Best Coffee and Espresso Machine Combos

The Nespresso by Breville Vertuo is one of the best all-around combination machines. At under $150, the price point is also a great incentive for this combination machine. It’s a highly rated machine on Amazon with over 2000 reviews from satisfied customers, averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This machine uses Nespresso pods to create rich and satisfying cups of coffee. It has five different coffee cup sizes – espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, coffee, and alto. The machine includes a 40-ounce refillable water tank so you don’t have to worry about refilling the water every time you brew a cup.

Brewing is easy too, with smart machine technology that makes coffee easy to brew at the touch of a button. As per Nespresso’s technology, a centrifugal system is used to spin the water through the coffee for each cup made. And you don’t have to worry about leaving the machine off as it turns off by itself after 9 minutes of inactivity.
Additionally, there are bundles that you can buy with this machine to include a milk frother and extra packs of Nespresso pods for your enjoyment. Customers raved about the small footprint of the machine and the fact that it comes in multiple colors to be able to customize to your décor.

Most had only one caveat with the machine – that the coffee wasn’t hot enough. But this was easily remedied by others who instructed to pre-warm the machine for at least a few minutes before making a cup or to pre-warm your cup by running it under hot water.

And, of course, remember that since the Nespresso brand is originally a European company, the pods might sometimes be harder to find, especially since this machine is only compatible with the Vertuo line pods from Nespresso.

With almost the same price as the Nespresso by Breville, the De’Longhi machine is just as highly rated but not as well bought on Amazon. It’s a bit bigger than the Breville combination machine but creates the same five kinds of coffee or espresso: espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, coffee and alto.

The water tank is large, at a total of 54 ounces, and it includes a used pod container that can hold up to 13 coffee or 20 espresso pods. Just as the Breville, the De’Longhi Nespresso combination machine heats up within 15 seconds and has an automatic shut off after 9 minutes of inactivity.

Both machines only use the Vertuo coffee pods and both can have the volume of coffee made adjusted if you want more or less water. This can be done multiple times if you decide to change it after you set it the first time. The De’Longhi also comes in five different colors, the same as the Breville, to give customers the option of their preferred style.

So what is the difference between the Breville and the De’Longhi? The cup tray can be adjusted to the height of the cup so it reduces splashing on the De’Longhi, a feature that is not available with the Breville Nespresso machine unless you count removing the tray entirely to make space for a taller cup.

The De’Longhi also has a bigger water tank and a container for spent pods. The reviews commented on the great taste of coffee and its versatility. Additionally, the De’Longhi is boxier than the Breville Nespresso Vertuo which might make a difference in your style preference.

Unfortunately, just as with the Breville, it seems that the coffee is still only brewing at about 175 degrees instead of the recommended 195-205 degrees, which is expressed by some coffee aficionados to be the ideal temperature for coffee.

The most affordable combination machine on this list, the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Genio 2, uses pods as well to create the perfect cup of coffee at the push of a button. A slimmer design than the other Dolce Gusto coffee machines, the Esperta and Majesto which are also both coffee/espresso combo machines, it has a smaller footprint on your counter.

The machine uses the specialty Dolce Gusto capsules and has more than 15 different flavor varieties including Espresso, Americano, and Latte. Each drink can be made hot or cold and it’s easy to customize your brew intensity with the toggle on the front of the machine.

This machine also uses pressure to make the coffee with a total of 15 bars of pressure for extracting flavor and body from the coffee. This is not as much as commercial or professional espresso machines but it’s great for at-home and beginner espresso brewing.

This machine is the smallest on our list, weighing in at just over six pounds and has quite a small footprint on the counter, perfect for those with less space. It’s also great for single households or those with only one or two, non-regular, coffee drinkers.

Unfortunately, its small size also means that it’s not designed for a high volume of coffee per day – ideally, less than 6 cups of coffee should be made per day to keep the machine running at optimal conditions for a long period of time.

The one drawback on these machines seems to be the lack of pods. The company is very popular in Europe but has yet to fully expand to the United States, making finding pods for this machine quite difficult at times. Different flavor combinations can also be limited and hard to find.

The most expensive of the bunch, the Creatista offers single serve coffee or espresso that is just as flavorful as your favorite coffee house drinks. Able to create a variety of different coffee sizes including a Ristretto, Espresso, lungo and more. With a built-in milk frother as well, there’s nothing more that you need to create the perfect cup.
The milk frother can be programmed for 11 different temperature settings and with 8 different texture levels. Other settings on the LCD display allow you to adjust coffee volume and mixture with only a three-second heat up time.

With a relatively small footprint, the Creatista can be an easy addition to your counter space. The 1.5L tank also means that you won’t be running to fill the water tank every time you make a cup of coffee.

Made entirely of stainless steel, it’s a cinch to keep clean and clean out after every cup of coffee. The steam wand also automatically purges itself so you don’t even have to worry about that part. This whole machine works together for convenience, durability, and beauty.

The downsides to this machine are the higher price point and that it only makes single-serve cups of coffee or espresso. While this may be great for an individual coffee drinker, it would be hard to use this for entertaining, even if it is perfect just for yourself.

Customers loved the beauty of this coffee machine, easily incorporated into almost any home décor. It brews the same kind of coffee consistently once settings are adjusted to your liking. A small number of customers had issues with the water tank leaking so make sure that your machine is not leaking before the return window passes.

The Vertuo Plus builds on the Vertuo machine, introducing an all-new Alto size for coffee, bringing the total to 5 different styles of coffee that the machine can make. Just as the Vertuo, the machine uses a spinning motion to blend the coffee with water and create a custom cup of coffee that is just to your liking.

The extra-large water tank and capsule containers are also new features for the Vertuo Plus and it has also improved the design of the machine by using a combination of plastic and aluminum instead of just plastic as the original Vertuo machines are made.

The machine heats up in less than one minute, longer than some of the other machines on this list but that might not be a bad thing as it allows the cup to brew hotter. Additionally, it has a single button operation with an automatic capsule ejection once the brewing process is done.

Since it is a Nespresso machine, this will only work with the Nespresso capsules but each machine comes with a complementary set of capsules.

Customers were especially pleased about the ease of the machine and that you could turn it on, plug in the capsule then let it do its thing. The capsule automatically dispenses in the back container once the brewing process is done. The water tank is also easy to lift and fill with one hand.

The Espressione Espresso and Coffee Maker is a workhorse if there ever was one. With a medium-priced tag, the combination machine can pump out up to 10 cups of brewed coffee on one side and create delicious espresso drinks on the other.

The all stainless steel body has an electronic temperature control with buttons for programming the strength and volume of single or double espressos with ease. The entire machine has been designed for ease of use including its function of being able to use ground coffee or pods.

The drip tray under the espresso maker can be adjusted for larger or smaller cups. You can even make two espressos at once with the ‘mustache style’ outlet. To top it off, the espressos are brewed using 19 bars of pressure to ensure a smooth and strong drink.

A milk frother is also included on the espresso maker side to create drinks such as cappuccinos or lattes, to your liking. The frothing system has its own independent heating control to allow for accurate temperature of the milk as well as the espresso.

The brewed coffee is no second-rate either. The unit will stay warm for hours with the help of its warming plate and the machine uses its 1.5 liters water tank to make plenty of coffee for everyone. An automatic shut-off is programmed to stop brewing when the tank is empty.

Customers liked that the machine’s stainless steel exterior made it beautiful and were pleased with the espresso brewing. The one caveat, that might have some reconsidering, is that only one process can be undertaken at one time – brewing, espressos or frothing. For the price point, it might not be worth it if you have a lot of coffee drinkers in your household with different taste needs or wants.

The De’Longhi Combination Pump Espresso and 10c Drip Coffee Machine is similar to the Espressione but has a bit lower price point and is better at multifunctioning. One side makes authentic 15-bar espresso while the other side brews up to 10 cups of coffee in the carafe.

Both the water and coffee loading accesses are located on the front which is convenient, considering that this machine is on the larger side and would be heavy to move every time. Unlike other models though, this machine is perfect for entertaining as you have the large carafe at your disposal for brewing a lot of coffee at once.

The machine also comes with a built-in water filtration system to ensure that your cup of coffee is always untarnished. There are also a few other features that might make this machine a better choice – a warming plate is included to keep cups warm for coffee before and after brewing and there is a 24-hour timer so that you can set the machine to turn on at a specified time.

The price point is not too shabby either – considering that this machine is larger and can accommodate much higher volumes of coffee per day. Other features of the machine also save you money, such as the reusable metal filter that does away with buying disposable ones regularly.

As a complication though, it seems that some customers didn’t realize that the water reservoir under the espresso maker has to be emptied periodically but that is an easy remedy. Overall, customers gave the machine 4 out of 5 stars for its practicality, brewing volume and versatility.