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Nov 05, 2024

The 7 Best Espresso Machines, Tested and Reviewed

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more A creamy, rich shot of espresso is the caviar of the coffee world. It's luxurious and can be hard to find,

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

A creamy, rich shot of espresso is the caviar of the coffee world. It's luxurious and can be hard to find, which is why we tested the best home espresso machines. Don't let decoding the lingo or the daunting price tag deter you: we found machines for every budget and experience level.

To find the best espresso machines, we consulted experts, held taste tests, and inspected every inch of each machine. Our favorite for aspiring hobbyists is the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro because it gets you involved in the brewing process without being over-complicated. For beginners, we love the Breville Barista Express Impress. It's the ideal semi-automatic machine and the easiest way to get the best coffee quality without spending over $1,000.

If you're interested in espresso without the fuss and bulk of a big machine, check out our guide to the best stovetop espresso makers.

Read about how we test kitchen products at Insider Reviews.

Best overall: Gaggia Classic Evo Pro – See at Amazon

Best for beginners: Breville Barista Express Impress – See at Amazon

Best super-automatic: Jura Z10 – See at Amazon

Best automatic under $1,000: Cafe Affetto – See at Best Buy

Best under $200: Flair Espresso – See at Amazon

Best pod machine: Nespresso Pixie – See at Amazon

For its price, it doesn't get much better than the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro. This compact machine is a straightforward way to learn the ins and outs of espresso.

Specifics

The recently improved Gaggia Classic Evo Pro is a no-frills, affordable machine for peoare serious about espresso. Don't let its straightforward interface and simple design fool you: this is the best at-home espresso machine that can pull a full-bodied, flavorful shot.

With only three buttons to control it, we found the machine simple to operate. Beyond the built-in steam wand, there are no real extra features. The machine doesn't do much to hold your hand, so there is a serious learning curve when dialing in parameters and figuring out how to pull a proper shot. But once you get used to it, and espresso hobbyists will love the process, the Classic Evo Pro produces stellar coffee.

The current model has a few notable upgrades, though they weren't immediately apparent when we compared them. Gaggia has removed the chrome plating from the older models and replaced it with a new group head made entirely of brass. Plus, the included portafilter is now made of stainless steel. The new boiler has a non-stick coating on the interior, which should help to avoid scaling and mineral leaching from the aluminum.

To make the best use of this machine, we firmly believe a dedicated espresso grinder and one of the best tampers are both needed. The Classic Evo Pro comes packaged with a flimsy, plastic tamper that is a few millimeters short of properly fitting the portafilter, so we highly recommend an upgrade.

Read our full Gaggia Classic Pro review, including detailed specs.

The Barista Express Impress is an all-in-one machine that offers consistency with mess-free assisted tamping, and everything you need to easily make quality espresso drinks at home.

Specifics

In our quest to find the very best espresso machines for beginners, we've run tests on most of Breville's espresso machines. While the Barista Express Impress may not be the fastest or most feature-equipped, it is the first machine you can operate from start to finish with one hand, mess-free.

Espresso is an inherently involved affair, from burr grinders whirring and overflowing, to gadgets galore and the occasional spewing portafilter (user error). But I've been using the Barista Express Impress, writhing baby in arm, without so much as a lone ground to wipe away.

This is thanks to the assisted tamping and dosing system. The portafilter sits beneath the grinder, which doles out your grinds with a dosing button through a shoot (25 grind sizes, adjustable and programmable for single and double shots).

Breville's proprietary "Impress" Puck System differentiates this machine from the original Barista Express. The built-in tamper operates via a lever on the left-hand side — it's precalibrated and turns at precisely seven degrees, leaving a clean, even finish atop a perfectly formed puck.

The Express Impress also comes with all of the features and accessories you'll find in any Breville machine: 15 bars of pressure (you only really need nine), a 67-ounce water tank (enough for a week's worth of espresso), a convenient water spout, a half-pound sealed bean hopper, a steaming wand, a frothing pitcher, two double-walled and two pressurized portafilter baskets (a single- and double-shot size of each), and the Razor leveling tool. You'll also find a brush with a clog-clearing pin and some descaling tablets.

There isn't another machine that is as easy to operate one-handed or mess-free. You'd have a hard time finding all of the quality features in this package tidily wrapped in stainless steel, ready to adorn any countertop in style. The Breville Bambino Plus is next on our list to test against this machine — it has Breville's signature brewing technology in a more petite and less expensive package.Read our full Breville Barista Pro review, where we compare it with the Express Impress.

Jura's Z10 is as close as you're going to get to cafe-quality espresso drinks and even cold brew with just a touch of a button.

Specifics

Jura's Z10 is the best automatic espresso machine we've tested out of well over a dozen: it actually makes espresso and not a watered-down version. That's largely thanks to Jura's "product-recognizing grinder" (PRG), which automatically monitors grind size and adjusts in real time. However, it is a luxury espresso machine, coming in at around $4,000.

The machine is fully customizable, offering 24 pre-programmed espresso-based drinks and eight cold-brew-based beverages. However, we think calling it cold brew is a bit of a stretch. Instead of steeping the grounds overnight, the machine produces coarse grounds, steeps them briefly in cold water, and then brews using pressure, creating something like nitro brew.

The Z10 is also compatible with an app (J.O.E.) so that you don't even have to set foot in your kitchen to brew — just make sure there's a cup in place ahead of time. You can set specialty preferences from your Apple Watch.

Apart from the price, the real drawbacks are the size (over a foot wide and tall), the fact that the bean hopper is on top (so this likely isn't fitting beneath a cabinet) and that the Cool Control and Stainless Steel Milk Pipe are sold separately and take up even more counter space. But then, anyone looking at a fully automatic espresso machine worth its weight and footprint can expect as much, whether it has a four-figure price tag or not.

Read our full Jura Z10 review and see why it's the only automatic machine to win us over.

This small but all-encompassing automatic espresso machine pumps out brew that's twice the quality of similar machines' while taking up half the counter space.

Specifics

An automatic espresso machine lies somewhere between a pod machine and a semi-automatic one; you can control the grind size and the extraction time, but the process isn't fully hands-on. The Café Affetto is the best automatic espresso machine because it is cheaper, smaller, and better at making espresso than most of the others we've tried.

You're not going to get the best grind with the Café's built-in grinder, but you can still use freshly roasted beans and get a shot of espresso (or something close to it) at the push of a button. Two standout features make this one of the best super-automatic espresso machines: the options for an Americano (or long black) and a custom "my cup" setting.

We frothed both whole milk and almond milk and noted that the frother worked every bit as well as those on most semiautomatic machines. We also like that the wand is removable and washable. Oftentimes, automatic machines will have a milk pitcher and hoses that you insert into the machine. This keeps everything very tidy and behind the scenes, but it's too easy to forget the milk when it's out of sight and end up with a rancid mess. This much more traditional layout, where the frother is directly attached to the body, is far more error-proof.

Read our Cafe Affetto review and find out why we recommend it for beginners.

If you want to make the best espresso you possibly can at home (or on the road) without breaking the bank, a manual device like the Flair Espresso maker is an excellent option.

Specifics

Manual espresso makers like the Flair Espresso are not only affordable, they offer more control than most budget machines that don't allow you to adjust temperature or pressure.

Just know this before buying: using the Flair is slightly more time-consuming than making espresso with a machine by about two minutes. And, you'll still need a grinder. Again, though, if time is a real constraint, you may want to look to pod machines, or perhaps the Breville Barista Pro, which offers a relatively quicker shot.

When I mentioned the Flair to Dan Kehn, former SCAA judge and founder of Home-Barista.com, he agreed that it's an excellent bet for anyone new to the espresso world who wants to learn how to pull a full-bodied shot. Why? Again, it's about control. You pour water directly from a kettle and adjust the pressure manually until you get a steady golden flow of thick, crema-rich java. Machines in the same price bracket as the Flair often start out with excessive pressure and end a little on the light side.

What makes this device relatively foolproof is the fact that the cylinder has a maximum water capacity of 60ml, so controlling extraction time for somewhere between 30 and 45 seconds (for espresso and more concentrated ristretto, respectively) is actually much easier, and you can get the hang of maintaining the right pressure pretty quickly. This maker weighs just under five pounds and it's portable, which means you can use it anywhere so long as you have a way to boil water.

Read our full Flair Original Espresso Maker review.

If you want to keep your investment low and save time, there's no better way to go than the Breville-Nespresso Pixie.

Specifics

If you're looking for the best espresso machine that uses pods, look no further. Turn the Nespresso Pixie on, pop in a pod, press a button, and in under a minute you will have an espresso-like drink, foamy crema and all. The Pixie has just two settings: one for espresso and one for a lungo, which is just a long, or more diluted pour of an espresso. We have noticed that the Pixie goes in and out of stock, so we recommend the Nespresso Essenza Mini and Nespresso CitiZ as alternatives. All three models have the same brewing technology.

Nespresso claims that this machine offers 19 bars of pressure, but our TDS readings fell consistently around the 5% to 7% mark, which is just shy of espresso. In other words, you can't expect "true" espresso from this machine, but you can count on a strong, frothy drink. That is, in fact, quite a feat. And with the added convenience and price point for the machine, we were willing to make an exception.

Further to that point, the machine is primed within 25 seconds. To save energy, it turns itself off automatically after nine minutes. These espresso machines come with a one-year limited warranty through Breville, but I have personally (and simultaneously) owned two for more than five years and haven't had a single problem to date.

Read our full Breville Nespresso Pixie review, or check out our guide to the best Nespresso machines.

Cost: Asking yourself how much you want to spend will eliminate a lot of potential machines. For a quality machine that can build and maintain pressure and is designed to be both upgraded and repaired, you want to budget somewhere in the $500 range. Beneath that, we recommend a fully manual device or machine or one of the best Moka pots.

Size: A home espresso bar can pretty quickly overwhelm a kitchen. Consider the footprint of the machine you're looking to buy relative to the countertop space you have. If you're short on space, consider a pod machine or manual model.

Pressure: Any good espresso machine must be able to not only reach the required eight bars of pressure to make espresso but also maintain it. Beware machines that boast pressure levels. The cheapest machines can reach 15 bars of pressure, but how well they maintain it is the key to a great cup of coffee.

Heating time: For a speedy warm-up time, consider a pod machine, or a semiautomatic Breville model. Otherwise, most espresso machines take at least a minute to heat up, and some manual options can take as long as 10 or 15 minutes.

There are three main types of espresso machines: manual, semi-automatic, and super-automatic.

Most of the espresso machines we recommend come with everything you need to start brewing, but a few accessories that will take your experience to the next level.

Perfect for home espresso brewers, the Baratza Sette 270 handles grinding and dosing as meticulously as a commercial grinder, but on a consumer scale.

The Decent Tamper's calibrated pressure and precision manufacturing ensure you get the same tamp on your coffee every time and the big, round, burnished handle feels and looks great.

Double-walled glass espresso cups like these from DeLonghi allow you to inspect a beautiful pull of espresso, while also keeping your coffee steaming hot.

Nespresso's Aeroccino 4 is basic and a little bulky, but it's the easiest to use with cold, hot, cappuccino, and latte settings and nothing more.

To gauge a machine's performance, we spent dozens of hours grinding and pulling shots from more than 10 pounds of fresh coffee beans. We also factored in pricing to determine a machine's overall value.

Of course not, but there are few things as rewarding in the world of home coffee as achieving an immaculate shot of velvety espresso all on your own. On the flip side, if you need something quick and easy on your way out the door in the morning, consider the Nespresso system.

Because all espresso machines are made differently, you'll want to defer to the brand in order to properly clean your specific machine. The most essential tasks are regularly flushing and descaling with something like Urnex Cafiza powder, purging the steam wand, and backflushing on occasion.

A few basic tips and tricks, though: Running the machine without the portafilter in place helps flush the group head and keep it grit-free; Cleaning the drip tray regularly will keep mold, bacteria, and even fruit flies at bay; purging the steam wand after each use will keep dairy and non-dairy milk alternatives from getting stuck and developing bacteria; cleaning the water basin (if it's not built-in) will keep your coffee tasting its best and the machine running smoothest.

Unfortunately, yes. An espresso machine contains a powerful motor that pumps near-boiling water through a chamber and out the group head at high pressure. Everything needs to be expertly sealed so that it can contain piping-hot water under immense pressure, or the machine won't work at all.

Any of our recommended budget espresso machines will brew good espresso, but it tends to be a less consistent process and a less intense flavor.

The closest thing you can get to drip coffee with an espresso machine is an Americano, or a long black. Simply pull a shot of espresso and then add whatever amount of hot water to fill out your cup. But you may want to save your money and buy one of the best coffee machines. Consider a stovetop Moka pot to have on hand for an espresso-like drink.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].