We Pulled Over 200 Shots To Find The 6 Best Espresso Machines For Home

If you’re looking to make flat whites, cappuccinos and cortados from the comfort of your own kitchen, a quality at-home espresso maker is a worthy investment. The best espresso machine for you depends on your needs and experience level, so we meticulously tested 15 standout models to find solid options for all kinds of coffee drinkers. For those newer to the space, the Breville Barista Express Impress is a user-friendly, mess-free pick. Meanwhile, the Profitec Go is a sleek prosumer model for enthusiasts looking to level up their skills; it blew away even our most experienced testers. And for those who want to fully automate the experience, the De'Longhi Rivelia comes with 18 programmed drink recipes and produces shots that stand up to those from high-end semiautomatic machines.

Based on researching and evaluating more than 50 semiautomatic and fully automatic models—and then testing more than a dozen of them firsthand—here are the best espresso machines for home in 2025:

For its premium construction, user-friendly design, mess-free operation and rich flavor yield, the Breville Barista Express Impress is the machine we’d recommend to most people starting out. Our tester lauded it for its intuitive qualities; they particularly appreciated that “almost the entire process can be automated” and that the machine “did most of the work” for them to produce a solid shot. The machine also comes with all of the accessories you could possibly need for a good brewing experience, with a convenient storage drawer built in to organize these tools when not in use.

This semiautomatic machine has a bevy of helpful features, starting with a built-in conical burr grinder with 25 settings. While you might have to experiment a bit to determine the right grind setting, the machine’s smart dosing system measures the perfect amount of beans to grind for your chosen drink, and the assisted tamping enables you to simply pull a lever to tamp the grounds with a consistent and ideal amount of pressure every time. Then, during brewing, a thermocoil heating element works quickly to power the machine.

Above all, our tester liked how straightforward this machine was to operate, followed by how simple it was to clean. The water tank is easy to pull out, carry and refill, and there are several removable plastic parts that can be seamlessly taken out and cleaned by hand once you’re done. (No parts of this machine are dishwasher safe.)

On the topic of overall drawbacks, there are a few, but they’re not necessarily dealbreakers. Despite the machine’s generally intuitive features, our tester struggled to adjust the brewing temperature on it to improve the extraction and flavor of their shots. Besides this, they found that a single assisted tamp was not enough produce a robust enough extraction, and regularly had to tamp it twice.

Speaking of extraction, the shots were slightly but consistently underextracted—a little thin in texture and not as sweet and rich as they could be, but not unpleasant tasting—despite several adjustments to the grind settings and attempts to weigh, dose and tamp the espresso manually. That said, some of this may be due to the fact you can’t adjust the pressure of this machine to fine-tune extraction, unlike some of the other models on this list, such as the pricier and more manual Profitec Go.

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While Craig Deahl and David Roa, cofounders of Superlost Coffee (whom we spoke to for this story, and whose Supernova Espresso beans we used during our testing) generally recommend semiautomatic espresso machines between $700 and $1,000 for their balance of quality, price and essential features to control the brewing, there are some promising ones that fall below that range—notably, the Breville Bambino, which they called out specifically.

While a very decent espresso maker, the Bambino’s affordable price does mean fewer features, giving you less control over your espresso drinks than other picks on this list. For one thing, you can’t adjust temperature or brewing pressure to dial in your shot; in fact, there is no pressure gauge on the machine at all. Furthermore, the milk steamer has a simple “on/off” button instead of a dial, though our tester (who has some espresso-pulling experience) had no issues with the functionality.

The Bambino requires a little more elbow grease than the Barista Express Impress,but it’s overall straightforward and intuitive to use: Simply grind your beans, fill your portafilter and tamp the puck, re-insert it into the group head and press a single button (selecting one shot or two shots) to brew. The automatic shot stopper then times the brew based on the volume you select, with a pre-infusion period built into each cycle. You can re-program the machine to time the brewing cycle according to your preference, or you can operate the machine manually. Again, the manual milk steamer is activated with a single button, meaning you can’t adjust the force as it works. (If you’re not as confident in your milk steaming abilities yet love cappuccinos, Breville offers the upgraded Bambino Plus, with an automated steaming wand, for about $200 more.)

While the Bambino has a lot going for it, it doesn’t feel quite as high quality as some of the other options on this list: In particular, the tamper and portafilter felt a little lightweight and flimsy. But overall, it’s an easy-to-use, budget-friendly pick that consistently made great-tasting espresso during our tests.

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The Profitec Go was our favorite of the prosumer single-boiler machines we tested (that is to say, it’s a machine made with professional-quality parts for the at-home user, and it has a single heating element to power both the brewing and steaming mechanism). While it’s plenty user friendly, the machine is also a powerhouse: It heats up in about 7 to 9 minutes, which is considerably faster than other similar machines typically requiring twice the heating time, and can switch from “brewing” to “steaming” mode in about one minute, which our tester found equally impressive.

While working with the Profitec Go, our tester appreciated the machine’s externally adjustable brew pressure, which is a unique feature that only a few machines in this price range have; they noted this was complemented by the machine’s reliable PID temperature controller, which, when our tester took measurements during testing, kept the boiler steady throughout the brewing process and led to the most even extraction in each shot they pulled. Being able to control these variables makes it so users can quickly and seamlessly dial in their shots and produce the best espresso possible with any bean type or roast level.

This machine is considerably more manual than the Barista Express Impress, Oracle Jet and even the Bambino: You need to grind, dose and tamp your beans on your own, and there’s no automatic shot stopper, so you have to click the “brew” button again to stop the process once you’ve gotten the volume of espresso you’re looking for. Cleaning this machine is a bit of a manual process, too. There is a “Cln mode,” which alerts you when the group head needs to be attended to, but you need to run a backflushing cycle yourself to do the job. Similarly, using and cleaning the steam wand is a manual process, but an easy one: To do either task, simply twist the valve open to your desired level when the machine is in steaming mode.

From an aesthetic perspective, the Profitec Go was probably the most beautiful espresso maker we tested: Its brushed stainless steel exterior comes in three vibrant colors (light red, light blue and yellow) plus two more-traditional hues (black brushed stainless steel and traditional stainless steel). It’s a fairly compact device and can easily fit under standard cabinet heights, but its size brings with it one of the only drawbacks we experienced: Our tester noted that “the limited space beneath the group head barely accommodates an espresso cup, even with a thin scale.” Once you dial in your machine, though, your reliance on that scale to measure output may be reduced, and the narrow cup clearance may be less of a concern.

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The Breville Oracle Jet surprised us during testing, in the best possible way. Most experts recommend that serious espresso drinkers invest in a separate, espresso-specific grinder and a food scale to grind and dose your beans; per Deahl and Roa, this lets you fine-tune your dial-in process more easily when you’re working with a new bean, and makes the diagnosis and repair process slightly easier should anything break. But the Oracle Jet—which has an integrated conical carbon-steel burr grinder from the Baratza Sette family of products, with 45 settings—produced reliably good coffee during our testing. Between its grinding abilities and versatile features, this model in particular would benefit households with users who have different skill and comfort levels with their espresso-making craft.

Like the Breville Barista Express Impress, this model has a smart dosing system, and it yielded remarkably consistent results when we weighed the output to verify accuracy. The auto-tamping system, meanwhile, worked better than the Barista Express Impress’s assisted tamping setup. Heat-up time was fast, as well, powered by Breville’s proprietary ThermoJet heating element and heated group head. And while brewing temperature can easily be controlled in one-degree increments to help you dial in your shot, machine pressure can’t be adjusted.

The machine has a big and bright touch-screen display that guides you through the extremely straightforward setup process. It also lets you easily adjust output, milk foam texture and machine temperature, select pre-loaded drink recipes and run a cleaning cycle to flush out the machine. Beyond this, the display is where you get feedback on the drink you create after you brew it, telling you if the shot you pulled ran too fast or slow and offering suggestions for how to improve it next time.

While the Oracle Jet is sleek and surprisingly compact for all of its included features (it also has the brand’s signature hidden accessories drawer), it’s 17 inches tall, so fitting it underneath a standard cabinet height may be slightly tight. It’s also got a roomy water reservoir integrated in the back of the machine, so you need enough counter depth to be able to pull it out and replace it—though if you’ve got some clearance above your machine, you can utilize the handy front-fill spout on the top. While it’s primarily made of stainless steel, it does have some potentially breakable plastic parts that gave us pause for a machine at this price level (for reference, it’s more expensive than the all-metal and much sturdier-feeling Rancilio Silvia Pro X), and the portafilter in particular felt a little lightweight. Overall, though, it’s a reliable and impressive model that held its own against the other high-end contenders we tested.

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For espresso hobbyists who want a premium machine that’s as close to professional-grade as you can get at home (aside from the La Marzocca Linea Micra or Linea Mini, which are two to three times the cost, respectively, and infamously tricky to maintain), the Rancilio Silvia Pro X is a model that we highly recommend.

The Pro X is the only dual-boiler machine on this list, meaning you can pull shots and steam milk simultaneously. We noted that the total heat-up time for both boilers is about 15 minutes, which is pretty quick considering the two heating elements’ large capacity. The PID display (which doubles as a shot timer—same as the Profitec Go) is clearly visible, and allows you to adjust the machine’s temperature settings for brewing and steaming in one-degree increments.

You can also use the PID display to activate automatic wake-up and shut-down times for the machine, program your desired pre-infusion length (where water saturates your grounds at a low pressure before brewing it, often leading to a more evenly extracted shot) and drain the boilers. Pressure is technically adjustable on the Pro X, but you need to open up the casing and do this manually in the back of the machine. (You probably won’t have to tackle this often, if at all, though.)The steam wand is also fast and powerful, turning cold milk to textured microfoam in around 12 seconds. Aside from the brewing and steaming functions, there’s also a dedicated hot water dispenser wand and activator button, too.

The heavy-duty build on the Pro X is a sign of its quality and durability: It’s the weightiest on this list, thanks to its all-metal components. The portafilter, too, feels substantial and solid in hand—so much so that our tester joked that “it may end up as a murder weapon in the next Clue movie.” While the drip tray is height-adjustable to accommodate cups of different volumes and a scale, it’s rather shallow and cumbersome to remove and empty. Speaking of awkward design, the pressure gauge is small and displayed in a strange place—on the front of the machine but underneath the group head—and ends up being somewhat obscured while you’re brewing. This wasn’t at all a deal-breaker during testing, though.

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“Fully automatic machines are excellent for beginners who want a delicious coffee that they don’t need to think about too much,” says McLarney. “These machines grind and dose coffee internally, simplifying a user’s involvement to pushing a button.” Based on testing, we think the newly launched De’Longhi Rivelia—which makes 18 drink types, from standard espresso to cortados to cold preparations—is the best of its kind.

Despite its mostly plastic exterior, the Rivelia is an attractive-looking machine, and its slim profile makes it a great fit for even smaller kitchens. It’s also a breeze to set up. We liked that there are two interchangeable hoppers, so you can easily switch out your beans in case, for instance, you drink decaf in the afternoon. The milk carafe plugs into the front of the machine, and the easily refillable (though not super roomy) water tank sits on the right. The conical burr grinder in the machine does have 13 settings to adjust fineness, and if you’d prefer to use pre-ground coffee, there is a separate receptacle where you can add that in.

The digital display is extremely intuitive to use, and is situated on the top of the machine (instead of the front, like the other fully automatic machines we tested). If you have higher countertops, this may be a nuisance, but it worked well for our average table height. When it came time to brew, our tester found the flavor was balanced and the texture was “not too thin and not too syrupy,” with a “lovely and velvety” crema produced on top. The temperature of the shots we pulled stayed consistent every time we used the machine, and a double shot poured at exactly 38 grams, which was right on the money.

Users can adjust the strength, grind size and total volume of each drink they prepare, and then save these settings for future brews. What’s more, up to four people can create “profiles” on the Rivelia where they can populate their preferred drinks. Cup clearance is good to accommodate different glassware, and the single brewing nozzle on the front can be adjusted in height based on the drink type and glass size.

Like the other fully automatic machines we tried, the Rivelia has a super-simple cleaning mode that flushes out the brewing and milk carafe nozzles. The milk system is automatically cleaned after every use, but you may want to disassemble it more fully and wash individual parts on occasion. The machine tells you when to descale, so you can run a cycle accordingly when you get that indicator on the digital display. The grounds container and drip tray also need to be attended to manually; you get a notification about the grounds container on the digital display, and a small red tab projects up from the drip tray when it needs to be emptied.

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Other Espresso Machines We Tested

• Lelit Victoria (7/10): We liked this model, which is in the Breville family of products. While it felt a little less sturdy than other prosumer machines we tested, it has a reliable PID temperature controller that allows the user to further fine-tune temperature on the digital screen. Cup clearance was the most generous of the machines we tested, and could accommodate even a latte glass stacked on top of a scale. We did have some trouble with the machine’s pressure gauge during testing, but it still managed to pull some very delicious shots.
• ECM Casa V (7.5/10): The all-metal build on this semiautomatic machine is solid and, with a little work, it produces some great-tasting espresso. That said, its lack of PID temperature controls and very narrow cup clearance took it out of the running, especially when compared to the Profitec Go.
• Gaggia Classic Evo Pro (7/10): This cult-favorite machine is powerful and affordable, and diehard fans tend to upgrade it, most often adding a PID for temperature stability. However, it fell into a bit of an awkward place in our testing—not as user-friendly for beginners or people on a budget as the Breville Bambino, and not as high-performing right out of the box as the Profitec Go.
• Diletta Mio (7/10): This semiautomatic machine is built like a tank: Despite being the brand’s most compact model, it was one of the tallest, heaviest and bulkiest machines we tested. Additionally, its warm-up time was on the slower end due to the machine’s larger-than-average boiler, but its externally adjustable temperature (regulated through the PID display) and pressure were nice touches. We did really enjoy this machine overall—we just preferred some of the others we tried.
• Solis Barista Perfetta Plus (7/10): This budget-friendly machine impressed us with its quick heat-up time, PID temperature controller, visible pressure gauge and powerful steam wand that belied its petite size. That said, the steam wand was not very easy to move around and stuck a lot when we tried to adjust its positioning, and the portafilter was also hard to muscle into place. Besides that, it was unexpectedly difficult to dial in our shots properly, and we had to tinker with grind size and tamping quite a lot.
• Jura E8 (7/10): This fully automatic machine produced great-tasting espresso and buoyant, creamy microfoam, and it was dead-simple to use. That said, we had a ton of trouble with the milk carafe and its connector hose and found that the cup clearance is limited for taller glasses and mugs.
• Terra Kaffe TK-02 (5/10): This fully automatic—and beautifully designed—machine innovatively applies the powerful technology of a smart appliance with the careful craft of espresso brewing. We were hoping to like this one, but the brewing temperature was pretty inconsistent each time we pulled a shot, and right out of the box, the device produced pretty overextracted and bitter espresso. If you’re a design lover and early adopter of new technology, and are willing to spend time with this machine to dial it in, it may be a good option for you. That said, we felt these types of adjustments defeated the purpose of a superauto.
• De'Longhi Specialista Arte Evo (5/10): Unfortunately, this machine underwhelmed us in both the frustrating lack of user-friendliness of some of its features, like the automatic grinder, as well as the low quality of espresso it brewed, no matter how much we tinkered with it.
• De'Longhi Linea Classic (4/10): Similarly to the Specialista Arte, the espresso that this machine produced left a lot to be desired—it was the worst tasting in all of our testing, and consistently overextracted and bitter. In our opinion, it’s worth spending a little more on a model like, say, the Bambino, to get a much better result.

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Why Trust Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted’s home and kitchen editors know a thing or two about coffee. Not only do we regularly enjoy the caffeinated beverage in its many forms, but we’ve also evaluated the best coffee makers, cold brew makers, coffee grinders and even coffee subscriptions.

• The home and kitchen section is overseen by three experienced editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin and editor Sholeen Damarwala. Brinda Ayer, editorial director at Forbes Vetted and longtime kitchen editor, organized panel testing to determine the winners on this list and contributed reporting; former senior editor and barista in a past life, Amanda Arnold, participated in testing and edited this story.
• We consulted two coffee pros from La Colombe: Uline café manager Andrew Valentine and New York trainer Tommy McLarney. We also spoke with Craig Deahl and David Roa of Superlost Coffee, a Brooklyn-based roasting company.
• We regularly review this story to reconsider our picks when, for example, newer models hit the market. We also check to make sure our guidance remains up to date. This story was last updated in June 2025 after extensive testing.

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How We Tested The Best Espresso Machines

To determine the most impressive espresso machines in 2025, we consulted coffee experts to get their insight into models designed for home use, researched top-rated picks from popular brands and road-tested over a dozen ourselves.

Initial Research, Expert Consultation And Shortlisting

We looked into best-selling models from trusted kitchen brands like Breville, Rancilio, Gaggia, Profitec, De’Longhi and more. When researching models, we considered a number of factors, like each machine’s functionality, footprint, ease of use and cleaning, additional features and accessories, water tank capacity and warranty, among other criteria. We also pored over user reviews and ensured that everything we placed on our testing shortlist earned at least four out of five stars from purchasers across retailers.

As part of our research, we spoke with four coffee professionals to get their guidance on what makes an ideal espresso machine for the home, and took their advice into consideration when developing a shortlist of models for testing. We also asked for these experts’ insights on how to pull a great shot, including the right tools for the job, the right beans and grind setting to start with and the proper technique for dialing in each machine. With this information and our research in hand, we narrowed down our list of 50 machines to a svelte 15 to test firsthand.

In-Person Panel Testing

Joined by two of our consulted experts, Deahl and Roa, a panel of five Forbes employees with varying levels of expertise with espresso brewing then tested our shortlisted machines to evaluate the following criteria:

• Overall design (appearance, construction, dimensions, weight, cup clearance, water tank capacity, quality of materials, noise)
• User experience (ease of setup and use, learning curve required, how often the water tank needed to be refilled, or the drip tray and grounds container needed to be emptied)
• Machine temperature and pressure consistency throughout the brewing process
• Extraction level, consistency, quality and flavor of shots pulled
• Power of steamer and texture of microfoam produced
• Ease of cleaning

Using Superlost Coffee’s Supernova Espresso beans, ground with both the Fellow Opus and Baratza Sette 270 grinders, we pulled more than 15 double shots from each machine, amounting to more than 200 in total for the day, and made 4 or more milk drinks from each (at least two with whole dairy milk milk and two with full-fat oat milk each).

We tested in the Forbes offices in Jersey City, New Jersey, where the water is rather hard; most machines came with a filter of some kind to abate this, but we made sure to add filters into any ones that didn’t already come with a filtration system.

If the machine had a built-in grinding, dosing and tamping system, we prepared shots using all of those included features to gauge their effectiveness. We also prepared “control” shots side-by-side shots from those same machines with an independent set of tools—the Baratza or Fellow grinder, Escali digital food scale, Normcore WDT tool and Normcore spring-loaded tamper. We measured brew temperature using a ThermoWorks Thermapen digital thermometer, and on machines without dedicated shot timers of their own, timed shots with our smartphone stopwatches.

After pulling our shots, we backflushed the machines or ran an automated cleaning cycle (if applicable) to gauge how easy it was to use and how effectively it cleaned the machine. All removable parts were then removed and washed by hand in the sink.

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How To Shop For An Espresso Machine

Shopping for the right espresso machine for you starts with a few important questions: How much control do you want to have over the brewing experience, how often are you using your machine and how much are you willing to spend? Then, you’ll want to use that information—plus other considerations, like any special features and accessories that come with the machine—to home in on the model you ultimately buy.

Machine Type

There are three main types of espresso machines: Manual, semiautomatic and fully automatic (otherwise known as superautomatic). These are largely distinguished between each other based on the features they automate, and how much they ask of you to yield the finished product.

Manual machines, as they may imply, are the most involved. You’ll grind your beans, weigh your dose and tamp your puck, heat your water to the optimal temperature using a separate kettle, and engage a lever on the machine to exert the correct level of pressure over a precise period of time to pull your shot. Some of these machines can connect to a power supply for preheating purposes, but many don’t. Even fewer have a steaming wand for milk-based drinks. But the plus side of these types of machines, aside from having total control over your shot-pulling experience from start to finish, is their relatively low cost compared to others.

Semiautomatic machines, like the Breville Barista Express Impress and Profitec Go, are the most common and popular type on the market, and there’s a lot of variety in both price and features within this space. These machines typically automate elements like brewing pressure and temperature, but that’s where their similarities end. Within the semiautomatic category, you can find machines that do the lion’s share of the work for you: grind, dose and tamp the beans, extract your shot using automatic presets for brewing temperature, pressure and timing, then help you steam milk into airy microfoam. On the other hand, you can also find machines that let you do control all of the above yourself, including tweaking your machine’s brewing pressure and temperature. Generally speaking, more automated capabilities often correspond with a higher price.

Finally, fully automatic machines, like the DeLonghi Rivelia, are just that—they give you the least control over your finished product, but do absolutely everything for you. You’ll just fill the water tank and milk carafe, add coffee beans (or pods, in the case of machines like Nespressos) and press a single button to yield your drink. Press another button yet, and the machine will self-clean. The sheer convenience factor is the biggest selling point for models like these.

Heating Element Type

The basic technology behind an espresso machine is this: Hot, highly pressurized water is forced through finely ground coffee beans (using a pump or other force, in the case of a manual machine) to produce a moderately thick, syrupy and robust liquid. The mechanism that heats the water can vary, but typically either tends to be through a boiler or a newer technology called a thermoblock (or its close relatives, the thermocoil and thermojet, which work in a similar way).

Semiautomatic espresso machines with single boilers, like the Profitec Go, hold and heat a large volume of water to power the brewing and steaming process—typically separately. Depending on the size of the boiler, these models often take between 15 and 30 minutes to heat before you’re able to start using them, and often need a “break” to refill and reheat between rounds of shots. Some machines, like the Rancilio Silvia Pro X, have two boilers; they work in much the same way as single-boiler machines, but have two heating mechanisms so you can brew espresso and steam milk at the same time. (Machines with just one boiler but with a technology called a heat exchanger can do this, too.) The major benefit of a boiler-powered machine is temperature consistency throughout the brewing process, and general longevity.

Machines with a thermoblock, on the other hand, feature a block-shaped piece of metal with a pipe running through it. These can heat up extremely quickly, in about a minute, and require no “recovery time” like boiler-powered machines. Many of the Breville machines on this list, like the Barista Express Impress, are heated with a thermoblock. This technology is often lower-cost to build, and so the machines powered with it tend to be a bit more affordable, too. They also take mere moments to heat up for maximum convenience.

Features And Accessories

What features you’ll want to look out for depends entirely on what level of support you need in in the espresso-making process—plus, again, the amount of control and finesse you want to have over your shots. Some of the most common add-ons you’ll see, particularly on semiautomatic machines, include a bean hopper and burr grinder with customizable grind settings; regulated temperature control (often times via an algorithm called a PID—which stands for proportional integral derivative—that, in a nutshell, keeps brewing temperature steady throughout the process); a steam wand with some level of power customization; a digitally displayed shot timer and automated shot stopper; a self-cleaning cycle of some kind; and on some machines, automated dosing and tamping capabilities to make sure the extraction level is just right.

By no means do you need the majority of these features, and in fact, espresso purists typically prioritize just one of them above all: the PID. And on the flip side, all four experts we spoke with recommend deprioritizing one of them in particular: the built-in grinder. This is because you can get a much better level of control on your grind size with a separate machine, and face less risk of having to replace or repair your whole machine if the built-in grinder breaks.

Some semiautomatic machines and most fully automatic machines also have features like built-in Wi-Fi connectivity that links up to a smartphone app, plus a touchscreen display and the ability to create drink “profiles” to save settings and recipes for different types of drinks. And if you’re looking for all of the tools you’ll need in one tidy package, a handful of the machines we tested came with a tamper, milk steaming jug, water-hardness tester and filter and cleaning tablets or descaling powder. These included items may not be the highest quality possible, but they’ll definitely do the job.

Budget

Espresso machines range widely in budget, from under-$200 starter models to top-of-the-line, professional-level options for $5,o00 or more. How much you will need to spend depends on which of the above features you’d like to prioritize, and how much you’d like to tinker with your results.

When it comes to espresso machines, there is somewhat of a correlation between the price you spend and the consistency and reliability that follows—though we found the Breville Bambino to be a notable exception to this rule. Deahl and Roa, two of the experts we spoke with, suggested that roughly $700 to $1,000 is the price shelf most consumers will want to look for in a semiautomatic machine to get a good balance of quality and affordability. At this range, you can expect a machine with a high-quality and sturdy stainless steel construction, a good number of configurable features (like a dozen or more grind settings, if a grinder is included on the machine, plus adjustable pressure and temperature settings, oftentimes using a PID controller) and some included accessories (like a hefty tamper and steaming jug).

Fully automatic machines generally cost more than semiautos, and many of those models will run you upwards of $1,000. The upside to this is that the cost is, for the most part, entirely included upfront. You really only have to buy your coffee beans and your milk, and everything else is settled for you.

Pressure

All of the machines we tested have pumps that can produce pressure of at least 9 bars—the recommended level to produce a high-quality shot. Many of them can far exceed that, with some of models we tried going up to 19. As mentioned, only some machines have the capability to tweak the machine’s pressure externally, so if you really want to fine-tune your dial-in, then look for a model with this feature. The Profitec Go is one such model that can do this. If that specific feature isn’t as important to you, some machines also come with dual-walled pressurized filter baskets to help you achieve greater consistency in your extraction without manipulating the machine itself. (You can also inexpensively buy these online.)

Materials And Size

Externally, most espresso machines are built with some combination of plastic and stainless steel; as a rule of thumb, the less plastic your machine is built with, the less likely any of its parts will crack or warp. As for the inside, if you’re looking for a machine powered by a boiler, you’ll often find them made of aluminum (often made and sold at a lower cost) or brass (slightly more expensive but with unparalleled thermal conductivity).

Aside from materials, you’ll also want to think about your counter space and cabinet heights. Some of these machines, like the Breville Oracle Jet, have a water tank that loads from the back (though this particular machine also has a funnel where you can top off water levels at the front), so you’ll want to make sure you have enough depth to swivel it around and change the water. Also consider the size of your machine relative to your cupboards; larger-profile models, like the Rancilio Silvia Pro X, may be a little bit of a tight squeeze under standard-height cabinets, especially if you want to store cups on the warmer on top of the machine.

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How To Make Espresso At Home

At its core, a great espresso shot comes down to a few key things: finely ground beans, hot water, pressure and time. Dialing in your shot—that is to say, getting in top-quality and delicious espresso from your machine consistently—means making small adjustments to some or all of these factors until the result is where you want it. We’ll go through what the “right” inputs are for each of these elements, then walk you through the process from start to finish using a semiautomatic machine.

Bean Type And Roast

The type of beans you use to make your espresso will, unsurprisingly, impact the flavor and texture of the shots you pull. Contrary to common misconception, the beans you use for espresso brewing and other coffee preparation methods are exactly the same. In fact, Deahl and Roa of Superlost Coffee recommend using omni-roasted bean—meaning that it’s been roasted for versatile use, whether that means a drip coffee machine, espresso maker or pour-over method—for more consistent results.

For espresso, a blend of coffee, rather than single-origin beans, is also the best choice, again because these will provide more consistent results, a more well-rounded flavor and enable generally more forgiving brewing experience. Deahl and Roa also recommend using a darker roast, which typically results in a fuller and more well-developed flavor. These beans are also inherently more soluble and “extractable” than lighter ones, because their cellular structures have been broken down further through the roasting process and they’re more porous and ready to commingle with water.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure the beans are moderately fresh, but not roasted, say, the day prior to use. This is because you’ll want to give it the coffee a little time to rest post-roasting, plus off-gas any carbon dioxide that causes astringency and bitterness in your final cup. The ideal time frame for use is about a week after roasting to enable this resting period, and within three months of this process so there’s no staleness or loss of flavor and aroma.

Grind Size

If you pay attention to one single thing in the espresso-making process, it’s the grind of your beans. This is perhaps the biggest determinant of success for your final result. The reason grind size (and the grinder you use) matters so much is because it directly affects the extraction level—translating into the texture and flavor—of your shots. The finer the grind, the slower the pressurized hot water from your machine moves through it, and the thicker, syrupier and, if taken too far, more bitter your espresso is. Too coarse, and you’ll get thin, watery and sour-tasting shots.

To set yourself up for success, look out for a high-quality espresso-specific conical burr grinder with at least a couple dozen (but ideally many more) settings. Models like the Baratza Sette 270, which we used in testing, have close to 300 settings within microns of each other, all manipulatable through an adjustment ring on the machine. Many espresso-specific grinders also have a handy portafilter holder on them, so you can deposit grinds directly into your basket. These are fairly costly machines, to be sure, but are worth the investment since they have such an existential impact on your espresso.

While the specific grind setting to use will depend on the grinder itself, the espresso machine at hand, your beans (roast type, roast date and whether it’s a blend or single-origin coffee), and environmental factors like altitude and water hardness, you’ll want to aim for a grind size that looks and feels around the texture of granulated sugar when you pinch it. Test your shot with this grind size and evaluate how long it takes to pull (your sweet spot is around 30 seconds—but more on this later), plus the texture and flavor of your results. Adjust accordingly based on those results: Again, too thin and watery means you’ll want a finer grind, and too thick and bitter means you’ll want something just a hair coarser.

Water Temperature

In the art of espresso making, consistency wins the day—and that goes doubly for brew temperature. Per the Specialty Coffee Association’s standards, you want the water in your espresso machine to reach between 197 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and crucially, stay there throughout the brewing process. This will ensure the most even extraction and the best flavor possible out of each shot you pull.

Most machines are preset to sit at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit or thereabouts, and several of machines recommended above will let you change this if you find it’s not working for your beans. The way you will know this is by tasting the espresso as you are dialing it in: Weak-tasting, watery and sour-flavored shots may mean that your water temperature is too low, and bitter and scorched shots mean that it’s too high.

Pressure Settings

Similarly to temperature, machine pressure isn’t typically something you’ll need to manipulate too much—but some machines will offer the capability to make adjustments if your machine isn’t producing shots up to your standard. (Typically, machines that produce too much pressure are the ones that need adjusting more so than ones producing too little.) Many semiautomatic machines, including several on this list, have a pressure gauge to show you how many bars are being produced throughout the process.

You’re ideally looking for the machine to build to a consistent 9 bars for the most even extraction, but let the texture and flavor of your espresso be your guide, as well as the time it takes for you to pull your shot. If the shot is pulling too fast or slow, and the flavor is unpleasantly bitter (too high a pressure) or weak and tepid (too low), your first recourse should likely be to adjust the grind size of your beans, and then the force you’re exerting when you’re tamping; that said, if you’re using a familiar blend that you’ve successfully dialed in with the right grind settings before, you may need to investigate pressure settings further and adjust.

Timing And Yield

Second to grind size, time and volume are the biggest things to pay attention to when pulling a great espresso shot. As you’re dialing in your machine, you’ll want to pay attention to how long your espresso machine takes to produce the desired amount of output. When you’re working with a new type of bean or a new espresso machine, it’s a good practice to place a scale on the drip tray, add your cup or mug on top and measure the yield.

In general, you’re looking for a 1:2 ratio of bean input to espresso output in between 25 and 30 seconds. Said in another way, if you put in 18 grams of ground beans (the standard amount for a double shot), you’d be looking for 36 grams of output to come out in about 30 seconds of brew time. If your espresso comes out more quickly or produces more volume than expected within 30 seconds, your grind size might be too coarse; if it’s taking much longer than 30 seconds to pull your shot to reach the optimal yield, and you’re likely working with too fine a grind.

Putting It All Together

In summary, here are the steps you’ll want to take to produce a perfect espresso shot using a semiautomatic machine:

1. Assemble your tools: a good grinder, sturdy tamper, reliable digital scale and versatile darker-roast bean blend.
2. Grind and weigh your beans for a shot using an initial medium-fine grind setting (on the Sette, we start at around 6 to 9 and adjust from there). You’ll want to weigh around 7 grams for a single shot and 18 for a double. It’s easiest to do this directly into the portafilter.
3. Tamp your shot until the coffee stops moving in the portafilter and any air pockets are pressed out; no need to go too hard. spring-loaded tamper will help you do this evenly and consistently without the guesswork.
4. Load the portafilter with beans into your machine and brew your shot, with a scale positioned underneath your cup so you can assess the yield. Note how long it takes to pull the desired output (a 1:2 ratio between bean input and espresso yield). Also keep an eye on how much pressure the machine is building.
5. Taste your shot and assess: Based on the timing and yield cues outlined above, plus the flavor of the shot and the crema produced on top, you can diagnose what you need to adjust to get closer to where you want to be next time around.

If you’re using a fully automatic machine instead of a semiautomatic one, you can follow the timing and taste cues outlined above. While you typically aren’t able to change the dosing of your beans, you can often adjust the grind size (and in some cases, the machine’s temperature) to get the results you’re after.