8 Best Espresso Machines of 2026, Tested and Reviewed
We put 15 top-rated machines to the test to determine which espresso machines pull the perfect shot.
Tested by Kamron Sanders
With an espresso machine on your countertop, you can quickly and easily treat yourself to everything from a breakfast latte to a mid-day cappuccino to an after-dinner espresso. But knowing which model to buy can be daunting with prices ranging from less than a hundred to thousands of dollars. Some espresso makers only brew coffee, others also foam milk. Some require skill on the part of the home barista, others are completely automatic. To help you decide which model is right for you, we tested and reviewed 15 models to determine our top eight recommendations for every budget.
Our Top Espresso Machine Picks
Kamron Sanders
How We Tested
To select our best espresso machines, we checked review sites to see what recommendations were made by other sources and also read user comments to find out what home baristas have to say. We then selected 15 popular machines to test.
We put a variety of different models to the test. Each espresso machine was tested for overall usability, espresso extraction and taste and the ease and quality of milk steaming. To keep things as consistent as possible, we sourced all the espresso beans from K Brew in Knoxville, TN. For each shot of this espresso, we looked for tasting notes like caramel, chocolate and nuttiness, with a subtle grapefruit finish. Compatible capsules were used for capsule machines.
Kamron Sanders
To establish our espresso parameters, we turned to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which states, “Espresso is a 25–35ml (×2 for double) beverage prepared from 7–9 grams (14–18 grams for a double) of coffee through which clean water of 195–205 degrees F has been forced at 9–10 atmospheres of pressure, and where the grind of the coffee is such that the brew time is 20–30 seconds. While brewing, the flow of espresso will appear to have the viscosity of warm honey and the resulting beverage will exhibit a thick, dark golden crema.”
We also assessed if the machines could accurately heat the water and maintain enough pressure to pull a quality shot of espresso. To monitor the temperature of the water, an instant-read thermocouple thermometer was used. To test each espresso machine’s milk-steaming capabilities, we attempted to create microfoam using the available steaming mechanism. Some espresso machines came equipped with steam wands, while others had alternative milk-frothing devices. Once the milk was frothed, we assessed its texture and taste, then attempted to pour latte art, which requires high-quality microfoam. To level the playing field, we steamed and poured with a Rattleware 12-ounce milk steaming pitcher on every machine.
Kamron Sanders
In addition to considering whether they make consistently great cups of espresso, we considered how easy they were to use and clean and what special features they offered. Our picks contain a selection of different types of machines at various price points to make sure there’s a great choice for every type of coffee drinker aficionado.
- Easy-to-use frother with milk-sensing technology
- Good for beginners
- Compact
- Portafilter is prone to dripping
- Frother can over-foam milk
The Bambino Plus is a compact and beautifully designed machine that consistently turns out a superb cup of coffee with minimal effort. From the time you turn it on, it needs only three seconds to be ready to pull single or double shots. If you want, you can adjust the espresso settings for a shorter or longer cupful. While you have to set a pitcher of milk beneath the steam wand and turn on the frother, you don’t have to hold or swirl the pitcher or determine when to stop frothing. The frothing results are truly impressive and you can adjust the temperature and the texture of your foam.
You can easily remove the 2-liter water reservoir to fill it at the sink. After you froth, the machine automatically rinses milk from the wand. With the Bambino, you get a tamper (a very useful tool to trim the tamped coffee), a milk pitcher, and cleaning tools. What you don’t get is a built-in coffee grinder or a spout for making hot water for Americanos or a cup of tea. Choose from seven colors including champagne and oyster shell.
- Dimensions 7.6 x 12.5 x 12.2 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 64 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 9 bars
- Compact
- Reasonable price
- Powerful steam wand for frothing
- Non-intuitive buttons
For the beginner home barista who wants to get a quality shot of espresso for a cheaper price than our winner, the Solis is a solid option that comes in a compact package. This Swiss-made machine packs a lot of power into a small body. First, there’s a built-in manometer that checks the extraction pressure to better dial in the espresso. Built into the machine is also an adaptive PID that controls water temperature and adjusts it for various functions, like milk steaming or brewing. The hot water is ready in just 40 seconds from when you turn it on so no need to wait to get that early morning eye-opener. That hot water function can be used to make an Americano or a hot cup of tea, in addition to your standard espresso. The steam wand is powerful and can create a hearty froth in just a few seconds.
While this option isn’t exactly a budget pick, it does ring up far less than many machines that create a very similar final product and cost hundreds more. The included accessories, a tamper and a portafilter, are high quality and don’t feel or perform like cheaply made alternatives.
- Dimensions 7 x 17 x 12.5 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 57 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 15 bars
- Self-integrated cleaning cycle
- Automatic coffee grinder
- Easy-to-use design
- Pricey if not on sale
- Prone to under-extraction
For the person who's interested in having a latte at home, but isn't sure where to start when it comes to pulling an espresso shot or picking a bean, the Café Affetto machine is a great first espresso machine. The machine arrives fully assembled and is easy to set up: Simply add water to the reservoir and plug it in. The machine will run a cleaning cycle to start and then a rinse cycle before every brew session. The Café Affetto automatically grinds your beans — just make sure to avoid dark roast as the beans are oilier than other varieties and can clog the machine.
With just three automatic brew options and a customizable option, the interface is easy to understand. The only thing budding baristas will need to do here is manually steam their milk using the touch of a button and the attached wand. Finally, at a lower price point than other automatic machines on the market, this machine is great for coffee drinkers who are hoping to dip their toes into the world of at-home lattes.
- Dimensions 15.75 x 7.25 x 12.5 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 40.5 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 20 bars
- Affordable
- Straightforward design
- Budget construction
- No grinder
- Messy
If you want a very affordable model but don’t want to compromise on the quality of espresso in your cup, look no further than the Stilosa. You will have to do the grinding, measuring and tamping, as well as the frothing, yourself but after one or two pulls, it’s easy to get the hang of the process. While some of the parts are less durable than on more expensive machines, the all-important boiler is constructed of stainless steel, making this a durable machine.
You have the option of brewing into a travel mug and making either 1 or 2 cups at once. The removable water tank on this compact model only holds about a quart of water but that’s enough for many cups of espresso or several cappuccinos. The Stilosa is a great choice for espresso drinkers on a budget who don’t mind putting a little effort into making their fix.
- Dimensions 8.07 x 13.5 x 11.22 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 33.8 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 15 bars
- Compact
- Simple to use
- Consistent results
- Less control
- Must use compatible pods
Like all Nespresso machines, the Essenza Mini delivers espresso with a picture-perfect layer of crema cup after cup. You pop a recyclable aluminum capsule into the chamber and the machine reads the bar code on the capsule to determine the brewing time for the varietal. With just two settings for an espresso and a bigger but less intense lungo, which is an Italian-style coffee drink made from espresso and more water than traditional espresso, operating this machine couldn’t be more convenient: Press down on the lever and select your beverage. If you like your drinks a little more or less concentrated, you can reprogram the volume for each setting.
As shown here, the Essenza comes with a stand-alone Aeroccino milk frother which only requires the push of a button to whip up clouds of foamy milk. For $50 less, you can purchase it without the frother. The Essenza has a removable 20-ounce water tank and comes in several colors and two shapes, straight-sided and triangular.
This machine is Nespresso’s smallest and least expensive. Other models work exactly the same way and produce the same excellent espresso. However, they offer additional features such as larger reservoirs, more cup size settings, digital displays, and steaming wands. If one of them meets your needs and you can afford to upgrade, you can buy it with confidence that you’ll get a perfect cup. Nespresso offers a wide assortment of coffees including flavored ones, single origins, and decaf. At about 70 cents each, they’re not inexpensive.
- Dimensions 3.3 x 12.8 x 8 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 20.3 ounces
- Frother Yes, with accessory
- Pressure 19 bars
- Integrated grinder
- Coffee shop-quality espresso
- Pricey
- Learning curve for beginners
If you’re ready to upgrade to a more serious home espresso machine, this is the one to pick. The price reflects the quality, of both the espresso and the design of the machine. The controls are simple and easy to use, without unnecessary or gimmicky features. That being said, you will have to learn some of the basic steps of espresso making — the machine doesn’t do any hand-holding. There are both automatic and manual operation features, which let you fine-tune features like grind, filter and pressure. During testing, this machine consistently produced balanced, great-tasting espresso that could rival what we would expect at any fancy coffee shop.
It does come with a built-in grinder with adjustable controls for you to dial in the perfect brew, as well as an integrated frother and an included tamper. Set up out of the box was quick and simple.
- Dimensions 12.5 x 12.6 x 13.1 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 67 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 9-15 bars
- All-in-one design
- Compatible with any coffee beans (no pods required)
- Prone to under-extraction with factory settings
- Pricey
- No possibility for latte art
Super-automatic machines do every step of the espresso-making process, well, automatically. With button features for everything from espresso to latte macchiato to hot water, machines like the Magnifica Evo offer a great mix of simplicity and quality. Unlike capsule machines, you put whole beans into a hopper and the machine grinds, tamps and extracts a shot of espresso to your liking.
True coffee aficionados will find the final flavors a bit lacking and that’s because nothing can truly replace the human touch when it comes to espresso-making. Our tester was impressed by how the machine could do every step of the process and still preferred the drinks made in this machine to the drinks made by chain coffee retailers.
- Dimensions 17.32 x 9.45 x 14.17 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 60 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 15 bars
- Integrated smart tech
- Extra-large water reservoir
- Gorgeous design
- Slightly inferior coffee compared to Breville machines tested
It’s not a beauty contest, though this is one of the more attractive models that we tested. The Café Bellissimo is a semi-automatic machine that comes in a few color options, all with gleaming metallic accents that are a signature of Café appliances. While the machine itself only has a few buttons on the front to create a streamlined look, the real beauty of this particular choice is that it has integrated smart app connectivity. You can use the app to do a range of functions, like customize the grind dosage or perform software updates. Connect it to your home WiFi and set personalized drink preferences so you don’t have to remember the exact pressure and dosage of that perfect shot you pulled a few weeks back. It has an extra-large water reservoir and a built-in milk frother that heats milk up slowly to achieve that perfect microfoam. The top of the machine sports a built-in conical grinder with a UV-protected bean hopper. It comes with a high-quality stainless steel tamper and a convenient built-in spot to store it.
The bottom line: This machine has a lot of the features of a comparable Breville machine but in a cheaper package that includes smart technology.
- Dimensions 12.75 x 13.75 x 16 inches
- Water Tank Capacity 95 ounces
- Frother Yes
- Pressure 15 bars
What Is an Espresso Machine?
Espresso machines use pressure to force or express almost-boiling water through finely ground coffee in less than 30 seconds. They produce a small "shot" of full-bodied, intensely flavored coffee that has a frothy golden layer on top called crema. Espresso-making requires finely ground coffee beans and is generally made with dark-roasted coffee beans. However, you can make espresso with any coffee varietal that is finely ground, and brew drip coffee with a dark espresso-type roast.
What Are the Different Espresso Machines?
There are four basic types of machines that cater to different types of coffee drinkers. Before you decide which kind to buy, it’s a good idea to figure out which category will suit your needs.
Manual
These hand-operated machines make quite a statement on your countertop. To operate them, you pull a lever, which is how the term pull came to be used for making a cup of espresso. If you put some time into mastering how to use one, you’ll be rewarded with complete control over the size and strength of your shot of espresso. However, because they require a steep learning curve and cost a pretty penny, they’re primarily used by professionals or serious (and wealthy) coffee connoisseurs. And these beauties are strictly for espresso. You’ll need another piece of equipment to heat and froth milk.
Semi-Automatic
With these espresso makers, an electric pump maintains consistent pressure and flow. You control how much coffee is in your cup by stopping the extraction process. Almost all semiautomatics have a steam wand or some other mechanism for heating and frothing milk. Most don’t have a built-in grinder. Those that do, take up more space and cost a premium.
Fully Automatic
With a fully automatic espresso maker, all you have to do is set it up with beans, water and milk. The machine does everything from grinding the beans to pulling the shot to frothing the milk for your drink of choice whether it’s a short espresso or a double latte. Most allow you to customize the grind, the temperature, the strength, and/or the volume of espresso to your preference. Because they have so many features, these machines take up a chunk of countertop space and don’t come cheap.
Capsule
These machines are the ultimate in ease of use and a consistent cup of espresso. You pop in a capsule, press a button or push down a lever and in seconds, can enjoy a crema-topped cup of espresso. The only thing you have to do is keep a supply of coffee capsules or pods on hand and the tank filled with water. A wide variety of styles, with and without frothers or steaming wands, are available.
What to Look for in an Espresso Machine
Key features necessary for making a good espresso include a pump with at least nine bars (a unit to measure pressure), a precise temperature control system (preferably with PID controllers) and a durable portafilter. A steam wand for frothing milk is also important if you enjoy milk-based espresso drinks like cappuccinos or lattes. Beyond that, the choice between espresso machines will come down to the level of involvement you intend to do. Fully automatic machines are great for those who just want a decent cup on the go, while manual and semi-automatic machines will give you more control to fine-tune the final product.
Espresso Terms to Know
Crema: The creamy, caramel-colored foam that forms on top of a freshly brewed shot of espresso. Crema is produced by the emulsion of coffee oils and brewed coffee during the extraction process and is often considered a sign of a well-made espresso.
Extraction: The process of hot water passing through the ground coffee to produce espresso. Proper extraction is crucial for achieving the ideal balance of flavors; under-extraction can lead to sour tastes, while over-extraction can cause bitterness.
Shot: Refers to the amount of espresso produced during the extraction process. A typical shot of espresso is about 1 ounce (30 ml), and a double shot is about 2 ounces (60 ml).
Steam Wand: A component of an espresso machine used for steaming and frothing milk. The steam wand emits steam and is used to heat and add texture to the milk, ideal for drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.
Tamping: The act of compressing the espresso grounds into the portafilter with a tamper. Proper tamping is essential to ensure an even extraction and prevent water from channeling through the coffee too quickly.
Portafilter: A handle with a metal filter basket at the end, used to hold the ground coffee during espresso extraction. The portafilter attaches to the group head of the espresso machine.
PID Controller: Proportional Integral Derivative, more commonly called "PID," is a highly sensitive temperature control device within some espresso machines, which helps the machine to consistently deliver precisely heated water throughout the extent of the extraction process.
Espresso-Making Accessories
The best espresso machines will include many of the essential tools for espresso making, like a tamper and a steaming pitcher. If you want to fully upgrade your setup, there are a few tools you can purchase to take your espresso game to the next level, like a dosing funnel, scale, knock box, and a tamping mat. If your espresso machine doesn’t have a built-in coffee grinder, you'll definitely want a separate grinder. Also, if you want frothed milk and your machine doesn’t have that option, you could splurge for an automatic frother as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of espresso machine for beginners?
For beginners, a semi-automatic espresso machine is the best option. These machines balance ease of use with some level of control over the brewing process, making them ideal for those who are new to making espresso at home but want to learn and develop their skills.
How much should I expect to spend on a quality espresso machine?
The cost of a quality espresso machine can vary widely, ranging from under $100 for basic models to over $2,000 for high-end, feature-rich machines. Generally, a good semi-automatic machine can be purchased for between $200 and $500. Investing more can get you additional features like dual boilers, better build quality and finer control over extraction settings.
Are there espresso machines that don’t require a lot of maintenance?
Yes, some espresso machines are designed with ease of maintenance in mind. Capsule machines, for instance, require minimal cleaning and maintenance, although they offer less flexibility in terms of coffee choice and strength. On the other hand, manual and semi-automatic machines will require more regular cleaning and descaling, especially if used frequently. Most machines come with detailed instructions for cleaning and descaling. Typically, cleaning an espresso machine consists of running a backflushing cycle, during which the machine cleanses its numerous internal parts using its own hot water. Descaling an espresso machine consists of adding a descaling agent to either the water tank or the portafilter and then running a descaling cycle, which dissolves the descaling agent and cycles it through the internals of the espresso machine.
What features are necessary for making a good espresso?
Key features necessary for making a good espresso include a pump with at least nine bars of pressure, a precise temperature control system (preferably with PID controllers), and a durable portafilter. A steam wand for frothing milk is also important if you enjoy milk-based espresso drinks like cappuccinos or lattes.
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