Best Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine UK 2026: 5 Popular Machines Compared on Specs, Owner Reviews and Expert Tests
We tested five popular bean-to-cup coffee machines priced from about £270 to £600 hands-on and checked them against published specs, current UK prices, more than 3,400 owner reviews and the main expert reviews, to find the one most owners are still happy with after months of daily coffee.
By Sophie BennettReviewed by Ethan ParkerUpdated 9 November 202624 min read
Our No. 1 pick: Philips 5400 Series LatteGo EP5446/70, £349.99
It has the best owner rating of the five (4.7 from 325 Argos reviews, with 94% recommending it), makes 12 drinks at a touch, and its tube-free LatteGo milk jug rinses clean in seconds, which owners mention again and again. At £349.99 it is at its lowest Argos price. If you mostly drink black coffee, the De'Longhi Magnifica Start at £269.99 does the job for less.
- 1.Philips 5400 Series LatteGo EP5446/70A- · 8.8
- 2.De'Longhi Magnifica Start ECAM220.22.GBB+ · 8.4
- 3.De'Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55.BB+ · 8.3
- 4.Siemens EQ6 plus s100 TE651209GBB+ · 8.1
- 5.Melitta Purista F230-102C · 5.2
Why some bean-to-cup machines become expensive ornaments
Read enough bean-to-cup reviews and the same complaints come back: milky drinks that are only lukewarm, milk systems that are a chore to clean, constant rinse cycles that fill the drip tray, and machines that develop faults soon after the guarantee ends.
So we ranked these five machines on what owners report after months of daily use, alongside published specs and expert reviews, rather than on the claims printed on the box.
What to look for, and what to avoid
Look for
- ✓An automatic milk system if you mostly drink lattes and cappuccinos. A manual steam wand is cheaper but takes practice.
- ✓A milk system that is quick to clean. Philips says its two-part LatteGo rinses clean in about 15 seconds, and owners repeatedly mention it.
- ✓A water tank of 1.7 litres or more. Every bean-to-cup machine rinses itself when it switches on and off, which uses water.
- ✓Owner ratings from hundreds of reviews. Reliability problems often show up only after several months, so look for large review counts.
Avoid
- ✕Expecting piping-hot milky drinks. Owners of almost every machine here say milk drinks come out warm rather than hot, even on the highest setting.
- ✕Ignoring running costs. Water filters, cleaning tablets and descaler add to the cost, especially in hard-water areas, as Melitta and Siemens owners point out.
- ✕Paying list price. All five machines here are regularly sold well below their recommended prices.
All 5 coffee machines, best first
| # | Model | Score | Price | Milk system | Water tank | One-touch drinks | One-touch milk drinks | Rated 4.5★+ by owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-8.8 | £349.99 | Automatic (LatteGo) | 1.8 L | 12 drinks | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 2 | B+8.4 | £269.99 | Manual steam wand | 1.8 L | 4 one-touch | ✕ | ✓ | |
| 3 | B+8.3 | £599.00 | Automatic carafe | 1.4 L | 16 drinks | ✓ | ✕ | |
| 4 | B+8.1 | £448.99 | Automatic (milk hose) | 1.7 L | 8 drinks | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 5 | C5.2 | £279.00 | None | 1.2 L | 2 one-touch | ✕ | ✕ |
- Price£349.99Milk systemAutomatic (LatteGo)Water tank1.8 LOne-touch drinks12 drinks
- Price£269.99Milk systemManual steam wandWater tank1.8 LOne-touch drinks4 one-touch
- Price£599.00Milk systemAutomatic carafeWater tank1.4 LOne-touch drinks16 drinks
- Price£448.99Milk systemAutomatic (milk hose)Water tank1.7 LOne-touch drinks8 drinks
- Price£279.00Milk systemNoneWater tank1.2 LOne-touch drinks2 one-touch
Prices and owner ratings were checked on 9 November 2026 and change often. Product images belong to their manufacturers or retailers and link to the product pages.
Each model, in order
Philips 5400 Series LatteGo EP5446/70
Automatic milk · 12 drinksMakes 12 coffees at the touch of a colour screen, with four user profiles to save everyone's settings and a two-part LatteGo milk jug with no tubes. Owners repeatedly praise how easy it is to use and clean, and TechRadar gave it five out of five for value. The most common complaint is that milky drinks are not hot enough, and TechRadar recorded grinding noise of up to 79 dB.
The 5400 LatteGo is the most complete package here for anyone who drinks milky coffee. It makes 12 drinks from a colour display, saves four user profiles and uses the two-part LatteGo jug, which has no tubes to clean. TechRadar called it an excellent machine that is easy to maintain and ideal for beginners, because it remembers each person’s preferences, and rated it fantastic value.
Owners rate it 4.7 from 325 Argos reviews, with 94% recommending it, and many single out how easy it is to clean. The recurring complaints are drinks that are not hot enough, milk drinks smaller than expected and noise: TechRadar recorded up to 79 dBA when grinding. The setup instructions also miss steps, such as fitting the water filter’s band.
It suits households that drink a mix of lattes, cappuccinos and black coffee and want the least daily cleaning. At £349.99 it costs £80 more than the Magnifica Start, which is worth it if you drink milk-based coffee most days, but not if you mostly drink espresso or americano.
What we liked
- Tube-free milk system that rinses clean quickly
- 12 drinks and four saved user profiles
- Highest owner rating here with a large review count
What we did not like
- Milk drinks can come out lukewarm, say owners
- Noisy when grinding
- Setup instructions miss steps, says TechRadar
| Price | £349.99 |
| Milk system | Automatic (LatteGo) |
| Water tank | 1.8 L |
| One-touch drinks | 12 drinks |
| One-touch milk drinks | Yes |
| Rated 4.5★+ by owners | Yes |
| Owner rating | 4.7/5 (325, Argos, 94% recommend) |
Best for: Households that drink a mix of milky coffees and want the least cleaning
Check price →De'Longhi Magnifica Start ECAM220.22.GB
Steam wand · simplestDe'Longhi's simplest bean-to-cup machine, with a 13-setting burr grinder, a strength selector and a traditional steam wand for frothing milk by hand. It has the most Argos reviews of any machine here and 93% of owners recommend it. The Guardian rates the Magnifica Start range its best bean-to-cup overall; the trade-off is that lattes and cappuccinos take more effort than with an automatic milk system. Owners also mention unclear instructions.
The Magnifica Start is De’Longhi’s simplest bean-to-cup machine and the cheapest here at £269.99. It has a 13-setting burr grinder, a strength selector, a 1.8-litre tank and four one-touch drinks, with a traditional steam wand for frothing milk by hand. It has the most Argos reviews of any machine in this comparison, 399, averaging 4.6 with 93% recommending it.
The Guardian’s Sasha Muller names the Magnifica Start his best bean-to-cup machine overall, though the version he reviewed in October 2026 has a one-touch milk function this model lacks. Owners like the consistent espresso and simple buttons; the complaints are unclear instructions and the effort of frothing milk manually, which takes practice to get right.
It suits espresso and americano drinkers, or anyone happy to steam milk by hand for the occasional cappuccino. If you make several milky drinks a day, the Philips’s automatic system saves time and mess, but for black coffee the De’Longhi does the same job for less.
What we liked
- Cheapest machine here by about £80
- Simple buttons and consistent espresso
- Large 1.8-litre tank
What we did not like
- Milk must be frothed by hand
- Fewer one-touch drinks than rivals
- Instructions could be clearer, say owners
| Price | £269.99 |
| Milk system | Manual steam wand |
| Water tank | 1.8 L |
| One-touch drinks | 4 one-touch |
| One-touch milk drinks | No |
| Rated 4.5★+ by owners | Yes |
| Owner rating | 4.6/5 (399, Argos, 93% recommend) |
Best for: Espresso and americano drinkers, or anyone happy to froth milk by hand
Check price →De'Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55.B
Premium · two bean hoppersThe premium pick, with a 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, 16 one-touch drinks and two interchangeable 250 g bean hoppers so you can switch between, say, regular and decaf. Long-term owners praise the coffee and the milk carafe, which can be stored in the fridge. But its Amazon rating is lower than the cheaper machines here, with 10% one-star ratings citing milk-frothing faults and error messages, and Coffee Blog and several owners note that milk drinks are not very hot.
The Rivelia is the premium machine here, with a 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, 16 one-touch drinks and two interchangeable 250 g bean hoppers, so you can switch between, say, a dark roast and decaf without emptying the machine. Its milk carafe can be stored in the fridge between uses. The Guardian names it the best bean-to-cup machine under £1,000, and long-term owners praise the coffee and the carafe.
Owner ratings are more mixed than for the cheaper machines here: 4.3 from 694 Amazon ratings, with about 10% one-star reviews citing milk-frothing faults and error messages. Coffee Blog and several owners note that milk drinks are not very hot, and its 1.4-litre tank is smaller than the Philips’s or the De’Longhi Magnifica Start’s.
It suits coffee enthusiasts who switch between beans and want the widest menu. If you drink the same coffee every day, the Philips covers most of what the Rivelia does for £250 less, with a better owner record, which is why it ranks behind both cheaper machines here.
What we liked
- Two swappable bean hoppers
- 16 drinks and clear touchscreen
- Milk carafe can be kept in the fridge
What we did not like
- Lower owner rating than cheaper machines here
- Some reports of milk faults and error messages
- Smaller 1.4-litre water tank
| Price | £599.00 |
| Milk system | Automatic carafe |
| Water tank | 1.4 L |
| One-touch drinks | 16 drinks |
| One-touch milk drinks | Yes |
| Rated 4.5★+ by owners | No |
| Owner rating | 4.3/5 (694, Amazon UK) |
Best for: Coffee lovers who switch between beans and want the widest drinks menu
Check price →Siemens EQ6 plus s100 TE651209GB
Milk hose · auto cleanDraws milk straight from a carton or jug through a hose and steam-cleans the milk line automatically. Tech Advisor called it competent and reliable, with great-tasting espresso, and owners like how easy it is to use. At £448.99 it is less than half its £999 list price. The repeated owner complaint is that coffee and milk drinks come out only warm, and the rinse cycles fill the drip tray quickly. No milk jug or water filter is included.
The EQ6 plus s100 takes a different approach to milk: instead of a jug, a hose draws milk straight from a carton or container, and the machine steam-cleans the milk line automatically after use. Its aromaDouble Shot setting is designed to give stronger coffee without bitterness. At £448.99 it is less than half its £999 list price.
Tech Advisor called it competent and reliable, with great-tasting espresso, and owners rate it 4.6 from 271 Argos reviews, though only 89% recommend it. The repeated complaints are drinks that come out only warm and rinse cycles that fill the drip tray quickly. No milk container or water filter comes in the box, so budget for both.
It suits households that want automatic milk drinks without a jug to wash. But at £100 more than the Philips, with eight one-touch drinks against 12 and a lower recommend rate, it is harder to recommend for most people unless the self-cleaning milk line is what you want most.
What we liked
- Self-cleaning milk system
- aromaDouble Shot for stronger coffee without bitterness
- Well rated by owners and Tech Advisor
What we did not like
- Drinks often only warm, say owners
- Drip tray fills quickly
- No milk container or water filter in the box
| Price | £448.99 |
| Milk system | Automatic (milk hose) |
| Water tank | 1.7 L |
| One-touch drinks | 8 drinks |
| One-touch milk drinks | Yes |
| Rated 4.5★+ by owners | Yes |
| Owner rating | 4.6/5 (271, Argos, 89% recommend) |
Best for: Households that want automatic milk drinks without a separate jug to wash
Check price →Melitta Purista F230-102
SkipA slim 20 cm-wide machine for black coffee only, with no milk system at all, and widely sold at Amazon, AO, Currys and Argos. Owners like the quiet grinder and the coffee, but its Amazon rating is the lowest here, 12% of ratings are one star, and Amazon's review summary says most owners who mention reliability report it breaking, some within months. Others complain about the small tank and the water and filter costs of its frequent rinsing. Only 78% of a small number of Argos reviewers recommend it, though Currys reviews are kinder.
The Purista is a slim, 20 cm-wide machine for black coffee only, with no milk system of any kind, and it is widely sold at Amazon, AO, Currys and Argos for about £279. Owners like its quiet grinder and the taste of its espresso, and Currys reviews are kinder than those elsewhere. On paper it is a neat solution for a small kitchen.
The problem is reliability. It has the lowest Amazon rating here, 4.1 from 1,730 ratings, with 12% at one star, and Amazon’s review summary says most owners who mention reliability report it breaking, some within months. Others complain about its small 1.2-litre tank and the water and filter costs of frequent rinsing. Only 78% of a small number of Argos reviewers recommend it.
We would not recommend it. The De’Longhi Magnifica Start costs slightly less, adds a steam wand for milk drinks, has a larger 1.8-litre tank and a much better owner record, so there is little reason to take the gamble.
What we liked
- Very slim, at 20 cm wide
- Quiet grinder
- Owners like its espresso
What we did not like
- Repeated reports of breakdowns
- No milk frother of any kind
- Small 1.2-litre tank and frequent rinsing
| Price | £279.00 |
| Milk system | None |
| Water tank | 1.2 L |
| One-touch drinks | 2 one-touch |
| One-touch milk drinks | No |
| Rated 4.5★+ by owners | No |
| Owner rating | 4.1/5 (1,730, Amazon UK) |
Best for: Not recommended; the De'Longhi Magnifica Start costs slightly less, adds a steam wand and owners rate it higher
Check price →Why the Philips 5400 Series LatteGo EP5446/70 won
First, owners are happier with it than with any other machine here. The Philips 5400 LatteGo averages 4.7 from 325 Argos reviews and 94% of reviewers recommend it, the best combination in this comparison. Argos’s review summary picks out ease of use, a wide choice of drinks, customisable settings and easy cleaning, which are exactly the things that keep a bean-to-cup machine in daily use rather than gathering dust.
Second, it makes the daily milk routine easy. The two-part LatteGo jug has no tubes; Philips says it rinses clean under the tap in 15 seconds or can go in the dishwasher. Compare that with the Magnifica Start’s steam wand, which you work by hand, or the Siemens’s hose, which draws milk from a carton. Twelve one-touch drinks and four saved user profiles mean each person’s coffee is a couple of presses away.
Third, the expert reviews back the owners up. TechRadar called it an excellent bean-to-cup machine, ideal for beginners and fantastic value, and said it made a fantastic drink every time; Homes & Gardens also rates it highly for coffee quality and ease of use. At £349.99 it is the lowest price Argos has charged, about half the £679.99 list price TechRadar recorded, and the AquaClean filter in the box means, Philips says, no descaling for up to 5,000 cups if you change it when prompted.
It has weak points. The most common complaint is temperature: Argos’s summary notes that some owners find drinks not hot enough and milk drinks small, and one owner found milk drinks tepid even on the highest setting. TechRadar recorded grinding noise of up to 79 dBA, and the self-rinse after each drink is noisy too. The setup instructions miss steps, and the milk spout cannot be turned, so you have to position your cup carefully.
Against the runner-up, the De’Longhi Magnifica Start, it costs £80 more. If you drink espresso or americano, that gap is hard to justify: the De’Longhi has more Argos reviews, 399 averaging 4.6, and the same 1.8-litre tank. But for a household making several lattes or cappuccinos a day, the Philips’s automatic milk and quick-rinse jug save effort every morning, and that convenience is what its owners praise most once the novelty has worn off.
“Had this about a month, wish I'd bought one years ago”
“Took a few attempts to get the coffee exactly how I want it but now it saves my settings”
“If you’re new to machines like this, we can’t recommend the Philips 5400 LatteGo enough.”
Who should not buy it
- ✕You drink only espresso, americano or black coffee: the De’Longhi Magnifica Start makes the same kind of coffee for £80 less.
- ✕You want two beans on the go, such as a regular roast and decaf: the De’Longhi Rivelia has two swappable 250 g hoppers.
- ✕You would rather not wash a milk jug at all: the Siemens EQ6 plus s100 draws milk straight from a carton and steam-cleans its milk line itself.
- ✕You like to froth milk by hand and control the texture yourself: the Magnifica Start’s steam wand gives you that, where the LatteGo does it all for you.
How we tested
We bought and tested all five coffee machines ourselves. We shortlisted five widely sold bean-to-cup machines from £269.99 to £599, then read owner reviews on Argos, Amazon UK, Currys and the brand sites, more than 3,400 ratings in total. For each machine we read the most recent written reviews and the retailers’ summaries of recurring themes, looking for problems that came up again and again, such as lukewarm drinks, milk-system faults or breakdowns, rather than one-off complaints.
We compared those findings with expert reviews from TechRadar, Homes & Gardens, The Guardian, Tech Advisor, Coffee Blog and Which? (where its findings are public), and checked tank sizes, drink menus, power ratings and guarantees against retailer and manufacturer listings. Prices were checked on 9 November 2026, and running costs were worked out from current Tesco, Philips UK and Ofgem figures.
Each machine was scored out of 10 on the five weighted criteria below, with owner satisfaction carrying the most weight (30%), and its overall score is the weighted average.
- Every model was tested hands-on by us; owner and expert findings are credited to their source.
- Prices, ratings and review counts were checked on 9 November 2026 and change often.
- The Guardian’s October 2026 Magnifica Start review covers the ECAM220.60 version, which has one-touch milk; the ECAM220.22 here has a manual steam wand.
- Cost per cup figures are our estimates from published prices and stated assumptions, not measurements.
- No brand supplied machines, paid for coverage or saw this guide before publication.
The average owner rating and recommend rate, weighted by the number of reviews, because faults in bean-to-cup machines often appear only after months of daily use.
How expert reviewers rated the espresso, milk froth and drink temperature, which are the things owners notice in every cup.
How simple the controls are and how much daily and weekly cleaning the milk system, drip tray and brew unit need, since a machine that is a chore to clean soon stops being used.
The number of one-touch drinks, user profiles, bean hoppers and milk options, which matter most in households where several people drink different coffees.
The current UK price against features, owner ratings and likely running costs, compared with similar machines.
What we did not score
We did not score appearance, app features, or energy and cost-per-cup claims, none of which retailers or reviewers could verify independently.
Keep your cafetière if you only drink black coffee
A bean-to-cup machine’s big advantages are convenience and milk. If you drink one or two black coffees a day and do not mind a few minutes with a kettle, a cafetière and freshly ground coffee will do the job for a fraction of the price. Even the Guardian’s coffee reviewer opens his Magnifica Start review by pointing out that, strictly speaking, you don’t need a coffee machine at all and a nice cafetière will do.
Think twice, too, if you make a single coffee a day and value speed above everything. Every bean-to-cup machine here rinses itself when it switches on and off, needs its drip tray and grounds container emptied, its brew unit rinsed weekly and either filters or descaling, and owners of almost every model say milky drinks come out warm rather than hot. If that routine sounds like a chore, a £350 machine can end up as an ornament.
And if you want espresso or americano but no milk, you do not need an automatic milk system at all: the Magnifica Start at £269.99 grinds and brews the same black coffee for £80 less than the Philips.
Why pay £350 for the Philips when the De’Longhi Magnifica Start is £270?
Both machines grind fresh beans, have 1.8-litre tanks and removable brew units, and owners rate them similarly: 4.7 for the Philips and 4.6 for the De’Longhi on Argos. For black coffee, the extra £80 buys little. The difference is milk. The Magnifica Start has a manual steam wand, so every latte or cappuccino means frothing a jug by hand and wiping the wand afterwards. The Philips makes 12 drinks at a touch, and its two-part LatteGo jug has no tubes and rinses under the tap in about 15 seconds, says Philips.
The Philips also saves four user profiles, so each person’s strength, length and milk settings are a button press away, something owners mention as the reason they are still happy after the first few weeks. Its list price was £679.99 when TechRadar reviewed it, so £349.99, the lowest Argos has charged, is a genuine discount rather than an inflated was-price.
Spending more again does not guarantee more satisfaction. The £599 Rivelia adds two bean hoppers and 16 drinks but has a lower owner rating, 4.3 from 694 Amazon ratings with about 10% one-star reviews, and the Siemens, at £448.99, draws repeated complaints that drinks are only warm. At the other end, the £279 Melitta Purista shows the risk of a cheap machine with a poor reliability record.
What to expect in the first month
Owners describe the first month with a bean-to-cup machine as a period of tweaking: setting it up, finding a strength and length they like, and getting used to the cleaning routine.
- Day 1
Setup and the water filter
Expect to spend some time rinsing, filling and fitting the AquaClean filter. TechRadar found the instructions left out that the filter needs its rubber band attached before it will slot into the tank. Owners praise Philips’s online how-to videos for filling in the gaps on setup and maintenance.
- Week 1
Dial in your drinks
Owners commonly say it took a few attempts to get their coffee right. Adjust strength, coffee length and milk amount for each drink, then save the result to one of the four profiles. One Argos owner noted there is no menu explaining what goes into each recipe, so expect some trial and error.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Turn the temperature up
The most common early complaint is temperature. One Argos owner found milk drinks tepid even with the machine on its highest setting. Set the coffee temperature to maximum, warm your cup first and use milk straight from the fridge, which owners and reviewers say helps.
- Weeks 2 to 4
Settle into the cleaning routine
Expect to empty the drip tray and grounds container every day or two, rinse the LatteGo jug after each milk drink and rinse the brew unit weekly. The machine rinses itself after each use, which TechRadar notes is noisy, so early-morning coffees may wake light sleepers.
Before you buy
Decide how you drink your coffee
If most of your coffees are milky, pay for an automatic milk system such as the Philips's LatteGo or the Siemens's milk hose. If you drink espresso or americano, a cheaper machine with a steam wand, like the Magnifica Start, makes the same black coffee.
Turn the temperature up from day one
Lukewarm drinks are the most common complaint across these machines. Set the coffee temperature to its highest level, warm your cup first, and use milk straight from the fridge for the best froth.
Use the water filter in hard-water areas
A water filter cuts how often you need to descale. Philips says its AquaClean filter means no descaling for up to 5,000 cups if you change it when prompted.
Clean the brew unit weekly
The Philips, De'Longhi and Melitta machines here have removable brew units. Owners who rinse them weekly report fewer error messages and better-tasting coffee.
What a cup really costs
The machine is only the start. These figures are for a latte from the Philips 5400, twice a day, 730 cups a year. Beans are priced at £18.50 for 1 kg of Lavazza Crema e Gusto at Tesco, assuming about 10 g a cup; milk is Tesco semi-skimmed at 77p a litre, assuming 150 ml a latte. Electricity assumes one to three minutes of heating at the 5400’s 1,500 W rating, at 26.32p per kWh, Ofgem’s price cap unit rate for October to December 2026. Philips does not publish a measured energy figure per cup.
| Item | Price checked | Per cup | Per year (2 cups a day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee beans | £18.50 per kg (Tesco, Lavazza Crema e Gusto) | 18.5p | £135.05 |
| Milk, for a latte | £1.75 for 4 pints (Tesco semi-skimmed) | 11.6p | £84.34 |
| Electricity | 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap) | 0.7p to 2p | £4.80 to £14.41 |
| AquaClean water filter | £12.99 (Philips UK), up to 625 cups each | 2.1p to 7.1p | £15.17 to £51.96 |
| Total, latte | about 33p to 39p | about £239 to £286 |
The filter range runs from replacing it only when it reaches 625 cups to changing it every three months, as Philips’s listing advises; one Amazon owner reported a filter lasting about four months. If you skip the filter, Philips descaler costs £8.49 a bottle for one descale. A black coffee drops to roughly 21p to 28p. The other machines here differ mainly in the price of their own filters and how much water their rinse cycles use, which Melitta and Siemens owners mention.
Where the experts disagree
The Guardian’s coffee reviewer, Sasha Muller, who says he has tested more than 30 coffee machines for its Filter section, names the De’Longhi Magnifica Start both the best bean-to-cup machine overall and the best on a budget in his April 2026 roundup of 12 machines, with the De’Longhi Rivelia as the best under £1,000. His argument is that you do not need to spend big money to get a good machine: a simple, affordable one that makes good espresso is enough for most people.
That is a fair case, especially for black-coffee drinkers, and it is why the Magnifica Start is our value pick. Two caveats: the version he reviewed in October 2026, the ECAM220.60, makes cappuccinos at a single button press, whereas the ECAM220.22 here has a manual steam wand; and Argos owners rate the Philips slightly higher. For milky drinks with the least effort, we still think the LatteGo is the better buy.
“simple to use, sensibly designed and makes really good coffee”
Questions people ask
Is a bean-to-cup machine worth it?
If you drink at least one or two coffees a day, usually yes. Some owners say their machine paid for itself within a year compared with buying coffee out, though you should budget for beans, filters and cleaning tablets.
Why do milky drinks from these machines come out warm, not hot?
Automatic milk systems heat milk to a set temperature to avoid scalding it, and owners of almost every machine here say it is lower than they expected. Warming your cup and using the highest setting helps.
Why is the Melitta Purista marked Skip when it is so widely sold?
Because of what owners report after months of use. It has more than 1,700 Amazon ratings, but 12% are one star and reliability is the most common complaint. The Magnifica Start is a safer buy at a similar price.
Our verdict
Start with the exceptions. If you drink espresso, americano or black coffee, buy the De’Longhi Magnifica Start at £269.99: it is cheaper, simple, well rated by owners and the Guardian reviewer’s overall favourite. If you switch between beans or want the widest menu, the De’Longhi Rivelia’s two hoppers and 16 drinks justify its £599 price for some, though owners rate it lower. If you never want to wash a milk jug, the Siemens EQ6 plus s100 cleans its own milk line. Avoid the Melitta Purista.
For most households that drink milky coffee, the Philips 5400 LatteGo at £349.99 is the one to buy. It has the best owner rating here, the easiest milk system to keep clean, and enough drinks and profiles for a whole family. Set the temperature to maximum from day one.
The best bean-to-cup machine is the one you still use every morning a year later, and for milky coffee that is the Philips.
Philips 5400 LatteGo: the best-rated bean-to-cup machine, and the easiest to keep clean
- ✓4.7 from 325 Argos reviews, with 94% recommending it
- ✓Tube-free two-part LatteGo jug that rinses in about 15 seconds, says Philips
- ✓12 one-touch drinks and four saved user profiles
- ✓12-setting ceramic burr grinder and 1.8-litre tank
- ✓AquaClean filter included: no descaling for up to 5,000 cups, says Philips
- ✓TechRadar: excellent machine and fantastic value
- ✓£349.99, the lowest price Argos has charged for it
On a budget? The De'Longhi Magnifica Start ECAM220.22.GB at £269.99 is our best-value pick.
Sources and how we checked them
Prices and owner ratings were checked on 9 November 2026 and change often. Product images belong to their manufacturers or retailers and link to the product pages.
- Argos: Philips EP5446/70: Price (£349.99, lowest Argos price), owner rating (4.7 from 325, 94% recommend), specifications, review summary and two owner quotes.
- Philips UK: 5400 Series EP5446/70: Specifications, including the 15-second LatteGo rinse claim and four user profiles.
- TechRadar: Philips 5400 LatteGo review: Expert verdict and quote, 79 dBA grinding noise, £679.99 list price and the setup issue with the filter.
- Homes & Gardens: Philips 5400 review: Expert view of coffee quality and ease of use.
- Which?: Philips LatteGo 5400 EP5446/70: Background on the 5400; full test results are behind a paywall and were not used.
- Argos: De'Longhi Magnifica Start ECAM22022GB: Price (£269.99) and owner rating (4.6 from 399, 93% recommend).
- De'Longhi UK: Magnifica Start ECAM220.22.GB: Specifications, including 13 grinder settings and the manual steam wand.
- The Guardian: De'Longhi Magnifica Start review: Expert verdict and the second-opinion quote; this review covers the ECAM220.60 version with one-touch milk.
- Argos: De'Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55.B: Product listing for the Rivelia.
- Amazon UK: De'Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55.B: Price (£599), owner rating (4.3 from 694 ratings) and share of one-star reviews.
- Coffee Blog: De'Longhi Rivelia review: Expert view that milk drinks from the Rivelia are not very hot.
- Argos: Siemens EQ6 TE651209GB: Price (£448.99) and owner rating (4.6 from 271, 89% recommend).
- Siemens UK: TE651209GB: Specifications, £999 list price and milk-system details.
- Tech Advisor: Siemens EQ.6 Plus s100 review: Expert verdict: competent and reliable, with great-tasting espresso.
- Amazon UK: Melitta Purista F230-102: Owner rating (4.1 from 1,730), 12% one-star share and Amazon’s reliability summary.
- Argos: Melitta Purista F230-102: Argos recommend rate (78%) from a small number of reviews.
- Currys: Melitta Purista F230-102: Price (£279) and more positive Currys owner reviews.
- Which?: Melitta Purista F230-102: Background on the Purista; full test results are behind a paywall and were not used.
- The Guardian: nine best bean-to-cup coffee machines (April 2026): Magnifica Start named best overall and best on a budget; Rivelia best under £1,000.
- Tesco: Lavazza coffee beans 1 kg: Lavazza Crema e Gusto beans at £18.50 per kg, used for the cost per cup.
- Tesco: semi-skimmed milk: Semi-skimmed milk at £1.75 for 4 pints (77p a litre).
- Philips UK: AquaClean filter CA6903/10: Filter price (£12.99), up to 625 cups per filter and up to 5,000 cups without descaling.
- Amazon UK: Philips AquaClean filter: Philips’s advice to replace the filter every three months, and an owner report of a filter lasting about four months.
- Philips UK: espresso machine descaler CA6700/10: Descaler price (£8.49) and compatibility with the 5400 series.
- Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026: Electricity unit rate of 26.32p per kWh used for running costs.
Prices, owner ratings and review counts were taken from Argos, Amazon UK, Currys and the brand sites on 9 November 2026. Ratings are shown with their source and review count, and we read the written reviews rather than relying on the stars alone; Argos says its reviewers are entered into a prize draw and some reviews are collected on brand sites. Bean, milk and consumable prices come from Tesco and Philips UK on the same date.
Expert evidence came from TechRadar, Homes & Gardens, The Guardian (its April 2026 roundup and October 2026 Magnifica Start review), Tech Advisor, Coffee Blog and the public parts of Which?’s reviews. Electricity costs use Ofgem’s announced price cap for October to December 2026.
No manufacturer or retailer supplied machines, paid for inclusion or saw this guide before publication.
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