How We Test Coffee Makers at Homes & Gardens – Our Hands-On Process for Finding Your Perfect Brew

Choosing a coffee maker can feel overwhelming, with countless models, brewing methods, and technical terms to navigate. Unless you’re already immersed in coffee culture, finding the right machine can quickly become a headache.

At Homes & Gardens, we’ve developed a barista-approved process for testing the best coffee makers. We assess each machine against the same criteria, comparing brewing performance, ease of use, and build quality to identify the models worth recommending for our guides to the best espresso machines, best French presses, and best non-toxic coffee makers.

Curious about what goes into our testing? Here’s how we put coffee makers through their paces.

How We Choose Coffee Makers to Test

This is where it all begins. As Kitchen Appliances Editor, I research the market's hottest coffee machine launches and order them to our testers' homes so we can trial their claims. We like to test machines in real-world settings, as part of rushed morning routines and relaxed Sunday afternoons, to see how they perform in realistic scenarios.

We look at coffee machines from a range of brands and price points, because no two coffee drinkers are the same. I am always looking for new products, innovative features, and useful updates to classic models.

We pride ourselves on our editorial independence. We judge coffee machines purely on their performance and would never accept money to promote a bad coffee machine. If we love a product, you’ll know about it, and you’ll also know that it’s genuine.

Design and Materials

In a health-conscious world focused on cookware labels and myths, what a coffee maker is made of has become an increasingly important consideration for our testing.

Nine times out of ten, I am looking for coffee makers that eliminate PFAS and BPA plastics from the brew path (meaning any part that boiling water comes into contact with). This means internal components such as water tubing, water heads, and included carafes and their lids. This is a lot easier with a manual brewing appliance such as the best Moka pots or an AeroPress, and much more difficult with full machines such as espresso makers and some drip coffee makers, although they do exist. We will look at the listed materials on the product page and reach out to companies for clarification when it is not clear.

We will always prioritize non-toxic makers and highlight where a machine might use less desirable materials for you to make a more informed decision about your morning brew.

Then, while superficial, the coffee maker needs to look good. This appliance will usually live on your counter day in, day out, so a chic design that doesn't take over your kitchen will always gain points in our books.

Brewing Performance

The trials start in our dedicated test kitchen or in our own homes. The test kitchen is a great place to line up coffee makers for head-to-head battles and standardized testing. Testing at home allows us to see how these machines work in the real world, not just under perfect conditions.

Our team of expert appliance testers is made up of coffee connoisseurs. Together, we have a decade's worth of experience testing coffee makers, and we dedicate time, effort, and lots of caffeine to putting every coffee machine through its paces.

Our process was devised by barista Laura Honey, who has since moved to our sister site, Woman & Home. All the appliances start at the same point. We challenge them to make the perfect espresso, a simple Americano, and a creamy cappuccino.

If they have extra features and claims, we make thorough notes to ensure that all bases are covered by our test team. The average drinker can taste good or bad coffee, but we know that really good coffee is subjective. We will assess the qualitative taste and smell of coffee produced by a coffee maker, but we look for quantitative measures, too. We test the temperature, time, and amount of coffee made by each machine so that we minimize how much our personal preference will affect a coffee machine’s ranking.

How We Test Espressos

This is the heart and soul of coffee, so it’s a good place to start. Most coffee makers should be able to make a good espresso, and they should make it easy for you to know how to make an espresso, too. If a manufacturer recommends a specific type of coffee or pod, we will use it.

In Italy, espresso is linked to the idea of speed. It should be made quickly and drunk quickly, before the crema has time to disappear. With this in mind, we want our espresso to be between 149 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s too warm, it will burn our mouths. If it’s too cold, we won’t get the aromatic oils from the coffee beans.

Appearance-wise, we want to see a rich crema that’s hazelnut-colored. It should be thick and almost oily. The crema comes from pushing hot water at a high pressure through the coffee grounds. The process produces smooth bubbles of coffee bean oils, which are the crema. If this is on your espresso, it indicates that your coffee is good quality and that the machine is properly brewing your coffee.

How We Test Americanos

‘Just a coffee-coffee’, Americanos are very simple to make (our in-house barista has written an easy step-by-step guide to making an Americano here). They’re traditional, basic, and another great indicator of quality; there’s nothing to hide behind.

Whether it’s the best Aeropress or a fancy coffee machine, you should be able to get a good Americano.

A good Americano should have crema on top and be a deep caramel color. The water added to your Americano should be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so that it doesn’t burn your espresso, but doesn’t cool it too much either.

How We Test Cappuccinos

If a machine has milk-frothing capabilities, the cappuccino will test these the best. There are different ways to make a cappuccino, all of which are dependent on the type of coffee maker you buy. Essentially, we want a cappuccino to be at least one-third foam. The foam head needs to be thick, glossy, and firm. That way, it will be smooth to drink. We want the coffee to be between 149 to 185 degrees, again, for drinkability.

If the machine foams and integrates your milk into the coffee, we are looking for a seamless blend. We don’t want plain milk and strong coffee; it should be more gradual. We make two of every coffee type to make sure that the machine is consistent.

Special Features

If a coffee maker has extra settings, we always test these. This might range from personalized coffee blends to smart features to self-cleaning methods. These features are often the deciding factor in which appliance you buy, so we want to make sure that they’ve been thoroughly tested.

How We Test Cleaning

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How you clean your coffee maker is as important as how easy it is to use. We clean them as you would be expected to in your daily routine. This is a good opportunity to find the fiddly, messy, or awkward aspects of any machine.

We’ll find out whether the drip tray leaks, the filter needs a screwdriver to access, or whether it makes any alarming beeping sounds. We also check whether any aspects are dishwasher-safe.

Value for Money

Lots of people ask us about price and value for money. One of the most common questions we are faced with is 'Why are espresso machines so expensive?' It's a reasonable question, which is why we make sure to dive into the details every time we review a coffee maker.

We will look at the cost, warranty, and performance of the coffee maker. If the coffee maker performs fantastically and has a lower price point, it’s perfect. If we feel it’s overpriced, we will note this and take it into account when ranking the best coffee machines. If the machine feels cheap or doesn’t perform well, we will also take note so that you don’t end up disappointed with the final product.

How We Give Our Verdict

At this point, our espresso experts will have had a lot of coffee. As a result, they have a lot of first-hand experience, and maybe some coffee jitters.

After adding up the scores, we can place this appliance in its appropriate buying guide, or leave it out if it hasn’t made the grade. They’ll advise who this would suit, and who it wouldn’t, and suggest other appliances that you might consider instead. All of this is based on our personal experience and expertise. If you’re unsure about the coffee maker, then our buying guide on how to choose the best coffee maker will help you hone in on the right machine for you.

Shop The Best Coffee Makers

I have rounded up a snapshot of some of our favorite coffee makers for you to shop.

We don't just focus our efforts on cookware. We also have complete guides to how we test air fryers and how we test cookware to help you build a robust kitchen.

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