If you’ve been looking for an espresso machine but don’t know where to start, and you don’t want to end up with a machine that won’t last long, I’ve been researching and testing espresso machines for quite some time. I’ll take you through a comprehensive rundown of the top 6 best espresso machines currently, keeping in mind your budget, preferences, and key features you should look out for
1. Breville Bambino Plus
If you are someone who’s dabbling in the espresso world for the first time and are looking for a user-friendly yet effective way to make lattes or cappuccinos at home, the Breville Bambino Plus hits the sweet spot. It doesn’t require a steep learning curve or barista experience to get it to work its magic, and its performance and results are strikingly similar to other, more expensive flagships.
It’s compact and lightweight, comes with a 54-millimeter portafilter, and a 2-liter water tank, which is enough for several shots of espresso before needing to be refilled. Though it doesn’t have a hot water button, you can still dispense hot water from the steam wand. It also comes with pressurized filter baskets, which promise the proper pressure and good crema from a single or double shot, even if you don’t tamp it perfectly. Additionally, it has PID temperature control, which, while not perfect, guarantees stable water temperature for consistent extraction. What makes this unit stand out is its automatic milk steaming.
You can easily set how foamy you want your milk, place the milk jug under the steam wand, push a button, and let it go. This means you don’t have to handle the jug or hold it, making it a totally hands-free process. While this feature could be questionable, the texture of the milk was rich and smooth and performed even more exceptionally when we tested it on oat milk, giving it more volume and texture than any other espresso machines we tested. If you’re looking for a pain-free espresso machine and are happy to pay a little extra to ensure high quality every time, you’ll be right at home with the Breville Bambino. It has proven to be an overall excellent all-in-one machine, covering all the basics straight out of the box while also offering high-grade customization and milk frothing options, which are not regularly found at this price point.
2. Philips 3200 Series
The Philips 3200 Series has managed to bring so much to the table as a fully automatic espresso machine, making it stand out among most of its competitors. It lets the user create beverages that would usually require barista-level experience, all at the push of a button. It’s more compact than the basic Gaggia or the Breville Barista but pulls a reasonably decent shot of espresso with good crema, good shot temperature, and flavor. The 3200 Series comes with an ample water reservoir, which is easy to remove, and we were impressed with its simple lighted push-button controls that allow for an easy and guided creation experience. The bean hopper is also very easy to load, but its capacity is not as large as other espresso machines in its class.
It comes with several pre-programmed settings, including espresso, hot water, cappuccino, coffee, macchiato, and Americano, all of which have easily adjustable settings for strength, water volume, and milk volume that let you customize your ideal type of drink. Plus, there’s the option to customize your selection by strength, size, and the amount of steamed milk. There’s also a hot-pluggable milk frother/ heater and jug attachment, which produced better hot milk consistency than other fully automatic machines we tested. However, you should know that the machine is entirely made of plastic, and it’s also easy to overfill, causing leaks unless you snap it correctly into its holder. Like all other fully automatic machines, the coffee grind disposal, hopper, and drip tray should also be cleaned regularly to avoid clogging, but it’s still easy to pull out, empty, wash under the sink, and slide it back into action.
With intuitive features, ease of use, and quick cleanups, all while being able to create good milk drinks (which is quite rare), this machine is a solid overall choice. If you love lattes or cappuccinos but want to avoid going to the coffee shop every day, you’ll find this machine handy in the long run.
3. Breville Barista Express Impress
The Breville Barista Express Impress is a solid choice for beginners who’ve never made espresso in their life or beginner baristas, thanks to most of its automatic workflow. It’s an updated model from the ever-popular Barista Express, but still shares many features like an integrated burr grinder, a steam wand, and a 54-millimeter portafilter.
This time, Breville adds the impressive puck system with assisted tamping, leading to more accurately extracted shots that are rich and balanced with sweetness every time. Setting up the machine is easy, taking only 15 minutes from start to finish, and its intuitive control panel also illuminates the 1-cup and 2-cup buttons for easy selection. Additionally, heating the boiler takes only about a minute, and the power button blinks. What made it truly stand out from its beginner-friendly competitors is the smart dosing system and assisted tamping mechanism, which ensures you get the right dose of coffee every time and adjusts the dose based on your previous grind. We were also really impressed by the quality of espresso produced with this machine, extracting a consistent, thick, and foamy crema, indicating a proper emulsion process. While the steaming process is a bit slow, taking about 75 seconds (just like its predecessor), it still gets the job done.
This could be seen as an advantage, especially if you’re a beginner practicing your techniques on a less powerful machine with a single whole steam tip. Breville has clearly taken a direct aim with this machine to reduce the frustration of puck prep and dialing-in processes for beginner baristas at home. With that said, you will be paying for the ease of use, and considering its performance for the price, it’s easy to see why it’s been such a popular go-to choice for beginners.
4. Gaggia Classic Evo Pro
This Italian-made semi-automatic machine is a solid choice if you want to learn how to make high-quality espresso shots and are an aspiring barista. It uses controls and buttons, but there’s no automatic shutoff, so you’ll need to manually turn it off after you’ve finished using it.
It comes with an attractive brushed stainless steel construction and several commercial-grade components, including a 58-millimeter portafilter, a three-way solenoid valve, and a commercial steam wand. The top-loading integrated funnel makes filling the machine with water very easy. Gaggia has also made significant improvements from its predecessor, like the mounting of the vibration pump, which makes the machine less noisy while brewing, and an updated overpressure valve, which regulates the brewing pressure and prevents over-extraction, avoiding the burnt, dry taste you might get from a poorly brewed espresso. Though it still doesn’t have PID control, the changes are significant, and its build feels more premium this time. Additionally, the 9-bar pressure, which is a standard for commercial espresso machines, promises a consistent, rich, flavorful espresso with thick crema, a huge improvement from its predecessor, making it worth going for this model over the old one.
Overall, the Gaggia Classic Pro has been—and still is—the go-to recommendation for people looking for a manual espresso machine under the $500 mark. Even when people double their budget to $1,000, they still generally end up going with this machine and then invest an extra $500 into the pairing grinder.
5. La Specialista Prestigio
The La Specialista Prestigio is mainly focused on those who love making coffee at home but still want the barista experience.
Since it’s semi-automatic, it gives you more control when brewing your shots. It comes with a built-in grinder and a steam wand for frothing milk, which we found very easy to use and adjust based on your preferences. You can also choose from 8 different grind sizes to match your preferred espresso taste, then select single espresso, double espresso, or Americano. Keep in mind that, since its operations are more complex, you have to go through a learning curve to determine which grind is right for your ideal shot. It can also dispense hot water for tea and has a built-in smart tamping mechanism, which applies the precise optimal pressure for a perfect and balanced espresso every time.
The results of the coffee produced are also full-bodied, coming with a thin silky crema at the top, making this machine an overall solid choice if you want to make barista-quality espresso at home. While it’s a little under $700, which may seem expensive, its performance makes sense for this price.
6. De'Longhi's telosa espresso machine
This is one of the few budget-friendly espresso machines you can get without compromising on major features that other high-end machines tend to have. You get a manual milk frother, which includes a 360-degree nozzle— a must-have if you plan on making anything other than a basic espresso shot. The 15-bar pump also adds sufficient pressure, not all that different from machines that cost hundreds of dollars more. In fact, you only need 9 bars to make good espresso.
Though the 2-cup holder is not very adjustable, there are 2 filter baskets for single or double espresso shots. While you still won’t get a ton of control over the brewing cycle, this is still one of the best small espresso machines if you’re on a limited budget. It’s by far the best you can get at a low price.
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I am Sabiq Rasel is an Entrepreneur and broadcaster. I believe that every sip of coffee holds the potential for a moment of inspiration, creativity, and every cup tells a story.
