Buying guide · Automatic machines
Best automatic coffee machine Australia
Short answer: the Jura E8 is the best automatic coffee machine for most Australian homes – one-touch milk, pulsed extraction, quiet grinder, self-cleaning, and a design that is serviced rather than scrapped. The ENA 8 is the best compact automatic, the S8 the best step up, the Z10 the best premium. DeLonghi makes the best cheap new automatic; Philips makes the easiest milk carafe to clean; Miele makes a fine machine that is hard to get serviced. Bought refurbished, the Jura picks cost about what the DeLonghi does new.
- Automatic (bean-to-cup) machines grind, tamp, extract and rinse at one press. This list covers only those – no Breville semi-automatics, no pods.
- Ranked on extraction, milk, noise, capacity and serviceability by a workshop that repairs all of these brands.
- Service life is the hidden ranking factor: 10–15 years for a serviced Jura, 5–8 for most others.
- Refurbished Jura machines from Chameleon Coffee carry a warranty on parts and labour.
1. Jura E8 – best overall
Espresso, long black, flat white, latte and cappuccino at one press. Pulse Extraction gives it a fuller shot than any other machine on this list; the one-touch milk system makes fine, consistent foam and rinses itself; the grinder is quiet; the tank and hopper suit a family. Every wearing part is replaceable, which is why an E8 is a ten-year purchase. Refurbished from our workshop it costs about what a new mid-range DeLonghi costs.
2. Jura ENA 8 – best compact
The full E8 experience in a machine about 27cm wide. Smaller tank and hopper, so it suits one or two people, and it costs a little more per feature for the miniaturisation. For a small kitchen there is nothing better.
3. Jura S8 – best upgrade
Touchscreen, a wider drink menu, a larger grinder and tank, and more control over milk texture. The coffee is not better than the E8; the capacity and convenience are. Right for a busy household or a home office.
4. Jura Z10 – best premium
Hot and cold-brew extraction, the fastest and quietest grinder in the home range, and capacity that runs a small office. Most households do not need it. If you want the best Jura on the bench, this is it.
5. DeLonghi Magnifica Evo – best cheap new automatic
A big step up from pods for the least money of any machine here. Removable brew unit rinses under the tap, simple controls, decent espresso from good beans. Trade-offs: a louder grinder, a thinner shot than a Jura, manual or basic milk on the base models, and a 5–8 year life. For the same money a refurbished Jura E6 or Impressa is the better machine – see Jura vs DeLonghi.
6. DeLonghi Eletta Explore – best DeLonghi with milk
DeLonghi’s LatteCrema carafe does one-touch lattes and cappuccinos well and adds cold drinks. Bigger, louder and more plastic than the Jura equivalents, and the carafe needs pulling apart and washing, but the milk drinks are good for the price.
7. Philips 5400 LatteGo – easiest milk to clean
The LatteGo system uses a two-piece milk container with no tubes, which rinses in seconds. Coffee is respectable rather than special, the grinder is loud, and the machines are not built for long service. A sensible choice for a household that hates cleaning milk systems and does not expect a decade.
8. Miele CM series – good machine, hard to service
Miele builds a solid, quiet automatic with good milk. The issue in Australia is support: parts and technicians are scarce outside Miele’s own network, so a fault at year six can be slow and expensive to resolve. Fine if you have a Miele service centre nearby and the budget; otherwise a Jura at the same money is the safer buy.
Summary
| Rank | Machine | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jura E8 | Most households | Needs dry medium-roast beans |
| 2 | Jura ENA 8 | Small kitchens | Small tank; refills for a family |
| 3 | Jura S8 | Busy households, home offices | Paying for capacity you may not use |
| 4 | Jura Z10 | Premium; small offices | Price; features most people skip |
| 5 | DeLonghi Magnifica Evo | Tight budgets, new-in-box | Noise; thinner shot; 5–8 year life |
| 6 | DeLonghi Eletta Explore | Milk drinks on a DeLonghi budget | Carafe cleaning; bulk |
| 7 | Philips 5400 LatteGo | Easy milk cleaning | Loud grinder; ordinary coffee; lifespan |
| 8 | Miele CM | Miele households with local support | Servicing in Australia |
What we did not rank
Breville’s Oracle machines automate grinding and milk but you still handle a portafilter – they are semi-automatics with help, not bean-to-cup machines. Pod machines are not automatics. And we left out models we have not seen inside; a machine we cannot vouch for from the workshop does not make the list.
How to choose between them
Milk or black, cups a day, bench space, budget, and who will service it. That order. Our guide to what to look for in an automatic machine explains each, and which Jura should I buy? sorts the Jura range by use.
The top four, refurbished and warranted
E8, ENA 8, S8 and Z10 machines stripped, serviced and tested in our Melbourne workshop, with a warranty on parts and labour.
Frequently asked questions
Which automatic coffee machine brand is most reliable?
Jura, judged on what we see in the workshop: machines that reach ten years and beyond because their wearing parts are designed to be replaced.
Is Jura better than DeLonghi?
Yes on extraction, milk, noise and lifespan. DeLonghi is cheaper new and has a removable brew unit.
What is the best automatic coffee machine for milk drinks?
Jura’s one-touch models – E8, S8, Z10 – for texture and self-cleaning. Philips LatteGo for the easiest cleaning at a lower price.
Are automatic coffee machines worth it?
For anyone drinking coffee daily who wants consistency without effort, yes. Cost per cup is the same as a manual machine and far less than pods.
Should I buy an automatic machine new or refurbished?
Refurbished from a workshop if the model you want is available: same machine, wear parts replaced, warranty, well under new price.