In today’s economy, skipping the daily Starbucks or Ya Kun run and brewing your own coffee at home can be a smart—and rewarding—move. There’s something magical about crafting the perfect espresso in your kitchen: the rich aroma, velvety crema, and that first blissful sip. Whether you’re a coffee newbie dreaming of barista-level brews or a seasoned pro looking to elevate your home cafe game, the right coffee machine can make all the difference.
This guide focuses exclusively on coffee machines, so you won’t find standalone grinders, French presses, or pour-over gear here. From user-friendly models to high-end appliances that let you fine-tune every detail, we’ve rounded up the best options for every skill level and budget, helping you turn your kitchen into the ultimate coffee haven.
For the newbies
Sometimes we just want a simple cuppa to start our day. Nothing fussy or outlandish, but still good enough to leave us wanting more. This is where coffee pod machines with their ease of use and simple interface stand out.
1. Nespresso VertuoPlus Premium Titan
Image credit: Nespresso
Nespresso is undoubtedly one of the most renowned coffee pod machine makers out there, and for good reason. Their machines are affordable and can dispense an espresso shot in minutes—including the time it takes to heat up the water. If you’re eyeing one of these, we’d recommend the Nespresso VertuoPlus Premium Titan ($469).
All you have to do is pop in the capsule of your choice, choose a size—you have 4 sizes to pick from—and you’ll have your shot in your hands in no time. The VertuoPlus Premium Titan uses Nespresso’s patented Vertuo pods, of which there are over 40 different coffee blends. The caveat is that you can only get capsules from Nespresso, as no other roaster sells Vertuo pods.
The upside to the Vertuo line is each pod has a barcode telling the machine exactly how to brew the coffee, including the amount of water, temperature of the water, and speed of extraction.
Price: $469
Buy the Nespresso VertuoPlus Premium Titan from Nespresso.
2. Nespresso Creatista Plus
Image credit: Nespresso
If lattes and cappuccinos are more your speed, the Nespresso Creatista Plus ($899) will be the perfect addition to your countertop. The sleek, glossy machine combines a 19-bar capsule coffee maker with a milk steamer on the side without taking up too much space in your kitchen. It also has a support tray that can pop out for your little espresso cups to prevent any splashes from the coffee spout.
A built-in steam wand will froth your oat milk better than a stick milk frother can, and you won’t be in danger of scalding your fingers with the finger loop to lift and lower it. The drip tray also has a built-in temperature sensor for the jug so that the Creatista Plus can heat your milk to your desired temperature and not one degree less.
The pop-out cup support works great for smaller cups.
Image credit: Nespresso
The Creatista Plus, unlike the VertuoPlus, uses the OriginalLine coffee pods, which allows you to drink coffee blends from other roasters, not just Nespresso.
Price: $899
Buy the Nespresso Creatista Plus from Nespresso.
3. The Morning Machine
Image credit: Morning
Those who want more control over their morning brews, but don’t want to deal with more advanced techniques involving grinding and tampering should look at the Morning Machine ($660).
Developed by the brains behind local roasters PPP Coffee and Chye Seng Huat Hardware, the Morning Machine uses coffee pods to make things easier but with a twist: you can connect the appliance to an app for fine-tuning things like water temperature, water-to-coffee ratio, and pressure profiles.
The Morning team has partnered with renowned roasters like Melbourne’s ST. ALi and Manila’s Yardstick coffee, so the machine and the app know exactly how to brew their coffees with the ideal calibrations.
There are also plenty of built-in features to make your brewing journey easier and more efficient, like a separate bypass for hot water, a scale on the drip tray, and a barista light.
Price: $660
Buy the Morning Machine from Morning.
For the amateurs
This section is for the ones who have graduated from the humble coffee capsule machine and want to experiment with different roasts, brewing types, and styles of coffee. Continue only if you want to go down this rabbit hole.
4. Breville Bambino Plus
Image credit: Breville
The Breville Bambino Plus ($698) is one of the most highly rated entry-level espresso machines for those who want to start getting the perfect espresso shot using their mastery. It sports a sleek design with stainless steel panels, and has a beginner-friendly user interface with just a few buttons, ensuring you won’t be intimidated by all the chrome.
The Bambino Plus starts brewing with a low-pressure pre-infusion before a high-pressure extraction process at around 9 bars━a standard for espresso machines that allows the flavours and oils from the coffee grounds to be extracted. You can choose between a single or double shot of espresso with the 2 buttons above the spout.
The machine also comes with an automatic steamer that’s got a built-in temperature sensor on the drip tray. 2 buttons let you configure the temperature of the milk and the texture so you can start your career as a barista and practice latte art in a jiffy.
Price: $698
Buy the Breville Bambino Plus from Harvey Norman.
5. De’Longhi Dedica Arte
Image credit: De’Longhi
For coffee lovers who have a small kitchen and don’t mind manually steaming milk, the De’Longhi Dedica Arte ($529) is the machine to pick. Its 15cm-wide profile makes it one of the slimmest machines on the market, and it has a simple interface compared to other coffee machines on this list with 3 buttons and a knob for adjusting the steam.
The drip tray can be removed temporarily to accommodate taller glasses, perfect for avid drinkers of long blacks and the like. On the flip side, it has a smaller water tank at only 1.1L, so you would have to refill it often if you’re making more than one drink.
Price: $529
Buy the De’Longhi Dedica Art from De’Longhi.
6. Breville Barista Express
Image credit: Breville
The problem with standalone espresso machines is that you have to get a separate grinder. That’s not an issue with the Breville Barista Express ($998) and its built-in grinder. This machine includes more bells and whistles befitting its price tag, including buttons to configure the bean grind size, a manual milk steamer, a magnetic tamper and a dock to keep it close by.
The Barista Express, like the Bambino Plus, starts its brewing process with a low-pressure pre-infusion followed by a 9-bar extraction. It also boasts a large 67-ounce tank; that’s almost 2L of water that can brew and steam plenty of lattes.
Price: $998
Buy the Breville Barista Express from Harvey Norman.
For the pros
Coffee connoisseurs can skip to this section. These coffee machines are the “crema de la crema” in the world of caffeine and should be operated by those who know what they’re doing.
7. Flair 58 Plus 2
Image credit: Flair
Compared to all the other coffee machines on this list, the Flair 58 Plus 2 ($930) stands out because it’s a manual lever espresso machine. This brewing method brings a whole new set of benefits to the table, including full manual control over the brewing process. Its steampunk design will also be the centre of attention if you have any guests visiting your abode.
The Flair 58 Plus 2 has a large 58mm portafilter and a pre-heating element to ensure a more consistent extraction and brewing temperature. But the twist is that the machine can be operated wirelessly with no electricity required, with the downside of losing that quick pre-heating feature.
Be warned though, as buying a Flair 58 Plus 2 would mean you’d need all the accessories including a grinder, scale, kettle and more. However, if you are thinking of getting one, the odds are good you already have these tools in your kit.
Price: $930
Buy the Flair 58 Plus 2 from Drinks People.
8. Profitec Move
Image credit: Profitec
A first-world problem many caffeine addicts face is waiting for their machines to warm up when they wake up. The Profitec Move ($3,350) nullifies that with a programmable timer that turns it on and starts it up at a predetermined time you choose, so you can start brewing your morning elixir as soon as you’re out of bed. At least after you finish grinding the coffee beans.
But there’s more to the minimalistic, German-designed coffee machine in black powder-coated steel. It’s a double-boiler appliance with only 5 buttons you need to take note of, although it has a mini OLED display that can show you more menu options for the nitty gritty things like scheduling when it turns on.
The Profitec Move also lets you configure active and passive pre-infusion, and it even starts a timer on the OLED display to tell you how long pre-infusion has been going on.
Price: $3,350
Buy the Profitec Move from Alliance Coffee.
9. Lelit Bianca v3
Image credit: Lelit
The third edition of the Lelit Bianca improves on its predecessors with electronic pre-infusion controls, and an upgraded flow control paddle for fine-tuning the water flow during the brewing stage. This might sound like a foreign language to the layman, but prosumers considering the Bianca v3 ($4,524) would appreciate the improvements.
Image credit: Lelit
The Bianca v3 is another dual-boiler coffee machine with the added nuance that the water reservoir can be placed on the back or the sides of the appliance, just in case your countertop is too shallow or you need more space on the sides. It comes in a sleek stainless steel, moody matte black, and a gorgeous matte white colourway.
Price: $4,524
Buy the Lelit Bianca v3 from Cowpresso.
10. La Marzocco Linea Micra
Image credit: La Marzocco
La Marzocco is the Ferrari of coffee machines, and the dual-boiler Linea Micra ($8,879) is their Roma. It’s built to the same standards as their commercial coffee machines so you can get cafe-quality espresso shots in the comfort of your kitchen, but in a smaller footprint so you can still fit it on your countertop.
Despite its price point, the controls of the Linea Micra are still intuitive and user-friendly. You can also connect it to the La Marzocco app and tweak the boiler temperature, steam pressure, and pre-infusion settings.
Image credit: La Marzocco
Fair warning that the Linea Micra—and its little sibling, the Linea Mini—are very sensitive to the minerals in the water you feed it. It’s not a problem in Singapore where soft water reigns supreme, but if you can splurge almost 5 figures on a coffee machine, you might want to invest in distilled water to complement it.
Price: $8,879
Buy the La Marzocco Linea Mini from Tangs.
Best coffee machines for the home
For most people, coffee is just a way to keep them awake throughout a gruelling day. But for others, brewing a cup of espresso is a ritual and a cherished experience. Whether you fall into the former or latter camps, you’d need a coffee machine, and this curation of appliances will hopefully help you decide what type of coffee person you are.
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Cover image adapted from: Breville, Nespresso, La Marzocco
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