10 Best Espresso Machines of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

From a professional to a beginner, make a perfect espresso shot every time.

The best espresso machines can improve nearly all aspects of your home coffee making. Home-made espresso can transform a simple coffee cup into a coffee shop, and your guests will be flattered by the fact that you are capable of pulling out a great shot with a wonderful “crema” (the creamy, frothy foam that forms on top of freshly made espresso).

You can advance to another level by perfecting your latte art and frothing the milk to get a good cappuccino or latte if you are determined enough. The Beauty Homes Kitchen Appliances has conducted tests with different types of coffee makers – pour-over coffee makers, single-cup brewers, French presses, drip coffee makers built for the camping trips and cold brew coffee makers.

We will assess how these coffee machines perform through brewing espresso consistently and how simple they are to operate. We also pay attention to the extra great features that are worth mentioning such as built-in milk frothers / coffee grinders that offer convenience but are not so important to make a splendid shot of espresso.

We took different types of espresso machines to test, starting with the super-automatic espresso maker that makes an espresso-based drink with a push of a button, the pod machine and everything else in between: combo coffee and espresso machines, and the numerous semi-automatic models.

Get to know testing methodology on espresso machines; don’t forget to shop around, there is more to choose from. If you are also eager to learn more about this topic, feel free to glance through our guides of the best latte machines and the best Nespresso machines too.

Best Latte Machines | Best Dual Coffee Makers | Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers | Best Coffee Makers | Best Nespresso Machines | Best Coffee and Espresso Maker Combos

1

Best Overall Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine

The Espresso Machine uncompromisingly takes making espresso caffeinated drinks to the advanced level by the touch screen that steps you into the process of drink-making with images, tips and instructions.We were very amazed that the coffee machine gives us tips on how much espresso to brew and what temperature to heat the milk. It produced a shot of tasty espresso with a lovely layer of crema.

If you don’t use the predefined drink options, you can adjust the grind size and water temperature to make your espresso just the way you want it. Furthermore, there are eight levels of foam with temperature settings from 110 to 170 degrees for milk-based drinks such as cappuccinos, allowing you to fully customize your drink.

Taste like a real barista by foaming your milk manually, but there’s an automatic option for lazy days when time is a luxury. We liked the fact that the espresso maker had options for the type of milk- whether dairy, almond, oat or soy milk. In our tests, the controls were very responsive and intuitive. The dismantling of the machine parts was a relatively simple procedure, and many of them could be cleaned by hand-washing.

2

Best Value Espresso Machine

Capresso Café TS Touchscreen Espresso Machine

At a price of about $178, the Café TS Touchscreen Espresso Machine is cheaper than many similar espresso machines, but also it lives up to customer expectations. Our team recognizes that the machine prefers to drip some water on the espresso grindings to lubricate/saturate them before brewing. 

It is of great importance that the espresso machine ensures that the certain amount of coffee grounds is ground evenly, which in turn gives smooth extraction and a lot of crema on top of the espresso.Surprisingly, for a cheap espresso machine, it has some extra nice features like a warming plate on top to preheat your mug before pulling a shot. 

The model had a very user-friendly touch-screen that allowed us to choose between two-shot, hot water as well as steam options. The attached scoop allows you to measure your grinds very precisely for every shot you pull. This machine has a steaming wand for brewing your favorite beverage and you will have to buy a separate steaming pitcher for frothed milk.

3

Best Professional Espresso Machine

Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine

If you’re a coffee lover, the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine with a built-in grinder is the perfect option for you. The built-in LCD gives you an opportunity to choose from 5 temperature levels, 30 grind sizes, and it shows progress animations. The added steam wand allows you to whisk your milk just as you like it.

As with other Breville espresso machines, this one has two single-walled and two double-walled filters as well. The double-walled filters are perfect for making a rich crema with older espresso beans or even pre-ground coffee. We suggest that you try with the setup, start with the default and then adjust as you go, and you will get your perfect espresso. Every part of it is simple to wash and wipe down, and in our tests, it was how quickly the system heated up compared to other models that really impressed us.

4

Best Small Espresso Machine

Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

If you like the style of a barista and you have enough space, the Breville Bambino Plus is a type that you will adore, not taking up a lot of your counter space. One of our experts had it for a long time and he was pleased that the little espresso machine could still brew an excellent espresso. It is complete with two dual-wall filter baskets for pre-ground coffee beans, a trimming tool, a tamper and a milk jug to connect to the attached steam wand to froth your own milk.

The settings of the brewer can be used to select between single espresso or double espresso types or steamy, frothy and very frothy milk. We only tried it and its espresso is more than strong and with crema that is not oversaturated. In the Lab, we learned that this furnace warmed up quickly, wasn’t noisy, occupied a small area, and could be cleaned with any microfiber cloth.

5

Best Capsule Espresso Machine

Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Coffee & Espresso Machine

In fact, we find the Nespresso VertuoPlus very simple to operate. The lid moves up and down with a slight push of the lever, then with a touch of a button you can initiate the brewing process. It’s also rather foolproof: The capsule machine employs a specialized technique for reading the capsule barcode which is then brewed in the exact way it’s supposed to be brewed.

Choose from five drink types: espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, mug and alto (excellent pick for travel mugs). In our tests, each cup of espresso and coffee was hot and balanced with a rich crema. Furthermore, we value the fact that the water tank can be moved to whatever spot on your counter top best suits your needs.

One last plus is that Nespresso recycles used pods if you send them back to the company, and the new Vertuo machine is made of 54% recycled plastic. In the end, the price is unbeatable and you only need a little cleaning.

6

Best Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

Dinamica Plus Fully Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine

This super-automatic espresso machine falls amongst my best machines and it has a nice touch that I enjoy. It grinds your beans and gives you delicious, hot espresso with a thin but creamy crema. The milk hopper and frothing features were also impressive to us, and the cup filling, attaching and cleaning process was quite simple.

As it’s removable, you can refrigerate the uneaten milk and consume it later. When you choose a drink that contains milk, you will be provided with the frother setting and then three options to choose from before the frothing process starts. It also makes sure that the cleaning stage for the milk container is run.

The Dinamica features a touchscreen that’s highly responsive and intuitive. There are 16 drink options on this machine that range from latte, espresso, cappuccino, flat white, true brew over ice, regular coffee, etc. Also, you may store your favorite drink settings for one-touch brewing.

7

Best Espresso Machine For Beginners

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine

The beginner baristas will enjoy the balance of automation and manual shot pulling because you can perform like a pro doing some of the steps automatically. This machine is equipped with a coffee grinder so you may play around with your grind size and learn how you like to brew your espresso. You will reach national coffee expert level by tamping the espresso (however, there may be a slight learning curve) and foaming milk with the inbuilt frother.

This is exactly what our kitchen testers at home experienced – they found it extremely easy to use. Our analyst learnt the skill and was able to make espresso shots and froth milk with this beginner-level espresso maker. We are thankful for the low-pressure water that’s at the commencement of the espresso shot for it gives the grinds the time they need to expand and evenly extract.

8

Easiest Espresso Machine For Lattes and Cappuccinos

Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

This Philips super-automatic espresso machine has a large and intuitive touchscreen control panel that simplifies the drinks’ choosing and brewing process. It grinds whole beans for five different drink presets: an espresso, a cappuccino, a latte macchiato, a simple black coffee, and an americano. According to our testers, the drinks were flavorful and well balanced and the cappuccinos and lattes were the standouts.

This has a removable Milk Hopper, which is dishwasher safe, in place of the wand that pours the frothy milk right into your cup, so frothing milk is easy to do, with your hands and the cleanup is effortless. This model also features the water hardness strip test strip to enable you to adjust the machine setting based on water’s hardness degree. An AquaClean filter softens the water and prevents the build-up of lime in the machine to ensure that every espresso cup turns out to be perfect.

9

Best Compact Espresso Machine

Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine & Frother

The Café Affetto is a stylish, design-oriented, compact and Wi-Fi friendly model. More than just the fact that it’s the best automatic coffee machine you can possibly get under $500. This coffee machine automatically grinds and brews the espresso shot for you. It connects to the SmartHQ app to enable you to personalize the temperature and grind setting to meet your strength goal. 

The top of this model has a sleek touchscreen control panel with the following settings: espresso, Americano, black coffee or hot water. “My cup” is by default set to ristretto, but you can change it to your favorite coffee beverage through the SmartHQ app. To our tests, this machine yielded a really nice looking espresso that had a silky golden brown crema.

The water reservoir and hopper are concealed for a better design. The milk frother tilts sideways so you can froth it into the pitcher included with it and a steam button that works not too slowly is what activates it. In our testing, milk processed quickly and produced quite a nice foam. Moreover, the presence of the measurement markings on the frothing pitcher is something which cannot be found everywhere. 

You can also detach the milk frothing wand for easy cleaning, and the whole exterior is easily wiped without extra knobs or buttons. Note that the machine suggests not using dark roast coffee beans as they contain more oil that can stick to the machine’s parts and may lead to damage.

10

Best Single-Serve Espresso Machine

Lavazza Classy Plus All-In-One Espresso Machine

The Lavazza Classy Plus ranks among the most convenient capsule machines that allow brewing a one-serving latte, cappuccino or macchiato in several simple steps. Just set the Lavazza glass with milk, close it with a lid, add a capsule, press the button and the machine will start. 

It does everything for you. In a few minutes, it produces a coffee-house style coffee. The milk is whipped into the blend directly in the cup and the coffee brews right there on the machine.It’s a perfect place for someone who is looking for a classic milk-based coffee without the hassle of going through a lot of steps. In our tests, the frother worked fine even with nut milk, which could be very difficult to foam.

There are a plethora of Lavazza capsules that range from mild to dark roasts. It can also offer an 8-ounce cup of coffee for those who adhere to tradition. The touch screen is easily legible, but some of our testers thought it wasn’t as intuitive as we wish it were.

Which type of espresso machine is right for me?

The purchase of the espresso machine is an investment — especially in case you are absolutely ambitious and look at the gadget with all the chores. Today you can choose from many types of manual, semi-automatic, automatic, super-automatic and pod machines, so it’s a good idea to think before buying one that fits your bill.

✔️ Manual machines necessitate ground beans of a fine quality that are specifically measured using a scoop into a portafilter and then tapped down. This filter is connected to a button and a lever to manually pull water through the grounds. It is simply the most playable method however, it is arguably the most difficult to perfect.

✔️ Semi-automatic machines likewise prepare coffee in a similar manner like the manual machines, the difference is that instead of a lever they have a button or dial that controls the water flow, and you can brew as much coffee as you want.

✔️ Automatic machine uses a button to pressurize the water to make an espresso instead of a lever. The size of the brew is predetermined and very often, programmable. Such a system allows more dependable output than manual and semi-automatic machines by making it easy to operate. Thus, this line led to the same results during the trials.

✔️ Super-automatic machines are a step up from an automatic machine. Besides automating and programming coffee size they can also grind and sift weight and often compact coffee for you. This could be the template for all future performance-oriented products as they excelled in all our trials.

✔️ Capsule machines obtain the beverage from the pods filled with pre-measured coffee that could make both espresso or even other coffee drinks. They supply the most uniformity and hand-free capability.

What to look for when shopping for the best espresso machine

✔️ Size: Bear in mind your limited space and decide how much space you have to put aside for your espresso machine. The higher the level of customization, the bigger the device would be. On the other hand, the smaller ones, which are easier to use and have a lesser number of brewing options, may be preferred.

✔️ Price: A quality espresso maker consisting of features like a built-in grinder and multiple drink options may be quite costly; it is therefore expected that a simple machine is less expensive. Nonetheless, Some espresso machines may seem simple but can be expensive because of better materials, heaters and milk frothers or technology inside.

✔️ Coffee grinder: Grinding your coffee beans prior to pulling a shot is what is recommended for making a great espresso cup. This is why most espresso machines on the market have the coffee grinder built in for added convenience, reduction of some mess, and ensuring you that you always have freshly ground coffee beans. The only disadvantage is that in-built grinders are very time-consuming when they are broken and tend to be preferred over an entirely new machine.

✔️ Milk frother: There are generally two types of milk frothers – a manual frother which is a wand that allows you to froth milk by hand in a pitcher or an automatic frother that attaches to the machine and froths milk and adds it directly into your cup. With the frothing wand being manual you can actually try your hand at latte art, but mastering this skill requires a bit of practice right from the beginning. 

A cap attached to the milk container that foams itself makes the perfect cappuccino without the guesswork, at the correct temperature and with just the right amount of foam.

✔️ Clean-up: The cleaning process can vary depending on the manufacturer offering, on most models, espresso machines are easy to clean. The work output by some super-automatic machines is done by the cleaning arround the portafilter, milk frother and so on. Other machines are more manual and require daily cleaning of those. 

Some super-automatic  machines have a milk attachment that fits the device with a straw, which is challenging to clean and a large drip tray that could be an enormous trouble. In addition, you need to descale the machine every few months (or as per the manufacturer’s instructions) to make sure your espresso machine is working properly and your coffee is tasting great.

✔️ Pressure: Each amount of pressure upon coffee grounds which are measured by BARs or barometric pressure. These machines are able to exert up to 19 BARs (barometric pressure) under which an acceptable coffee beverage is produced with extraction pressure in the range of 7 to 11 BARs.

FAQs

What ways are there to clean espresso machine?

The way to clean the espresso machine will be different depending on the machine model that you have, so always begin with what is written in the manufacturer’s instruction manual. However, in general, remember to keep up with the daily cleaning tasks like running and wiping the inner part of the steam wand, flushing the group head to prevent the buildup of coffee grounds and the cleaning of the portafilter and basket.

What is the way to descale an espresso machine?

But check the manufacturer’s instructions before you use it in order to follow their guidelines on how to do it. However, it is a good practice to use the descaling every month—especially if you use your machine on a daily basis or if your area’s water is hard.

Is an espresso machine worth the purchase?

If one is to pick an espresso machine or not, it’s always a personal decision. Think about your budget, the counter space you have, and how frequently you think you are going to use it. If you don’t mind filter coffee and can only turn to the espresso beverages rarely, you don’t need the at-home espresso machine. However, if you’re a regular at your favorite coffee shop, spending $7 each day on your lattes…? Right, an espresso machine could be the greatest purchase we ever made.

What is the difference between espresso, cappuccino and latte?

Espresso is a concentrated coffee shot, pushed out of tightly compacted coffee puck through high pressure. It can be drunk as it is or as a base for a cappuccino or latte, depending on the volume of hot and aerated milk to be used. Cappuccino is a smaller version of espresso with milk, usually about 5 ounces, which commonly has a thicker layer of foam. A latte is a larger espresso and milk beverage, average size 12 oz, with a lighter milk froth.