Home Espresso Machine Reviews & Buying Guides
Machine roundups by budget and by buyer. Every pick names who it's for and who it isn't for — and every price on these pages is checked against Amazon, not typed in from last year.
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Espresso machines · Roundup
Best for beginners
Two beginners, two machines. The Bambino Plus if you want espresso tonight with no learning curve; the Gaggia Classic Pro if 'beginner' means 'my first real machine'.
Espresso machines · Roundup
Best under $500
The Bambino Plus is the best machine at this budget and it has no grinder. The Barista Express is the best one box. Which of those is right depends on a number nobody quotes you.
Espresso machines · Roundup
Best under $1000
At this budget, a Gaggia Classic Pro plus a real grinder beats any all-in-one on shot quality. If you want one box anyway, the Barista Pro is the one to buy — and we defend both positions.
Espresso machines · Roundup
Best with a grinder
Three machines that grind their own beans, ranked properly — plus the honest answer to whether a built-in grinder is a good idea. For most people it is. We say exactly when it isn't.
Espresso Machines · Super-automatic
Best super-automatic
Grind, brew and froth at one touch — the convenience buyer's machine. The Philips LatteGo line and De'Longhi Magnifica family, and the honest trade-off against pulling shots yourself.
Espresso Machines · Prosumer
Prosumer step-up
When an entry machine stops being enough, and what the next tier actually buys. The Rancilio Silvia as the classic bridge, and an honest map of the E61 prosumer machines above it.
