You want to make espresso at home, but you don’t know what the best machine is.
The market for home espresso machines has exploded in recent years and it can be hard to find a good one that’s affordable and easy to use.
Solution: We happen to be the biggest espresso nerds around, so we’ve gone ahead and rounded up our favorite picks for the best home espresso machine for a variety of uses and skill levels.
Here’s the short of it: the best espresso machine is the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica. It’s competitively priced, it’s a super-automatic espresso machine, and you can make a wide variety of coffee drinks with it.
As for the runner ups for best espresso machine from other categories, here they are:
- Best budget espresso machine: DeLonghi EC155
- Best semi automatic espresso machine: Breville BES920XL
- Best manual espresso machine: Flair espresso machine
- Best portable espresso machine: WACACO Minipresso
In this roundup of the best espresso machines, we’ll be looking at machines from every category.
How we determined the best espresso machines
Ease of use
Some espresso machines have a mind of their own, taking far too long to heat up or cool down. Others require a perfect grind for the best results, and others still leave you at the mercy of dark art variables like tamping pressure.
We cut from the herd those machines that don’t live up to being user friendly before we even get started with taste tests.
It’s possible there are other great tasting models out there that demand an elevated level of effort from the user, but these top five deliver both convenience and excellent tasting results without any fuss.
Cleanup is also important- if it takes you more than two minutes to rinse or empty a portafilter after brewing then it’s not going into our machine roundup. We looked for machines that were straightforward and took no more than a few minutes to clean after use.
Price
Espresso machines range from under $50 for something very basic up to the price of a cheap used car for commercial grade models, so it’s important we set some parameters on what makes one machine better than another.
These espresso machine reviews only cover models in the consumer category- anything less or more is not gong to cut it in terms of testing or results.
Shot quality
Ultimately, this roundup is focused on a machine’s ability to deliver a great shot.
We spent a good deal of time looking at user feedback and owner reviews from across the web, as well as attending live demonstrations and taste tests to find the models that consistently produce quality coffee with minimal fuss.
Milk frothing
While espresso is the main focus, having a machine that can also produce quality specialty coffee drinks is important. All of the machines we’ve chosen here produce great steamed milk.
Best Home Espresso Machine
1. DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Espresso Machine
When it comes to the best home espresso machines, you can’t go wrong with the DeLonghi ESAM3300 machine. The ESAM3300 is a super automatic espresso machine that does everything for you at the touch of a button thanks to the built-in grinder.
It is a double-boiler espresso machine that can rapidly pull a shot of espresso and froth milk.
There are dials to adjust the grind size and amount of coffee, so while the ESAM3300 is super automatic, it still allows you to control some variables.
On the whole, it’s very easy to use and consistently produces coffee-shop quality coffee.
The removable water tank and bean container are easy to clean and maintain.
One drawback of this machine is the plastic exterior. While some manufacturers opt for stainless steel finishes, the ESAM3300 looks really old school.
Still, don’t let that deter you: the ESAM3300 automatic machine is one of the most budget-friendly picks you’ll find, period.
The ESAM3300 has been around for a while, and the fact that DeLonghi is still making them shows how good they are.
2. Jura S8 Fully Automatic Espresso & Coffee Machine
Next up on our list of the best home espresso machines for home is the Jura S8.
Let’s get this out of the way: the Jura S8 is a powerhouse. It’s a super automatic espresso machine that only needs you to put in beans, water, and milk(optional).
The touch screen display lets you choose what kind of drink you’re preparing, and that’s really all there is to it.
Just tap the screen and the Jura S8 will dispense the coffee beans into the built-in burr grinder, grind them, tamp them, pull a shot of espresso coffee, and dispense it neatly into your cup.
If you want to make a milky coffee like lattes and cappuccinos, just choose that option from the screen and the Jura S8 will kick in the milk frother and dispense steamed milk along with your espresso shot.
The Jura S8 is the pinnacle of the automatic espresso machine, and the price tag shows it. It will put a huge dent in your wallet, but it will make a statement like no other.
If budget is not an issue and you’re looking for a coffee maker that can consistently deliver great espresso and coffee drinks, the Jura S8 will do the job like a boss.
You don’t have to fiddle with any filter baskets, grind settings, tampers, or change the brewing process to make quality espresso.
However, those of us who want more control over their coffee and espresso may find that the Jura S8 does not quite hit the mark.
3. DeLonghi Dedica Espresso Machine
The DeLonghi Dedica espresso machine is a fantastic machine for those of us who want high qulaity espresso but don’t have much counter space. At just 6 inches wide, the Dedica will fit in even the tightest spaces.
Disclaimer: You’ll need some room to maneuver a cup for frothing milk, so if you just have 6 inches of space, it may be difficult!
Even though it’s fairly small, it still has a decently-sized 35 ounce water tank.
Because of the way the heating system is positioned, you can place your cup on top of the machine to get it warm by the time you’re ready to pull your shot.
The DeLonghi Dedica is a semi automatic machine. It comes with 3 types of filter baskets: a single shot and double shot size for ground coffee, and one special basket for coffee pods.
The steam wand is pretty well built, and the stainless steel milk jug it comes with makes it quite straightforward to froth milk and even make latte art if that’s your thing.
There are three buttons on top to make espresso and other drinks. One for a single shot, one for a double shot, and one for steaming milk.
The drip tray is removable for easy cleaning.
Even though the Dedica is a single-boiler machine, the rapid heating system ensures that there is enough heat to start steaming milk right after dispensing your shot.
4. Breville Barista Express BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express is one of the best espresso machines in its class. It very elegantly straddles the line between budget and high performance.
Even though it’s a semi-automatic, it has a built-in grinder for perfect dosing before every shot. Just add coffee beans into the hopper and you’re good to go.
Breville has put a lot of thought into this coffee maker and it really shows.
The front of the machine has everything you’ll need to make a good shot of espresso.
You take the portafilter and push it into the flap below the burr grinder to get a dose of espresso, then tamp it with the built-in tamper, and finally attach it to the brew head.
A PID controlled loop ensures that your espresso is brewed with consistently hot water, and the resulting shot is thick and delicious.
If you want to froth milk for other espresso drinks, the milk frothing wand on the Barista Express is very easy to use and you can get smooth microfoam in your milk texture of almost coffee shop quality.
The stainless steel exterior gives it the look of a commercial espresso machine.
Overall, the BES870XL makes the entire espresso brewing process very straightforward.
A 15 bar pressure pump provides the pressure needed to extract good espresso.
If you’re looking for something that has the best of super-automatic machines but still allows you a degree of manual control, the BES870XL is the best espresso machine there is.