Despite the fact I make a mean long black or a smooth cold brew, my skills with a steam wand are strictly so-so. As a result, if I want to make my loved one an exquisitely crafted latte this Valentine's day, it's more likely to be greeted with mockery than adoration.
Fortunately, if you share my pain, help is at hand. There are plenty of automatic and semi-automatic espresso machines out there that can help supervise your journeyman efforts to turn out the perfect java for your partner.
First off, there are the ultra premium, fully automatic espresso machines. The KitchenAid KF8 not only makes milk-frothing hassle free but handles the pouring of your coffees from bean to cup – just tap a personalized profile from its touchscreen and you're good to go.
Meanwhile, the more mid-range Smeg BCC13 is a gorgeous option if you just want a range of coffees at the tap of a button and aren't bothered about tweaking settings.
Or if you fancy making your loved one a seriously luxe latte, the Jura J8 can do all of the above, while also allowing you to create customizable syrup-infused milk foam.
Want to get a bit more hands on with crafting a beautiful brew? Then the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is a great place to start – not only does it offer 10 preset coffee recipes but its Bean Adapt tech guides you in calculating the ideal grind, dose level, pre-infusion, and brewing temperature for your beans.
Alternatively, the Breville Barista Touch Impress offers feedback throughout the process of creating your coffee, helping you perfectly tamp your puck, precisely dial in extraction and froth velvety microfoam hands-free.
My personal highlight? Both this and the De'Longhi also allow you to create on-demand cold brew without the long wait.
Finally, if your biggest priority is getting yourself a bargain, the Philips LatteGo 5500 is the way to go: it offers 15 different drinks and its LatteGo milk system does a great job foaming milk. But the biggest plus is its price, as it's currently available from Walmart for $699 (was $849)!
