Automatic coffee machines are handy and can be ideal for office kitchens or busy households. But unfortunately, despite their relatively high prices, not all make a great espresso. Our testing shows that the best machines are not always the most expensive models.

We lab test and review the latest models to help you find the best automatic coffee machine.

Our expert testers give every coffee machine a thorough workout to help find the models that:

• perform best in a blind taste test
• are the easiest to use and clean
• are best for milk frothing and temperature consistency, cup after cup.

To test them effectively our expert tester removes any residual factory smells and tastes, and pumps a litre of hot water through each of the machines. They then make 20 to 25 shots of espresso coffee one after another to make sure the built-in bean grinder is at the correct setting.

We measure the consistency of four consecutive coffees for each automatic coffee machine after warming it up for five minutes. We add five minutes for thermoblock and small boiler machines, and 30 minutes for heat exchangers.

Three experts test the espressos in a 'blind' tasting, checking the colour and thickness of the crema (the tan-coloured foam on the top of an espresso shot), aroma, flavour, mouth feel (for example, creaminess or wateriness) and aftertaste. We don't just use any old coffee beans for our tests – we use the best we can find.

To read more about our testing rigour, see how we test.

This review covers automatic espresso machines only, as opposed to capsule machines or manual/semi-automatic coffee machines. To see how those machines perform, look at our home espresso coffee machine reviews.

Still unsure? See our guide to choosing the best coffee machine to help you decide which type you need.

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By Rebecca Ciaramidaro