The 9 Best Luxury Coffee Makers 2024 — Perfect Coffee From Machines You'll Be Proud to Display on your Counter

Coffee is one of life's purest pleasures. That's why investing in a luxury coffee maker is worth every dollar. Designed to make a true style statement, these premium machines offer so much more than delicious coffee. They're unparalleled in craft, function, innovation.

As a former barista, I know how important it is to invest in the best coffee makers on the market. I've tested all of the machines in this guide to make sure their speciality coffee is the best of the best. 

Designed by market-leading experts at De'Longhi, Breville, Moccamaster, and Smeg, these coffee makers were made to be admired. They all offer true opulence, enhancing your countertop style with chic colors, stainless steel, and chrome finishes as well as craft coffee to rival your favorite barista's.

The Quick List

If you're looking for quick introduction to the lavish landscape of luxury coffee makers, look no further. Here are the headlines. If you want to find out more, we go deep into detail further down.

The best luxury coffee makers

1. The best luxury coffee maker overall

It doesn't get more specialist than De'Longhi's Eletta explore. Some say it's excessive, but that's just another word for indulgent. I love it.

The sleek silhouette of the Eletta Explore is classic De'Longhi. This is available in lots of different finishes and even the most simple, brushed stainless steel one looks fantastic. It comes with easy-to-store cold and hot milk texturing carafes as well as a spacious travel coffee mug and lots of De'Longhi gadgets. 

The Eletta Explore offers over 52 different coffees across an incredibly intuitive, swipeable smart screen. The touch screen talks you though everything from setting up, to troubleshooting. It doesn't really need to talk to you about maintenance, because this has it covered. It's really flawless. 

A few taps will have a freshly ground, expertly extracted, silky coffee ready, at the tips of your fingers. Whilst it tackles the classics (espresso, Americano, cappuccino), there are also some truly unique and yet absolutely perfect options available, including cold brew. Cold brew should take 24 hours to make, not just two and a half minutes. You'd hardly know the difference taste-wise though.

As you might expect, a machine that could replace any decent barista, this is relatively expensive. It's certainly an investment, but I trust De'Longhi with my money. They care about quality. Some people find all the extras a little unnecessary, but when you're paying $1,800, I think they're justified.

One final thing to note is that this is quite big. It's not too tall to fit under wall cabinets. I had the pleasure of using this for one of our 'extended tests', so I had it in my urban apartment for a few months. Whilst it did demand a lot of space, it could slot under the wall cabinets and tuck neatly into a corner. 

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2. The best luxury filter coffee maker

It’s hard to be the most luxurious drip coffee maker in such a saturated market. Drip coffee is, after all, the nation’s favorite brew. Year after year, Moccamaster’s Technivorm KGBV Select defends its position as the best of the best. There are so many reasons why, but here are a few.

First of all, the KGBV Select has unrivalled aesthetics. The retro, boxy design is available in a vast range of color options. You can choose minimalist monochromes, space-age shines, and pops or color. It both looks and feels as well-made as it is. This is repairable for life, so it’s an investment that you know will stick.

When it comes to coffee, this is equally stellar. The KGBV Select doesn’t have an integrated grinder, but not many drip coffee makers do. What it does have is a stainless steel, reusable filter, range of brewing options, and expert temperature control. Our experts made everything from one cup to ten and were seriously impressed with the consistently smooth coffee the KGBV Select brewed.

Everything from setting up to cleaning up is close to effortless. In fact, the only fault our experts have with the KGBV Select is that it will only keep coffee warm for 100 minutes. Professionals will tell you that you shouldn’t exceed this time anyway: your coffee will taste stale and burnt, but we know how much people love a hot pot to sip from all day long.

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3. The best luxury automatic coffee maker

De'Longhi's lastest automatic coffee maker is really, truly excellent. They've designed it with busy homes in mind, offering tailored profiles for every coffee drinker. The Rivelia is smart: it will learn your drinking patterns and preferences, suggesting the coffees you enjoy at specific times of the day to you. It's like having a live-in barista, but without all the faff.

On the countertop, this cuts a sleek and stylish silhouette. It's available in a range of attractive colors, perfect for a range of kitchen interior styles. I love it. This is a little wider than other models, but that means it's also relatively low, so it should be able to sit under wall cupboards and in tight spaces -- just make sure to keep space for it.

In terms of coffee making, this is excellent. There are plenty of adjustable features, which are really sensitive. If you know exactly how you like your coffee, you can tell the Rivelia and it will deliver on flavors, consistently. I tried everything from the espresso to the 'over ice' settings and was impressed at how well extracted and bold my flavors were. Even when I used plant-based milks, the Rivelia didn't over froth or burn my milk.

De'Longhi provides a spare bean hopper too. This means you can switch up your beans when you want to drink some different flavors. You'll need somewhere safe to store your spare hopper when it's not in use, but its that kind of luxury touch which puts De'Longhi's automatic coffee maker ahead of the Philips 3200, for example.

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4. The best luxury espresso machine

As a former barista, when I saw La Specialista Maestro, I knew it was love at first sight. This looks like a serious, specialist machine. The dials and stainless steel really glisten. I have this on my countertop and without fail, it's the first thing people comment on when they come into my kitchen. It's a piece which provokes a lot of interest.

Espresso machines can get very technical. La Specialiasta Maestro has the capacity to entertain a specialist barista for hours, but it's not exclusive. There are lots of safeguards which make this easy for a beginner to dive into. For example, tamping causes a lot of variability in coffee flavors, so La Specialista Maestro has an auto tamp. You still need to pull it, but this will regulate the pressure you're putting on your coffee grounds, ensuring that your coffee flavors are always consistent.

There's a neat dial which walks you through a considerable range of coffee types, making sure you know what you're doing when it comes to everything from cappuccino to cold brew. That's right. This is an espresso machine which can make cold brew too. I've never seen that feature on an espresso machine before and I think it will be a little while before the other brands catch up, The cold brew is good, not as smooth as a 24 hour specialist brew, but it's decent (better than most coffee shops'). 

The steam wand requires you to know a little more than the average person about texturing milk. Once you've mastered the angles and air introduction, you'll have no trouble texturing silky milk. It just might take a little practice. There's also no escaping that this is an expensive machine. At over $1,000 it's by far the most expensive espresso machine on the market. Technically and taste-wise, the Breville Barista Pro is still pretty good. It doesn't have as many automated features, but it will still do a good job and look stylish whilst doing it too.

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5. The best luxury single-serve machine

You might have seen some sultry videos of David Beckham and his coffee maker and wondered what it's like to drink the same coffee as the celebrities. The answer lies in the Vertuo Creatista: it's the one Mr. Beckham uses himself. 

This is a style sensation. Crafted from shiny, stainless steel, the Vertuo Creatista is luxurious and technically competent. It takes all the aspects of Nespresso's speedy, single-serve machines and combines them with Breville's milk-texturing expertise. Across both dairy and plant-based milks, the Vertuo Creatista has more than delivered for both style and substance.

This looks like it should be ultra-techy, but it offers all the convenience of single-serve, pod machines. All you have to do is load a pod into the dispenser and you can enjoy flawless coffee. The oat milk did get a little hot, but you can stop the milk frother from heating if you want to be careful. 

It's also worth noting that this is only compatible with Nespresso's Vertuo pods. You can't use any other lines or varieties, so will need to stick to Vertuo flavors. This is limiting, but Nespresso makes 30 different types of pods and they bring out seasonal, limited edition flavors too.

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6. The best designer coffee machine

When an iconic fashion house teamed up with the best moka pot maker on the market, it seemed almost too good to be true. The Dolce & Gabbana and Bialetti collaboration is completely irresistible. Even if you don't drink coffee, this moka pot makes a true style statement.

Dolce & Gabbana have been part of lots of collaborations. In fact, I'm a little bit obsessed with their Meditteraneo Smeg line, but I think this bright moka pot will stand the test of time. Also, it's not often that moka pots get a make over, so that makes this one extra special.

The vibrant red patterns are a tribute to Sicily. I was worried that they might look a little garish, but as soon as I took this out of the box, I knew it would work almost anywhere. It's eye catching, but tasteful.

In true Bialetti style, it makes a great cup of coffee. I made three cups of delicious fresh coffee. It was strong, smooth and chocolatey. Our experts tried a range of the coffees and particularly loved the co-ordinating Dolce & Gabbana coffee beans, which have chocolate and cinnamon notes.

The only reason I wouldn't invest in this is if you live in a large home, so need more than six cups of coffee at once. It also can, obviously, only make black coffee, so if you're looking to recreate a barista-style service at home, you'll at least need to invest in a milk frother.

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7. The best luxury coffee maker for beginners

Smeg makes some beautiful, luxurious coffee makers, including the Dolce and Gabbana Mediterraneo one (perfect for chic compact spaces). However, their latest model is, without a doubt, their greatest coffee achievement. It's one of the most beautiful espresso machines in the market.

The style of this coffee maker is signature Smeg. Whether you opt for a retro red or more subtle shade of cream or black, this is kitted out with shiny chrome, curved edges. It's large, but this is a machine that's been designed with admiring eyes in mind. It's the show off in the espresso machine industry.

Even if you're a beginner, I don't think you'd struggle to make good coffee in the Smeg. Most espresso machines come with some complexities, but this is made for beginners. You simply have to push a few buttons to get through the entire bean-to-cup process. The most involved aspect is steaming milk, which you will need to turn off by hand, but that's hardly daunting. 

I made some good coffee in the Smeg, easily switching between grind settings and coffee types. I thought this struggled a little when I wanted to extract the citrus notes from my coffees, but they're notoriously difficult to balance. For a good cup of coffee, this is more than competent. 

My only word of warning would be that the shiny finishes require more maintenance than other machines. I'd recommend keeping a microfiber cloth nearby, so you can polish away the odd splash of espresso or finger mark. As I said, this machine is a show off. It has standards to maintain.

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8. The best luxury coffee maker for experts

We know, this is stunning. It’s one serious piece of stainless steel kit. However, before we all go gooey-eyed over it, you need to know, this is tough to use. Manual espresso machines cater to a dedicated coffee audience. If you’re willing to read up about coffee, spend fifteen minutes on crafting the perfect espresso, and then sip it slowly, this will be a dream come true. If you’re impatient with even your work’s coffee machine, this isn’t for you. 

I’ll start with first impressions of La Pavoni. It looks like it has just come from an (incredibly chic and Italian) science laboratory. There’s shiny stainless steel, retro dials, and heavy levers everywhere. It’s an eye catching espresso machine to say the least. Dedicate a countertop space to it, style a coffee bar around it, don’t hide it away. This is a machine designed with a little bit of intimidation and a lot of admiration in mind. Once you get the hang of all the controls (you’ll need to read up and watch a few videos in advance) you will be able to brew a very rewarding and incredibly delicious espresso in this. I wouldn’t say it’s better than other espresso machines that I’ve tested, but it’s certainly one of the best. 

As opposed to most other manual espresso machines, this boils its own water. That means you don’t need a high tech kettle and you also won’t need a milk frother. This builds up enough pressure to steam your own milk. Again, you’ll need to practice some texturing expertise before you’re making drinks to rival your barista, but you’ll get there. 

Aside from the complexity and capacity of La Pavoni, there’s one other aspect to consider. Highly technical machines like this require a highly technical grinder. These aren’t even the best grinders on the market, they’re even better (bulkier and more expensive). You have to be really sure you’d love this to invest in both the grinder and espresso machine. Maybe test run with a reasonable, but less stunning $99 model.

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9. The best luxury French press

There's a certain European romance to French press coffee which makes it feel like a treat. I normally save mine for Sunday mornings, when I can take it slow and enjoy waiting for my grounds to steep. There's no better French press to languish in this luxury with than the Espro P7.

Crafted from double-walled stainless steel, this is a truly premium model. It comes complete with a two-stage filter and a super tight seal too. This means that it will undoubtedly make you the smoothest cup of coffee you'll ever drink from a French press. It does come with the caveat that you'll need some arm strength to fully pull the filter out when you're cleaning up, but once you're caffeinated, this will be easy.

You really get value for money with the Espro too. The tight seal makes it an excellent cold brew coffee maker too. It's smaller than dedicated models and just as good. The sips are just as smooth as with French press coffee, plus the durable, stainless steel body can keep your cold brew cold, or your normal coffee hot.

It's hard to fault such a hard working appliance. Aside from the fact that the plunger is a little hard to pull out, any criticisms over brew time and lack of versatility would be intrinsic to French press coffee more generally, so unfair to wager against the Espro (although, if you're curious, it's more time consuming and messier to clean up).

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How to choose the best luxury coffee maker for you

(Image credit: De'Longhi)

When you're looking for luxury, there's no point simply selecting based on price-tag. Sometimes, expensive machines don't deliver on the truly premium features that they should. Choosing the right luxury coffee maker for your kitchen should depend on a few factors. Here are the ones we consider:

Brew style
This will make life easy. Different coffee makers specialise in different brewing techniques. If you like a bold and acidic brew, you want a French press. If you prefer bold, bitter-sweet shots, you want an espresso machine. If you like a bit of everything, look for automatic coffee makers with the settings to match your coffee menu.

Size
Different kitchens will house different coffee makers. If you have a coffee nook, you can choose one which matches your aesthetics. If you're short on space a slimmer model which can either tuck into a cupboard or out of sight might be better than a big and boxy option.

Extra features
Every machine has its quirks and specialities, so look out for the ones you like. Some machines can froth milk, some can make cold brew. Others automate functions that you'd like to do yourself and vice versa. 

Grinder
An important feature to consider is grinders. Some machines have these integrated already, others don't. Coffee grinders are integral to a good, flavorful experience. If you already own one of the best grinders on the market, a machine with a grinder in is a waste of space and money. If not, it's a great option for clearing room on the countertop.

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How we tested these luxury coffee makers

(Image credit: Future)

At Living Etc we want to know that we're recommending you the best of the best. That's why we have a team of experts who have tested every single one of these coffee maker (and over 50 more). We make every kind of coffee in them, putting them through our series of standardized tests, so that when it comes to comparisons, we can put coffee makers head-to-head. 

Our team also makes notes on what a product is like to unbox, clean, and use in general. They'll dive deep into detail on special features, testing every aspect of a coffee maker. Then, they'll let you know everything you need to in buying guides like these. That means that when one of these arrives in your home, you know exactly what to expect — and you can be pleased with it too.

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