When it comes to coffee makers bean to cup machines offer some of the best options but can also be quite expensive as well as giving you endless possibilities. That’s why in this article we’re going to take a look at the top options for the best bean to cup coffee machine under £500.
Bean to cup machines offer the freshness of coffee beans ground just when you need them and can often be found with one-touch operation.
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Best Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Under £500
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Let’s take a closer look at our top picks for the best bean to cup coffee machine under £500.
De’Longhi Magnifica S
The Delonghi Magnifica S is a sleek and attractive option for the best bean to cup coffee machine under £500 that comes with high-praise from its user baser.
The Delonghi Magnifica S offers a bean to cup machine with an integrated grinder with 13 coarseness settings, an incredible range for a machine that is well under £500.
In terms of operation, this is classed as an automatic bean to cup coffee machine which means once you pop the beans into the container the machine will do the grinding, tamping, extraction and brewing for you based on your selections. Quite helpfully the machine can be used with both whole roasted beans for coffee as fresh as possible in addition to pre-ground coffee offering you good choice.
The Magnifica S gives you the option of brewing two cups of coffee at the same time, quite handy if there’s more than one coffee drinker in your home or you’re serving a guest.
The Magnifica S (unlike the standard Magnifica) comes with a soft-style button touch operation with its control panel rather which is also geared towards simplicity.
The Delonghi Magnifica S is also equipped with a manual steam milk frother that gives you control over the style of milk you can make to go with your espresso. This will mean as well as your espresso you can also make your favourite milk-based beverages such as cappuccinos and lattes.
When it comes to user reviews, we’ve rarely if ever seen a machine with so many ratings, the majority of which are very good. In particular, users note how well it performs and how easy it is to use. Many users note that if you are after a coffee machine that can serve you espressos as well as let you manually froth your milk then the Magnifica S is a great option.
Several also note how well the milk frother performs as well as how easy it is to keep it clean. In terms of drawbacks, one of the main ones seems to be some users noting a larger water container (1.8litre) would be helpful as the machine rinses on turning on and off.
Overall, the Delonghi Magnifica S appears to be very highly regarded bean to cup coffee machine for comfortably under £500. If you’re after a simple and easy to use bean to cup machine that according to a vast number of users makes excellent coffee and you are comfortable with a manual milk frother, then the Delonghi Magnifica S may be a great option for you.
Delonghi Magnifica (ESAM4200)
The Delonghi Magnifica (ESAM4200) takes the top spot for combining great value, a wealth of high-praise from existing users as well as features you’d typically find in more expensive machines.
The Delonghi Magnifica is a bean to cup coffee machine that comes complete with an integrated coffee grinder with 7 settings as well as a manual milk frother to help you make coffees to your own preference.
The Magnifica is geared towards simplicity and you can tell from the design. It has a bean hopper for you to place whole roasted beans which are then ground according to your preference, tamped, extracted, and then brewed. Indeed 7 ground settings for a coffee machine at this price point is fairly unusual as it’s typically something you’d find in more expensive models.
As well as letting you make your own espressos the Magnifica also comes with a manual milk frother which means you can then make your favourite milk-based coffees. Indeed many user reviews for the Magnifica note how well the milk frother performs. To use the frother you simply place a container of milk under the nozzle and heat and or froth the milk depending on the type of drink you’re making.
As well as giving you control of the fineness of your ground beans with its 7 grinder settings, the Magnifica will also let you control the volume of your drink as well as the aroma strength. You can also regulate the temperature of the water used to brew your coffee.
When it comes to user reviews the Delonghi Magnifica clearly has a large and happy fan base judging by the sheer number of positive reviews. Generally, users seem to feel that it offers excellent value for money as well as being reliable over a long period of time. In terms of drawbacks, some users note it can be tricky to clean the internals though this does not appear to be a universal complaint.
In summary, the Delonghi Magnifica seems to be a very highly user rated bean to cup coffee machine with an extensive user base that offers really good value for money. With a long track record of performance judging by user reviews, the Delonghi Magnifica offers a highly thought of option that is comfortably under £500.
Delonghi Eletta (ECAM44.660.B)
The highly-rated Delonghi Eletta provides an excellent fully automatic bean to cup coffee machine. Though it is not always available for under £500, when you catch it at the right time on a deal it can often be found for well under £500 or close to it so definitely worth its place on this list.
With the Eletta you get a range of one-touch coffee options including cappuccinos as well as lattes. This means you simply press a button at the start of the cycle and the Eletta will then proceed to grind your beans, tamp, extract and brew them just when you need them. After that depending on the choice selected it will then prepare your milk using its integrated automatic milk frother, one of the main features noted by many happy users.
Indeed the Eletta’s milk frothing system can be used to prepare both steamed milk as well as frothed milk. Quite usefully the froth level can be adjusted to your own tastes depending on whether you’d like no froth, a small amount or a large volume.
When it comes to cleaning the milk frother is equipped with an auto-cleaning feature to help you maintain it. The milk container itself is a friendly rectangular shape for easy storage in the fridge and is also transparent making it easy to keep an eye on the level.
The Delonghi Eletta comes with a number of customisation features to allow you to tailor your coffee to your needs. It has 5 different options for setting the strength of its taste ranging from extra mild through to strong. You can also adjust the volume of your drink choosing between a short, standard, long and extra-long coffee. As an added feature the Eletta also has a setting that allows you to save specific drinks you’ve customised so that you don’t have to re-enter the options next time you want to use them.
The Eletta will also allow you to choose the temperature of the water used to make your coffee which for many is absolutely critical.
When it comes to user reviews, the Delonghi Eletta receives near enough universal praise with many buyers commenting on how easy it is to use. Many users are also big fans of the pre-set menu it comes with though some note the flat whites could be better. Additionally, some users do note the temperature of the heated milk is not always high enough for their tastes though it should be noted this is not a universal comment and it is relatively common with home coffee makers.
Overall, the Delonghi Eletta offers a highly regarded automatic bean to cup coffee machine that can often be found for under £500 or close to it. It has a wealth of highly-rated user reviews and comes with a range of automatic one-touch options as well as customisation features. If you want a bean to cup machine that offers ease of use as well as a fairly hands-off experience then the Eletta may be one to consider.
Sage Barista Express BES875UK
Note this review is based on the Sage Barista Express BES875UK which can be found on Amazon.co.uk. The Breville BES870XL Barista Express offers a similar set of features but is not the same model – this can be found on Amazon.com.
The Sage Barista Express is by many accounts an excellent home barista-style coffee machine that comes complete with an integrated grinder. Though not strictly speaking a bean to cup machine in the same vein as most other machines on this list and certainly not a fully automatic machine, it makes this post as it’s too good to ignore even if it’s not always available for under £500.
The Sage Barista Express is an impressive offering that comes highly rated from a large and seemingly growing fan base. The Barista Express provides the ability to use whole roasted beans to maximise freshness as well as pre-ground coffee to give you extra flexibility in your varieties. Quite helpfully the integrated grinder has an impressive 18 grind settings giving you a brilliant level of control over the fineness of your beans. Rarely have we seen so many grind settings particularly on a machine that can often be found for around £500 or so. The Sage Barista Express also comes with two dosage settings.
The Sage Barista Express differs from other bean to cup machines on this list as there is far more manual intervention required. Once you load the 250g bean hopper you can have the integrated grinder work away and delivery your ground coffee directly into the espresso portafilter where you’ll be able to use the provided Razor tool to trim the coffee in the puck to the correct level. This will then allow for the best extraction. You’ll then need to use the tamper, attached magnetically to the front of the machine, to prep the coffee before inserting it into the group head.
When it comes to milk frothing, the Barista Express uses a steam wand for manual operation to echo a more barista-like experience. The steam wand allows you to heat up as well as froth milk. The impressive performance of the milk frother is something that is consistently noted by users who note it can produce a velvety texture in its finish.
Quite helpfully, the Sage Barista Express which is crafted from brushed stainless steel is typically available with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty offering some additional peace of mind over the standard 12 months.
When it comes to user reviews, the Barista Express comes with high ratings with many users feeling it produces excellent coffee. Many users also comment on the high-quality build of the machine in addition to the impressive quality of the microfoam the steam wand can provide.
In terms of drawbacks, some users feel that the drip tray could be larger as it can fill up relatively quickly. They also note that you’ll need to do a good job of cleaning the machine to maintain it in the long-run, though this typically applies to most coffee machines.
Overall, the Sage Barista Express is an impressive offering in its own right. If you’re after a more barista-like coffee-making experience at home that comes with some level of assistance to get you started then this may well be a great option that can often be found under £500.