The Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK is BBC Good Food’s best coffee machine under £1,000. The publication tested espresso, bean-to-cup, pod and filter machines for coffee quality, build quality, value, ease of use, assembly and packaging.
BBC Good Food tested the machines in a kitchen designed to resemble an average home kitchen. Its team says it has tested nearly 100 coffee machines over five years. The Ninja is therefore the main all-round option in this guide, while the other choices below are aimed at particular brewing styles.
| Model | Best for | Price recorded | Supported features or test result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK | All-round coffee making | £549.99 at Currys; £799.99 at Argos | BBC Good Food’s best machine under £1,000; milk frother, automatic cleaning and 9-bar pressure listed by Currys |
| De’Longhi La Specialista Touch EC9455.M | Espresso with an integrated grinder | £699.99 | BBC Good Food’s best espresso machine with an integrated grinder; milk frother and cold-brew function |
| Sage Barista Express BES875 | Manual espresso | £499.99 at Currys; £499.95 at Argos | Built-in grinder, steam wand and PID temperature control |
| Nespresso Vertuo Pop Barista Bundle | Simple pod coffee | £109 at Argos | Vertuo pod machine sold as a bundle |
| Fellow Aiden Electric | Premium filter coffee | £365 | BBC Good Food’s best premium filter machine |
| Sage the Luxe Brewer Thermal | Large filter batches | £249.95 | BBC Good Food’s best large filter machine |
| Ninja Prestige DualBrew System CFN802UK | Two filter brewing methods | £179.99 | BBC Good Food’s best filter machine for dual brewing methods |
Prices and specifications in the table were recorded on 7 September 2026 and may change.
Choose a pod machine for speed and simplicity, a bean-to-cup machine for freshly ground coffee with less manual work, an espresso machine for hands-on preparation, or a filter machine for larger servings.
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK is the broadest choice in this guide. BBC Good Food named it the best coffee machine under £1,000. Currys listed the ES701UK at £549.99, with a milk frother, 9-bar pressure and automatic cleaning. Argos listed the ES701UKBK2 at £799.99, with a 2-litre water tank, 1,650W power, 25 settings and an integrated tamper.
The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch EC9455.M suits someone who wants espresso made from freshly ground beans and prefers a guided manual process. BBC Good Food named it the best espresso machine with an integrated coffee grinder and gave it 5/5. The price shown in the test was £699.99.
Currys lists a milk frother, cold-brew function, 1.7-litre water tank and 15-bar pressure. Its integrated grinder removes the need for a separate grinder, while the manual format provides more control over preparation than an automatic machine.
The Sage Barista Express BES875 is suited to a home barista who wants a built-in grinder, steam wand and manual control. Currys listed it at £499.99, while Argos listed the BES875UK at £499.95.
The Currys specification includes a 2-litre tank, PID temperature control, a steam wand and a 15-bar pump with 9-bar extraction. Argos lists 15 grind settings, a 2-litre tank and a manual steam wand. PID temperature control helps manage brewing temperature, while the steam wand is used to texture milk manually.
The Nespresso Vertuo Pop Barista Bundle by De’Longhi is the simplest choice here for fast, low-effort coffee from pods. Argos listed it at £109.
Which? describes pod and capsule machines as normally compact, quick, easy to use and requiring little cleaning. This type of machine is a practical fit when convenience matters more than grinding beans or controlling every stage of espresso preparation.
The Fellow Aiden Electric is BBC Good Food’s best premium filter machine, with an indicated price of £365. It suits people who usually make filter coffee rather than espresso or milk-based drinks.
The Sage the Luxe Brewer Thermal is BBC Good Food’s best large filter machine, with an indicated price of £249.95. It is aimed at households that prefer batch-brewed filter coffee and want a larger filter machine rather than a compact pod appliance.
The Ninja Prestige DualBrew System CFN802UK is BBC Good Food’s best filter machine for dual brewing methods, with an indicated price of £179.99. It is the filter option to consider when flexibility between two brewing methods matters more than choosing a dedicated premium filter model.
Choose bean-to-cup for convenience and manual espresso for control. Which? describes bean-to-cup machines as suitable for people who want to grind beans to order and often customise or save drink settings.
A manual machine such as the Sage Barista Express or De’Longhi La Specialista Touch requires more involvement but gives you a direct role in grinding, brewing and milk preparation. Expert Reviews named the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo One Touch its best-value bean-to-cup machine when it reviewed the model.
The Argos range includes several Nespresso options. The Nespresso Vertuo Pop Barista Bundle is listed at £109, the Vertuo Next by De’Longhi at £69, and the Vertuo Up Pod Coffee Machine by De’Longhi at £179.
For an Original-style Nespresso option with milk preparation, Argos listed the Nespresso by De’Longhi CitiZ Pod Coffee Machine and Frother at £225. Pod machines are compact and simple, but each drink uses a capsule, making the cost of pods part of the buying decision.
For automatic or assisted milk preparation, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro has a milk frother, while the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch is listed by Currys with a milk frother.
For manual milk preparation, the Sage Barista Express has a steam wand. Manual steaming takes more practice but suits someone who wants a hands-on espresso routine and direct control over milk texture.
The purchase price is only one part of the decision. Pod machines use a capsule for every drink, while bean-to-cup and espresso machines use beans or ground coffee. The better option depends on how often you drink coffee and whether convenience or recurring ingredient costs matter more.
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK is the all-round pick in this guide because BBC Good Food named it the best coffee machine under £1,000. Choose one of the specialist models in the table if you mainly want pods, manual espresso or filter coffee.
The best choice depends on the drinks you make: the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro for an all-round machine, the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch or Sage Barista Express for manual espresso, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop for pod convenience, the Fellow Aiden for premium filter coffee, and the Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal for larger filter batches.
BBC Good Food’s current test pick under £1,000 is the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK. Its retailer specifications include a milk frother, automatic cleaning, 9-bar pressure, a 2-litre tank and 25 settings across the Currys and Argos listings.
They can be worthwhile if you make coffee regularly and choose a machine that matches your routine. A pod machine prioritises speed and low-effort preparation, while espresso, bean-to-cup and filter machines suit different levels of control and serving size.
