A few key differences between the Bambino Plus and the original Bambino are automatic milk texturing, App based technology and PID.

We liked having the pressure gauge during the initial setup process, the correct pressure range is very clearly marked and it’s a helpful indicator that you can watch as your espresso pours, to see whether it’s being extracted at the correct pressure. The manual then advises what adjustments you’ll need to make to correct an under or over extracted espresso, which is usually either the grind size or the amount of pressure you use when tamping. Like the Kitchen Aid, the positioning of the display means you would have to have your machine a certain way round, which might not be the best use of space, but if you’ve invested in something like this, there’s every chance you’ll be giving it pride of place in your kitchen. The point is that you can make as much or as little as you want and the thermal jug that the coffee is delivered into will keep your coffee hot for a good 1 to 1.5 hours. How on earth do you justify spending that kind of money on a machine that essentially just pours water on top of ground coffee and lets it naturally pass through the grounds and into your pot?

If you need a machine that can grind, brew and steam all in one, then you likely won't do better for the price than the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup. While we're not suggesting it's cheap, it is a good price for the combination of functions it has.

It really does offer unparalleled customisation for the coffee connoisseur or if you just want a great cup of coffee without any messing about then select “gold” to choose the default that Sage have created for you. Delonghi are the runaway market leaders and have a huge range to choose from so if you want something as close as possible to a coffee shop coffee but without the hassle you can go straight to the best bean to cup coffee machines. On the flip side you can make as little as 200ml if you wish which is enough for 1 to 2 cups depending on the size of your cups.We fell in love with this filter coffee machine from KitchenAid the moment we saw it. It's a very neat, simple design which is available in a suite of colours to match the best stand mixer. However, it's surprisingly large and will take up space in the kitchen, so beware before you buy.