I've had Breville's sub £300 bean-to-cup coffee machine for 5 years – it's still the one I recommend to all my friends, especially now it's a new star price

If you have been in the market to add a bean-to-cup coffee machine to your kitchen, but have been unable to justify the price tag, consider this your lucky day, as Argos is selling the Breville Barista Max Espresso Coffee Machine for £264.

The best bean-to-cup coffee machines usually come with a price tag upwards of £400. The RRP of the Breville Barista Max Espresso Coffee Machine is usually £449, but it is generally on sale for £300 at Argos, which is already a great price. But this year is the first time I've seen the price drop below £300, making it one of the best value machines on the market right now.

Now, don't let the low price make you question the quality, as Breville make some of the best coffee machines in the UK. It's also the same coffee machine that I've been using in my kitchen for the last five years.

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Breville Barista Max Espresso Coffee Machine: was £449 now £269.99 at Argos

This model is nearly always on offer for around £300, but this is the first time I've seen a barista-worthy machine drop this low in price.

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My brew of choice is a cow's milk latte, and this Breville coffee machine has been a part of my morning ritual for the last five years as I've perfected my latte art. It has the look of a more expensive coffee machine (many people have mistaken it for a Sage coffee machine) and works a treat, too. It even has the seal of approval from my best friend's partner, who is a professional barista and tasked with coffee duty every time they're round for breakfast.

It has its downsides; the grinder can be a little messy, and the coffee quality is a little unreliable because it doesn't have an auto coffee ground dosing feature or a temperature sensor for steaming the milk. Essentially, don't expect your first (or second) coffee to be great; it's going to take a bit of practice.

However, after testing a new, more expensive coffee machine in my home over the last few months, I've found this to be the downside of most bean-to-cup machines. Unless you're able to afford an expensive, fully automatic coffee machine like the Ninja Luxe Café, you are going to have to practice a little to get cafe-worthy results.

At this point, I'm sure you're still wondering what the catch is, why it's so much cheaper. The simple reason is that it's an older model. It's been replaced by several newer models that look slicker, more modern and include more automated features to make it easier to brew up a great cup of coffee.

But if you're happy to forgo the automated aspects, you will not get better than this coffee machine at this price point.

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