Best Home Latte Machine

Since a latte is just an espresso mixed with steamed milk you can technically make a latte with any espresso machine that has a steam wand or milk frother.

In this roundup of the best home latte machines I’m only going to include espresso makers that allow you to steam milk hands-free as a latte is espresso mixed with steamed milk and steaming milk is the fiddliest part of making this drink.

My recommendations are:

• Best overall: Breville Bambino Plus
• Best budget: Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista
• Best for beginners: Delonghi Magnifica Evo
• Best for iced lattes: Delonghi Eletta Explore
• Best if money were no object: Breville Oracle Touch

Top Picks

Best Overall: Breville Bambino Plus

Latte Quality

The Breville Bambino Plus can make a coffee shop quality latte hands-free. You can also make latte art with the machine if you use its steam wand manually.

The Bambino Plus’s latte quality is exemplified by this video where a barista makes a better quality latte with the Breville Bambino (Bambino Plus’s direct downgrade) than someone with a $30,000 commercial espresso machine.

Even if you’re not a barista, you can still make a latte that you’d happily drink in a coffee shop with the Bambino Plus. The majority of the Bambino Plus’s users say that setting its automatic steam wand to its middle texture and temperature gives them the best latte.

You can make latte art with the Bambino Plus, but you’re going to have to use its steam wand in manual mode to do this. Its automatic milk steaming won’t quite give you the uniformity in milk texture that’s required to pour latte art.

Latte Quality Rating: 9/10

Drink Customizability

The Breville Bambino Plus gives you three automatic milk textures and temperatures. You can also have infinite control over how you make your latte if you use the machine in manual mode.

The Bambino Plus will always produce the same 60 ml quantity of espresso so your latte’s strength is wholly determined by the quantity of milk that you choose to steam.

Bambino Plus users who drink a latte every day tend to use the machine’s steam wand in manual mode to give them the best possible control over their milk’s texture.

If you have a good quality grinder and can steam milk, you really do have infinite control over how your latte turns out. 

Admittedly, the Bambino Plus has fewer automatic customization options than other latte machines.

Drink Customizability: 8/10

Ease of Use and Cleaning

The Breville Bambino Plus requires you to pull your espresso shot manually, although its steam wand is easier to keep clean than a milk frother.

The most annoying part of pulling an espresso shot manually is loading up and cleaning out your portafilter. This has a high mess potential, especially if you’re brewing with pre-ground coffee as grounds can get everywhere.

I think an automatic steam wand is a lower-effort option than a milk frother. A milk frother needs to be taken apart and cleaned, whereas, with a steam wand, you just need to blow out a bit of steam and give it a wipe.

So even though the Bambino Plus is slightly more effort to use than a super-automatic espresso machine, it is slightly easier to keep clean.

Ease of Use and Cleaning: 8/10

Design and Durability

The Breville Bambino Plus is well-designed and ergonomic, although it’s not the most durable espresso machine.

The Breville Bambino Plus rarely lasts longer than five years of consistent use. This is because its thermojet heating element often burns out after this amount of brewing and it cannot be replaced.

If you’re content with this, then you shouldn’t have any other problems with the Bambino Plus from a design standpoint.

Design and Durability: 7/10

Value for Money

The Breville Bambino Plus offers excellent value for money if you use its automatic steam wand.

It’s the most affordable espresso machine that can produce cafe-quality latte without you needing to learn how to steam milk.

If you want to make an excellent latte at home without fiddling around with steaming milk then it’s an absolute bargain.

Value for Money Rating: 10/10

Breville Bambino Plus Pros

Can make a coffee shop quality latte with no manual steaming.

Capable of producing latte art.

Compact so perfect for a crowded kitchen

Breville Bambino Plus Cons

Lacks durability – unlikely to last you more than 4-5 years.

If you want to learn how to steam milk, you can save some money by getting the Breville Bambino, which is just the Bambino Plus without the steam wand automation. 

You can find out more about how these two espresso machines compare in my article on Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus.

Budget Pick: Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista

Latte Quality

A Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista can make a passable latte. In all honesty, I’d be disappointed if I got it in a coffee shop.

The machine doesn’t produce very foamy textured milk. The lattes it makes are better described as “coffee with hot milk” rather than a traditional latte.

Still, if you’re not too fussy about having a perfectly textured latte and just want a hot, milky coffee without going through the effort of heating your milk yourself then the Cafe Barista will work for you.

Latte Quality Rating: 4/10

Drink Customizability

The Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista offers you two automatic sizes: 12 oz and 15 oz.

You don’t get much customizability beyond these two sizes.

While you can technically adjust its milk frother’s texture, this adjustment dial simply opens and closes a valve, so it only really gives you two options: a thinner texture for a latte and a thicker texture meant for a cappuccino.

Drink Customizability Rating: 5/10

Ease of Use and Cleaning

While the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista does have a dedicated latte button, it still requires you to dose up a portafilter before you brew your latte.

The latte button simply has the machine automatically steam either 10 oz or 13 oz of milk. 

You still need to prepare your espresso shot manually with a portafilter.

The machine’s milk frother is self-cleaning. You need to fill it up with hot soapy water and have it run a cleaning cycle, and then have it run another cycle with just water to rinse it out.

This is way more time-consuming than wiping down a steam wand, making the Mr. Coffee more effort to make a latte with than the Bambino Plus.

Ease of Use and Cleaning: 6/10

Design and Durability

The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista feels cheap and flimsy, however, Mr. Coffee’s products are known for their durability.

The machine’s cheap exterior has much more of a negative effect on its usability rather than its durability. 

Things like locking in its portafilter and filling up its milk carafe just aren’t going to feel nice.

However, the machine’s simple heating mechanism means that it will likely last longer than the Breville Bambino Plus. Mr. Coffee’s coffee machines are a regular on r/buyitforlife, a subreddit dedicated to durable hardware. 

You can find two threads dedicated to it here and here (neither is this exact model, however).

Design and Durability: 6/10

Value for Money

The Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista offers good value for money if you’re not too fussed about drinking perfect lattes.

It’s the cheapest espresso machine featured in this article by a long way and offers a good level of reliability and durability to boot.

Its main weakness is its milk texture quality, but if you’re happy with a hot milky coffee rather than a perfect microfoam then it’s a good purchase.

Value for Money Rating: 8/10

Mr. Coffee Café Barista Pros

One of the most affordable espresso machines with reliable milk steaming.

Durable, especially given its low price tag.

Mr. Coffee Café Barista Cons

Doesn’t make anywhere near coffee shop quality lattes.

You need to dose up and clean out a portafilter after every latte.

You’re restricted to two latte sizes.

Best for Beginners: Delonghi Magnifica Evo

Latte Quality

The Delonghi Magnifica EVo can make a good, but not quite cafe quality, latte.

Since it uses a milk frother, rather than a steam wand, you’re not going to get a silky and uniformly textured latte, but you’re not going to get something terrible either

Its lattes are a step up from the Mr Coffee and are good enough for most people, including those who are used to drinking a lot of lattes out.

Coffee snobs might be left unimpressed by the Delonghi Magnifica Evo’s lattes, however.

Latte Quality Rating: 7/10

Drink Customizability

The Delonghi Magnifica Evo lets you adjust your latte’s strength and milk volume. It can only froth milk to one texture.

You make a latte with the Magnfica Evo by pressing the “my latte” button, this will then brew an espresso and then dispense milk. You press the “my latte” button again to stop the milk dispensing.

This gives you total control over how milky you want your latte to be. 

Only having one available milk texture is disappointing, however, machines that give you multiple textures start at $1,500, which is about twice the price of the Magnifica Evo.

Drink Customizability Rating: 8/10

Ease of Use and Cleaning

The Delonghi Magnifica Evo can make a latte at the touch of a button and requires next to no cleanup afterward.

Since the machine doses and tamps your ground coffee internally you don’t need to have to mess around with a portafilter to make a latte.

Just fill the machine up with milk, water, and whole coffee beans and brew away. 

The Delonghi Magnifica Evo will automatically run cleaning cycles after you make your latte. All you then need to do is remove its milk carafe, take it apart (it comes apart in three pieces easily) and put it in the dishwasher.

The machine’s milk system does use a rubber tube which will need replacing every few weeks.

Ease of Use and Cleaning: 9/10

Design and Durability

While the Delonghi Magnifica Evo is not a buy-it-for-life product. You can reasonably expect it to last for around 3-5 years.

The Magnifica Evo uses a similar heating system to the Breville Bambino Plus. These tend to deteriorate after several years of consistent use and cannot be easily replaced.

In fairness to the Magnifica Evo, all super-automatic espresso machines use this heating system so will deteriorate in this way. The Magnficia Evo being one of the most affordable super automatics makes this relatively short lifespan less annoying.

Design and Durability Rating: 7/10

Value for Money

The Delonghi Magnifica Evo is the most affordable super-automatic espresso machine that has a dedicated latte functionality.

It’s significantly cheaper than machines with similar functionalities from Jura and Philips.

Value for Money Rating: 9/10

Delonghi Magnifica Evo Pros

Can make a latte at the touch of a button.

Affordable by super automatic espresso machine standards.

Delonghi Magnifica Evo Cons

Its lattes are not as good as what you’d get from a machine with a steam wand.

If you’d like to find out more about this machine then check out my Phillips 3200 LatteGo review.

Best For Iced Lattes: Delonghi Eletta Explore

Latte Quality

The Delonghi Eletta Explore makes a good, but not outstanding, latte.

The machine uses an automatic milk frother, so you’re not going to get the consistent and silky texture that you can get with a steam wand.

Much like the Magnifica Evo, the Delonghi Eletta Explore’s lattes should be good enough for most coffee drinkers, with only espresso snobs likely to take exception to it.

Latte Quality Rating: 7/10

Drink Customizability

The Delonghi Eletta Explore gives you four automatic strength and five automatic size settings. It also allows you to make iced lattes, which no other machine featured here does.

Its iced lattes will come out of your machine at slightly above room temperature. This means that you can brew it straight onto ice cubes without it all melting into a watery mess.

This iced latte functionality is the Eletta Explore’s calling card. I’d only recommend buying the machine if you’re going to make full use of this feature. 

Other than that it has a similar level of customizability to the much more affordable Philips 3200 LatteGo.

Drink Customizability Rating: 9/10

Ease of Use and Cleaning

The Delonghi Eletta Explore can make a latte at the touch of a button and requires minimal cleanup afterward.

Its workflow is very similar to the Philips 3200 LatteGo – ideal if you cannot be bothered learning the finer details of espresso brewing and milk steaming.

The Delonghi Eletta Explore will automatically run a rinse cycle after you make your latte (remember to put a cup under its spout to avoid potentially flooding your drip tray). 

Its milk container is removable and dishwasher safe.

Ease of Use and Cleaning Rating: 9/10

Design and Durability

While the Delonghi Eletta Explore is not a buy-it-for-life product it does feel luxurious to use.

Its touch screen is fluid and responsive. Its exterior build also feels more solid than the Magnifica Evo, even if it’s still largely made of plastic.

The Delonghi Eletta Explore uses a thermoblock heating system (like the Magnifica Evo and similar to the Breville Bambino Plus) so it will likely burn out after five or so years of regular use.

Design and Durability Rating: 8/10

Value for Money

The Delonghi Eletta Explore is only a good deal if you’re going to be using its iced latte feature regularly.

The only other espresso machine I know that does this is the Jura Z10, and that’s nearly double the price of the Eletta Explore.

Still, if you’re not going to be making iced lattes, then you can get similar machines minus this function for significantly less money (the Delonghi Magnifica Evo for example).

Value for Money Rating: 7/10

Delonghi Eletta Explore Pros

Can make iced lattes at the touch of a button.

Has a huge menu selection.

Delonghi Eletta Explore Cons

You’re overpaying if you don’t use its cold foam feature.

Best Regardless of Price: Breville Oracle Touch

Latte Quality

The Breville Oracle Touch can make coffee shop-quality lattes.

Much like with the Bambino Plus, you can make a very good latte without needing to steam your milk manually, but you’ll need to steam milk manually if you want to make latte art.

The Oracle Touch’s powerful steam wand means it can make a slightly better latte than the Bambino Plus, but it’s really fine margins here.

Latte Quality Rating: 10/10

Drink Customizability

The Breville Oracle Touch gives you complete control over your latte’s texture and temperature with its touch screen.

You control your latte’s strength and size manually based on how much espresso you brew and milk you steam.

This strikes the perfect balance between granularity and ease of customization.

It does not have the Eletta Explore’s cold foam functionality.

Drink Customizability Rating: 9/10

Ease of Use and Cleaning

The Breville Oracle Touch automates nearly every aspect of your espresso brewing and milk steaming. All you have to do is knock your ground coffee puck out of your portafilter when you’re done.

I think that this gives the machine an easier workflow than a super automatic espresso machine as you don’t have to worry about rinse cycles overflowing your drip tray or cleaning out a dregs drawer.

Plus a steam wand is much easier to keep clean than a milk frother.

Ease of Use and Cleaning Rating: 10/10

Design and Durability

All the Breville Oracle Touch’s components are well thought out and made.

Its touch screen is a particular highlight in both its responsiveness and just how well laid out it is.

The Oracle Touch uses a double boiler heating system, rather than a thermojet. This means that it is far more durable than the Breville Bambino Plus, and all the other machines featured here (except for the Mr Coffee).

I think that the Oracle Touch’s touch screen prevents it from being a buy-it-for-life product (touch screens will never last forever).

Design and Durability Rating: 9/10

Value for Money

Even though the Oracle Touch is an incredible latte machine, I still don’t think it offers amazing value for money.

If I’m spending this much I’d want a machine that I could easily open up and repair if anything goes wrong.

You can’t do this with the Oracle Touch, meaning that the machine doesn’t have the longevity to make it a good value-for-money purchase given its price tag.

Value for Money Rating: 6/10

Breville Oracle Touch Pros

You can make coffee shop quality latte at the touch of a button.

Near infinite control over your lattes.

Has an amazing user interface (even by touch screen standards).

Breville Oracle Touch Cons

Very expensive, especially given that it’s not a buy it for life product.

What to Ask Yourself When Buying a Home Latte Machine?

Here’s what to ask yourself when buying a latte machine.

What is My Budget?

Latte machines range from around $200 – $2,000+. You generally get the best value for money at around $450 – $750 mark.

More money will generally get you:

• An easier workflow: Super-automatic espresso machines that allow you to make a latte at the touch of a button tend to be more expensive than semi-automatic espresso machines that require you to dose and tamp your ground coffee puck.

• More automatic customizations: A machine with ten milk texture settings will be more expensive than one with three milk texture settings, for example.

• A better user interface: You’ll pay a premium for a touch screen or digital display screen compared to buttons.

Paying more for your latte machine does NOT guarantee that it can make a better latte.

You’ll get a better latte from a traditional espresso machine with a portafilter and steam wand (the Breville Bambino Plus for instance) than from a super-automatic espresso machine regardless of price.

The best value-for-money latte machine is the Breville Bambino Plus.

Do I Want to Learn How to Make Espresso?

If you’re willing to learn how to brew the espresso part of your latte manually then you can pay relatively less for a better-performing latte maker.

I don’t think pulling shots manually with any of the three portafilter-driven espresso machines featured in this article (Breville Bambino Plus, Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista, and Breville Oracle Touch) is particularly difficult.

All three espresso machines come with pressurized portafilter baskets which massively reduces the negative impact of poor tamping technique or brewing with pre-ground coffee.

The main annoyance with pulling espresso shots manually is that you need to knock out your espresso puck and clean out your portafilter after every shot. 

You have a bit of extra convenience here with super automatics, but at an additional monetary cost and at the expense of drink quality.

The table below shows whether each machine featured in this article requires you to pull your espresso shot manually:

The lowest-effort latte machine is the Delonghi Magnifica Evo.

Do I Want to Make Iced Lattes?

You should get the Delonghi Eletta Explore if you want to make iced lattes.

The Eletta Explore is the only latte maker that can produce cold milk foam. While this foam isn’t icy cold in itself (it’s slightly warmer than room temperature), it’s cool enough that you can pour it over ice without all your ice melting.

While the Breville Oracle Touch can steam milk to a minimum temperature of 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius). This is still a fair bit warmer than the Eletta Explore’s cold foam

The Oracle Touch is also around $1,000 more expensive than the Delonghi Eletta Explore, so I think if you’re buying a latte maker predominantly for iced lattes you’d get much better value with the Delonghi.

The table below shows if the latte makers featured in this article are good to make iced lattes with:

Latte Customizability: Precision vs Ease

Espresso machines with portafilters and steam wands give you more precision when adjusting your latte’s strength and texture, whereas super automatics focus on making these changes as easy as possible.

Both the Breville Bambino Plus and Oracle Touch’s steam wands can be used manually. This gives you unlimited control over your latte’s texture but everything is dependent on your steam wand technique. This takes practice to master.

Super-automatic machines allow you to adjust your latte’s strength and texture just by pressing a button, however, you’re restricted by the number of settings it has.

So you have to ask yourself do you care more about perfection or convenience?

The table below shows whether the latte makers featured in this article focus more on creating the perfect latte or on being as convenient to use as possible.

Do You Want to Be Able to Make Latte Art?

You’ll need an espresso machine with a steam wand (rather than a milk frother) if you want to make latte art.

You’ll want to use the Breville Bambino Plus and Oracle Touch’s steam wand in manual mode if you want to make the silky microfoam needed for latte art.

You can sometimes do it in automatic mode, but your results won’t be consistent. There’s every chance you’ll be trying to impress a guest with that lotus you made yesterday, and instead get nothing but a blob…

The table below shows whether each of the machines featured in this article is capable of making latte art or not:

The best home latte machine for latte art is the Breville Oracle Touch.

Best Home Latte Machine: Final Thoughts

The best home latte machine is the Breville Bambino Plus as it allows you to brew a coffee shop-quality latte without needing to learn how to use a steam wand.

If you’d like a grinder to pair with your latte machine then check out my roundup of the best espresso grinders.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some questions that people looking to buy the best home latte machine often ask.