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The Espresso Report
Brass portafilter locked into an espresso machine group head

Espresso Machine Brands

Most people don't shop for 'an espresso machine' — they shop for a Breville or a De'Longhi. These hubs route you to the right model in each range, and say plainly where a range stops making sense.

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Breville

The three Breville espresso machines that matter, ranked by who should buy them — including the counter-intuitive truth that the automatic milk system is on the middle machine, not the expensive one.

  • Breville · Brand guide

    Breville

    The three Breville espresso machines that matter, ranked by who should buy them — including the counter-intuitive truth that the automatic milk system is on the middle machine, not the expensive one.

  • Breville · Model review

    Barista Express

    One box, one purchase, espresso from whole beans on day one. The compromise is a 16-setting built-in grinder, a manual steam wand and a 1-year warranty — the shortest in the Breville range.

  • Breville · Model review

    Bambino Plus

    Automatic hands-free milk, extraction temperature in three seconds, and a footprint the size of a toaster. The catch is that there is no grinder, and the machine cannot rescue a bad grind.

  • Breville · Model review

    Barista Pro

    Breville's most expensive machine at this level, and the one people misunderstand most: it has a manual steam wand. You're paying for speed, a 30-setting grinder and an LCD — not automation.

De'Longhi

Three De'Longhis, three different buyers. Which one to buy, why the Dedica that everyone else reviews is discontinued, and the one spec De'Longhi refuses to publish.

  • De'Longhi · Brand guide

    De'Longhi

    Three De'Longhis, three different buyers. Which one to buy, why the Dedica that everyone else reviews is discontinued, and the one spec De'Longhi refuses to publish.

  • De'Longhi · Model review

    Dedica Duo

    The current Dedica — the EC890M — reviewed on the specs De'Longhi actually publishes. It is the narrowest real espresso machine you can buy, and the only one here that makes cold brew.

  • De'Longhi · Model review

    Stilosa

    An entry-level machine that is honest about being entry-level — with one genuinely surprising spec. The cheapest way to find out whether you actually like making espresso.

  • De'Longhi · Model review

    Magnifica Start

    The simplest way into bean-to-cup, with a built-in conical burr grinder. Excellent at what it is for — as long as you understand that the milk is still your job and the espresso has a ceiling.

Gaggia

One machine that matters, and we say so. What Gaggia is actually for — commercial-format hardware, repairability, and a mod community nobody else has.

  • Gaggia · Brand guide

    Gaggia

    One machine that matters, and we say so. What Gaggia is actually for — commercial-format hardware, repairability, and a mod community nobody else has.

  • Gaggia · Model review

    Classic Pro

    Commercial-format hardware at an entry price, with no PID and no hand-holding. The machine to buy if you want to grow into espresso rather than skip the learning curve.

Rancilio

The café-equipment company behind the Silvia. Why the home range is one machine, what commercial DNA actually means in your kitchen, and where the Pro X fits.

  • Rancilio · Brand guide

    Rancilio

    The café-equipment company behind the Silvia. Why the home range is one machine, what commercial DNA actually means in your kitchen, and where the Pro X fits.

  • Rancilio · Silvia

    Silvia

    Commercial boiler and portafilter in a home box, the famous temperature swing, the surfing technique that tames it, and an honest verdict on who it suits.