Coffee Makers

Latest about Coffee Makers

a photo of the breville barista express in a kitchen with a tom's guide deal detective badge
The Breville Barista Express is randomly on sale for $499 — and you basically get a free grinder

By Erin Bashford Published

I just found the iconic Breville Barista Express for just $499: that's the same price as the Breville Bambino Plus... so you literally get a free grinder.

Coffee Makers
a photo of a wdt tool with the coffee lab logo
Do you need a WDT tool for barista-quality coffee at home? I put the controversial coffee tool to the test

By Erin Bashford Published

On episode 12 of The Coffee Lab, I put the enigmatic Weiss Distribution Technique Tool (WDT tool) to the test. Is it an essential accessory?

Coffee Makers
the fellow espresso series 1 photographed against a blue tom's guide background showing espresso, LCD smart screen, steam wand
I tested the most-anticipated espresso machine of 2026 — and the Fellow Espresso Series 1 hits all its marks

By Erin Bashford Published

Editor's Choice

Fellow Espresso Series 1 is perfect for beginners and coffee nerds alike, with enough shot profile options to fill a Yellow Pages and a pro-level steam wand.

Coffee Makers
a photo of the smeg retro coffee maker photographed in the new colorway moonlight
I just saw Smeg's brand new Moonlight colorway in real life — and my kitchen is about to get a serious upgrade

By Erin Bashford Published

I saw Smeg's brand-new Moonlight colorway in real life, and it's the upgrade my kitchen has been begging for. It's modern yet retro, and gorgeous.

2 Comments
Coffee Makers
the simply good coffee plastic-free brewer photographed against the blue tom's guide backgrounds
I tested Simply Good Coffee’s (mostly) plastic-free brewer — and it’s actually a fantastic Moccamaster alternative

By Erin Bashford Published

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer is a great Moccamaster alternative capable of making delicious coffee in minutes, but it’s not 100% plastic-free.

Coffee Makers
a photo of the casabrews marenza against a blue tom's guide background with the coffee lab
I tried this ridiculously cheap bean-to-cup espresso machine so you don't have to — and it's a total head-scratcher

By Erin Bashford Published

On Episode 11 of The Coffee Lab, I attempt to answer the age-old question: can you get a good bean-to-cup for under $350?

Coffee Makers
the coffee lab image with two bags of coffee beans, once cheap, one expensive
I made two identical espressos with $5 coffee beans and $20 coffee beans — and yes, the coffee snobs are right

By Erin Bashford Published

Episode 10 of The Coffee Lab sees me pitting cheap and expensive beans against each other: Do you really need to spend $20 on coffee beans?

6 Comments
Coffee Makers
the coffee lab image of the ratio four coffee maker on a blue background
Non-plastic coffee makers are trending — and this low-plastic Ratio model is my favorite for coffee snobs

By Erin Bashford Published

On the ninth episode of The Coffee Lab, I'm talking about the Ratio Four, one of my favorite low-plastic coffee makers.

Coffee Makers
a photo of a latte with a the coffee lab badge on top
I'm an ex-barista but I'm not great at latte art — and this is my cheat code to perfect art every time

By Erin Bashford Published

For the eighth episode of The Coffee Lab, I teach you how to get perfect latte art every time, very little skill required.

Coffee Makers
the lelit mara x3 in white and walnut photographed against a blue tom's guide background
I tested Lelit’s brand-new entry-level prosumer espresso machine — and it’s one of the best I’ve ever used

By Erin Bashford Published

Editor's Choice

The Lelit Mara X3 is Lelit’s brand-new prosumer model with custom flow control and a commercial-level steam wand for barista espresso at home.

Coffee Makers
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