9 Best Espresso Machines, According to Testing

The name "Impress" says it all. Our pros were, in fact, impressed with this Breville machine. We loved it so much that we gave it a spot in our Kitchen Gear and Coffee Awards. It’s no surprise since Breville is a brand that consistently performs well in our Lab tests. This new machine takes making espresso drinks to a new level with a touchscreen that guides you through the drink making process with images, tips and instructions. We were in awe that the machine told us how much espresso to brew and what temp to steam the milk. It produced a tasty espresso shot with a nice layer of crema.

If you choose not to use the preset drink-making options, you can adjust the grind size and water temperature to personalize your shot of espresso. In addition, there are eight settings for the amount of froth as well as temperature choices from 110 to 170 degrees for milk-based drinks like cappuccinos, so your drink can really be tailored to your preferences.

Feel like a true barista by manually frothing your milk, or there’s a hands-off option for days when you want more convenience. We were pleased that the espresso maker had options for the type of milk being frothed including dairy, almond, oat or soy milk. In our tests, we found the controls were responsive and easy to use. The machine parts were easy to take apart for a thorough cleaning, but most parts needed to be hand-washed.

Bottom line: The touch screen makes this machine easy to use for a beginner or expert. It's great for someone who wants a simple personalized shot of espresso or other drinks with no fuss or someone who wants to experiment with grind size and water temperature.

At around $130, the Café TS Touchscreen Espresso Machine is more affordable than many espresso machines, and it performed well in our Lab testing. Our experts appreciate that the machine pre-infuses the espresso grinds with water to saturate them before brewing. This helps to extract the grounds evenly, and in our tests, we found this led to a smooth extraction and a lot of crema on top of the espresso.

Surprisingly, for a lower-priced espresso machine, it has some nice extra features, like a warming plate on top to warm up your mug before pulling a shot. We found this model's touchscreen easy to navigate with two-shot, hot water and steam options. The included scoop ensures you measure out your grinds accurately each time you pull a shot. While this machine offers a steaming wand to whip up your favorite coffee shop beverage, you will need to purchase a steaming pitcher separately for whipping up frothed milk.

Bottom line: This is a good option for someone who doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars and wants a basic espresso machine without a lot of extra features.

If you’re very particular about your coffee, the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine with a built-in grinder is for you. The intuitive LCD display allows you to choose from five temperatures and a whopping 30 grind sizes, and it shows grinding and extracting progress animations. The attached steam wand allows you to froth your milk exactly how you like it.

Like other Breville espresso machines, this model comes with two single-walled and two double-walled filters. The double-walled filters are great for producing a thick layer of crema even with older espresso beans or pre-ground coffee. We recommend playing around with the settings, starting with the defaults and then tweaking as you go to create your perfect espresso. All parts are easy to wash and wipe down, and in our tests, we were especially impressed with how quickly the system heated up compared to other models.

Bottom line: Those who want to fine-tune and experiment with their espresso will appreciate the numerous grind sizes and temperature options.

Not only does the Breville Bambino Plus make a tasty espresso, but the compact size won't take up a lot of counter space. One of our experts has used this at home for years and loved the high-quality espresso without sacrificing too much space. It comes with two dual-wall filter baskets for pre-ground coffee beans, a trimming tool, a tamper and a milk jug to be used with the attached steam wand to froth your own milk.

The brew settings allow you to choose between a single espresso or a double espresso, plus steamy, frothy or very frothy milk. In our tests, this machine made espresso that was strong with a crema that wasn't overbearing. In the Lab, we found that this machine heated quickly, wasn’t too loud, had a small footprint and could be wiped down easily.

Bottom line: This is an excellent machine that produces one shot of espresso at a time and doesn't take up as much space as other bulkier machines.

Our pros appreciate how easy the Nespresso VertuoPlus is to use. With a light press of the lever, the lid opens and closes with ease. To brew, you simply push the button and wait for it to produce a delicious drink. It's also rather foolproof: The capsule machine uses a special system to detect the barcode on the capsule and then brews the drink exactly how it’s supposed to brew. Choose from five drink types: espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, mug and alto (perfect for your travel mugs).

In our tests, every cup of espresso and coffee came out hot and well-rounded with a luxurious crema. Plus, the position of the water tank can be moved to fit your counter space. Another noteworthy perk is that Nespresso recycles used pods if you send them back to the company, and the brand's newest Vertuo machine is made with 54% recycled plastic. Finally, you can't beat the price, and it requires barely any cleanup.

Bottom line: This machine offers tasty espresso or coffee from the convenience of a capsule without the hassle of tamping, brewing and cleaning up.

This super-automatic espresso maker is one of our favorite machines. It grinds your beans and produces excellent, hot espresso with a thin but creamy crema. We were particularly impressed with the unique milk hopper and frothing capabilities and found it easy to fill, attach and clean. Since it's detachable, you can store the unused milk in the fridge for later. When you choose a drink that incorporates milk, the machine indicates the frother setting and gives you time to select it from three options before frothing begins. It also reminds you to run the cleaning stage for the milk container.

The Dinamica has a touchscreen that’s highly responsive and easy to operate. There are 16 drink options on the machine including latte, espresso, cappuccino, flat white, true brew over ice, regular coffee and more. You can also save your favorite drink settings for one-touch brewing.

Bottom line: This Dinamica is for someone who wants to replicate the coffee house experience at the push of a button and doesn't want to be hands-on pulling espresso shots or making drinks.

Beginner baristas will appreciate the balance between automated and manual shot pulling, so you can feel like a pro with the ease of automating some of the process. This machine has a built-in coffee grinder so you can experiment with the grind size and learn exactly how you prefer to make your espresso shot. You’ll feel like a coffee pro by tamping the espresso (there may be a slight learning curve) and steaming milk with the built-in frother.

Our kitchen pros tested this at home and love how intuitive it is to use. One of our analysts actually learned how to make espresso shots and froth milk on this beginner-friendly espresso maker. We appreciate the low-pressure water that’s applied at the start of the espresso shot to gently wet and expand the grinds to create an even extraction.

Bottom line: This machine provides the barista experience without all the guesswork. This is a great espresso maker for beginners who want to improve their skills over time or experiment with their coffee.

This super-automatic espresso machine from Philips has a large, intuitive touchscreen control panel that makes it easy to select and brew drinks. It grinds whole beans for five different drink presets: espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, black coffee and Americano. Our testers found the drinks to be flavorful but light-bodied and were especially impressed with the cappuccinos and lattes.

It has a removable, dishwasher-safe milk hopper rather than a wand, which pours the froth directly into your cup, so frothing milk is simple, hands-free and easy to clean up. This model also includes a water hardness test strip so that you can adjust the system based on your water's hardness level. An AquaClean filter reduces water hardness and prevents the build-up of limescale in your machine to ensure that each cup of espresso is excellent.

Bottom line: This Philips machine for someone who isn't looking to spend thousands of dollars but still wants the ease of a fully automatic machine that makes a handful of drinks.

The Café Affetto has a sleek design that minimalists can appreciate. It's not only the style that's design-forward, this compact model also has Wi-Fi connectivity. Plus, it's one of the best automatic machines you can get for under $400. This smart espresso maker freshly grinds and brews the espresso shot for you. It connects with the SmartHQ app to help you customize the temperature and grind dosage for your desired strength.

The top of this model has an easy-to-read, simple control panel with the following settings: espresso, Americano, my cup or hot water. "My cup" is automatically set to ristretto, but you can change it to your favorite coffee drink in the SmartHQ app. In our tests, this machine produced a really beautiful espresso that was silky with a golden brown crema.

The water reservoir and hopper are hidden so it doesn't look clunky and helps it maintain its compact size. The milk frother tilts to the side so you can froth easily into the included pitcher and operates with a steam button that responds relatively quickly. In our tests, milk heated quickly and foamed nicely. We also appreciate that the frothing pitcher has measurement markings which is not common. You can also remove the milk frothing wand for easy cleaning, and the entire exterior is easy to wipe down without extra knobs or buttons. Take note that the brand recommends avoiding using dark roast coffee beans in the machine because they tend to contain more oils that can adhere to the machine's components and potentially cause damage.

Bottom line: A sleek and modern-looking machine that makes a few espresso drinks, it's a good pick for someone who wants a basic machine that has a slim, compact design.