The list in brief
1. Best overall
2. Best budget
3. Premium pick
4. Best for aesthetic
5. Best older-generation
6. Best bean-to-cup
7. Best compact
8. Best for lattes
9. Best for beginners
10. Best for travel
How to choose
How we test
One of the best espresso machines is what you should be looking for if you prefer your morning coffee small, smooth and bold. With one of these on your kitchen counter you can set yourself up for the day with a cup of café-quality coffee, putting as much or as little effort into the process as you like.
For many people, espresso makers are likely to be the best coffee machines of the lot, but you'll have to choose wisely and that's where we can help. Some espresso makers require strong barista skills to deliver the best results and may completely flummox novices, but here you'll find beginner-friendly options alongside high-end machines for serious coffee nerds. If you'd prefer maximum ease-of-use, though, you might be better off with our guide to the best Nespresso machines.
Below we've assembled a selection of the best espresso machines from big names including De’Longhi, Gaggia and Breville, as well as a few picks from brands you might not know, with options for most budgets. Each one has been tested extensively by one of our expert reviewers, and we'll alert you to both their good and bad points as well as directing you to the best prices online. Each machine has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they're all capable of making really good espresso.
The quick list
Espresso machine for most
This incredible automatic coffee machine makes it easy for anyone to make café-quality espresso with no experience, thanks to automated grinding, dosing, tamping and even milk frothing, plus an intuitive and user-friendly touchscreen.
For the budget-minded
While it's compact and subtle in design, this espresso machine is particularly attractive because of its low price tag. This is the best budget option for its ability to deliver smooth brews and beautifully froth milk - though personalization isn't an option.
If money is no object
Slow your morning coffee routine down and treat it like art with this premium espresso machine. It's a manual one, giving you full control, and it brews the smoothest espresso. It also comes with a lot of special features, making it worth the splurge.
If you care about looks
Making traditional Italian espresso, cappuccino and lattes is easy and also stylish with this sleek and compact Smeg machine. It has a bit of a learning curve if you're a beginner, but the elevated results are worth it. And you will adore that retro look.
Oldie but goodie
Though it no longer sits at the top spot, this older espresso machine is still impressive despite its age, capable of delivering brewed rich, intense brews. A manual machine, it gives you full control while still keeping the craft friendly to beginners.
It gets personal
Want your own barista at home? This bean-to-cup machine lets you brew your preferred coffee drink with a touch of a button. It still offers some level of customization, however, for really personalized drinks. The price of entry is a little steep though.
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Space-saving
Pressed for space? The Breville Bambino Plus is an extremely compact option. While it's small in size, it's big on features and performance, giving you both automatic and manual brewing as well as the smoothest professional-level brews around.
Calling all latte lovers
It's not just smooth rich espresso with thick crema you're getting. With its steam wand, you can make great lattes whether you prefer milk or a plant-based alternative. It lets you customize the grind's coarseness for the perfect coffee drink every time.
Novice-friendly
Single-serve espresso machines are ideal for beginners, and the best of those is the Nespresso Vertuo Next five different drink sizes give novices a bit more flexibility, even if you don't have a way to personalize your drinks. Bear in mind that it has no steam wand.
Travel-friendly
Brew your crema-topped espresso anytime, anywhere with this made-for-travel espresso maker. It does require some effort from you as you have to pump it manually to get your espresso, but if you can't live without your favorite espresso, it's a must.
The best espresso machine 2024
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The best espresso machine overall
There's a bit of an expectation when it comes to espresso machines that if you want the absolute best results, you need to learn the ways of the barista. However the Breville The Barista Touch Impress (sold in the UK as the Sage The Barista Touch Impress) is one mighty exception to this rule.
It's Breville's most advanced fully-automated espresso maker and, granted, it'll cost you a lot more than a manual machine, but we think the results are well worth it. In short, it automatically takes care of all the most difficult aspects of using a manual coffee machine. It combines features from our previous top pick, the Barista Express Impress, such as the compact integrated grinder, assisted tamping and auto-dosing, with the Barista Touch's touchscreen and automatic milk frothing, to make a brilliantly user-friendly (and surprisingly compact) expresso machine that gives incredible results every time.
Our reviewer spent two months testing the Barista Touch Impress and came away suitably, well, impressed. For novices it'll automatically take care of the entire process as well as enabling you to save your favorite settings for instant access, while those with barista skills will fined it easy to take more control of the process to achieve better results – you may find it harder than you'd expect to best the Barista Touch Impress's own output, though.
- Read more: Breville The Barista Touch Impress review
The best budget espresso machine
Let's say you want a good espresso machine that lets you experiment with tamping the coffee and dispensing the water, but you're on a tight budget. In that case, the De'Longhi Dedica Style is one of this category's more affordable espresso machines.
The Dedica Style is simple to use. It takes ESE pods or ground coffee, which means you can use it to make decaf coffee. On test, it created an intense espresso with a stable crema. It can brew two single espressos simultaneously, but placing two cups under the spout on such a compact machine proved tricky.
We were disappointed that the machine couldn't make espresso straight after steaming milk. So if you're planning to make several coffees with milk, you'll need to brew all of the espressos before starting on the milk-based drinks. We also experienced some dripping after we poured espresso.
- Read more: De'Longhi Dedica Style EC685 review
The best premium espresso machine
The Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello is a new winner of our best premium espresso maker recommendation. It's expensive, which is why we don't recommend it for everybody, but it's very impressive.
There are no programmed buttons here to push, no dials for accessing presets. This is a next-level espresso machine, not quite an industrial-grade one that you'd expect to see in a coffee shop but more elevated than that automatic one you’ve got at home. Most of the things you do on this espresso machine are manual. Want your shot of espresso? You have to operate a lever and know when to stop the pour. Want frothy milk? You have to get used to turning a knob all the way then quickly shutting it down before your froth spills over.
If you're looking for an espresso machine that does everything for you with a single touch while you're still rubbing the sleep from your eyes, this definitely isn't the machine for you. But if you care about the craft of coffee and want manual controls so you can get your coffee just-so, there's a lot to love – not least a price tag that comes in below many other high quality manual machines. The learning curve is pretty steep – it'll take a day or so before you really get the hang of it – but the coffee is pretty much perfect.
- Read more: Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello review
The best espresso machine for color choice
If you want an entry-level manual espresso machine that looks great on your countertop without compromising on the quality of your brew, the Smeg ECF02 is well worth investigating. It's an upgrade to the Smeg ECF01 that looks very similar but features an upgraded steam wand as well as offering two extra espresso options, enabling you to choose between four sizes.
The big appeal for many is going to be its striking retro looks and choice of six color options, however it's no slouch when it comes to producing a rich cup of espresso. It's compact and easy to use with a four-button design that won't take long to master, although complete novices will need to take time to learn the best way to load its weighty portafilter in order to get a great-tasting cup of espresso.
The new steam wand is an improvement on the ECF01's but still a little on the short side; as well as frothing your milk you can us it to deliver hot water, but at 155F/70C you wouldn't want to use it to make a cup of tea. The Smeg ECF02 is easy to keep clean on a daily basis, and it'll alert you when it's time to descale. There's no doubt here that you're paying a premium for its looks, but we found that it performed well, although more experienced users may find they need more advanced features.
- Read more: Smeg ECF02 Espresso Maker review
The best older-model espresso machine
The Gaggia Classic was our #1 espresso maker in 2021 and 2022 but it has since been knocked off its perch to make way for new machines. Whilst we do still think that it is one of the best espresso machines it is a little older than some of the others that we now feature in this guide. But it's still a great choice.
Gaggia says it will produce a shot of coffee with a thick crema without experimenting with the coffee grind size, making it ideal for those who want to learn how to use an espresso machine before attempting to play barista. It also offers complete manual control over how much water is dispensed, allowing you to create the volume of coffee you want.
On test, we were impressed that the coffee was rich and intense. With all three filters, it had a stable crema that reformed when we sprinkled sugar on top. The built-in steam wand ensures you can make milk-based coffee drinks too.
- Read more: Gaggia Classic review
The best bean-to-cup machine
If you're short on time but don't want to compromise on the quality of your morning coffee, the De'Longhi Dinamica Plus could be the perfect addition to your kitchen. The espresso machine is certainly pricey, but the personalization it allows may make up for it.
The Dinamica Plus automatically covers every step of the process, from grinding the beans to getting the perfect milk frothiness and even giving itself a clean at the end. User profiles and guest mode mean you can set up a profile that contains your perfect caffeine concoction which no fear that your partner's preferences might interfere. On test, we found it easy to customize so you can create the perfect coffee every time.
- Read more: De'Longhi Dinamica Plus review
The best espresso machine for small spaces
If you’re tight on space, then the Breville Bambino Plus offers similar features to the Gaggia Classic above but with a more compact footprint and a slightly more affordable price tag. On test, we found the Breville Bambino Plus – known as the Sage Bambino Plus in the UK – heated up in just three seconds, and took just 21 seconds to deliver a cup of espresso with body and a thick crema. Milk frothing was nice and easy too, with a choice of three temperature and three milk textures, and the metal steam wand was a classy touch.
If you prefer you can instead texturize your milk manually, and however you do things the Bambino Plus will automatically purge the steam wand by pumping water through it once you're finished. This isn't a machine for complete beginners – you'll need to familiarize yourself with the art of choosing the right filter basket and ground coffee, as well as tamping the coffee down and trimming excess grounds – but once you learn its ways you'll find it to be an impressive and capable espresso maker.
- Read more: Breville Bambino Plus review
The best espresso machine for latte lovers
Love the idea of intense espresso with a thick, rich crema, but don't want to invest in a separate bean grinder? The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB is the ideal buy as it comes with an integrated grinder that can hold 0.55lb / 250g of beans at a time. In addition, it lets you customize the grind's coarseness from eight levels to ensure you brew the perfect coffee for you every time.
On test, we were impressed that the coffee was rich and intense, with a stable crema that reformed when we sprinkled sugar on top. There's also a built-in steam wand, which enables you to make milk-based coffee drinks.
However, we were disappointed there was some dripping once espresso had been brewed, and unlike De'Longhi's more affordable Dedica Style machine (#2), you can't use it with pods. It's also tricky to clean as only some components are dishwasher-safe.
The best espresso machine for beginners
If you're looking for an effortless way to make espresso at home, the Nespresso Vertuo Next ticks all the boxes. This is a single-serve coffee machine and, as such, makes far less mess than a traditional espresso machine, as the ground coffee is contained within an aluminum capsule.
It can create five different-sized drinks. And, during testing, the Nespresso Vertuo Next produced smooth coffee, topped with a thick crema that reformed even after we stirred in some sugar.
The espresso machine reads a barcode on the side of the capsule that offers information on how much water should be used and how long the brewing process should take. This makes it one of the most straightforward coffee machines to use. However, this also means you have no control over the brewing process.
We were disappointed that there's no steam wand for texturizing milk, so you'll need to purchase a separate milk frother from the brand if you're sold on the other Vertuo Next features. It's also worth noting that the pods can work out more expensive than buying ground coffee.
- Read more: Nespresso Vertuo Next review
The best espresso machine for on-the-go
If you're looking for a way to make good-quality espresso on the go, then the Picopresso is ideal. This espresso machine uses hand-pump power – rather than batteries or mains power – so it can accompany you anywhere, as long as you have access to boiling water and ground coffee.
It's aimed at coffee aficionados, leaving the tamping and water volume up to you, which means it isn't suitable for complete beginners unless you're happy to experiment. However, on test, we were very quickly able to create coffee with body and a stable crema using this compact device, which cleverly slots together. Hence, there's no chance of losing any accessories in your bag.
However, with just a 0.1-quart / 0.08-liter water tank, it can brew only small quantities of coffee in one go, plus there's no way to texturize milk. Nevertheless, if you're a fan of weekends away, the Picopresso does at least mean you won't need to go hunting for a coffee shop to get a barista-worthy hot drink.
- Read more: Wacaco Picopresso review
How to choose the best espresso machine for you
Espresso machines are some of the best coffee makers. They come in all shapes and sizes, including some of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, and the best espresso makers help you achieve barista-quality results. They often include their own integrated bean grinder for your convenience but do bear in mind that that extra equipment adds bulk and often increases the price as well. If you're looking for something fast, cheap and that doesn't need a lot of counter space you might prefer a single-serve or pod coffee machine.
If espresso is definitely for you, the first decision is to choose whether you want an espresso machine that offers manual control over dispensing water or a device that takes on that work for you; the latter is probably better for those new to playing barista.
Next, consider if you want a machine that you can use with ground coffee, single-serve pods, or a mixture of the two. Coffee pods are less messy than using ground coffee. They can be handy if you occasionally want to make decaf coffee using the machine – but they don’t produce the thick, rich crema you get with freshly ground coffee.
If you regularly make espresso for two or more people, look for a coffee machine with a double spot on the tray that can fill two separate cups simultaneously. And if you like longer coffee drinks with milk, such as cappuccinos and lattes, choose an espresso machine with a built-in steam wand or factor in the cost of a standalone milk frother.
Finally, take note of the size of the espresso maker to see if you have sufficient room for it on your kitchen countertop – or, if you plan to store it away in a cupboard, consider its weight to see that you’ll be able to lift it easily.
If you're on a budget, take a look at our guide to the best cheap coffee maker deals, too.
Frequently asked questions about espresso machines
How do I make an espresso?
Espresso is made by passing water at high pressure through compacted ground coffee.
However, a set ‘recipe’, which usually refers to a ratio and brewing duration, is generally given by the roaster (the brands that roast and blend coffee beans). The most common recipe is 1:2 in 25 to 35 seconds, effectively turning each gram of ground coffee into 2g of liquid espresso in that period.
How compacted the ground coffee is will affect how quickly or slowly the espresso brews. If the coffee is too tightly packed, it will take longer to brew and be too strong; loosely compacted coffee means it will be dispensed too quickly and subsequently weak. Prefer a cappuccino, latte, or a flat white? Find out how to make your favorite coffee in our article.
If you'd like expert advice on making coffee-shop-worthy drinks at home, we have some great tips and tricks for you – and while you're at it, check out our guide to the game-changing coffee maker trick that will ensure you never drink bitter espresso again.
How is an espresso machine different from a coffee machine?
An espresso machine differs from other coffee machines because it uses pressurized hot water passed through a disc of compacted coffee grounds called a puck. It's possible to adjust the volume of water passed through the grounds and how tightly packed the coffee is to change the strength of the hot drink brewed.
Single-serve coffee machines, or pod coffee machines as they're sometimes known, still use pressurized hot water, but the coffee is contained in a capsule or pod. The coffee machine punctures the capsule several times to allow the water to flow through the coffee ground to brew the drink. However, while some single-serve coffee machines let you adjust how much water is used to create different volumes of coffee, it's impossible to tweak how compacted the grounds are.
Finally, drip coffee makers pass hot water through compacted coffee grounds. As a result, it's not at the same pressure as when using an espresso machine, and there's no set volume of water used. Instead, the brewing takes place until the water tank runs dry or the coffee maker is switched off. This creates a more traditional filter coffee rather than espresso.
How we tested these espresso machines
We take testing espresso machines seriously and put each device through its paces to see if it can live up to its promises. We assess the quality of espresso produced by each machine, analyzing the flavor of the final drink; we look for a rich, intense shot of coffee that doesn’t taste bitter or burnt, along with a thick, stable crema that reforms after the sugar has been sprinkled on it.
The temperature of the espresso is also measured, checking for consistency from one cup to another, and we assess the noise level of the machine. If it has a built-in steam wand, we evaluate its ability to texturize both dairy and plant-based milk, looking for tiny bubbles that create a rich, smooth texture. Again, we assess whether its noise level is acceptable.
We also evaluate how easy an espresso machine is to set up and use, whether it offers enough manual control for those who want to take on the barista role, plus how much space it will take up on your kitchen counter. Finally, we consider if the water tank is removable for easy refills and how the machine looks.
