Whether you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur or just need a cup of joe to start your day, splashing out on a takeaway cup every morning can get really expensive over time. The good news is you can now BYOB (be your own barista). Would you like a latte? Or a cappuccino? Perhaps a shot of espresso to keep you awake after binging on Korean TV dramas all night long? You only need to invest in a coffee machine that lets you customise your brews in minutes. Whether you like to entertain or love cold lattes, here are six coffee machines for every lifestyle and budget that we have tried and tested.
* GREAT FOR LATTE ART *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Capsules.
Variety of drinks?
Choose from 24 high-quality Grand Cru capsules from Nespresso, from single origin to gourmet blends.
Easy to use?
It’s extremely fuss-free and convenient, from an intuitive and easy-to-read display guide on top, to its automatic steam pipe and programme settings that let you choose your preferred milk temperature and froth level – especially useful for making latte art! After steaming, the wand auto-purges to rinse itself. Eject capsules without touching, thanks to a nifty used capsule system that can hold up to 12 capsules. We also like the pop-out stand to hold smaller cups for when you just want to make an espresso. However, the drip tray fills up quite quickly after three or four rounds.
Latte taste test:
Coffee tasted delicious and not too acidic, just like what you’d expect from a good cafe. Crema was thick, ultra-light and long-lasting, and we like that you can choose how frothy you want your drink to be.
Design and size:
It’s surprisingly slim and streamlined, which makes it ideal even for smaller kitchens and countertops, and its glossy stainless steel body is truly a sight to behold. It also comes with a stainless steel milk jug.
Overall:
Sleek, super compact and fuss-free with a reasonable price point, it’s the ideal appliance for fancy custom-made espresso drinks worthy of your favourite cafe.
Available at #01-14A ION Orchard.
* MAKES COLD DRINKS TOO *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Capsules.
Variety of drinks?
Makes a wide range of 20 hot and cold café-style drinks with Nescafe’s famous pods, from cappuccino to chococino and even peach tea! Simply push the lever left or right (you need to add ice for cold drinks).
Easy to use?
Very easy, as you just pop the capsule into the detachable holder before inserting back into the machine and pushing down the locking handle. The control dial lets you adjust the strength of your brew, or you can simply follow the number of bars on each capsule. The drip tray can also be adjusted on three levels, to suit the height of the cup and reduce splatter. Alas, there’s no pod disposal container, so you’ll need to manually remove each capsule after use, and the pod holder compartment drips when we removed it to dispose of the capsule. Let the pod holder cool down before removing it.
Latte taste test:
Ours was light and palatable, without being too bitter. The foam layer (also known as crema) was consistently smooth and fluffy, without the need for an external frother.
Design and size:
Our first reaction was that it looks very futuristic and modern, and so tiny! It takes up very little countertop space, is easy to clean and light enough to carry around.
Overall:
If you aren’t too particular about controlling every aspect of your coffee, this is compact and affordable automatic coffee maker that quickly dispenses a wide variety of coffee and tea drinks, and is ideal for small homes.
Available at leading electronic stores and supermarkets.
* FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Roasted beans.
Variety of drinks?
Create virtually any kind of coffee you like, precisely the way you want it, from a full-bodied espresso to a super frothy latte macchiato.
Easy to use?
It took a bit of fiddling about to orientate ourselves with the many features of this machine, which has both auto and manual functions. We like that it automatically grinds, tamps and steams, and you adjust not just the temperature of the milk but also the texture of the froth. It comes with a stainless steel milk jug so you feel like an actual barista, and it automatically purges the milk nozzle after steaming, which is hygienic.
Latte taste test:
Coffee was very robust, acidic and yummy. We like that you can adjust the coarseness of the coffee granules via a knob in the bean hopper. Crema was consistently thick and fluffy.
Design and size:
We love that it looks like a mini version of the semi-automatic machines you see in cafes, what with its stylish brushed stainless steel exterior, knobs and lever, but it is so much easier to use. It’s quite heavy, but has a lockable wheel so you can easily roll it around the countertop.
Overall:
Great for beginners or those who want a more hands-on experience with their coffee, the stunning Oracle has the quality of a semi-automatic coffee machine but the convenience of a fully automated one. A bit on the expensive side, but worth the splurge.
Available at TANGS at Tang Plaza B1.
* GREAT-TASTING COFFEE *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Roasted beans with a built-in funnel for pre-ground coffee.
Variety of drinks?
Pick from a wide range of hot coffee beverages from its self-explanatory LED menu display, with physical buttons on the left and right. It also dispenses hot water for making teas.
Easy to use?
As a super automatic coffee machine, it’s really easy to navigate once you know how it works. There are two quick and convenient ways to get coffee with it: The central spout is solely for espressos, while the double spouts on the right elegantly deliver both espresso and frothed milk at the touch of a button for lattes and such. Steamed milk is transported from a chic glass jug via a detachable hose, and you can adjust to your desired froth level. We also like that you can tweak settings while in use, to prevent accidental spillage or to fill your cup to the brim.
Latte taste test:
Coffee tasted rich, robust, smooth and velvety, thanks to its pulse extraction technology, and the crema was thick and silky.
Design and size:
It fits best in larger homes as it’s quite big and bulky. Still, it’s very well-designed with innovative and smart features, such as sensors that prompt you when it’s time to empty the drip tray and clean the machine.
Overall:
This is a very modern, super-automatic and smart coffee machine that produces luxurious, top-notch coffee drinks for the whole family.
Available at Takashimaya D.S. B1
* SMARTPHONE SAVVY *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Roasted beans, with a small compartment for pre-ground coffee.
Variety of drinks?
Besides the usual range of espresso and milk-based coffee varieties, this coffee machine also dispenses hot water for tea and comes with a unique carafe dedicated for making hot chocolate.
Easy to use?
What’s special is that you can control the machine remotely via Delonghi’s unique “Coffee Link” app, which means you can order a fresh cuppa from your bed or sofa. (However you’ll still need to fill the milk container if you’re making a latte, for instance.) You can also programme it to turn on at a specific time, which is great for saving time during busy mornings. Other features we like are the intuitive touchscreen, adjustable grinding level and central spout to suit different cup sizes. It also boils milk and water to the optimum temperature, so you don’t need to adjust settings.
Latte taste test:
Coffee tasted smooth and strong, although the crema didn’t last long and wasn’t as frothy as the others.
Design and size:
It’s fairly big, very professional-looking and ideal for larger kitchens or those with bigger countertop space. The milk spout juts out so you need to ensure that your cup is placed precisely below the three spouts to avoid spillage. You also need a receptacle to catch excess water that’s purged when the steam nozzle is being cleaned.
Overall:
Quite elegant, albeit large coffee machine that offers a great hands-free experience, with user-friendly and convenient smartphone connectivity that takes your coffee enjoyment to the next level.
Available at leading electronic stores.
* GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING *
Capsules, pre-ground coffee or roasted beans?
Roasted beans with a small compartment for pre-ground coffee.
Variety of drinks?
Makes 20 types of hot drinks to cater to individual tastes and preferences, and goes a step further by being able to dispense the optimum hot water temperature for different types of teas too.
Easy to use?
Fairly straightforward set-up: Coffee beans go into the in-built grinder on top, and the touchscreen control panel was relatively intuitive and easy to operate. You can also customise your entire drink from start to finish via the touchscreen panel, such as the length of the pre-brew, the amount of water, coffee, milk and froth. We were especially impressed by the cup sensor that auto-adjusts the spout’s height to suit the size and rim of your cup, although ours was on the brink of overflowing. It efficiently auto-rinses the milk pipe, and there’s an auto-descaling function to save you time and energy.
Latte taste test:
While it certainly looked the part, with a good amount of froth, our coffee didn’t taste as strong as some of the others. Perhaps it takes a bit of practice!
Design and size:
Quite hefty and large, making it more suitable for homes with larger countertop space. We like its sleek, streamlined body (the grinder is neatly hidden away) and there’s even a small separate compartment for ground coffee, in case you want to prepare a decaf.
Overall:
A high-end, fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine that lets you tailor your drink to your liking with minimal effort and cleanup, and is ideal for larger families or for those who love to entertain, if you can look past the price.
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Text: Elizabeth Liew, Additional Reporting: Simone Wu
This was published on March 19, 2018, and updated on September 8, 2020.
