Quick verdict
The Russell Hobbs Heaton Espresso Machine (model RHCM2870) is one of the cheapest proper espresso machines you can buy in Australia — $189.95 RRP, and currently on sale for $170.95 at Harris Scarfe. Its party trick is dual brewing: it takes both ground coffee and Nespresso Original-style capsules, so it suits households split between pod people and bean people. Independent testing found it can pull a decent, consistent espresso once you’ve dialled in a coarse grind — but the steam wand is weak, capsule brewing is messy, and the plastic build feels every cent of the price. If you drink your coffee black and want the cheapest path from pods to fresh grounds, it’s a genuine bargain. If milk drinks are your thing, save up for something better.
Russell Hobbs Heaton Espresso Machine: Australian price and where to buy cheapest
Here’s the current price picture (checked 8 October 2026):
$149 — Betta — on clearance at $149 (was $199) — the cheapest we’ve seen anywhere in Australia.
$170.95 — Harris Scarfe — on sale from a $189.99 full price.
$189.95 — Russell Hobbs Australia — the official RRP (listed as 18995 cents on the AU store).
The machine is also known overseas as the Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine (same product, £149.99 in the UK). In Australia it’s sold under the Heaton name with an AU$189.95 retail price. The Harris Scarfe sale price of $170.95 is worth grabbing if you see it — at that price it’s competing with machines that cost half as much to build twice as badly. Confirm the price before you buy, since the sale may be time-limited.
Russell Hobbs Heaton: key features and specs
The Heaton is a compact manual espresso machine built around flexibility. The headline feature is dual brewing: it ships with two portafilters — one for traditional ground coffee and one with a conical insert for Nespresso Original-style capsules (pierced by small spikes when pressure is applied). If your household has one pod drinker and one ground-coffee drinker, this is the cheapest machine that keeps both happy.
The pump adjusts automatically between 15 bar and 20 bar, with automated single and double shots. Two filter baskets (single and double) are included for grounds, and both are pressurised — forgiving for beginners whose grind isn’t perfect. A steam wand with Panarello handles milk steaming, frothing and hot-water delivery, and there’s a cup warmer on top, a 1.5-litre removable water tank and a removable drip tray.
Power is 1100W, the whole unit weighs just 2.74kg, and the look is better than the price: black casing with brushed stainless steel accents and white illuminated buttons. Be aware that apart from the drip tray and steam wand, the body is plastic — and there’s a noticeable new-plastic smell when it first arrives that takes several rinse cycles to clear. In the box you get the two portafilters, two baskets, a lightweight scoop/tamper combo and a pin tool for clearing the steam wand. There’s no milk pitcher, no water filter and no hardness testing strip — bare-bones accessories are the cost of the price.
The honest downsides: what independent testing found
The most thorough independent review of this machine (TechRadar’s test of the identical Everyday Espresso Machine) is refreshingly candid, and the weak points are consistent:
Pressure is on the low side. Shots pull slowly unless you grind your beans noticeably coarser than usual, and the spent puck comes out wet — a sign of lower-than-optimal pressure. Once you find the right grind size, extraction is consistent, but there’s a learning curve.
Capsule brewing is messy. Unlike a dedicated Nespresso machine, used pods sit in a puddle in the portafilter and water spills when you release the handle. If you mostly drink capsules, buy a proper pod machine instead.
The steam wand is the weakest link. It feels flimsy and wobbles, its lower section is too short to reach comfortably into a milk pitcher, and an air-intake hole creates masses of large, unstable bubbles — so much foam so fast that you have to stop steaming before the milk is hot. Fine microfoam for lattes is effectively out of reach.
The cup warmer barely warms. The plastic chassis is insulating, so the warmer stays lukewarm even after half an hour — don’t count on it.
None of this is surprising at $189.95 — and the reviewer still scored it 4/5 for value. But go in with eyes open: this is a black-coffee machine first and foremost.
How it compares to budget espresso rivals at Australian prices
The budget espresso ladder in Australia starts here and climbs fast. The Kogan Dual Thermoblock Espresso Machine at $339 is the next rung up — dual thermoblock, grinder included, but demanding real barista effort. See our Kogan Dual Thermoblock breakdown if you want more machine for a bit more money.
The review’s recommended step-up is the De’Longhi Dedica Duo at around $600 in Australia — much more solidly made, and the one the reviewer says to buy if you can stretch. TechRadar’s other budget pick, the Philips Baristina, sits at $599. Both are roughly three times the Heaton’s sale price, which tells you where this machine lives: it’s not competing with them, it’s the machine you buy when even $339 feels like a stretch.
At the fully automatic end, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro at $1,199.99 does everything the Heaton can’t — automatic milk, app smarts — at six times the price. And the Breville Barista Express Impress at $798–$899 street is the assisted-manual sweet spot for people who want to learn the craft. The Heaton’s niche is narrower and cheaper than all of these: minimum spend, maximum simplicity, grounds-or-capsules flexibility.
Who should buy it
Buy the Heaton if: you drink your coffee black and want the cheapest machine that brews from both grounds and capsules; your kitchen is shared with someone whose brewing preference differs from yours; you want something light (2.74kg) that tucks into a cupboard between uses; or you’re switching from pods to beans and want a low-risk way to learn.
Think twice if: you mainly drink milk-based coffees — the steam wand can’t make proper microfoam; you mostly use capsules — a dedicated Nespresso machine is neater; you want a machine that feels solid — this is lightweight plastic; or you’re sensitive to new-plastic smells.
The $149 question. At Betta’s clearance price, the Heaton is the cheapest espresso machine from a major brand in Australia. That’s the price where its flaws stop mattering for the right buyer: a black-coffee drinker who wants to experiment with grounds without committing $300+. Above $190, the value argument softens — but even at RRP it’s still the cheapest dual-brew machine on the market.
Final verdict
The Russell Hobbs Heaton Espresso Machine is an honest budget machine: it brews a decent, consistent espresso from grounds, it accepts capsules for convenience, and it costs less than a month of cafe coffees. The steam wand is poor, capsule brewing is messy and the build is plastic — all of which you’d expect at $189.95, and all of which are easier to forgive at $170.95. Buy it as your first espresso machine, as a pod-to-bean transition tool, or as a black-coffee workhorse. Don’t buy it expecting cafe lattes. For that buyer, it’s an easy recommendation at the sale price; for everyone else, the De’Longhi Dedica Duo at ~$600 is the machine the reviewers point to.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Russell Hobbs Heaton Espresso Machine in Australia?
The Australian RRP is $189.95 (listed on au.russellhobbs.com, model RHCM2870). As of 8 October 2026, Betta has it on clearance at $149 — the cheapest price in Australia right now — while Harris Scarfe has it on sale at $170.95 (from a $189.99 full price).
Does the Heaton work with Nespresso capsules?
Yes — it works with Nespresso Original-style capsules via a dedicated capsule portafilter with a conical insert that pierces the pod. But capsule brewing is messier than on a dedicated pod machine: used pods sit in water in the portafilter and can spill when you release the handle.
Is the Heaton good for milk-based coffees like lattes?
Not really. Independent testing found the steam wand too short, flimsy and prone to creating large unstable bubbles rather than fine microfoam — you have to stop steaming before the milk is properly hot. If lattes and flat whites are your main drinks, consider spending more on a De’Longhi Dedica Duo (~$600).
What comes in the box with the Heaton?
Two portafilters (one for grounds, one for capsules), two pressurised filter baskets (single and double), a lightweight scoop/tamper combo and a pin tool for clearing the steam wand. There’s no milk pitcher, water filter or hardness testing strip included.
Is the Heaton a kettle or an espresso machine?
It’s an espresso machine — the Russell Hobbs Heaton Espresso Machine (RHCM2870). In the UK the same product is sold as the Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine. The Heaton name also appears on a European-market kettle (model 27380-70), which is not sold in Australia; the Australian Heaton is the coffee machine covered in this article.
