Australia’s most reliable coffee machine brands

The annual CHOICE reliability survey asks thousands of members about the coffee machines they own, what they think of them and how they’ve held up over time.

More than 3600 coffee machine owners participated in our 2019 reliability survey. The information they provided gives us a really good indication of how various capsule, manual, semi-automatic and automatic brands stack up over time – something we can’t test in our labs.

The top performers

• Most reliable brand: Aldi Expressi
• Highest owner satisfaction: Breville (auto/manual), DeLonghi (auto/manual), Sunbeam (auto/manual), Nespresso (Breville/DeLonghi) and Aldi Expressi.

What we found

• Of the people who bought an espresso machine in the last 8 years, 65% have never experienced an issue.
• Capsule (pod) coffee machines are more reliable than manual, semi-automatic or automatic machines.
• Some owners of Aldi machines express concern that the pods are not recyclable.
• Owners of Nespresso machines (made by DeLonghi and Breville) say they had a good service experience when things go wrong.
• The main problems people have with their coffee machines include water leakage, the capsule getting stuck or poor milk frothing.

How we get the data

We calculate a brand’s reliability score and owner rating based on our survey of 3626 CHOICE members in 2019. For reliability and satisfaction we looked at a 8 year purchase period between 2011 and 2018.

About the scores

Reliability

Reliability figures are based on owner assessment, not test data. We use the data we collect from members to rate the most popular brands for reliability. We take into account the age of the products so we can compare fairly between brands.

Owner satisfaction

We asked owners to tell us what they thought of the products they own, rating them from excellent to terrible. We’ve used this information to give each brand an owner satisfaction rating so you can see what people who use the brand day in, day out think of them.

Ready to buy?

Get expert analysis and test data in our home espresso machine reviews.

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Kim Gilmour

Kim Gilmour is a Senior project officer. She manages a range of product tests such as coffee machines, stick vacuums, bassinets, high chairs and ovens, which are all tested in our in-house labs. Kim’s work gives people access to robust, independent advice and helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases. Her work also helps to keep manufacturers in check, by regularly exposing product flaws which can result in better and safer products. Prior to CHOICE, Kim spent 16 years working as a technology journalist in Sydney and London. With several years as a senior researcher/writer at our UK sister organisation, Which? Kim has authored how-to technology books such as Spotify for Dummies and Digital Photography for the Older and Wiser. Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from Charles Sturt University. LinkedIn

Kim Gilmour is a Senior project officer. She manages a range of product tests such as coffee machines, stick vacuums, bassinets, high chairs and ovens, which are all tested in our in-house labs. Kim’s work gives people access to robust, independent advice and helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases. Her work also helps to keep manufacturers in check, by regularly exposing product flaws which can result in better and safer products. Prior to CHOICE, Kim spent 16 years working as a technology journalist in Sydney and London. With several years as a senior researcher/writer at our UK sister organisation, Which? Kim has authored how-to technology books such as Spotify for Dummies and Digital Photography for the Older and Wiser. Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from Charles Sturt University. LinkedIn