specialista Opera or the Dualit Espressivo Pro feature in our guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines and are therefore also very worthy options to consider. All are great if you like to be hands-on during the coffee making process.

Calling all baristas! Victorinox has just teamed up with La Marzocco on a Swiss Army Knife for your coffee-making set-up. This collaboration between the two brands is definitely something I wasn’t expecting to see, but the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool has quickly become my new favourite coffee machine accessory.

Victorinox is best known for its collection of Swiss Army knives, cutlery and travel gear. The brand recently reinvented its Swiss Army Knife with its new Alox Refined Collection, but now, it’s taking a slightly different approach to the classic design with its new partnership with espresso machine manufacturer, La Marzocco.

The result of this unusual yet exciting collaboration is the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool. I know what you might be thinking: “why do you need a Swiss Army Knife for making coffee?” and I’m surprised to say that after looking into the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool, it actually makes perfect sense – and it’s now on my Christmas wishlist.

The Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool is designed to help solve common issues experienced by baristas and home coffee makers alike. Regardless of what type of coffee machine you’re using, challenges can occur, like blocked steam wands to just not being able to open your new bag of coffee beans.

So, that’s where the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool comes in. Co-developed by both Swiss and Italian brands, the new knife has 19 functions or tools to choose from which are made to cater to every aspect of the coffee making process – and it’s pocket sized so you can take it with you wherever you go, whenever you need it.

Included in the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool are blades, corkscrew, screwdrivers, bottle and can openers, pliers, toothpick, tweezer, pliers, reamer, punch and sewing awl and keyrings. These tools are helpful with more than just coffee preparation, but the nozzle remover, coffee spatula and wire tripper are mainly focused on measuring coffee and maintaining your coffee machine.

With Christmas coming up, the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool would make a great gift for coffee lovers or professional baristas. While I initially thought it was quite a strange collaboration, I often have issues with my coffee machine’s steam wand, and the Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool could definitely come in handy with that.

The Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool is available to buy for £139 / $160 at Victorinox.

AeroPress is giving fans what they’ve been waiting for with its latest coffee launch. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, AeroPress has launched the Manual Coffee Grinder which marks the first time the brand has expanded beyond manual coffee brewers.

The AeroPress coffee maker is loved by coffee beginners and aficionados alike, due to its ease, convenience and impressive coffee making. As a manual coffee maker, the AeroPress works by using a plunger to press water through ground coffee. This method makes strong, flavourful cups of coffee without too much bitterness.

During its 20 years, AeroPress has only ever sold its coffee maker, filters and accessories that compliment its AeroPress machine – until now. For the first time ever, AeroPress is expanding beyond its manual coffee maker with its new Manual Coffee Grinder.

Previously, you’ve needed pre-ground coffee to add to your AeroPress but now, the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder grinds beans that you can then add to your original AeroPress. It has similar looks to the AeroPress, but the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder features an Easy-Grind handle which essentially looks – and acts – like a hand crank.

The magnetic handle of the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder has dual bearings and works by turning the conical burrs in the device to grind your coffee beans. With 60 adjustable grind settings to choose from, you can create smooth or coarse grounds to suit the bean’s texture and flavour profile.

The body of the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder is made from aluminium and the Italian burrs are coated in titanium. Just like the original AeroPress, it’s been made as compact, lightweight and portable as possible. The handle folds into the main body of the grinder, making it even easier to take it with you on the go.

While it might look super technical, the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder is easy to use and pre-set to a medium-fine grind. Great for pour-over, French press, drip coffee and even cold brew, the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder also comes with a Power Drill Adapter which can offer quick grinding for times when you just really need a cup of coffee.

The AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder is available to buy now for £199.99 / $199.99 at AeroPress. I have to say, I was somewhat surprised by the price as it’s significantly more expensive than AeroPress’ original coffee maker.

Compared to other coffee bean grinders, the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder is definitely on the luxury side of the scale. But if you love AeroPress and are looking for a quality, portable grinder, then the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder fits the bill.

It was only last month that Ninja followed up its best-selling Luxe Café series with its second-ever coffee machine – the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System. The first launch was such a hit that expectations were high, so naturally, I couldn’t wait to start testing.

The Ninja Prestige DualBrew System is an automatic 2-in-1 machine that lets you enjoy the flavour of freshly brewed filter coffee or the speed of capsule-based espresso, taking away the need for two separate machines.

Anything that cuts clutter and adds versatility is a win in my book, so here’s how it fared in testing.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: price and availability

The Ninja Prestige DualBrew System retails for £249.99/$279.99 and is available directly from Ninja, as well as from Argos and Currys.

UK buyers can also grab 15% off their first order on Ninja’s website, bringing the price down to just £212.49.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: unboxing and set up

Setup is refreshingly simple – something I really appreciated after reviewing so many bean to cup machines that need endless calibration. I simply filled the water tank, then “primed” the machine. For the filter side, that meant checking the brew basket was in place, popping the carafe underneath, and running a quick rinse cycle to flush everything through.

It’s pretty much the same process for the pod function – I just popped a cup under the spout, select a setting without inserting a pod, and let it rinse. After that, I attached the milk frother, and that was it.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: design and features

As mentioned, one of the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System’s biggest selling points is its versatility, as it can brew both ground coffee (filter-style) and espresso-style drinks using pods. It’s compatible with Nespresso Original capsules and offers four pod drink sizes – Ristretto, Espresso, Lungo and Over Ice. The filter coffee offers three brew styles (Classic, Rich and Over Ice) and up to ten different sizes, from a single small cup all the way to a 1.8-litre carafe.

Ninja’s Thermal Flavour Extraction technology is what ties it all together, combining a 19-bar pressure pump on the pod side with an XL showerhead for filter brewing. This ensures the coffee grounds are evenly saturated for consistent flavour and aroma. There’s also a smart scoop that clips neatly to the side of the machine for measuring out your grounds – I found three small scoops was just the right amount for two cups.

It measures 41.1 × 27.4 × 32.6cm and weighs 6.18 kg, which more compact than most bean to cup models but bulkier than smaller pod machines. The stainless steel and matte black finish give it a sleek, premium feel, and the water tank is a great size, meaning fewer refills. An adjustable cup tray accommodates mugs, travel cups and espresso cups, and all removable parts are dishwasher-safe.

Convenience features include a delay-brew timer, adjustable Keep-Warm function (up to four hours), a clean cycle indicator and an anti-drip system. The hotplate’s three temperature options are also a great touch.

One surprise I really liked was the fold-away milk frother on the side, but it’s more of a basic frother than a true steam wand, so don’t expect too much.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: performance

The Ninja Prestige DualBrew System hits it on the head when it comes to easy, versatile coffee making. The pod function is such a simple way to get a caffeine hit, especially when you’re rushing out the door or need a quick pick-me-up before work. The filter coffee side is then ideal for slower mornings or work-from-home days when you want a full pot of coffee ready to go. As mentioned, I'm usually reviewing the best bean to cup coffee machines which can take a while to make the perfect cup, so I really appreciated how convenient this felt.

Throughout testing, the pod function performed exactly as expected, brewing a great range of capsules with ease. Each cup had a nice crema, came out at just the right temperature, and tasted consistently good. It was nice being able to choose from four options as opposed to the usual two on a lot of other pod machines.

The filter side was also impressive, made even better by thoughtful touches like the warming plate and drip-stop feature. The latter is particularly handy if you’re in a rush, since you can remove the carafe mid-brew without coffee dripping onto the hotplate. The machine even warns you if you forget to reopen it before starting another cycle.

I found that I preferred the Rich setting over the Classic, as it tasted a bit stronger and not as watered down, but this will of course depend on your own preferences.

As for the milk frother, it’s more of a simple frothing wand than a steam wand, so the results aren’t barista-level. Still, I liked the small frothing guide printed on the side of the machine, as it tells you how much milk to use and how long to froth for.

During testing, it worked better with dairy milk than plant-based options, and I found it needed a bit longer than the guide suggested to get that perfect foam. However, I do like a frothy cuppa, so again, it's personal preference.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: verdict

Overall, the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System strikes a great balance between convenience, versatility and performance. It’s ideal for anyone who wants both the speed of pod-based coffee and the flavour of freshly brewed filter coffee without cluttering the kitchen with multiple machines. Setup is refreshingly simple, the design feels premium, and handy features like the warming plate and drip-stop add impressive value. Whilst the milk frother isn’t the strongest, it’s a nice bonus compared to other similarly priced machines.

Ninja Prestige Dualbrew System review: alternatives to consider

If you like Ninja as a brand brand but want something a bit more exciting, I’d definitely recommend the Ninja Luxe Café. It offers the same versatility and build quality as the Prestige DualBrew System but swaps the pods and filter coffee for fully automatic espresso. The milk frother is also a big step up, so even with the slightly higher price tag, I think it’s well worth the upgrade.

Another great alternative is the Smeg Drip Filter Coffee Machine. As the name suggests, it’s a straightforward filter coffee maker, perfect if you’re not fussed about pods or espresso-style drinks. It looks great on the counter and delivers consistently smooth coffee.

The Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 is exactly what you’d expect from the world renowned Italian kitchen brand – beautifully built, effortlessly stylish and designed to make your countertop look straight out of a magazine spread. But with this machine, Smeg is not just appealing to the espresso purists, it’s going after the cold brew crew, too.

That’s because the ECF03 is the first machine in Smeg’s line-up to offer both espresso and cold brew in one neat package, promising cafe-quality coffee at the touch of a button. No more waiting 12 hours for a batch to drip to life, and no more pricey coffee shop runs.

After spending time testing it and sending myself into a daily caffeine spiral in the process, what really stood out is how Smeg has blended design with accessibility. There’s nothing complicated about this machine, even Smeg says it’s simple enough for beginners. But that’s where an issue comes up for me – this machine is expensive, and for the same price point, you can get one of the best bean to cup coffee machines, so is it really anything special to justify the high price tag?

Read on to find out whether this coffee machine is all style over substance, or a genuine must have for coffee lovers.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Price and availability

The Smeg ECF03 retails at £499.95 and can be purchased directly from Smeg online or at one of their flagship stores. There are plans for it to be rolled out to other retailers which we expect to see by Christmas but at the time of writing, it’s only available from Smeg.

There are also some perks to buying from Smeg directly, as you get a standard 2-year warranty and free shipping.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Design and Features

There is no way you could review a Smeg appliance and not talk about the design. The Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 is unmistakably Smeg with its trademark retro 1950s styling with smooth curves and polished chrome. It comes in a range of nostalgic colours including pastel blue, black, white and cream. This is a machine that you’d be happy sitting on your countertop as it doesn’t look like just another boring appliance.

But it does take up some serious countertop space, measuring 36.4 x 20.5 x 29.5cm, so you will need a dedicated space. Height-wise, I was pleasantly surprised, my low cabinets usually make coffee machines awkward to fit, but this model doesn’t have a grinder attachment so it fits perfectly.

The water tank is a generous 1.4 litre, and it sits to the back of the machine, so if you're pushing it up against the wall, you may want to consider how you’re going to get that on and off. It fits snugly, and during testing, I didn’t find any leaks or drips coming from the tank. The drip tray is also removable, so you can empty it out and keep it clean with ease. I did find that when using the wand, the drip tray filled up quite quickly, so this is something to keep an eye on.

The controls sit at the top of the machine, and true to Smeg’s word, they are incredibly easy to fathom out. There are four buttons in total, a program button, single shot, double shot and wand, so there’s no chance you’ll feel overwhelmed. The only button you’ll find elsewhere is the on/off button, which is to the side and just blends in with the design (took me a while to realise it was there).

You do get a serious bit of kit with this coffee machine. It uses a 58mm professional portafilter, which is the same diameter that’s often found in commercial machines and that comes with both pressurised and non-pressurised filter baskets. There’s also a 15-bar pump, a steam wand and a hot water function so you can warm up your cup or turn your espresso into an Americano with ease.

The headline feature is, of course, the Cold Brew mode. Traditionally, Cold Brew can take up to 12 hours or more to brew, so it’s not exactly something you’d do on the hop. But with this machine, you can get a perfect cold brew coffee in under five minutes - also a good shout if you enjoy an espresso martini. When the cold brew program is selected, the Thermoblock system Smeg uses for heating up the water is bypassed, so it uses room-temperature water for extraction.

The ECF03 also comes with a handy maintenance kit, cleaning brush, and water hardness strip. There’s a QR code etched under the drop tray which gives you access to the MySmeg Assistant app that has plenty of how-to videos ranging from how to make the perfect cup of coffee to how to clean the machine. You probably won’t need to download it, but if you do need extra help, at least you know it’s there.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Performance

Right from the first shot, you can tell the ECF03 means business. This machine does both espresso and cold brew, which means before you can start brewing, you have to select your programme. This is incredibly easy to do, just toggle the programme button between the two selections and choose your shot size (single or double). You’ll be able to tell which programme you’re on due to the light system. For espresso, a white light will show, and it’s blue for cold brew.

You can also change the water temperature and water hardness, this is done easily by pressing and holding the shot size buttons. The water hardness is factory set to hard, so unless you’ve got soft water you shouldn’t need to worry about this feature.

What I really love about this machine is that it’s really easy to use. If you’re like me and you’ve come from a pod machine, it can feel daunting at first. But once you’ve mastered which filter you need – this machine comes with three: a pressurised, non-pressurised and a non-pressurised double filter, that's used for the cold brew – then it’s super simple.

When making an espresso, I found that using the pressurised filter gave the best results. The coffee was smooth, drinkable, and with a decent crema. I also really liked that the coffee was hot. I’ve tested so many machines where the results are tepid, and for someone who likes hot drinks to be hot, it makes them undrinkable, but this was the perfect temperature, whether I had espresso or an Americano.

The Cold Brew mode is impressive. Whilst it’s never going to replicate the deep, rich flavours of a 12-hour steeped coffee, it does deliver a balanced coffee with minimal bitterness. The single shot took around two and a half minutes whilst a double shot was just under five minutes. This is ideal not just if you like cold brew, but, if you’re like me and live for an iced latte or espresso martini, you won’t have to hang around waiting for your espresso shot to cool.

The steam wand also performed brilliantly. It did take me a little while to get the hang of, but once I did, I was making hot milk for my lattes and thick foam for cappuccinos with ease. The wand is also where you’ll find the hot water function. It’s operated by using the lever on the side, one side is steam, the other is hot water, but before it works, you’ll have to select the steam function on the top of the machine so don’t worry about accidentally setting it off.

Cleaning is straightforward thanks to the tools provided. The portafilter does create a bit of a mess when you’re trying to get used coffee grinds out, but I guess that’s part of the process. If you’re using cow’s milk with your steamer, always have a damp cloth to wipe it off with because it dries on incredibly quickly.

It’s not the most feature-packed coffee machine at this price point, but it is reliable, easy to use and delivers consistently good coffee.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Verdict

It’s easy to look at the Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew ECF03 and think it’s just another stylish espresso machine with little substance but it is one of the easiest and most versatile machines that I’ve tested. The ability to be able to switch from a shot of espresso to a smooth cold brew at the touch of the button doesn’t just appeal to a wider range of users but also will change how you use your coffee machine day to day.

It does demand a fair bit of room on the counter space, so you will need to make sure you have plenty of space for it. It’s not cheap, coming in at just under £500, this is an investment. But it feels as though it’ll last, its build quality is superb and it looks and feels every inch the premium appliance that it is.

It’s easy to look at the Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew ECF03 and think it’s just another stylish espresso machine with little substance but it's one of the easiest and most versatile machines I’ve tested. The ability to be able to switch from a shot of espresso to a smooth cold brew at the touch of the button doesn’t just appeal to a wider range of users but also will change how you use your coffee machine day to day.

It does demand a fair bit of room on the counter space, so you will need to make sure you have plenty of space for it. It’s not cheap, coming in at just under £500, this is an investment. But it feels as though it’ll last, its build quality is superb and it looks and feels every inch the premium appliance that it is.

Costa Coffee has just announced the launch of its first-ever pod coffee machine – the Podio X1. It’s a big move for the brand, featuring patented pod technology and an intuitive design. However, before you get too excited, the average coffee lover might struggle to get their hands on one.

That’s because the Podio X1 is designed mainly for professional use, making it a better fit for offices, hotels and leisure spaces. This is because it's clearly built for brewing coffee on a larger scale rather than your morning flat white.

The machine is available now direct from Viking for £359.99 (around $420) including VAT.

At first glance, the Podio X1 features everything you'd expect from one of the best pod coffee machines, especially when it comes to its compact, stylish design. As for the coffee itself, the Podio X1 uses Costa’s own patented pods, sold exclusively through Viking, with a pack of 48 costing £22.99 or around $30. That exclusivity could be another reason it’s geared toward businesses, as it’s not quite as convenient as picking up pods from the supermarket.

That said, there’s technically nothing stopping you from ordering the machine or the pods yourself. Still, it’s interesting to see Costa stepping into the coffee machine space, and this could always be the first step towards a consumer-friendly Costa pod machine in the future.