Top 5 Best Coffee Makers For Mocha Reviewed
Quick summary
 Breville BES870XL Coffeemaker features a dedicated hot water dispenser for tea, Americano and pre-heating of parts.  best overall |
 De'Longhi ESAM04110S Delonghi automatic espresso machine is a splendid choice both in terms of reliability and moneywise.  |
 Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee With 40 oz water reservoir all you need to do is pop in the coffee pods and press a single button. |
As coffee nerds, when someone says the word mocha, we get two (or more) images in our heads — 1) the coffee drink made with coffee, milk, and chocolate — and 2) the most common coffeemaker in Europe and Latin America, the Moka pot. Both were named after the iconic city in Yemen — Mocha. Until the 20th century, Mocha was famous for exporting Mocha coffee beans (which have a distinct chocolatey finish).
For this guide, we’ll look at the drink, and more specifically, the best coffee machine for mocha at home.
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- BEST OVERALL:Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
The 5 Best Coffee Maker For Mocha - Our Picks
To make a good classic caffè mocha (aka mochaccino), you need the following: great coffee, fresh milk, cocoa powder or chocolate syrup, and a reliable coffee machine that brews smooth, velvety espressos.
Here are our Top 5 picks based on reviews, research, and experience.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
- Built-in grinder: Yes
- Coffee capacity: 8 oz
- Water capacity: 67 oz
- Dimensions: 12.5 x 12.6 x 13.1 inches
This machine is a big investment and commitment. But we’re after the best mocha, aren’t we?
At over $600, this home espresso machine includes a built-in grinder, a milk frother, and enough pressure to make beautiful, rich espresso. The Breville gives you control of the amount of coffee you grind, the grind size, and how you brew.
With this mostly stainless steel machine, you can do it all — brew single or double-shot espresso, and make microfoam lattes and cappuccinos. It opens up the world of coffee to you as you’ve never experienced it in your home before. Make barista-level coffee drinks without paying coffee shop prices.
We recommend the Breville Barista Express for coffee enthusiasts that want the best coffee machine in a small package. Speaking of package, the Breville comes with a portafilter, two filter baskets, coffee scoop, tamper, milk jug, cleaning kit, and a few other goodies.
De'Longhi ESAM04110S Magnifica Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with Manual Cappuccino System Silver
- Built-in grinder: Yes
- Coffee capacity: 7.5 oz
- Water capacity: 60 oz
- Dimensions: 11.2 x 16.5 x 14.4 inches
As opposed to our #1 semi-auto pick, the De’Longhi is fully automatic. That means you have to put in a minimal amount of effort to get your caffeine fix. It has a similar product offering to the Breville — brews single and double-shot espresso, has an adjustable coffee/water ratio, and has an integrated grinder.
About the grinder — it’s a burr grinder, which means you get a consistent grind every time. And getting a consistent grind means you can make predictably excellent espresso and coffee drinks.
This is #2 on our list because it’s one of the best coffee machines for making mocha at home. Use the built-in milk frother to transform regular coffee into a dreamy, milky drink instantly. The high-pressure 15-bar pump lets you pull perfect espresso with a nice crema whenever you want.
We recommend the De’Longhi because it has a small footprint, is feature-packed, and its sleek stainless steel finish will look amazing in any kitchen.
Keurig K-Cafe Coffee Maker, Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee
- Built-in grinder: No
- Coffee capacity: N/A
- Water capacity: 60 oz
- Dimensions: 11.7 x 15.3 x 12.5 inches
Keurig knows its customers well. They cater to people that value convenience and speed. The K-Cafe is one of the more advanced Keurig machines. It has four cups sizes (6, 8, 10, and 12-ounce cups), plus a Shot button for a smooth espresso,
To make a mocha, you’d either use an espresso K-Cup or a K-Cup universal reusable coffee filter with ground coffee (sold separately). After brewing coffee, you’d simply fill the dishwasher-safe milk frother, press a button to froth the milk, and then combine the milk with the coffee, add some chocolate, and voila!
The machine is energy efficient and also efficient with your time. Spend less time turning knobs and more time drinking coffee (with milk or without)
We recommend the K-Cafe for people that want their coffee right away. The K-Cafe is easy to set up and is low maintenance. At a price point under $200, it’s hard to beat.
De'Longhi EC680M Espresso
- Built-in grinder: No
- Coffee capacity: N/A
- Water capacity: 33.8 oz
- Dimensions: 13 x 5.9 x 12 inches
The legendary coffee machine manufacturer strikes gold again with this 15-bar espresso machine. With a slim profile of only 6” wide, it will fit in tight spaces and will look good, too.
De’Longhi gives you a taste of what it’s like to be a professional barista with this machine. It helps you get more hands-on with your coffee while also taking a lot of the guesswork out of making good espresso by maintaining the ideal brewing temperature and pressure.
Brew a single or double-shot of espresso, or use an easy-serve espresso (ESE) pod with the included filter. With the built-in milk frother, the sky’s the limit for coffee drinks. Mocha, latte, capp, and anything else you can find on the internet. As long as the base (coffee and milk) is on point, you can add any toppings you want.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi
- Built-in grinder: No
- Coffee capacity: N/A
- Water capacity: 40 oz
- Dimensions: 9.8 x 13.3 x 12.8 inches
One of the lowest maintenance machines on our list but comes with a set of limitations.
The VertuoPlus can only be used with VertuoPlus capsules. There’s no option for using ground coffee or pods made by a different manufacturer. The big downside with that is there’s no mocha pod. You can get around this by purchasing the VertuoPlus bundle, including the Aeroccino (milk frother) or any other milk frother.
On the plus side, the VertuoPlus is a one-touch brewing system with no settings or adjustments. Depending on which capsule you insert, the machine chooses the optimal settings automatically.
It comes in four colors: gray, ink black, matte black, and red. The VertuoPlus features a water tank that can swivel, making it perfect for a kitchen with limited counter space.
We recommend this for people that want coffee quick and don’t want to muck around with coffee beans, settings, and buttons.
Things To Consider When Buying The Best Coffee Maker For Mocha
Our advice for things to consider is the same whether you’re looking for the best coffee maker for making iced mocha, regular mocha, latte, cappuccino, or any other coffee drink.
Consider the following:
- The type of machine (semi-auto, auto, K-Cup compatible)
- Built-in grinder (do you need one?)
- Additional features (milk frother, hot water dispenser)
- How much time you have to make coffee
- Water tank capacity
- Noise level
- Cleaning & maintenance
Also, think about whether you want full control of the brewing process, or you’d rather press a single button to enjoy a fresh cup.
How Much Capacity Do You Need?
Water capacity shouldn’t make or break your decision. The coffee machines on our list range from 33.8 oz to 67 oz. The tank doesn’t have to be removable, although, for some people, this will be more convenient. You can always top up the water tank using a cup or pitcher.
Programmable Features
Most of the mochamakers on our list don’t have many programmable features beyond auto-shutoff. Again, since most of them are espresso machines, they don’t include timers.
Some of them include a memory feature, which allows you to use the same settings without having to make adjustments every time.
Noise Level
Espresso machines aren’t known for being quiet. It’s just not a quality people look for when choosing an espresso machine. If you have an early riser in the family and don’t want to wake everyone up, you may need to think about either buying something more basic (like a Keurig) or finding a way to lower the noise level.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Some machines are harder to clean than others, that’s a fact. Generally speaking, the time it takes to use the machine is proportional to how long it takes to clean it. The more complicated the machine, the harder it is to clean and maintain.
If this is a major concern for you, we’d recommend reading the cleaning instructions in the user manual before pulling the trigger, so you know what to expect.
Final Thoughts
It depends.
First and foremost — it’s a budget consideration. Once you have a range for what you can afford, it becomes easier to understand if you should get a traditional espresso machine or something less expensive and less capable of producing barista-quality espresso.
If it were us, we’d get the best espresso machine we could afford, and if it doesn’t include a milk frother, you can buy one separately.
FAQ
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Can the Keurig coffee maker make a mocha for me?
You can brew a decent mocha using a Mocha K-Cup, but you need a machine like our #4 pick, the Keurig K-Café Special Edition, for the best mocha. Make a fresh espresso, froth some milk, and pour in some chocolate syrup for a sweet coffee drink -
What is the cheapest coffee maker for white chocolate mocha?
You can make white chocolate mocha with any machine that makes espresso (with or without a built-in milk frother). Since you can buy a frother separately -
What is the best coffee maker for white chocolate mocha?
The only difference between white chocolate mocha and regular mocha is white instead of milk or dark chocolate. Our Top 5 picks are what we believe to be the best. -
Is proper acidity vinegar to clean a mocha coffee maker worth it?
Our recommendation would be to follow the exact instructions in the user manual for your coffee maker. Machines can be fickle, and sometimes only professional cleaning products can clean them properly.
Renat Mamatkazin
Founder and owner of Lion Coffee and 3ChampsRoastery, 1st place winner of Ukrainian Barista Championship 2017. Interested in travelling, football and Formula-1 (besides coffee, of course).