Best Bean to Cup Coffee Machine UK Reviews 2024
On this page we look at "bean to cup" coffee machines. A bean to cup coffee machine allows you to buy your favourite roasted beans, pour them into the top of your new machine, and get a superb cup (or mug) of coffee out the other end.
The key difference between a "bean to cup" machine and other coffee makers is that the bean to cup machine has a built in grinder. That allows you to freshly grind your beans for really fresh coffee. If you prefer to buy coffee that is already ground, then you can simply add this to your machine.
The best bean to cup coffee machine is the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM4200. This is a very high quality machine, for making espresso, and all the other favourites like cappuccino, latte and mocha.
There is a staggering number of bean to cup machines on the UK market from many brands. They are made by many leading brands such as De'Longhi, Sage, Jura, Gaggia, Meiltta etc. There also huge price fluctuations ranging from £100 all the way up to £5000+. The reason for the wide price range is because of which brand you prefer, the quality of build of the machine, the wide range of features and the customer service and support availability.
We regularly update our information so as can include the latest models that we have tested. There are of course old favourites which are very high quality. We only include those that we know to be the very best value for money.
Best Bean to Cup Coffee Machines - Quick View
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £100 - De'Longhi Stilosa EC260 coffee machine
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £200 - SCOTT UK - Slimissimo Black Velvet Fully Automatic Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £250 - Breville Barista Max Espresso Machine
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £300
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £500
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £750
- Best bean to cup coffee machine under £1,000
- Best value bean to cup coffee machine UK
- Best bean to cup filter coffee machine UK
- Best fully automatic bean to cup coffee machine
- Best bean to cup coffee machine UK for Latte
- Best bean to cup coffee machine for home use
- Best bean to cup coffee machine for the office
- Best bean to cup coffee machine with milk frother
De'Longhi Manual Coffee Machine Stilosa EC260.GR
Feature Ratings
Value for money: 100%
Ease of use: 92%
Easy to clean: 94%
Performance: 90%
Best bean to cup coffee machine under £100
Key Features: Bar Pressure, 15 bars, Capacity 1 litre, Material: Stainless Steel, Wattage 1100 watts and weighs 5.15 Kg.
We couldn't find any bean to cup coffee machines for under £100. Bean to cup coffee machines should include a grinder to grind the beans. The De'Longhi machine shown to the right is as close as we can find.
It is a 15 bar pressure that can make up to 2 espresso and UK buyers really like it in terms of value for money.
It has a flexible milk frother allowing the use to mix steam and milk to create the ideal foam density for your favourite coffee drinks.
The machine is available in black, cream or green so hopefully something to match the colour scheme in your kitchen.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £110
Pros
Cons
SCOTT UK - Slimissimo Black Velvet Fully Automatic Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine
Feature Ratings
Value for money: 94%
Ease of use: 90%
Easy to clean: 96%
Performance: 90%
Best bean to cup coffee machine under £200
Key Features: Bar Pressure, 19 bars, Capacity 1.1 litres, Material: Stainless Steel, Wattage 1470 watts and weighs 9.39 Kg.
We couldn't find that many bean to cup coffee machines for under £200. This model from Scott UK is the best one that we did find.
It has a 19 bar pressure and one touch operation to make espresso or longo.
The main controls are on an LED panel and it also comes with a descaling program making the maintenance of the machine a great deal easier.
The water tank is removeable and easy and quick to fill which makes overall use fast and hassle free.
It comes in a black only colour and measures 39.5cm deep x 18cm wide x 31.5 cms high
Also has a hot water function.
Check Amazon UK Average UK Price £300 (This price can vary a lot depending on the various offers)
Pros
Cons
Breville Barista Max Espresso Machine
Feature Ratings
Value for money: 94%
Ease of use: 90%
Easy to clean: 96%
Performance: 90%
Best bean to cup coffee machine under £300
Key Features: Bar Pressure, 15 bars, Capacity 2.8 litres, Material: Stainless Steel, Wattage 1100 watts and weighs 7.75 Kg.
The Breville Barista has been around for a long time, and for under £250 we have yet to find another model in this price range that is any better.
It measures 34.7cm deep x 32.2cm wide x 340.7cms high and has a 15 bar pressure and a large 2.8 litre water tank.
It comes with an integrated burr coffee grinder, a tamper, a milk frother, a jug, grinder brush and a cleaning pin.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £350
Pros
Cons
1. De'Longhi Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine ECAM22.110.B
This one has a nice contemporary and sleek look to it, and will suit many kitchens really well. Buyers certainly seem to like this one, once they have bought and used it.
This allows you to create perfect espresso at the touch of a button You can also make cafe style cappuccinos and lattes. It has a manual cappuccino device ideal to produce a rich froth.
You can make two cups of coffee with one brew. The machine has a silent integrated grinder with 13 settings so that you can tailor your coffee to your exact taste.
It can be used with either fresh beans or ones that have already been ground.
It uses small icons on the front of the machine to show you the various features. A dial is used so as you can easily tweak the strength of your coffee.
This one is the biggest seller with over 20,000 online buyer reviews. It also has a solid 92% buyer satisfaction rating. If you are looking for an affordable bean to cup machine, this one is worth investigating in more detail.
Check Amazon UK Average UK Price £350
Sage by Heston Blumenthal BES810BSS the Duo Temp Pro Espresso Machine Review
Most people will be familiar with the TV chef Heston Blumenthal, and this is a machine that has has put his name to. As you can see it certainly has a most distinctive look.
We do like the stainless steel type appearance, though it will not work for everyone. It is the ideal pick though for more contemporary kitchens.
With this one you are starting to move up a gear and into the higher end and better featured bean to cup coffee machines. This is for things like water controlled temperatures, low pressure pre-coffee infusion for maximum flavour and an adjustable steam wand for texturing milk.
This machine includes a 1.8 litre removable water tank, removable tamper, Razor dose trimming tool, Portafilter, 4 filter baskets, milk jug, water filter for the tank and a full cleaning kit.
You do get a lot of great features for your money, and I think a pretty classy looking machine.
Check Amazon UK Average UK Price £650-700
DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM4200 Bean to Cup Review
When picking a product out and stating that it is the best, this is of course a matter of opinion. There are quite a few to pick from and all of the leading coffee brands will have a few models of these available.
We are De'Longhi fans for sure and yes this brand can be an expensive choice, but in our opinion the quality is excellent.
As you can see this machine looks fantastic. The one shown is the silver version but it also comes in black.
It depends of course where you make your purchase but the average price for this model is £225-250 and that is very good value for money, though certainly still a big purchase.
It also comes with a 2-year guarantee.
It is stylish and yet any of these machines are about how they perform.
This one has a built-in burr grinder, a professional standard 15 bar pressure, a dual boiler system, frothing arm, removable brewing unit, drip tray, cup warmer and you can also adjust the height of the dispenser.
So if you fancy yourself as a barista and want to create Espresso, or an Americano simply by touching a button then this would be the one that I would recommend for you.
You can then extend the range of your coffee making skills and use the milk frother to make a range of lattes, cappuccinos and lungo.
You do not just have to take my word for it though. I always check the number of reviews on many other websites to see how they rate a particular model.
I like to see consistent ratings from a large number of buyers as that gives me a lot more confidence. This product has a rating score of 90% buyer satisfaction rate, which is excellent. That has been confirmed by over 5000 online buyer reviews.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £320
De Longhi ESAM2600 Caffe Corso Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Review
As you can see it is a nice enough looking machine, and it comes with all the basics that you would expect, including a manual cappuccino device. It makes good espresso, and it has a 1.8 litre removable tank.
The boiler of this machine can be removed and that does make for easy cleaning. It has a milk frother and an adjustable steam nozzle. The machine can be used with either coffee beans or ground coffee.
You can make two cups of coffee with one brew. The integrated coffee grinder has 13 grinding settings, with a capacity of up to 14 cups.It has an automatic shut-off and also indicators for empty water and empty bean container.
The water tank holds 1.8 litres of water and there are rinse and decalcification auto-programmes. The drip tray cup holder can be removed for easy cleaning.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £330
De'Longhi ESAM2800.SB Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Review
This one is a solid seller for the De'Longhi brand has a consistently high buyer satisfaction rating. That just tells us that there are plenty of happy and contented buyers.
This one has a really nice finish to it and the black and silver look, make this one look really sharp.
This is a 15 Bar pressure machine with a removable 1.8 litre water tank. The brewing unit can be removed for easy cleaning.
It has a traditional milk frother, and an integrated high quality burr grinder with 7 adjustable settings.
It also comes with a 2-year guarantee. It is one of the easiest machines on the market to use, to clean and to maintain.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £450
Melitta SOLO & Perfect Milk E957-103 Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine
This is another high end coffee maker brand, and Melitta are known for making very high end quality products.
This perfect milk style is available in a number of models, but the 103 is the most popular
You can brew your coffee the way you like it with this fresh bean coffee machine and choose between an expresso, americano, latte macchiato and lattes
It has a height-adjustable coffee outlet so you can use different cup or mug sizes.
There are 3 settings for adjusting coffee strength and a double-cup mode
You can also prepare your coffee with a touch of a button with 3 strength intensities, an adjustable water quantity (30-220ml)
It uses a valve fir steam and hot water dispensing LED display.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £600
De'Longhi Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine ECAM22.110.SB Review
With this De'Longhi model, are starting to move up to the higher specification and features, and many of those are very useful to have.
This machine can be used with either fresh beans or with ground coffee.
This model already has more buttons, and added features and those take a little bit of learning to get used to these. This one is not too bad, but will take a few uses, before you perfect it.
This one can be used with either fresh coffee beans, or with pre bought ground coffee. It can also make 2 cups of coffee at one time. It has a silent grinder with 13 adjustable settings.
It has a 1.8 litre removable water tank and uses 1,450 watts of power. This one also comes with a 2 year warranty.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £400
Krups Arabica Digital Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Review
From the Krups brand, and this one certainly has a very distinctive look to it. Buyers rate their purchase highly, with an 85% buyer satisfaction rating.
This is a bean only option so can not be used with ground coffee, and that does limit its use.
The machine is easy to use, but still provides a range of coffee making options such as strength of coffee, water amount, bean grinds etc
It does have a pretty clear LCD display and buttons, and the milk frother does a good job.
It is also really neat and compact and the majority of buyers like the appearance.
It has a large 1.7 litre water tank and a 250 gram bean counter.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £500
Morphy Richards 162100 Bean to Cup Grind and Brew Coffee Machine Review
This model from the popular Morphy Richards brand is one of the most affordable bean to cup coffee machines on the UK market.
Like all good bean to cup machines, this one has an integrated bean grinder that automatically grinds the beans before brewing - however it can also be used with pre-ground coffee
Please note this a filter bean to cup machine so will not make espresso style coffee
It does have a timer function so you can wake up to the freshest coffee
It has a 2 cup capacity means you only make the coffee you need,
It also has a keep warm function, so your 2nd cup is as warm as the first
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £150
Bean to Cup Coffee Machines Priced Between £501-£1,000
De'Longhi Eletta Bean to Cup Coffee Machine ECAM44.660.B
This is another popular choice for UK buyers. The "Eletta" model is packed with useful features like automatic rinse and descaling programs.
Those help keep your bean to cup coffee machine in tip top order.
However, the important features are that this one is a very intelligent machine. It has an excellent and very useful memory feature.
It also has a simple one button function to make cappuccino, caffe latte, latte maccchiato, espresso macchiato and flat white drink choices
It is made from stainless steel, has 1,450 watts of power and measures 26 x 36 x 46 cm and weighs around 11 Kg.
There are 13 grind settings from course to fine which is ideal for stronger or milder coffee choices.
Check Amazon UK. Average UL Price £800
Delonghi ETAM 29.510.B Autentica Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Review
Yes it is yet another Delonhi product, that do seem to dominate the bean to cup coffee machine market. We are now starting to get into their higher end products though.
This is where they introduce what they call the "Doppio+ option." That is a larger than life double espresso from a single function.
It has a really nice soft lit display and has been designed to be easy to use. It has a good working milk frother, and you can select your preferred coffee strength.
It can use either coffee beans or ground coffee. It has a 1.4 litre removable tank, with automatic cleaning, and an auto- shut down, in case you forget to turn the machine off.
90% buyer satisfaction based on 1,200+ online buyer reviews
Melitta Barista TS Smart Review
With this model you can choose from 21 pre-set coffee specialities. You can also manage several features of your fully automatic machine and customise your coffee with the Melitta Connect App. The world of technology is now very evident with this machine.
Like many other machines in this price range it also has the memory function.
With this one you can save the preferences of up to 8 people, 4 pre-programmed classic specialities: Expresso, Café Crème, Cappuccino, Latte macchiato.
Separate hot water preparation is also possible to be used with teas.
There are 2 airtight coffee grain compartments and a ground coffee chute.
There are also 5 settings for coffee strength
It has automatic cleaning and descaling and comes with a welcome pack cleaning kit.
This machine is made in Germany.
90% buyer satisfaction based on 800+ online buyer reviews
Gaggia Brera Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Espresso Coffee Machine Review
This is another from the same Gaggia brand but of course it is a slightly different model, but also in the under £500 price range. This is one of their best selling models.
There are a few subtle difference in this model when compared to the one above, and we will note them just below.
This one has a very clever design and it is a compact unit, that self cleans. That is always a very good start. It has a twin boiler so it makes coffee real fast.
It can also froth milk quickly and that allows you to make your cappuccinos and lattes, or any other coffee drink that you prefer. This one also has a ceramic grinder which is the best for retaining the aroma and flavour of the beans.
The grain can of course be adjusted using a simple knob. You can also personalise your coffee machine to suit your own individual tastes.
82% buyer satisfaction based on 100+ online buyer reviews
Gaggia Brera Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Review
This is another high end coffee maker brand, and Gaggia are known for making very high quality products, along with other brands such as Jura and De'Longhi.
Like all of the Gaggia range, this one has that distinctive style to it. The higher end models in this price range have all got a particular design, and that of course is always a matter of personal choice.
You use the small dispensing buttons on the front of the machine to suit your own particular coffee tastes. This machine uses a ceramic burr grinder to grind the beans. It also has a removable brewing unit for quick and easy cleaning.
It has a hot water and steam nozzle and is Brita filter compatible. It can hold up to 250 grams of coffee beans, and has a 1.2 litre water tank. The really good news is that this machine has automatic cleaning and descaling.
80% buyer satisfaction based on 200+ online buyer reviews
De'Longhi Prima Donna Avant ESAM6700
This is another option from the De'Longhi brand. With this one you are talking state of the art technology and high quality.
I have done a very detailed review on this ESAM6700 model from DeLonghi as this one is very expensive, but right up there for those who can afford the luxury of this model.
It is made from stainless steel, has 1,350 watts of power and measures 42 x 28.5 x 38 cm and weighs around 5 Kg. There are 7 grind settings from course to fine which is ideal for stronger or milder coffee choices.
76% buyer satisfaction based on 100+ online buyer reviews
Bean to Cup Machines Priced Over £1,000
Below you can find summary reviews of the very high end expensive bean to cup coffee machines.
JURA 15079 E6 Coffee Machine, Platinum
This high end coffee machine is the first from the Jura brand to introduce a world first - pulse extracting process for outstanding barista quality espresso and ristretto
It comes with an integrated Aroma G3 burr grinder
The machine itself is a 15 bar pump using thermo-block heating technology for consistent quality coffee
It has 7 individually programmable speciality coffees
Can only be used with fresh coffee beans
It has very simple operating controls on the front of machine, using the modern TFT display allows you to easily create your personal coffee experience at the touch of a button.
It has an integrated fine foam milk frother which crowns milky specialities with feather light milk foam.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £1,700
Sage BES980BSS the Oracle Espresso Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine Review
This is again from the popular chef brand and one that automatically grinds and tamps. It also has their trademark low pressure infusion system for a balanced extraction.
This high end machine also has automatic milk texturing and uses a triple Heat System.
It includes an an over pressure valve usually only found in commercial coffee machines. This valve limits the maximum pressure throughout the extraction, helping to prevent bitter flavours in the shot.
It grinds, doses and tamps your beans before getting to work on making your brew. It has a dual stainless steel boiler triple heat system. and an espresso boiler.
The espresso is extracted and milk is textured simultaneously so that both are ready at the same time and the delicate aromatics are captured and preserved for optimum results.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £2,000
Sage BES920UK the Dual Boiler Espresso Machine Review
This is another high end machine with dedicated stainless steel boilers for steam and for espresso. It allows milk texturing and extraction consistently at 93 degrees Celsius.
The brew temperature, pre-infusion pressure and duration are all programmable to set to your taste at the press of a button.
Extraction is driven from a 15 bar Italian made pump and it comes with 480 ml stainless steel jug and cleaning tools.
Like the model above, this one also comes with a commercial grade over pressure valve prevents bitter flavours in the shot.
Check Amazon UK. Average UK Price £1250
Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Buying Tips
I thought it would be very helpful if I included a buying guide specifically for these bean to cup types of machines. Hopefully you will find this useful. There are a lot of these on the UK market, so this should help you find the right one.
Let's Start with the Price
You will have noticed from the above information, that these are an expensive option. The main reason for that is that they include so many features.
As well as the built-in grinding feature, you can also make the full range of espresso style coffees. They are also packed with features and they also include programs and memory functions.
Essentially you are paying for a lot of technology, good brands and high quality machines.
Multi-Cup Brewing Options
It may not seem that important when first thinking of buying a coffee machine, about the number of cups it can make. Believe me it can really make a big difference.
Quite a large number of these machines will only deliver one cup at a time. If you are not in a hurry, then that is probably not a big deal. If on the other hand you have a couple of people, hurrying out to work, then it gets important.
The better brands will allow you to do two cups at once. If that feature is important to you, then make sure you buy one that allows you to do that.
Cleaning and Descaling
Most of the better brands of bean to cup machines will have this feature included. The cheaper ones do not and trust me, cleaning up without that feature is a pain in the butt.
If you want great tasting fresh coffee, then keeping your machine clean is an essential thing to do. Getting most of that done automatically is in my opinion, well worth paying a little extra for.
Coffee Machine Noise
If you have never ground coffee beans before, then you may get an initial shock. It is quite a noisy process. If you are someone who prefers to buy pre-ground coffee, then buying one of these machines would be a waste of your money.
One of the key purposes of a bean to cup coffee machine, is that you buy fresh beans, grind them so as they are super fresh and then brew.
First thing in the morning or later in the evening when the kids are in bed, is not the best time to grind your beans. That said, if you want fresh and an amazing taste, then you will live with the noise.
Size Matters
As a general rule a bean to cup machine will be bigger than a normal coffee machine. It is certainly much bigger than any of the pod or capsule types of machine.
They can quite literally dominate your kitchen. The manufacturers are always working on making these more compact. That is difficult though as hopper size and brewing capacity is difficult to minimise.
Now to make any good coffee the most important thing is that the coffee has to be as fresh as you can get it. Pre-ground coffee is convenient, but nothing is better than buying the beans and grinding those just before use.
That really is what "Bean to cup" machines are all about. The alternative is to buy a blade or burr grinder and am alternative coffee machine without the built-in grinder.
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