The Best Espresso Machine to Buy. Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

The one downside of the BES870XL? It requires regular maintenance. But then again, what espresso maker doesn’t? That is, if you want it to last. But do not worry, as the BES870XL is equipped with a sensor that notifies you when it’s due for a cleaning. 

Based on our findings, the Breville Barista BES870XL is a serious contender as one of the top espresso machines.

Best for Home

The espresso maker has a large water reservoir with a capacity of 72 ounces. It also has a commercial-level portafilter which extracts just the right amount of flavour from the coffee grounds to make a perfectly concentrated brew.

This Italian espresso maker allows to make a barista-level coffee in the comforts of your home. It comes with a professional porta-filter, and a commercial wand to steam and froth the milk. This milk can then be used to create latte art.

The best feature of this Classic Pro Espresso Machine is that it is easy to operate. The only controls present in this machine are three rocker switches- the on/off switch, the “brew” switch and the “steam” switch.

Best for Office

Best with Milk Frother

All the parts come apart with ease and there’s also an internal self cleaning feature that keeps the Ninja Coffee Bar from clogging up.

Although most may not regard it as fancy, this espresso maker does have three distinct brew settings. You can brew a single shot or use a regular drip brewing setting with the cup on a hot plate. There are also a couple of different brew sizes.

The Ninja Coffee Bar is adjustable and can fit a regular cup, an XL cup, a travel mug, or a multi-serving of XL cups. It comes with the Ninja XL hot and cold tumbler.

The Ninja Coffee Bar is certainly more versatile than a more expensive traditional espresso machines. It also comes with a recipe book designed around its unique features, just in case you need some new ideas. As discussed, maybe not the best espresso maker in our round up but it is definitely worth considering.

Best with Grinder

Best for the Money

Runner Up

Not all espresso machines are created equal.

That’s why there’s always a best espresso machine for a particular task that doesn’t necessarily excel at others. For someone who has never owned one, it may seem like too much to take in, but understanding the differences between the three main types is important.

Manual 

Semi-automatic espresso machines are perhaps the most popular for home and commercial use. They can be programmed or manually assisted, depending on the user’s mood or necessities. 

What does a semi-automatic espresso maker do on its own? Usually, it extracts the preset amount of espresso or coffee. Some of the best and newer machines may also be equipped with a milk frother that doesn’t require manual control. Needless to say, these tend to produce cappuccinos and lattes with a better consistency.

There are also semi automatic machines that are more customizable. Some allow you to stop the pouring process whenever you like. Others have a rotating steam wand that helps you to make your own foam with the machine’s assistance.

This sounds redundant, but it really isn’t. The perfect espresso machine to buy is not the same for everyone because not all people like the same things.

If you’re the ultimate coffee enthusiast, you probably want to get a manual machine, grind your beans and be a part of the process to make your espresso. If you don’t have time to even check the weather in the morning, then you’ll want a super-automatic espresso maker. That way you press one button and in a few seconds your shot is ready and perfectly brewed to your taste.

But if you’re on a tight budget you may just want the bare minimum of features  on an espresso maker. And, if it doesn’t break the bank but wakes you up in the morning and leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth, it may feel like the perfect espresso maker to you.

Figuring out precisely why you need one is the first thing to do.

After that, you can focus on what you want it to do and how it does it. This thought process may very well help you save some cash on your next purchase.

Ease of use can sometimes be tied in with performance and here’s why. Let’s say the best espresso machine you can afford has simple one push buttons and a steam wand. It’s easy to program it to make your shot, but what if you have to twirl with the skill of a master barista to get the foam you like?

Judging an espresso coffee maker based on the number of buttons it has is not always the best decision. After all, one quick glance over the instruction manual can often be enough to figure it out. However, if its performance is lacking despite your best efforts to customize the brewing process, would you still call it the perfect espresso maker in terms of ease of use?

These two go hand in hand, and in order to be the ideal one for you, the appliance needs to balance both aspects. Just because a machine has fewer buttons doesn’t mean it will be easier to work with, especially if it’s a manual or a semi automatic machine. 

Ease of use also ties in with the maintenance aspect. If it needs a thorough cleaning after every three or four shots of espresso, it’s not that easy to use overall.

Gauging an espresso coffee machine’s durability can be tricky. Even the best manufacturers sometimes produce duds and people end up returning items.

That being said, you have a better chance of getting a working espresso maker back after sending it in for service if you’re dealing with one of the top names in the business than a small-time manufacturer.

The brands everyone knows and loves like Brevile, Hamilton Beach, DeLonghi, etc., have stood the test of time. That doesn’t mean that every once in a while you won’t find high quality products from unknown brands.

Some focus more on creating highly durable espresso machines rather than implementing a lot of customizable settings. That’s why it’s not hard to find among our best espresso machine list one that lasts even 15 or more years with proper maintenance.

Sure, these days almost every espresso maker can be called the best performer when it comes to brewing speed. It seems like all of them take 1-2 minutes including warm-up to produce a quality shot of espresso. However, once you are familiar with the pressure specifications, it’s not that black and white anymore, is it?

Some manual espresso machines may only reach a pressure of 8 bars. That’s enough to make espresso but not top-quality espresso; 9 bars is the minimum you should accept on your new one if you care about taste at all.

The capacity of the water tank is not too important for small shots of espresso or to prepare espresso based drinks. It is important in terms of how the reservoir is set up. For example, you may not want to splurge on a self-cleaning espresso maker. If that’s the case, you’ll want a decent-sized tank that’s easy to remove and clean. Maybe you want two separate for milk and water tank. That will usually cost you more, but you should note that the capacity may sometimes be displayed as a sum instead of individual numbers.

The best way to clean espresso makers is usually by following the instruction manual that came with it.

For general maintenance, you may want to consider cleaning the portafilter and filter basket by hand. The brew head is also important, and you might want to take a brush to it to be thorough.

If you want to clean the inside of the machine, the occasional descaling is recommended. The frequency depends on how often you use the machine and how hard the water is. This involves running a chemical cleaning agent through the machine to remove mineral deposits.

You can also apply the standard vinegar or citric acid cleaning cycle, although after that it will require running a lot of water through the boiler and brew head to remove the smell.

First of all, you should clean the machine daily or even after each use. If you’re using it for home, cleaning it after each shot is simple enough. The espresso machines for commercial use require a full cleaning at the end of each day. If you use use capsules you don't need to clean the machine every day. 

A deep chemical clean is required once a week for commercial espresso machines. A residential best espresso machine that doesn't see too much use can do with one every two or so weeks. Descaling is recommended every three or so months. This helps remove mineral deposits that build up over time in the machine.

The backflushing frequency differs from one model to another. The owner’s manual should specify after how many shots the procedure is mandatory.

Keep in mind that backflushing can also be a part of your regular cleanup routine to make sure you’re as thorough as possible.

The amount of time it takes to heat up depends on operating power of the boiler and the group head placement. The closer it is to the boiler, the faster it heats up.

Generally speaking, most of the best espresso machine options are ready to brew after one or two minutes of warm-up. Some designs that use thermo-block technology can heat up the water needed for a shot in just seconds.

Despite having quite an intricate mechanism, any machine for espresso revolves around a simple principle. It forces pressurized hot water (about 1.5 ounces) through ground coffee in one or more filters.

This creates much more concentrated and thicker version of regular coffee. It’s important to remember that espresso grinds are finer than traditional coffee grinds for drip machines.

First, to descale espresso makers, you fill the reservoir with water and then add the descaling solution. 

Descaling can be a lengthy process. The amount of time it takes to dissolve will depend on the brand of commercial descaling agent.

The second step involves running the solution through the machine’s steam wand. You need to hold a container under the wand to avoid damaging the exterior. Fill one cup through the wand before you turn off the machine.

After about 20 minutes, run the descaling agent through the steam wand and group head (except for superautomatic espresso machines). After letting it sit for another 20 minutes, you can run the remaining solution through the machine and then flush it with a full reservoir of water.

A good shot of espresso only needs 9 bars of pressure. However, the pumps of most modern top espresso machines operate at 15 or even 20 bars. That’s especially useful for frothing milk. More than that, high pressure makes for good sales pitch to consumers.

The first machine for espresso was invented in 1884 in Turin by Angelo Moriondo. On the other hand, the first espresso maker to see commercial production was based on a series of patented improvements made by Milanese engineer Luigi Bezzera.

However, it wasn’t until 1905 that espresso machines became a consumer product. At the time the rate of production was just one per day. Before that espresso was usually brewed using a moka pot coffee maker, which are still popular and in use.

Yes, most of the best espresso machines if not all, can make latte. They are equipped with the required accessories for lattes. As long as they have a steam wand and decent pressure settings, you should have no problem making foamed milk for your latte.

If your machine has a steam wand, it can make cappuccino. A cappuccino only requires around 0.8oz of espresso and around 2.8oz of milk. However, most espresso machines won’t pour both the espresso and the milk in the same cup for you, even if it has an automatic steamer or frother.

Yes, espresso machines can make hot chocolate. If you want a more consistent hot chocolate, you can add powder to the milk and start working the steam wand. Given you rotate it constantly, you can have a hot chocolate with an almost pudding-like consistency.

If you don’t want that, you can adjust the steam pressure for the wand on some espresso machines so that it doesn’t thicken the drink.

You have three choices to grind coffee: you can buy already fine ground coffee, use your own grinder, or use the built in burr grinder if the machine has one. However, even in the burr grinder you can’t use large coffee beans.

Checking the manual should offer clear indications as to what size is recommended for optimal performance.

The short answer is they cannot make regular coffee. The closest thing you can get to regular coffee from an espresso machine is an Americano Coffee. The water is forced with increased pressure through the grinds. This makes both the process and the result entirely different from drip-brewed regular coffee.

It is worth mentioning that some have a drip feature also, but this is usually only found on large commercial machines or on combo coffee makers.