Richard Arconti
The sweet joy of a hot or cold latte in the morning surpasses many other fine occasions in daily life. And when you can step up your coffee game by adding the best latte maker to your kitchen, you can take your morning from “alright” to fantastic! If you’re a coffee lover, you’ve probably ordered some form of latte in your life, but may not know it’s easier than ever to make at home.
You can set yourself apart from the other coffee aficionados in the world, save a few dollars a day by making it yourself and take it to the next level with latte art if you really get into it. In this fresh review, we explore the six best latte maker models that produce results you wouldn’t expect to see in any home cafe, as well as the worst two to leave on the shelf. The great thing is that there’s definitely an option available for any budget.
Reviews of the 6 Best Latte Maker, Plus 2 to Avoid
1. DeLonghi EN750MB Nespresso Lattissima Pro Machine Review
This espresso machine lives up to all the hype that people associate with the brand DeLonghi. That said, the best DeLonghi latte maker is the EN750MB Nespresso Lattissima Pro model. It’s automatic which is already a leg up on most of the competition. But it’s also easy to use. Too often the automatic espresso makers are overly complicated, but with this one you snap in a pod and go!
The DeLonghi EN750MB Nespresso Lattissima Pro uses pods for easy clean-up, but it also means you get a really wide variety of coffee to work with. Everything works by pressing a button and it gets going.
Without a doubt one of the most helpful features of the DeLonghi EN750MB Nespresso Lattissima Pro is that it’s self-cleaning. You turn the cleaning knob and the unit starts to clean itself with pulses of steam. Every 15 seconds it sends a jet of stream through the system clearing out any residue from milk or foam. Without a doubt this is the best latte maker of 2023.
To watch the DeLonghi EN750MB Nespresso Lattissima Pro Machine Review on YouTube, click here.
2. Breville BES870XL Barista Express Review
If you’re looking for something more professional or want to impress your friends and family with a professional barista set up at home, this is the right model for you. Hands down this is the best Breville latte maker available right now, and it has the right price tag to come with it.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express gives you full control over any espresso or latte you brew. There’s no doubt that you can craft beautiful works of latte art. But first, you have to get all the controls right. This model isn’t automatic so there’s quite a bit of work associated with brewing a latte.
But, they try to make it easy with all the buttons and knobs right up front and clearly labelled. There’s also a built-in grinder which is really the secret to making the perfect latte. Fresh ground coffee beans will have you making lattes that are incomparable to fancy café drinks.
This unit holds about 2-liters of water at a time, so you won’t be constantly refilling it. Finally, the water filtering system is outstanding. It removes many unwanted impurities so there’s no bad taste in your coffee. If you can afford it, this is the best latte machine for home use.
To watch the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Review on YouTube, click here.
3. Mr. Coffee Automatic Dual Shot Espresso Cappuccino System Review
The best Mr. Coffee latte maker is the Mr. Coffee Automatic Dual Shot Espresso Cappuccino System. This model isn’t the best latte machine available on the market, but, it’s one to consider for home use and it’s the best model available from Mr. Coffee.
This long-loved brand brings in many exciting features that aren’t available in other models. Probably the most handy, and unexpected features, is that it can brew 2 shots at once. Not only saving you time, but also improving your hosting abilities for a Sunday brunch.
The controls are very simple, although you might feel overwhelmed at first with the 15 different settings of pressure. The machine is easy to clean as well. There’s no mess, and everything pops apart easily.
Unfortunately, the biggest pitfall is that the brewing quality isn’t exactly consistent. Instead of getting the perfect espresso every time, you get perfect espresso about 80% of the time.
To watch the Mr. Coffee Automatic Dual Shot Espresso Cappuccino System Review on YouTube, click here.
4. Ninja CF112 Coffee Bar System Review
The Ninja brand uses quality with variety to ensure their customers are always happy. The don’t fail with this latte maker. Although there are some pitfalls, it’s one of the few latte makers available that lets you brew in a variety of sizes.
The Ninja CF112 Coffee Bar is essentially a single-serve system, but you can also make multiple servings, or extra-large servings. This unit doesn’t rely on pods, so you can easily portion out the right amount of water and coffee for the size you need, without the excess waste. Many people love using this machine for the latte they run out the door with in the morning. You can easily brew your latte straight into your XL travel mug.
The only downside is that the frother doesn’t heat the milk, it only aerates it. For many people this isn’t a make or break feature. For the price this is one of the best latte makers available right now.
To watch the Ninja CF112 Coffee Bar System Review on YouTube, click here.
5. Espresso Works All-in-One Espresso Machine Review
This is the machine that literally does it all. It’s easy to use, services single and double shots of espresso and is perfect for making lattes at home.
The Espresso Works All-in-One Espresso Machine looks far more complicated than it is. This grind and brew machine provides freshly ground beans whenever you need them and makes small batches to ensure they don’t go stale.
There’s also a 15-bar pressure function that craft perfect lattes in less than a minute. The entire system pressurizes very quickly but is still safe because of its top-of-the-line overheating safety feature. The entire system will shut down before it begins to overheat. This safety feature will save you a ton of worry as it does heat up quickly.
Finally, one of its best features is the water filtration system. It’s 1.25 water reservoir filters all of its water right before use. That way you’ll have the best tasting latte available!
But, the issue that took the Espresso Works All-in-One Espresso Machine down to almost the bottom of our list is it’s cleaning difficulty. The simple design results in a lot of individual parts to break apart when it comes time for cleaning.
To watch the Espresso Works All-in-One Espresso Machine Review on YouTube, click here.
6. Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar Brewer System Review
The Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar Brewer System doesn’t use pods so you can really brew to the strength you want. You can brew lattes in this system in no time as it takes only a few minutes to craft your drink and froth your milk. The Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar Brewer System utilizes a smart design which allows you to brew in a carafe or drip straight into your mug. This is great for people who entertain at home and need to brew more than one cup at a time.
The Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar Brewer System uses both cold and hot milk without any issues, but it’s one downside is that it doesn’t heat the milk as it froths. For some people this isn’t a big deal, but for others they will have to heat the milk before frothing.
This unit is a great way to break your morning café habit. Once you get setup with this system you won’t want to go out and spend five to ten bucks on premium coffee blends!
To watch the Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar Brewer System Review on YouTube, click here.
Avoid – DeLonghi Lattissima Plus Nespresso Capsule Review
The DeLonghi Lattissima Plus Nespresso Capsule is the little sister version of the best DeLonghi latte maker, so why is this the worst latte maker on the market? It limits its users to only the compatible DeLonghi pods.
There is nothing more frustrating that thinking you’re saving a few dollars by buying the smaller system and then spending more money on the coffee itself while being limited by your choice of beans. Buy a better latte maker and use the coffee you want.
The DeLonghi Lattissima Plus Nespresso Capsule does use a thermoblock heating system which does brew very quickly and provides consistent quality. But, that doesn’t make up for the issue with the compatible pods. You will be better off with the larger system for a slightly higher initial investment.
To watch the DeLonghi Lattissima Plus Nespresso Capsule Review on YouTube, click here.
Avoid – Mr. Coffee BVMC-ECMP1000-RB Café Barista Espresso Maker Review
Although this unit isn’t the worst latte maker on the market, you should certainly avoid this latte maker. The Mr. Coffee BVMC-ECMP1000-RB Café Barista Espresso Maker has an issue that’s difficult to fix and is super frustrating.
It clogs. The unit regularly clogs even if you use extra-finely ground beans.
It’s almost as if the 15-bar pressure system is too powerful for the Mr. Coffee design because it blasts the coffee grounds into the unit rather than blasting the water through the grounds for a great latte.
This is the classic case of focusing too much on features a not enough on design. The Mr. Coffee BVMC-ECMP1000-RB Café Barista Espresso Maker can brew espresso, lattes, and cappuccinos in less than a minute. But we’d be much happier if it only brewed lattes without the clogging effect.
To watch the Mr. Coffee BVMC-ECMP1000-RB Café Barista Espresso Maker Review on YouTube, click here.
Buyers Guide to the Best Latte Maker
No matter what type of latte maker you’re looking for, you should expect to spend anywhere from $50 to $5,000. It’s a huge price window, but the quality and longevity of these latte makers range as much as their price does. There’s no doubt, that with the slew of options that you can find exactly what you’re looking for in your price range. There are 3 primary factors that combine together to make the best latte maker imaginable
3 Main Points to Consider:
- Type of Latte Maker: There’s nothing like hitting a button and walking away, but you might have some trouble crafting quality drinks in an automatic latte maker. There are 4 types of latte makers: Automatic, Fully-automatic, Semi-automatic, Manual. The manual options use a lever and series of knobs for you to fully control the quality of your brew. Many people enjoy using manuals because they end up with lattes that are far superior when compared to other models. The semi-and full-automatic options rely on buttons, knobs and levers. The reason that they’re not fully automatic is that you don’t have the freedom to just walk away and there are some settings that require adjustment or calibration before you start brewing.
- Functions and Features: Some people need a latte maker that will drip straight into their travel mug, so they can just grab and go on their way out of the door. But for people who regularly entertain friends or family at home, you need something that will brew multiple lattes at once. Always evaluate your needs before buying a latte maker because of its functions. If you don’t entertain at home, you don’t need a latte maker that will brew multiple shots at one time. If you opt for too many features, you’ll likely get stuck with a bad model. When companies focus too much on adding features, there’s a distinct drop in quality. Avoid the 3-in-1 models or anything that claims to “do it all” and instead, buy a latte maker that only has the features you need.
- Cleaning: If you have an easy to clean model, then you’ll probably end up using your latte maker all the time. But if the model you chose is difficult to clean and it’s many parts aren’t dishwasher-safe you’ll eventually go back to buying coffee from expensive cafes instead. Unfortunately, how complicated a machine looks is no indicator of how easy it is to clean. There are many machines that look extremely complicated, but cleaning is as easy as sliding two pieces into the dishwasher. If there’s one feature that justifies a higher price, it’s the unit’s ability to self-clean. Although you’ll still have to wash out any carafe you won’t have to bother with the frother, drip nozzle or brewing mechanism. Self-cleaning units utilize the frother and drip to blast steam throughout the unit. This steam pushes all of the unwanted stuff that was stuck in the system out into the cup you place under the nozzle. It’s oddly satisfying to see how well your machine cleaned itself.
Can you make latte art at home?
The answer to this question is yes! But, there are a few things you need. Specifically, you need a latte maker with a steam milk frother. The frother will aerate the milk creating the microfoam, but you need a wand that also heats the milk. Many espresso makers don’t heat milk, so watch out before you make a purchase!
You also need a metal steaming pitches that has a pointed spout. The pointed spout is very important!
After you make your espresso you want to heat and aerate your milk to about 150 degrees. It’s important to heat your milk only after the espresso is done because the microfoam can deplete quickly.
Finally, make your design. It takes a bit of practice, but you can easily get the lily, tulip, and heart designs down!
Final Thoughts On Finding The Best Latte Machine
Overall there are many great latte makers available, but there are many more bad models. What you want to see from the best latte maker is a blend of quality, features, and price. Most quality latte makers are a few hundred dollars. But, be careful not to get sucked into the brand name. Not every Breville or DeLonghi latte maker is actually worth it.
