How we pick

Every guide on Coffee Tested answers one question. Which one should you buy? To answer it we do the reading most people do not have time for.

What we look at

• What reviewers who test coffee gear for a living keep recommending, year after year, not just at launch.
• Specs that change your daily routine, like heat-up time, grinder range, portafilter size and how easy a machine is to clean.
• Long-term owner feedback, especially reports of parts failing after a few months.

What we do not do

• We do not accept payment or free products in exchange for a spot in a guide.
• We do not show prices, because they change daily. The buttons take you to the live price.
• We do not recommend a product just because it pays a higher commission.

How we rate

Every product gets an editorial score out of 5, shown as coffee beans. It sums up how well the product does its job for the people it suits, based on four things.

• Results, meaning how good the coffee or the measurement is for its price tier.
• Everyday use, from heat-up time and cleaning to how easy it is to learn.
• Build and reliability, weighted by long-term owner reports.
• Value against the other picks in the same guide.

Scores compare products within a guide, so a 4.5 grinder and a 4.5 kettle are each strong for their kind, not equal to each other. A score is never influenced by commission rates.

Keeping guides current

Every guide shows the date it was last updated. When a pick is discontinued, a better model comes out or owners report a recurring problem, we update the guide.

Read more about how we make money in our affiliate disclosure.