What is the best coffee maker?

I love coffee and as such have a variety of brewers I use. My mainstay is my drip filter, it is by far the most used in my household. My fiancee doesn't drink coffee so I tend to make a mug at a time. This method, when done well, creates a great cup! I also have a french press, which is great for a larger number of cups and was my staple brewer until I bought a dripper. I also have a Tassimo machine which is similar to a Nespresso or K-Cup but takes different pods. It's been around for a while and makes a reasonable, quick coffee! I have recently picked up a Vietnamese filter which I saw demonstrated at a coffee festival and was amazed at how it brings the caramel flavour out
AND
What is the best coffee maker?

Robert Timms, $8 last over a month, might not be "the" best tasting but it is the best value.
And if there is not much milk in the bottle I shake it to make a "froth o chino"

Breville expresso machine consistently wins awards. Theres probably a choice article. They usually have choice stickers on them

Wife

Had a drip one for years which was pretty good, but I'd find by the end of the grinded bag the coffee wasn't as fresh, bought a grinder and would grind my own beans but then sometimes the drip would be too strong or too weak.
moved onto two different pod machines Nespresso and some different one, not bad at all and pretty consistent results, buying the pods was a full time gig and became expensive when you drink two or three coffees a day and double pods between the missus and me we were doing 60-80 bucks worth of pods a month ( at least) and when you had guests round you would go through pods like throwing $2 coins down a well, we had three relatives come holiday with us for a month and I think it cost us 300 bucks in pods for the month........

I gave up on them and said no more of this , also when you ran out of pods you would have to be a peasant and drink instant coffee until you could get to the right shop that sold the pods for each of the machines at different times.

I went and bought a breville with the grinder built in and the little metal cup thing that clips in and coffee comes out.
If I buy the best beans in the world at 40 bucks a kilo from yahava this will last a month and a half, you only need one shot of coffee as it actually extracts all the goodness.

If you buy cheap beans from the spudshed for 10-12 bucks a bag it still makes a better coffee than at half the cafes which makes me wonder sometimes the quality of the beans when you pay $5 a cup at a shop.

The unit was about 800 bucks and I didn't want to spend that much as I thought it was a rip off, I now haven't bought coffee on the way to work for two years and it has to of saved my household at least $1000 bucks every six months on alternative options either buying coffee or pods.

Its epic when you are going away or have to drove somewhere miles away as you can dose up at home on coffee and make a four or five shot thermos for the trip.

The only way to have coffee now..........

do do not buy a machine that grinds and steams the coffee internally as you cannot control the grind mix, it has to have the little metal cup thing that you clip in and twist, that way you can watch the magic happen.

La Pavoni Professional.

If you're happy enough with pods, the Aldi machine and pods are just as good as the Nespresso, but are a fraction of the price.

I have a Rancillio S26 That I bought about 20+ years ago an it's still going strong but parts are getting hard to come by. Yes it takes time to make a cup but it tastes better than half the rubbish to pay for. Sorry but capsules or drip coffee don do it for me.

we like our AeroPress

You can have the best machine, but if you don't know how to use it... I'd go for a good barista course. That will teach you stuff about the right grind, kind of beans and milk texturing etc. Then you can decide what makes the best coffee for you...
For me, a proper espresso with or without milk depending on the time of the day.

I'm liking our Breville the Barista Express Coffee Machine due to the built in grinder. Fresh ground beans are the way to go. As for pods, they're pretty good but I don't like waste plastic.

We've had a basic Delonghi automatic one for a number of years now, you just pour beans and rainwater in the top and espresso shots come out the bottom.

Select to expand quote

Hardcarve1 said..
I have a Rancillio S26 That I bought about 20+ years ago an it's still going strong but parts are getting hard to come by. Yes it takes time to make a cup but it tastes better than half the rubbish to pay for. Sorry but capsules or drip coffee don do it for me.

Now we're talkin'.

A good coffee is a bit like a good photograph. In order of importance subject, light, lens, camera. With coffee it's beans, grind, machine. Or something not unlike that.

A good coffee machine is a bit like carbon sports gear. Once you have it you can't go back. Nuevo Simonelli Oscar here, with its matching grinder. I've had it for 10 years so I'm maybe thinking of upgrading soon.

Believe it or not I'm using Aldi beans, the dark roast (espressos). $12/kg, and just recently added $6/500g too, and I give them a solid 4/5 stars. I've persuaded other coffee snobs to try, and everyone agrees. Plus at $12/kg you can afford to experiment; they go off before you cna finish them. Works out at about 19c/per double shot.

Delonghi Dedica is a great coffee machine for its small size. Take the sleeve off the wand - its supposed to be some kind of automatic frother.... if you want some better quality microfoam chuck it in the bin and just use the rubber nozzle. Not as user friendly but once you get your technique dialed you'll be making some quality espresso

These little fellas are great for a good travel brew

Bellman Espresso and Steamer CX 25P



alternativebrewing.com.au/product/bellman-espresso-steamer-cx-25p/

I'm currently on the Aeropress and one of those Nespresso benchtop milk frothers. Someone told me 22g coffee and 60g water so that's my aeropress mix. Seems to work. I buy my beans from a local cafe (five senses) but going to have to try these Aldi $12/kg beans !