I test coffee makers for a living, and these are the 3 best machines I've tried this year

Coffee beans in an espresso machine, a latte macchiato, and ground coffee in a portafilter.

It's been a fantastic year for coffee-lovers so far, and if you've been thinking about investing in a new espresso machine, you'll be spoilt for choice. I've tested a new coffee maker every month here at TechRadar, and I've been truly impressed by what I've seen.

Cold-brewing has been the standout feature for a lot of machines this year (check out my guide to the best coffee maker for cold brew for more details), but that hasn't come at the expense of brewing well-balanced, consistently delicious traditional espresso.