Espresso Machines

Are you a discerning coffee lover and looking for an espresso machine? Our baristas have listed the best espresso machines of the year for you.

You set high standards for the taste of your cup of coffee and would like to have full control over the taste. Then an espresso machine is the right choice!

This guide is to help you find the best espresso machine. We have options for beginners and advanced users alike and for every budget.

In our search for the best espresso machine, we used customer reviews, and opinions on forums.  We also consulted professional review websites and interviewed several retailers of espresso machines.

Image	Product	Rating	Buy
BEST BUY	Breville Dual Boiler Espresso Machine Double boiler 58 mm filter With display Water tank capacity: 2.5 L	9.6	Buy On Amazon
BEST VALUE	Gaggia Classic Pro Espresso Machine Stainless steel Excellent build quality Powerful steam wand Water reservoir: 2.0 liter	9.4	Buy On Amazon
BEST SELLER	Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Compact footprint Built-in grinder Balanced and strong taste Precise extraction	9.4	Buy On Amazon
BEST FOR BEGINNERS	Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine Automatic steam wand Adjustable milk frothing Temperature controller Water tank capacity: 1,9 liter. Hot water function	8.8	Check Price

Want to make an espresso or cappuccino at the touch of a button? Then check our guide for fully automatic espresso machines.

10 best espresso machines

We review espresso machines based on design, performance, operation, and quality. Below you will find the 10 best espresso machines of the year – compiled by our baristas.

#1 BREVILLE DUAL BOILER

Breville Dual Boiler is the best espresso machine of 2022 for the home. With two boilers, PID temperature control, and a 58mm filter holder. 

What to expect

You can make espresso and froth milk at the same time thanks to the double boiler. It comes with a built-in temperature controller. This means that you can have temperature consistency for optimal flavor.

Espresso and steam boiler

The heart of this appliance is a heating element that consists of 2 stainless steel boilers. The espresso boiler and the steam boiler. This makes it possible to make an espresso and froth the milk at the same time. That’s not possible with single boiler espresso makers.

It takes about 3 minutes for the water to heat up.

Pre-infusion & optimal bar pressure

Before extraction begins, the ground coffee beans are wetted. This ensures an even extraction through the portafilter. The result is a smooth and balanced flavor profile of your espresso.

Thanks to an optimal pressure of 9 bar, it’s easier to achieve the perfect flow time. Max. pressure = 15 bar.

Built-in PID temperature control

If you make several espressos in a row, you need consistent temperature. PID ensures this kind of consistency in the best way. You set the desired water temperature and the water is heated within seconds. 

Best choice for microfoam

Thanks to the dual boiler, Breville Dual Boiler has a powerful steam nozzle. This feature gives similar results to the commercial espresso machines. It also releases less water/moisture compared to single-boiler espresso makers.

Frothing the milk takes less time due to the dual boiler. Milk froth within 40 seconds at 140 F degrees.

Removable water tank

The water tank has a size of 2.5 liters. It’s removable for refilling or cleaning. The great thing about the Breville Dual Boiler is that you can also refill the tank at the top of the machine.

On the front of the espresso machine, you can easily read the water level thanks to the water indicator. So you know exactly when to refill it.

Easy to move

Thanks to the “wheels” under the device, you can move the Breville Dual Boiler without any trouble. This is handy for cleaning under the coffee maker.

Cup warmer

At the top of this coffee machine, you will find a cup warmer.

The controls

The Breville Dual Boiler is operated via push buttons and an LCD screen.

• Left-hand dial: hot water function
• Handle on the right: steam function
• Manual key: determine the flow time of the extraction yourself.
• 1-shot button: flow time of 30 ml.
• 2-shot button: flow time of 60 ml.
• Through the menu (button under the LCD screen) you can adjust the settings.

Robust construction

Thanks to the stainless steel construction, it not only looks stylish, but it feels sturdy as well. This espresso machine won’t move, even if you turn the portafilter in the espresso machine

Cleaning & maintenance

Before you use the espresso machine, you set the hardness of the water in your location. Based on this, it determines how often you will receive a cleaning notification.

The device usually notifies you of cleaning every 200 espresso shots. But, this depends on the water’s hardness.

To clean it just put a cleaning tablet in the portafilter. Then start the automatic cleaning program.

In the box

• 480 ml milk jug
• Cleaning tools
• Portafilter 54 millimeter
• Razor doser
• Individual tamper
• Water filter
• 1 cup double walled filter bowl
• 2 cup double walled filter tray
• Manual

The cleaning tools and razor dosing device are stored in a drawer under the espresso machine.

Final Verdict:  Breville Dual Boiler

The Breville Dual Boiler is one of the best espresso machines for home right now. Excellent build quality, 2 boilers, a temperature controller, and all the gadgets. These features make this espresso machine easy to use.

With this espresso maker, you get the most out of your espresso and cappuccino. There are very good reasons why it’s among the best espresso machines. If you want a professional machine for your home then you can choose the Breville Oracle. The Breville Oracle Touch has a touch screen and an automatic steam wand.

The Drawbacks?

This espresso machine is so good that we can’t really find any drawbacks. But, you will have to dig deep into your pockets and spend extra money on a separate coffee grinder. This is because Breville Dual Boiler doesn’t come with a built-in coffee grinder.

#2 GAGGIA CLASSIC PRO ESPRESSO MACHINE

The Gaggia Classic Pro is one of the best home espresso machines. You can make cafe-quality espressos and cappuccinos with ease.

The Gaggia Classic Pro is one of the best home espresso machines. You can make cafe-quality espressos and cappuccinos with ease.

The Gaggia Classic was primarily intended for espresso lovers. Gaggia Classic Pro is an excellent machine for both espresso and cappuccino lovers. Thanks to the professional steam wand you can make coffee shop quality cappuccino.

Are you planning to make several cappuccinos or espressos in a row? This Gaggia espresso machine has a relatively small boiler. Are you having a lot of coffee go within a day at your home or office? Then consider an espresso machine with a larger boiler.

If you want the best coffee in less time, consider a double-boiler espresso machine.  Also, this compact espresso machine doesn’t have an integrated coffee grinder.

If you like to grind your own coffee, keep in mind that you will need to spend around 200 – 300 euros for a good coffee grinder. And a separate bean grinder takes up extra space on your countertop. If you prefer a machine with a built-in grinder, consider the Breville Barista Express.

#3 BREVILLE BARISTA EXPRESS

The Breville Barista Express is currently the best-selling espresso machine. Thanks to its stylish design, built-in coffee grinder, and excellent performance.

The Breville Barista Express comes with an integrated coffee grinder. It’s one of the best espresso makers for a beginner or an advanced barista. This espresso machine looks really great. It’s easy to use and you can brew delicious espressos and cappuccinos without any hassle.

You don’t need so much of a barista’s experience to make the most delicious espresso with this machine. The device delivers 9-bar pressure with ease.

If you find the Breville Barista Express a little too expensive; then you could consider the Solis. Solis espresso machines have a similar features philosophy to Breville. They even look like Breville but they are a bit cheaper. 

You may want to check also our comparison >> Breville Barista Express vs Delonghi La Specialista

#4 BREVILLE BAMBINO PLUS ESPRESSO MACHINE

The Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine is compact, fast, and very stylish. Ideal for cappuccino lovers with a small kitchen. This espresso maker is one of the best compact devices.

What to expect

A solid, chic, and compact machine that makes excellent espressos and cappuccinos.
Preparing an espresso

With the Pre-infusion, pre-ground coffee is moistened before extraction. So, you get the most out of your coffee beans. The pre-infusion function has a great impact on the taste. It ensures an even extraction with a nice crema layer and balanced flavors as a result.

Settings

With the Breville Bambino Plus, you set the temperature and coffee quantity yourself. This makes it possible to adjust the settings per button.

Optimal pressure

The pressure gauge on the front is a nice addition, especially for the beginner (home) barista. It lets you see exactly how much pressure you’re brewing espresso with. This way you can try to get closer to an optimal pressure of 9 bar. The maximum pressure is 15 bar.

Thermoblock

Like many espresso machines, Breville Bambino Plus uses thermoblock as the heating element. A thermoblock heats up faster than a boiler. But it provides less consistency in water temperatures.
The thermoblock heats up in 40 seconds and it takes about 20 seconds for the steam nozzle to be ready for use.

Frothing milk

This semi-automatic espresso machine has one heating element. So, you’ll have to wait a while after brewing another espresso. Due to its compact size, the steam nozzle is slightly shorter. But the size of the milk jug is designed to make a perfect fit. The machine has a powerful steam nozzle with which you can make very good milk froth.

Excellent build quality

Thanks to its stainless steel housing, Breville Bambino Plus looks sleek and solid. Stainless steel is easier to clean and lasts longer compared to plastic. Unfortunately, the drip tray is plastic though.

Cleaning and maintenance

The maintenance of this espresso machine is very easy. It’s important after brewing to rinse the machine and the portafilter. Clean the steam wand using a wet cloth.

Thanks to the included water filter descaling this espresso machine isn’t necessary. If you don’t use the water filter then you need to run the descaling program.

In the box

• Espresso machine
• Milk jug
• Tamper
• Tamper mat
• Knock tray
• Filters
• Microfiber cloths and
• A water filter

Final verdict

Despite its compact size, our experience with this espresso machine is very good. It makes excellent espresso and you can make perfect milk froth with the machine. But, you need to practice a little with it.
This espresso machine is designed for beginners with a relatively low price tag. This is the best espresso machine for those with a small kitchen.

The drawbacks?

This is not a suitable espresso machine if you want to make many espressos or cappuccinos in a row. The heating element is too small for that. Finally, this machine makes quite a bit of noise while frothing the milk. The cup warmer fits 2 cups and it doesn’t work very well all the time.

#5 CALPHALON TEMP iQ ESPRESSO MACHINE

This sleek espresso machine is a breath of fresh air. This is a quality-build device that you don’t have to spend much.

One amazing feature of this espresso maker is that it measures the shot extraction for you. It has a single and double shot option so if you’re a beginner, you can avoid the guesswork.

The mild frother is a little loud but it does a great job when it comes to frothing milk. It’s a nice machine that can produce a variety of espresso-based drinks.

It comes with a cup warming plate, but it’s plastic. Still, it works really great and does the job. It doesn’t include a ground coffee measurement basket and you need to figure out how much is needed.
It has a removable water tank that’s easy to move and refill. It requires a bit of force to remove and place the portafilter. But we didn’t find this a major problem for the machine.

All in all, it’s a great basic espresso machine that looks good on your countertop. If you’re on a tight budget, this is a good device but it comes with fewer gadgets. For example, it has a steam wand, but you’ll need a separate thermometer to check the milk’s temperature.

#6 DE’LONGHI LA SPECIALISTA ESPRESSO MACHINE

This beautiful espresso machine will give you better espressos. But you’ll have less control over the extraction. This is also one of the best espresso machines for making Americanos at home.

Most of the buyers claim that with De’Longhi La Specialista you need to put in more work. But the result is far better coffee. So, if you’re an espresso beginner, if you opt for this machine, you’ll need to deal with a learning curve.

Frothing milk is easy with La Specialista and it has some adjustments you can make. It has a large water tank so you don’t have to refill it often. We find the machine’s design really appealing but this is our personal taste. Stainless steel housing material makes it very easy to clean.

A descaling kit is included in the box which makes it easier and faster to descale the machine. The manual is straightforward for the new user of the device.

It will take you a few tries to figure out the coffee amount and grinding settings. But once you sort this, you’ll have excellent coffee all the time.

Also when changing coffee beans you’ll have to tweak the settings once again. Bear in mind that not all coffee beans are the same when it comes to how dry or oily they are. On the upside, it’s nice to have the option to tweak. This means that you always will have great coffee no matter what coffee bean you’re using.

#7 PHILIPS 3200 SERIES FULLY AUTOMATIC ESPRESSO MACHINE

Philips 3200 is an espresso machine that you need to learn how to get the most out of it. After you figure it out, you’ll have delicious coffee consistently. It’s not one of the most compact machines on the market. But it will meet or even exceed your espresso expectations.

As mentioned this one is a large espresso machine that will take up much space on your counter. It requires 16 inches in depth and 17 inches in height. So, have these dimensions in mind before purchasing. These aren’t the machine’s dimensions but you’ll need them for the moving parts.

Philips 3200 is a great espresso maker. It makes perfect coffee unlike what you may have tasted with pod machines. It makes fresh, strong, and pure coffee flavor. Coffee quality is like you bought it from a coffee shop.

For some users, this machine is a little noisy. We found that only the coffee grinder makes some noise when operating, and it seems like it’s muffled.

The water tank is considered a bit small for such an espresso machine. If you don’t mind refilling quite often, this one isn’t a major problem.

#8 MR. COFFEE ESPRESSO AND CAPPUCCINO MAKER 

This is a good semi-automatic espresso machine if you’re a beginner with a tight budget.

This is an affordable all-in-one coffee maker. It’s very easy to use even if you’re a beginner and you can create espresso, latte, or cappuccino at home.

You can store the milk in your fridge with the removable milk tank. For some users with lower espresso quality expectations, Mr. Coffee is a game-changer. Some buyers complained that the machine wore really soon.

If you want this little coffee maker to last longer you need to clean it very often. Clean it properly even after every single brewing. To clean it is also easy with a touch of a button. If you’re a latte lover and want an easy-to-use and maintain espresso maker, then Mr. Coffee is perfect.

#9 NESPRESSO CREATISTA PLUS ESPRESSO MACHINE BY BREVILLE

With this Nespresso machine, you’ll say goodbye to Starbucks. It’s one of the easiest to use and can produce a variety of coffee drinks. It makes high-quality coffee with great flavor and in a consistent manner.

The Creatista Plus from Nespresso is an amazing machine. You’ll love it. It’s compact, stylish, and makes excellent coffee.

If you don’t plan to make coffee beverages with milk, don’t buy this one. You can get a cheaper Nespresso machine without the milk features. When you make many milk-based beverages remember to clean the wand with the pick included in the box. The reason is that it tends to clog when making many milk drinks.

With a Creatista Plus, everything is straightforward. It’s easy to set it up, clean it and make great coffee. If you’re on the market for a good pod espresso machine that makes lattes too, go for it. We recommend this Nespresso machine.

#10 DE’LONGHI MAGNIFICA SUPER AUTOMATIC ESPRESSO

This is a great super-automatic espresso machine for De’Longhi. It will make delicious coffee every day without any problem. You won’t find difficulties in using and cleaning the machine.

The machine includes a burr grinder that has 13 different settings for grinding. It also has a second chamber if you want to use pre-ground coffee.

The manual frother produces rich and creamy froth for milk-based coffee drinks. De’Longhi Magnifica ensures that every cup has the perfect richness, temperature, and density. It’s a super-automatic machine so you can produce consistently great coffee. Even if it’s your first espresso machine.

It has a compact footprint that will fit almost all kitchen countertops. You will find it very easy to use and clean. The machine has several settings and coffee volume adjustments.

The De’Longhi Magnifica is an entry-level espresso maker. Its outside color is silver and the housing material is plastic. Although the machine is well built, it doesn’t have the style and elegance of stainless steel.
The strong point of De’Longhi Magnifica is its features. It’s an Italian espresso maker that has an automatic shutoff function. You can adjust it anywhere between 15 – 180 minutes.

The device has a cup warmer which is very handy for quality espresso. The warranty is 2 years and as per EU regulations. Weighing 23.2 lbs and with its smart design can fit any kitchen.

How To Choose The Best Espresso Machine

When it comes to choosing the best espresso machine you should have a few things in mind. The space you have in your kitchen, your budget, and how much work you plan to put in when brewing coffee.
Here below we discuss a bit more about the various types of espresso makers.

Manual Espresso Machines

These are the most beautiful machines that give you the most control over the extraction. You need to put in a lot of work but you can have the best espresso outcome.

Also, there’s a good chance that you’ll miss the shot and you won’t be satisfied with the coffee outcome. Especially if you’re a beginner.

These espresso makers are ideal for experienced baristas. Perfect for those willing to put in the time in brewing excellent espresso shots.

Semi-automatic Espresso Machines

These are the most popular among espresso makers. They let you grind your beans, and tamp your coffee but the machine decides the pressure and flow. This type provides more consistent results.

You can control the volume of espresso in your cup by stopping the extraction process. The most popular models come with a steaming wand and a built-in grinder.

If you don’t have enough kitchen space or you’re on a tight budget, opt for a machine without a grinder. It’s easy to find such an espresso maker for under $600.

Fully-automatic Espresso Machines

This type of espresso maker doesn’t let any control over the coffee outcome. Even the volume of water is set by the device. You only have to put some beans in the hopper, fill it with water, and press the button for the coffee of your preference.

Fully-automatic espresso makers make excellent macchiatos, lattes, or cappuccinos with ease. Some models have settings and adjustments for strength, temperature, or coffee volume. Fully-automatic espresso makers are also known as bean-to-cup coffee machines.

The drawback of this type of espresso maker is that they’re large and will take more space. Not to mention that all these features and gadgets go with higher price levels.

Pod Espresso Makers

These espresso makers are the most convenient. You just place the pod into the device, touch a button, and enjoy the drink of your preference.
You need to have only to refill them with water and keep some stock of pods. There are models with or without milk frothers or wands for steam. They aren’t cheap but they’re far less expensive than fully-automatic espresso makers.

Another feature to have in mind

When shopping for an espresso machine, you’ll see often the pressure feature. This characteristic is measured in bars. Pressure is necessary to extract flavor and aroma from ground coffee. True espresso requires 9-bar pressure. But, most espresso machines come with 15-bar pressure.

Also, look for the added accessories in a box of an espresso maker. Most popular models include tampers, portafilters, descaling solutions, and scoops. These little tools are important and if they aren’t included you need to buy them.

Feel free to check also the following guides and get the best espresso machine!

• Best budget espresso machines
• Best espresso machine for a specific need
• Best espresso machine brands
• Espresso machine reviews
• Comparisons

We’re feeling confident that our buyers’ guides will help you find the best espresso machine.