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If there's one thing I love, it's a good cup of coffee. I have a swanky coffee machine at home - it suits me because I'm lazy and I don't want to spend a lot of time making coffee from scratch.
I prefer them over pod coffee machines because I like the taste of freshly ground beans and this is also one of the reasons I also own a cafetiere and grinder for when I do have a bit more time to make my coffee.
I do appreciate the art of learning how to dial in a quality coffee grinder to find that perfect shot and I've tested some great products that can genuinely give you that ultra-premium 'coffee snob' set up at home complete with coffee cups and all the accessories without spending nearly £2,000 on a machine.
While I rate machines like the Sage Oracle Jet and Ninja Luxe Cafe, spending that much to get great coffee at home isn't for everyone. In fact, with my selection of picks below, you'll be able to set yourself up with a serious coffee station at home for a fraction of this price that even the most pretentious of coffee experts would love.
Whether you're looking to put the time in to tweak a manual machine to make it your own, master the pour over or just want a coffee corner in your kitchen that looks the part in photos, these are the products I recommend to get a fancy looking set up at home without the killer price tag.
You can create a coffee setup that even the most pretentious of coffee know-it-alls would love
Start with your good quality basics
Before you even think about making your coffee setup look the part, you need to get the basics right.
Good coffee starts with good, fresh beans. I'd always recommend choosing beans that tell you the roast date on the packet. If a pack doesn't have this, it's usually because the beans are old and they don't want you to know about it. Some of my personal favourites, which I use for testing include Curve Coffee Roasters and Garage Coffee.
If you plan on grinding your own beans, a good burr grinder, either manual or electric is an absolute essential. Grinders do typically get better and more specialist the more you spend but you can pick up a couple of entry-level options that aren't too expensive.
If you plan on making espresso rather than filter coffee, you might also want to consider getting a good quality portafilter and tamp. Many espresso machines come with this as a standard but they're not always the best quality.
A set of small scales is also helpful if you want to more accurately measure your coffee scoops, as well as ratios of coffee to water.
- Krups Expert Coffee Grinder £55
- Not well suited to traditional single-wall baskets, fine for dual wall baskets.
- Shop Baratza Encore Espresso Grinder £159
- Gives premium models a run for their money and better suited to traditional baskets.
- Shop Sage Naked Portafilter 54mm £79.95
- A classy-looking upgrade for Sage espresso machines that use a 54mm portafilter.
- Shop MHW-3BOMBER 54mm spring loaded tamper £49.99
- Shop Digital pocket scales for espresso
- £6.99 Shop
Choose your brewing method
Understanding how to choose the right coffee machine or brewing method for your needs is important.
If you don't already own a manual espresso or bean-to-cup coffee machine, you might want to consider a more stripped back method such as V60 pour over dripper, Aeropress or cafetiere french press.
These manual brewing methods are ideal if you want a coffee snob setup on a smaller budget and make excellent filter-style coffee. Some people also prefer a temperature adjustable kettle or kettles with 'gooseneck' spouts - not only are these useful, they also look the part too.
If you're still considering a machine, you can read more about how much you need to spend on a coffee machine in our full guide.
- Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper £27.99
- Shop Aeropress Original Coffee Maker £34
- Shop TrueStart 8 Cup Cafetiere £17.99
- Shop Dualit Pour Over Kettle with Temperature Control £99.99
- Shop De'Longhi Stilosa Manual Pump Espresso Machine
- Comes in three colours: Cream, Black and Green
- Now £80 Shop
Accessories and nice to haves
If you’re going down the V60 or Aeropress route, you’ll need to factor in additional costs like filter papers, while espresso aficionados will need a knock box for spent pucks – much quicker, easier and cleaner than trying to empty them into a bin.
Those who want to enjoy the occasional frothy coffee should also consider investing in a milk frother. Two of my personal favourites include the Lavazza milk frother and the Nespresso Aeroccino 4 both of which make hot and cold foam.
- Aeropress filters £8
- And V60 filters here.
- Shop Non-slip knock box & brush £16.99
- Shop Lavazza milk frother £68.99
- Also consider: Nespresso Aeroccino 4 (£89.99).
- Shop Porcelain coffee bean dosing cup £6.99
- Chic and practical.
- Shop Coffee cleaning set £17
- Shop John Lewis Round Lacquer Tray £35
- Shop John Lewis Iver Reactive Glaze Stoneware Mug £12
- Shop How to make the best coffee at home - James Hoffmann £15
- Shop
If mess is a concern, dosing cups or funnels can help you to keep clean up to a minimum, helping your space look fresher and classier at the same time. You might also want to invest in a small brush to keep the worktop free from loose grounds, as well as some coffee-machine safe descaler to keep your setup looking fresh and your coffee tasting even fresher.
If you're after affordable extras to make your coffee setup feel more professional or just look classier, some stylish coffee mugs, a journal for tracking your shots and serving tray to keep everything tidy are all easy ways to style your space. I'd also recommend a good coffee making book like the one above so you can really polish your barista skills.