Are you trying to find a way to enjoy a creamy, indulgent latte without the trip to a coffee shop? Your best option is to consider adding a coffee machine to your home.
Although many make plain drip coffee, there are plenty that can prepare your favourite espresso-based drinks for you, too. We’ve pulled together this list of best coffee machines for lattes in the UK, so you can find the perfect fit for your home.
Quick Recommendation
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In a rush? Here’s our quick recommendation: the No products found.
As an automatic coffee machine, it comes with everything you need to make a piping hot, fresh latte, including a coffee bean grinder. It can even help you froth your milk, so you get all the luxury of a coffee shop right at home.
What to Remember When Buying a Coffee Machine for Lattes
Espresso or Coffee Machine
There’s a difference between espresso and coffee machines. Lattes are espresso-based drinks, and are therefore made on espresso machines whenever you go to a coffee shop.
An espresso machine is able to brew at the pressure necessary to extract espresso. They also typically have milk frothers attached to foam and heat the milk that goes into the latte.
A coffee machine usually doesn’t brew at the same pressure. If it makes lattes, you’ll generally find that it has flavoured pods and an automatic milk frother.
Espresso machines are typically more expensive than coffee machines. They’ll give you a more authentic espresso, but they’re harder to master. If you’re willing to put in the time to practise on one, you could certainly consider getting one for your home for the best-tasting lattes.
However, if you’re looking for something easier, coffee machines will likely be preferable for you.
Pods or Grounds
As you look at coffee machines, you’ll notice they take two different kinds of coffee: pods or grounds. We’ll explain the difference, so you know which one is better-suited to your needs.
Grounds means you have a bunch of ground coffee that you measure out yourself. You may have bought pre-ground coffee from a store, or you may be grinding your own beans at home.
Pods are small capsules that usually contain a single serving of coffee. They are already measured out for you, so all you need to do is insert them in the coffee machine.
There are reasons to choose either method. If you grind your own coffee beans, you’ll be ensuring you get the freshest and best-tasting lattes.
However, pods eliminate the need to worry about getting a grinder. You also won’t need to concern yourself with measuring out the correct amount of grounds or choosing a fineness setting for grinding.
The drawback to pods is that they can get pretty expensive over time.
Water Reservoir Capacity
Most home coffee machines are pour-over, which means they have water tanks that need to be refilled by hand. For that reason, you might want a larger water reservoir if you’re going to use the machine more often.
The larger the water tank, the less you’ll need to stop for refills. This could make a huge difference if you’re not the only person who’s going to want lattes in your home.
User-Friendliness
Your own comfort and skill level is important to think about, too. If you have experience as a barista, you might prefer having an espresso machine at home.
But if you’re a complete novice in terms of making lattes, you might want to look for a coffee machine that can handle it for you. There are some machines called bean to cup, which means that they address all parts of the drink-making process, from grinding the beans to brewing your espresso.
They’re perfect for beginners. With bean to cup machines, all you usually need to do is add the beans and milk, choose what drink you want, and wait while the machine makes it for you.
The downside to them is that they can get kind of costly, as you can imagine.
Best Coffee Machines for Lattes UK
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This Tassimo Bosch machine is perfect for mornings when you’re in a rush to get out the door. It has a very fast warmup time, so after you first turn it on, it will be ready to brew for you quickly.
It can also make drinks of various sizes for you. The cup stand is adjustable, allowing you fit larger or smaller cups in the machine depending on your craving.
It’s a good-looking machine, too. Available in three colours, you can be sure you’ll be able to find one that fits the decorating scheme of your kitchen beautifully.
Pros:
• Offered in three different colours.
• You can adjust the cup stand to hold cups of various sizes.
• Warms up rapidly after you turn it on.
• Can make a variety of drinks, including teas, hot chocolate, lattes, or coffee.
• Intellibrew technology can tell what kind of pod you insert in the machine and make the correct drink.
• The removable water tank makes refilling easy, as you can carry it to your sink.
Cons:
• At just under one litre, the water tank is a little on the small side, so you’ll need to add water a bit more often.
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Making a latte or cappuccino doesn’t get any easier than with the De’Longhi Lattissima One. It has an innovative milk frothing system that detects how much milk is in the container, then uses all of it so you don’t waste any.
With brightly backlit buttons, you can easily use the machine even in dim lighting. There are three easy buttons to choose from, so you won’t need to deal with a complicated setup every time you want a drink.
When you’re finished brewing, the milk jug is dishwasher-safe. That makes the cleanup as simple as making the actual drink.
Pros:
• Available in three colours.
• The milk jug can be placed in your dishwasher for an effortless clean.
• Heats up in under thirty seconds after you turn it on.
• The backlit buttons are visible even in low-light settings.
• Alerts you when the machine needs to be descaled.
• Petite design allows you comfortably fit it on any counter.
Cons:
• There are some reports that the milk components are difficult to clean.
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If you’re looking to make a more traditional espresso, then you’ll want something like the VonShef Espresso Machine. Unlike the other machines on this list, this one is a real espresso machine.
That means it can brew up to 15 bars of pressure, just like the standard espresso machines you see in coffee shops. It also includes a stainless steel portafilter, just like a professional barista would use.
At the top of the machine, there’s a cup-warming shelf. In between drinks, you can keep your favourite mugs on top and it will heat them up for you. This means that, when you finally a pour a drink in them, it will be kept hot even longer because it won’t have been poured into a cold cup.
Pros:
• You can make traditional espresso on this, as it is an espresso machine.
• The drip tray can be removed, so you can clean it somewhere more comfortable, like in your sink.
• Has a cup-warming storage shelf built into the top.
• Includes a measuring spoon that doubles as a tamper.
• The water tank holds an impressive 1.5 litres, so you won’t need to refill it after just a couple drinks.
Cons:
• It will take some time to learn to use, unlike the other options on this list.
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This sleek-looking machine takes care of literally every step of the drink-making process for you. Simply put the beans and milk in, and it can handle the rest.
It has a built-in grinder that’s designed to operate quietly. That means you can enjoy the freshest possible coffee without worrying about waking up everyone else at home.
The warm-up time on it is quick, too. You won’t need to wait too long after turning it on before you can enjoy an aromatic, steaming-hot latte.
Pros:
• Built-in quiet grinder that you can use without waking up everyone in the home.
• The drip tray can be removed for a quick rinse in the sink.
• Sleek and modern design will look upscale in any kitchen.
• Easy-to-understand icons on the front of the machine make it simple to choose what drink you want.
• The brewing unit is removable, so you can pull it out to clean it comfortably wherever you want.
Cons:
• Can be expensive.
• Because it doesn’t have two boilers, you’ll need to wait briefly in between brewing espresso and steaming milk.
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Wrap Up
A latte doesn’t have to be something you need to go to a coffee shop for. With any of the coffee machines on this list, you can craft a fresh latte of your own right at home.
If we were going to pick one for our countertop over all the others, though, we’d go with the No products found.
We love how it takes care of everything for you, from grinding the beans to frothing the milk. The fact that it has an integrated grinder means we’d get an extremely fresh latte time after time, just like what you’d get from a barista.