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Best Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine: Freshly ground coffee at the touch of a button

From Nespresso pods to drip filters, there’s no shortage of ways to make a great cup of coffee at home, but if you want the freshest brew possible then bean-to-cup is easily the best one to go with. Making use of the full flavour of coffee beans by grinding them right there and then, bean-to-cup machines are a dream come true for coffee afficianados.

It’s worth mentioning right off the bat that compared to other types of coffee machines, bean-to-cup tends to fall on the pricier side for the privelege of drinkng freshly ground coffee. If you’re happy to fork out the extra bit of cash however (and once you’ve tasted that coffee – who can blame you?) then we’re here to help match you with the machine that’s right for you. There’s a near overwhelming amount of choice out there, but we’ve picked our top buys across several different categories so that you can spend less time shopping and more time enjoying a well-earned brew.

Best overall: Melitta Barista TS Smart Coffee Machine

Best value: Melitta Avanza Series 600

Best for large groups: Melitta AromaFresh Grind and Brew

Best for espresso: Beko Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine

Best design: Smeg Retro Bean-to-Cup

Melitta Barista TS Smart Coffee Machine

Melitta Barista TS Smart Coffee Machine

Best overall:
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Forget being a great bean-to-cup machine, the Melitta Barista TS Smart is close to being our favourite coffee machine to date. This thing can brew almost anything from espresso to lattes and even cappucinos, plus with the ability to set up 10 user profiles, the machine can remember exactly how you like your coffee and make it to that specification instantly. Throw in the fact that it has two different compartments for grinding beans, so you can jump between the variety that suits a particular drink best, and it’s hard to imagine ever going back to a cafe.

Pros

Up to 10 user profiles for storing recipes

Makes a lot more than just espressos

Two compartments for storing different beans

Cons

One of the priciest coffee machines out there

Melitta Avanza Series 600

Melitta Fully Automatic Coffee Machine, Avanza Series 600

Best value
Buy now

If you’re after a decent bean-to-cup machine that isn’t too high on price but still manages to nab you a built-in milk frother for your money, then trust us when we say that you won’t find a better option than the Melitta Avanza Series 600 (we’ve looked). It might not have all the features of more expensive machines, but when it comes to making delicious coffee at home, the Avanza Series 600 hits it out of the park.

Pros

Excellent value

Can pour two espressos at a time

Built-in milk frother

Cons

No settings to tweak the milk frother

Melitta AromaFresh Grind and Brew

Melitta AromaFresh Grind and Brew

Best for large groups
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As great as bean-to-cup espresso machines can be, they aren’t exactly practical if you have several coffee drinkers to cater to, but luckily Melitta has developed a bean-to-cup drip filter machine that lets you serve multiple cups of coffee at a time without breaking a sweat. There’s even a timer function so that the machine can have your coffee ready for you as soon as you get out of bed in the morning.

Pros

Makes up to 10 cups at a time

Easy clean up with filters

Built-in timer for automatic brewing

Cons

No milk frother for tall coffees

Beko Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine

Beko 8813513200 Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

Best for espresso
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Having a boatload of extra features can be fun, but if all you need is a powerful shot of espresso to keep you going then it doesn’t make a lot of sense to splash out for anything more than that. With just a single nozzle and no milk frother in sight, the Beko Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine is obsessed with just making espressos, with 19 bar pressure to extract as much flavour as possible from your chosen coffee beans.

Pros

Very easy to use

Pours powerful espressos

Sleek design

Cons

It’s really just for espresso fans

Smeg Retro Bean-to-Cup

Smeg BCC02RDMUK Retro, Bean to Cup, Coffee Machine

Best design
Buy now

Smeg knows how to make an eye-pleasing appliance, and the company’s Retro Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine is no different. Colourfully blending stainless steel with a bright red exterior, Smeg’s coffee machine commands your attention like no other appliance, but it also makes a fine coffee too. There’s even a built-in milk frother for creating barista-style coffees.

Pros

Impressive retro style

Built-in milk frother

Great for espressos

Cons

Very expensive

Which bean-to-cup machine is your favourite? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @Recombu

 

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