De'Longhi Magnifica Evo Automatic Espresso Machine, Milk Frother, Silver

Why it's worth it

The Magnifica Evo grinds, brews and froths on its own, with seven one-touch drinks including a genuinely good iced coffee. You give up some control over the shot, but you get a cappuccino in about a minute without ever touching a tamper.

Some mornings you want a drink, not a project. Press cappuccino and the Magnifica Evo grinds fresh beans, pulls the shot and textures milk from the LatteCrema carafe while you're looking for your keys. The carafe goes straight into the fridge afterward, so you're not pouring leftover milk down the sink or rinsing a pitcher before you've had any caffeine.

The grinder is the real reason to pick this over a pod machine. Thirteen settings and a conical burr mean you're buying whole beans from whoever roasts near you, not capsules from one company. Owners consistently mention the freshly-ground taste as the first thing they noticed. Tom's Guide calculated that a two-latte-a-day household swapping café drinks for this machine pays it off in roughly three months.

From our review of 7 home espresso and matcha machines, by Laura Cole, Lifestyle Editor

What we like

• +Some mornings you want a drink, not a project
• +The grinder is the real reason to pick this over a pod machine
• +The Over Ice setting is more useful than it sounds
• +Compared with a semi-automatic, the shots are good rather than great

What to know

• –The milk system is the weak link
• –It's also a wide, deep unit — around 17 inches front to back — and it wants clearance above for the bean hopper lid