These three machines represent the best you can buy at each premium tier — from the finest espresso machine for home use to an extraordinary fully automatic setup. All three deliver café-standard results that entry-level machines simply can't match.
The Sage Oracle Touch is the most compelling premium espresso machine on the UK market. It does something genuinely remarkable: it automates every step of the espresso process — grinding, dosing, tamping, extracting, and steaming milk — while using a proper 58mm commercial portafilter, dual boiler, and full PID temperature control. The result is espresso and milk drinks that are indistinguishable from a professional café setup, with almost no skill required from the user.
The touch screen lets you select from 5 preset drinks (espresso, lungo, americano, cappuccino, latte) or dial in your own preferences and save them. The auto steam wand heats and textures milk to your chosen temperature and consistency. Once set up, producing a perfect flat white or cappuccino takes about 60 seconds and requires almost no intervention. For households where multiple people want different drinks, it's extraordinary.
The dual boiler means you can extract espresso and steam milk simultaneously — eliminating the wait time that single-boiler machines require between steps. This alone makes a significant difference to workflow when making milk-based drinks.
✓ Pros
- Fully automated grind, dose, tamp, extract
- Dual boiler — no wait between espresso and steam
- Commercial 58mm portafilter
- Touch screen with saveable presets
- Auto milk texturing to your preference
- Exceptional espresso quality
× Cons
- £1,865 — significant investment
- Large footprint (39cm wide)
- Regular cleaning required
- Less control than a fully manual setup
The Sage Barista Express Impress is the best entry point into truly premium home espresso. It builds on Sage's hugely popular Barista Express with the new Impress puck system — an assisted tamping mechanism that applies the correct 10kg of pressure and even corrects the puck with a small barista-style twist. It removes one of the two hardest variables in espresso making (consistent tamping), while the integrated dose-control grinder handles the other (consistent dosing).
What you get is a proper hands-on espresso machine that's far more forgiving than a bare portafilter setup, but still teaches genuine barista skill. The 54mm portafilter is larger than most entry machines, the grinder is built in (no need for a separate £150+ grinder), and the manual steam wand produces excellent microfoam for latte art once you've practised. Build quality is the brushed-stainless Sage standard that looks the part on any worktop.
At £594.99 it's the most accessible machine on this page, and represents outstanding value when you factor in the integrated grinder — buying a separate machine and grinder of this quality would cost considerably more. For anyone who wants to develop real espresso technique with smart assistance, this is the one.
✓ Pros
- Impress assisted tamping — consistent pucks
- Integrated dose-control grinder (no separate grinder needed)
- 54mm portafilter — larger than most entry machines
- Excellent stainless build quality
- Proper manual steam wand for latte art
- Best value on this page at £594.99
× Cons
- Manual steaming requires practice
- 54mm portafilter (not commercial 58mm)
- Single boiler — wait between espresso and steam
The De'Longhi Rivelia is the most impressive fully automatic bean-to-cup machine you can buy at a sensible price — widely rated by reviewers as the best bean-to-cup De'Longhi has ever made, and the standout value alternative to machines costing far more. Where mid-range Magnifica models offer convenience, the Rivelia delivers a genuinely premium one-touch experience: a beautiful 3.5" colour touchscreen, refined LatteCrema Hot milk system, and consistent café-quality results from 16 one-touch drinks.
Its headline feature is the Bean Switch System — two interchangeable 250g hoppers that let you swap from a dark espresso roast in the morning to a decaf or lighter bean in the afternoon in seconds, with the grinder clearing itself between switches. Bean Adapt Technology then tunes grind, dose and temperature to each bean for optimal extraction. No other machine near this price solves the "what about decaf?" and "what about two different drinkers?" problems so elegantly, with up to four saveable user profiles.
At £599.97 it sits in the sweet spot of the premium automatic market: a real step up in build, screen and milk quality over the Magnifica range, while costing far less than flagship Swiss machines. For households that want exceptional coffee at the press of a button — with zero technique required — the Rivelia is the one to buy.
✓ Pros
- Best-rated De'Longhi bean-to-cup — superb value
- Bean Switch dual hoppers (swap roasts in seconds)
- Bean Adapt auto-tunes grind, dose & temperature
- 16 one-touch drinks, up to 4 user profiles
- LatteCrema Hot milk system with auto-clean
- Beautiful 3.5" full-touch colour display
× Cons
- £599.97 — a premium investment
- Hot milk only (cold foam needs an add-on accessory)
- Less manual control than an espresso machine
Quick comparison
Which should I choose?
Choose the Sage Oracle Touch if you want café-quality espresso and milk drinks fully automated, but still want the satisfaction of a proper portafilter machine. The dual boiler and 58mm commercial grouphead mean you're using real espresso equipment — just without the skill barrier. It's the best all-round premium home espresso machine in the UK.
Choose the Sage Barista Express Impress if you want to develop genuine barista skills but with smart assistance that removes the most frustrating variables. At £594.99 it's the most accessible machine here, and the Impress assisted tamping plus integrated dose-control grinder make a real difference to consistency. Pair it with a milk frothing course on YouTube and you'll be making excellent coffee within a week.
Choose the De'Longhi Rivelia if you want the best quality from a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine without paying flagship prices. Its Bean Switch dual hoppers, intuitive touchscreen and excellent automatic milk system make it the standout value pick in premium bean-to-cup. It's the machine for someone who drinks two or more coffees a day — or a household with different tastes — and wants the best result with zero effort.
Common questions
★ Premium picks
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Best overall premiumSage Oracle Touch£1,865.04 on Amazon UK
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Best entry to premiumSage Barista Express Impress£594.99 on Amazon UK
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Ultimate bean-to-cupDe'Longhi Rivelia£599.97 on Amazon UK
Not sure which level?
Our buying guide explains the difference between all machine types and helps you decide which is right for your budget.
Read the buying guide