Best cheap coffee machines 2023 UK – best budget coffee machines

Sitting back with a tasty cup of coffee is one of life’s great simple pleasures, but the best coffee machines can be expensive.

Happily, the Good Housekeeping Institute has found some cheaper models – from pod and espresso to bean-to-cup – that will bring you barista-style coffee at home at the touch of a few buttons. If coffee that tastes like dishwasher water rightly fills you with dread, don’t worry; these all produced delicious drinks during testing.

Tot up how much you spend on coffee on the go, and you’ll quickly make your money back with our budget buys. Every machine below costs less than £150, with one exception; our bean-to-cup recommendation. Bean-to-cup machines with built-in grinders are always pricier, and the one on our list costs over £200. If you don’t fancy spending that much, our superb pod and espresso machines delivered just as tasty results.

For more on the benefits of each type of coffee machine, check out our detailed buying guide and scroll on for our expert reviews. Or, if you already know the style you’d like, here are our best budget coffee machines:

How we test coffee machines

To find the best coffee machines, our coffee-loving expert made a series of drinks with each model to assess their consistency. They particularly focused on shots of espresso, looking for a smooth texture, chestnut crema and drinks at the optimal temperature of between 60 and 75C.

For machines with milk frothers, they tested the steam wands with both a dairy and vegan alternative milk, looking for stable yet velvety foam. Lastly, every machine is judged for its ease of use, efficiency and overall design.

These are the best models from our testing to buy on a budget: