The Best Espresso Machines We've Tested – For Rich Espresso, Silky Milk, and Café-Quality Coffee
From petite to professional, these tried-and-tested machines will bring barista-worthy coffee to your coffee nook
31 July 2026: We have added the Ninja Luxe Cafe Mini Plus as our best small-space option, as it grinds, brews, and steams milk on a small footprint, and the Casabrews ULTRA, as our best budget option for its sub-$300 price tag.
When it comes to versatility, espresso coffee makers are unmatched, and one of the best espresso machines is an essential addition to any true coffee lover's kitchen. They brew quality shots with rich crema, perfect for drinking straight or using as a foundation for a host of cafe-quality drinks from your countertop.
As a team, we’ve put over 70 of the best coffee machines through their paces – from Breville’s barista-worthy machines to De’Longhi’s automatic offerings.
Our expert team assesses each machine for brewing performance, ease of use, durability, and design. Currently, our overall winner is Breville's The Barista Pro – which effortlessly hits all of our criteria. But if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, luxe, or compact, we've rounded up five stellar options in this list.
The Quick List
These are the headlines. You can scroll down for more insights on each model from our expert tests. Or, you can check out our best non-toxic coffee maker guide for more options.
The Breville Barista Pro Machine is truly hard to fault. It's intuitive to use and has the technical ability to cater to the most sensitive coffee drinker's palate. You won't find a better machine for the price.
I nearly had this as my top choice, but Breville won for the more affordable price tag. The Delonghi stands out for its exceptional espresso and versatility, even offering cold brew. It's beginner-friendly, but it comes with a premium price tag.
The Ninja Luxe Café Mini Plus Espresso Machine has become a countertop favorite for delivering cafe-quality coffee in smaller spaces; it's also a great option for beginners. It only loses points for its small water reservoir, slightly messy operation, and lack of material transparency.
While still an entry-level introduction to at-home espresso, the Casabrews ULTRA Espresso Machine brews coffee that's almost as rich, delicious, and full-bodied as that brewed in a professional espresso machine. For under $250, it is the most affordable on our list.
If you're looking for ease, this machine is fully automatic. All you have to do is tap a screen to gain access to over 52 styles of coffee. Every cup is top quality, from cortado to cold brew. It's a brilliant option for busy, hands-off coffee snobs.
If you're a fan of pumpkin spice lattes or caramel macchiatos, you're in for a real treat. The Jura J8 is another fully automatic machine that makes rich, full-bodied espressos and the best sweet foam – at the touch of a button.
The Best Espresso Machines
The Best Overall Espresso Machine: The Breville The Barista Pro Machine
Who would it suit? If you simply want the best espresso machine, the Barista Pro is impossible to beat. It's stylish and will make you feel like a proper coffee expert, although it's simple enough to use. If you're not into adjusting your brews or manually steaming your milk, you'll want one of the automatic machines I've recommended instead.
What we liked: First off, the build quality feels exceptional. It's stable on the countertop and has ultra-premium finishes, from the control panel to the weighty portafilter. There's a range of technical settings, including adjustable temperatures and brew times, which are easy to navigate and mean that any professional barista will feel more than satisfied with their espresso machine.
The integrated grinder isn't a given in every espresso machine, and it shouldn't be underrated. This comes with 30 different grind settings and delivers consistent ground, expert results. The Barista Pro also comes with a generous selection of accessories (tamper, portafilter baskets, stainless steel milk pitcher). This means that the machine arrives with all you need to make consistently delicious coffee. There’s no mess, no fuss, just great coffee from the get-go.
What we didn't like: Not much. The only thing is the Barista Pro has a relatively large footprint and a pretty toppy price tag (just over $1,000). However, if you'll use all of the features, it's worth every dollar. You won't find a good espresso machine with a grinder for less than $800. It's worth spending another $200 to get an all-in-one machine that will last you for a lifetime.
There's more detail in our Breville Barista Pro review.
The Best Luxury Espresso Machine
Who would it suit? With auto-tamping, auto-grinding, auto-brewing, and auto-frothing, the only thing this espresso machine won’t do for you is drink your coffee. If you're a beginner, La Specialista Pro will lead you effortlessly into the world of luxury coffee. If you’re a professional who shivers at the idea of auto-everything, you can disarm these functions and use it completely manually. It’s truly a do-it-all machine.
What we liked: If you gave me a piece of paper to design my dream coffee machine, this is the one I would draw. It can make a range of incredible coffees, hot and iced, including cold brew. I've only seen one espresso machine that can match it, which is the Breville Barista Pro above.
If we just judged espresso machines on aesthetics, this would win every time. I have one of these at home, and it gets a compliment every time a new guest comes into my kitchen. The dials look technical, but really, they’re made for beginners. One is a menu for different coffee types, and the other gets more technical with brewing temperatures, eighteen faultless grind settings, espresso quantities, and more.
In spite of the shiny, glossy finish, this is really low maintenance. I left my family using this for two weeks whilst I was away and when I came back, it hadn’t been cleaned, but still looked spotless. The drip tray effectively drains any coffee splatters away and the backboard neatly masks splashes too. When it needs a deep clean, descale, or run-through, the control panel tells you. All I have to do is press a button and, you guessed it, the machine will work through the rest.
What we didn't like: It's wildly expensive, and you might not need all the extra functions and automated features, like cold brew, for example. It is also really heavy and quite large, so if you have a small kitchen, this will dominate your space.
There's more information in our De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro review.
The Best Espresso Machine for Small Spaces
Who would it suit? This is perfectly suited to people who love quality coffee from fresh beans, who want an authentic espresso experience at home without the faff of weighing their own beans and calculating the right pressure. You do not need any barista training or even a deep understanding of coffee to master this machine.
It is especially useful for those who have a small kitchen and struggle to keep counters clear of everyday clutter without another appliance getting in the way.
What we liked: Reviewed by our appliances editor, Chiana Dickson, she found that the Ninja Luxe Cafe Mini Plus brews wonderful barista-quality coffee, albeit with a little bit of mess, and has greatly improved her home coffee. It does it all in one machine, grinding your beans, brewing espresso, topping up with hot water, and steaming/frothing milk (to three thicknesses). The espresso was rich with a lovely crema, steaming milk was as simple as putting the pitcher in place and pressing start, and the machine weighs and selects the grind setting for you based on the brew type (espresso, classic, rich, or over ice), taking all of the guesswork out of the brew. For under $500 and on such a compact footprint, it's fantastic for small spaces.
What we didn't like: The snags on this machine come from some of the smaller finishing details. It is not the smoothest when running, with hot water sometimes spluttering onto the counter or the stainless steel backsplash, and retention in the grinder dropping a lot of wasted grinds every time the machine is knocked or moved. Because it is small, you also need to refill the reservoir often.
There's more detail in our Ninja Luxe Cafe mini Plus Autofroth Review.
The Best Budget Espresso Machine
Who would it suit? The Casabrews ULTRA Espresso Machine is the ideal entry point for those looking to try their first espresso machine, but espresso purists may prefer a more comprehensive machine that can adjust the temperature and includes its own coffee grinder.
What we liked: It's fantastic value. The Casabrews ULTRA Espresso Machine brews truly delicious coffee to a standard similar to that of professional machines, and you can adjust pour time and temperature. Its functionality is easy to understand for those new to espresso making at home – with four buttons for choosing cup size, hot water, steam, and adjusting the brew – and the steam wand does a great job of turning milk silky and thick. All in all, it generally brewed shots indistinguishable from the espressos made from a professional machine. For the sub-$300 price point, it is a fantastic investment.
What we didn't like: Our reviewer, Dan Fauzi, found that the pour times he set weren't always saved accurately. The steam wand takes around 45-50 seconds to properly foam the milk and heat it up, which is a little slow, but the result was a thick, glossy milk that is perfect for flat whites, lattes, and cappuccinos.
You can read more details in our Casabrews Ultra review.
The Best Automatic Espresso Machine
Who would it suit? If you like life's luxuries, you'll love the De'Longhi Eletta Explore. It's totally automatic, so you don't have to lift a finger to get your hands on over 50 different styles of coffee (apart from pressing the button, of course). If you like to mix up your coffee order, you can try everything from iced coffee to cortado, no experience needed.
What we liked: This is an incredibly competent bean-to-cup machine. It’s a delight to use and feels extremely premium. Our espresso was well-extracted and beautifully aromatic. There are also hot and cold milk foamers to make lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites – anything you require. We tested it on both oat and dairy milk and it was impressive all round. The milk was silky smooth and velvety. We didn’t have any unwanted air bubbles spoiling the texture, even when we frothed cold oat milk.
This machine even self-washes when it thinks necessary and will warn you to place a cup underneath. You can make ten coffees before needing to clean out the grounds container, so it's a generally low-maintenance machine.
What we didn't like: The first discriminator for this coffee maker is the price. At close to $2000, you have to be ready to splurge. By way of a rough price comparison, if you buy a coffee from Starbucks every day, you will make your money back in 400 days. You will be back in pocket after a year and a month but it’s a huge upfront investment. Every time a sale season rolls around, the De'Longhi Eletta Explore is the first thing we search for.
There's more detail in our De'longhi Eletta Explore review.
The Best Espresso Machine for Sweet Foam Drinks
Who would it suit? Espresso lovers, sweet foam fans, and probably a whole family of coffee drinkers with diverse tastes. If you enjoy hosting, the Jura J8 is a perfect choice – its ability to create barista-quality drinks will impress guests. Honestly, you could even open your own at-home café with the capabilities of this machine.
What we liked: It's our top choice for sweet foam, but where the Jura J8 shines is the espresso itself. I set the grinder to its most intense setting for an espresso, and within 10 seconds, I had a rich, full-bodied shot. It was bold, smooth, and at the perfect temperature.
On the right side of the machine, you’ll find a dedicated spot for a removable capsule, which you can fill with any syrup of your choice – think vanilla, pumpkin spice, or gingerbread. Once you've selected your brew, you can add the exact amount of syrup you prefer to the capsule before attaching it to the milk dispenser. Watching the process is a delight, as the milk seamlessly channels through the syrup capsule, combining into a silky, sweet foam.
The result? Deliciously sweet and velvety, with every sip offering a smooth, consistent flavor with that rich espresso flavor coming through. I felt like I'd ordered it from a luxurious cafe, but it was all homemade. It's a totally unique experience.
What we didn't like: I found the automatic sensors slightly confusing. More on that in my full review (linked below), but generally it's not as easy to use as De'Longhi's automatic model above. I also wasn't keen on the lift-out water tank or the finish of the exterior, but that is personal taste. I did, however, love the high-end stainless steel accessories and BPA-free plastic. I was also slightly disappointed at the lack of cold foam or iced coffee options since I like an iced caramel latte in summer.
You can read more in our full Jura J8 Automatic Espresso Machine review.
The Runners Up
There are plenty of espresso machines we have tested and loved, but didn't quite steal the top spot. If our top six options don't quite meet your needs, one of these runners-up might just be the right fit.
This slim, stainless steel machine is the dream for any small space dweller. It's compact and easy to use, producing top-quality espressos without the bulk or price tag.
At around the size of a can of cola, this is the smallest espresso machine you'll ever use. It's mini but mighty, making espressos that rival the bigger, louder, and more expensive machines, but in tiny quantities.
More of a professional machine, La Pavoni is the opera singer of espresso machines. It's Italian, classy, and utterly entrancing. If you need a dinner party conversation topic, direct everyone's eyes towards La Pavoni. It's a shiny, statement coffee maker, reserved for coffee hobbyists.
If you like your drip coffee as much as an espresso and sometimes you like to froth your milk, this combines a number of countertop appliances into one. It's exceptional value for a multifunctional appliance, but sacrifices specialisms for a general appeal.
How To Choose an Espresso Machine
Before you invest in an espresso machine, it helps to know exactly what you want from it. Before considering budget, ask yourself how hands-on you want the process to be.
For beginners who appreciate good coffee and want a barista experience at home without the training, for example, a fully automatic machine with a built-in frother and grinder may be ideal. For a true espresso purist, however, who would like full control over the extraction and like to drink the shot plain without milk, a more premium machine might be worth the splurge.
The next thing to consider is the best coffee grinders. Even the best espresso machine cannot compensate for poorly ground coffee. If choosing a machine without a grinder, or a machine with a grinder you cannot dial in, you will need to factor in a separate appliance to ensure a fine enough grind for proper extraction.
If you love milky drinks, you may wish to pay more attention to included milk systems. Manual steam wands take some practise to master, but can offer the best microfoam once you do. Automatic milk systems are quicker and easier, but may not produce as smooth a result.
Once you have decided on the features, then you can consider the size and price.
How We Test Espresso Machines
At Homes & Gardens, we have a rigorous testing process for all of our coffee makers. This enables us to score coffee makers both individually and against other models on the market.
Research: As head of kitchen product testing at Homes & Gardens, this is my starting point. I'm always on the lookout for the best coffee makers on the market. Once I’ve found one that I think you, our readers, will like, I order it to my home kitchen. I usually like to test at home, as it means I can use the appliance in my regular routine for around a month, to uncover hidden advantages or pain points. Then, I usually take my favorite machines to the test kitchen, so I have the space to directly compare them in person, alongside our expert barista (see the picture above).
Design: Once the machine is in our hands, we first consider the design and build quality. We give extra points to coffee makers that look good on the counter, but never prioritize style over substance.
Brewing performance: The first thing we make with any espresso machine is an espresso. This is a way of testing how good a coffee maker is at the basics. Our expert barista, Laura, says: 'A good espresso should be between 1.25-2 oz. It should be 190-205 degrees and full of flavor. A big giveaway is the crema on top: that should be thick with a hazelnut hue.'
Then, we test other brews: including americano, latte, cappuccino and anything else the coffee maker has to offer.
Cleaning & ease of use: After brewing and tasting, we make notes on the clean-up process as well as how we would recommend storing and maintaining the coffee maker. We also think about how easy it is to use and what type of coffee drinker it would suit.
Value for money: After a month of testing and evaluating, I round up all our testing notes, comparing and contrasting the models against each other. I also look at online reviews to see what other experts and real-life customers thought, so that I could bring you more insight. After this, I give each coffee maker a score out of five. Only the five-star appliances make it into my best coffee maker buying guide.
If you’re interested and want to find out more, you can read all about the process in our how we test coffee makers page.
A quality machine will only get you so far. To brew the best coffee, you need to understand how to choose coffee beans for your desired flavor profile.
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