Top 10 Espresso Machines [Manual & Automatic]

This article is for all coffee aficionados. To help you get a sense of what’s good for brewing at home. And these top 10 espresso machines promise better performance. They help you be more creative when it comes to pulling espresso shots.

And you get better at it as you go along. Only a good espresso machine can deliver consistent, rich, and steamy espresso shots. When purchasing your very first espresso machine, you better read what follows next!

Here’s a quick overview of all the top 10 espresso machines. And what each of them has to offer in terms of capacity and design.

1. Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Maker

The Breville BES870XL Barista Espresso Maker has been a popular choice for most people. It has an approachable design even though it has its own built-in grinder. With expert temperature and brew control, it delivers the tastiest espresso shots.

Breville BES870XL Barista Express

The Good Things

  • All essential coffee-brewing tools are available.
  • The built-in grinder is smooth and compelling.
  • The included tamper works perfectly.

The Bad Things

  • The water tank needs regular refilling.
  • Some parts are made of cheap plastic.

What are the two things that play a huge hand in espresso? First is temperature as you have to get the water to the right hot temperature for extraction. The second is controlling the grind of the coffee beans. So not even a speck of ground coffee goes to waste during brewing.

All thanks to the simple and intuitive design of this espresso maker. You can trust to get the worthiest espresso shots out of the machine. You can select from a single or double-shot capacity.

The grind size dial lets you adjust the intensity of the beans. This is essential because you could be using many versatile flavors of coffee beans. So to have the ability to make the ground coarser or lighter is impressive.

Similarly, you can top off each cup with some milk texturing. The steam wand placed on the side of the machine is a great frothing tool. With some practice on how to use the steam wand. This could be great for adding espresso shots to lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty drinks.


2. De’Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super Automatic Espresso Machine

The DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic makes a great show at delivering a shot of espresso. In fact, it can deliver double shots if you want it to. This espresso machine could be perfect for someone with a little bit of practice. For professional quality results, this is it.

De'Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica

The Good Things

  • Quiet and fast operation.
  • Easy to use a descaling solution to clean.
  • You can make a double cup with a press of a button.

The Bad Things

  • The water tank needs regular refilling.
  • The plastic parts are a little lightweight.

That’s the thing about super-automatic machines. They’re just too good. And the DeLonghi is even more so because of its additional features. Such as the Cappuccino frother, direct-to-brew system, and auto shut-off.

It urges you to use bottled and filtered water. Because it has no backup in terms of mineral deposits in the system. Unless you love cleaning out the water tank and other parts on a regular basis.

Use only high-quality coffee beans with less oil and more flavor. Beans with fewer oil particles can be easily ground through a grinder. Otherwise, you lose all of the taste and aroma before even getting to brewing.

I love this best espresso machine for its Americano and espresso serving. It’s always consistent in aroma and essence. The best part of it all is its expert extract balance between water and coffee. And how everything that matters is knob-controlled!


3. Breville BES880BSS Barista Touch Espresso Machine

The Breville Barista Touch Espresso Maker is the most dependable. One particular feature that stood out for me was the precise and automated control. It has an automatic vibe with a touch of semi-automatic features.

Breville BES880BSS Barista Touch

The Good Things

  • Hands-free operation and brewing.
  • Quick, effective, and durable to use.
  • It brews with accurate extraction and temperature settings.

The Bad Things

  • The water pitcher is mounted at the back.
  • The drip tray needs regular cleaning.

Such as the ability to grind coffee beans and then brew them. And digital temperature control is unprecedented. It is ready to brew your coffee when you are. The built-in grinder works just as accurately as a high-quality coffee grinder.

In 3 simple steps, it grinds, brews, and froths the milk. Preparing one of the most delicious cups with a barista-like feeling. What also helps is this coffee maker’s memory. You can save up to 8 personalised coffee choices.

The conical burr grinder, ThermoJet heating system, and temperature control are impressive. They really put the whole coffee maker together. And the touch and intuitive display help you access it better.


4. Mr. Coffee Café Barista Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

Do you want an affordable and powerful espresso machine? You’d be fond of the Mr. Coffee Café Barista Maker. It saves you from the pain of paying more than $5 per cup in a coffee shop.

Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Machine

The Good Things

  • The grinder and tamper improve brew strength.
  • Compact, fast, and consistent.
  • The milk and water containers are easy to access.

The Bad Things

  • The brewing gets a little noisy.
  • The plastic parts need regular cleaning.

It has fully-automatic and semi-automatic features built right in. Making it one of the best adaptable coffee makers on the market. For the average coffee drinker, this machine is no less effective than a barista’s.

The electric 15-bar pump has the fastest coffee-preparation time cap. It has filters for single and double espresso shots. And a separate container for frothing milk. And a measuring scoop and tamper to complement the rest of the performance.

So clearly, the Mr. Coffee Café Barista means serious business. Unlike its predecessors, it doesn’t have manual steaming. So it’s automatic with a removable milk and water tank.

The display panel comes with a variety of controls. From two cups of espresso to a small or big-sized latte and cappuccino. And if you want a little bit more control, you could select the ‘Custom’ button and make your ideal cup.


5. Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with Iron Frame

This espresso machine can deliver shots quite impressively. It’s a compact and reliable semi-automatic espresso machine. The Rancilio Silvia is a commercial-grade and ergonomic pick. Features like the steam wand, portafilter, and heating element really set it apart.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso Maker

The Good Things

  • It maintains a consistent brewing temperature.
  • It brews faster than other models.
  • Easy assembly and machine maintenance.

The Bad Things

  • The water tank is too small for two people.
  • The tamper is plastic.

It’s also the easiest to use of all the espresso machines. You can expect consistent and aromatic shots. It has an efficient knob of controls for steaming pressure. And a professional and intuitive design to support it.

You can steam, heat water, and select a shot immediately. The classic linear design makes it a solid choice for home brewers. It can fit anywhere on your kitchen counter. The portafilter is versatile too. It not only supports ground coffee. But it has a separate coffee pod and capsule kit available.

Imagine the possibilities that have just opened up for you. Though the water capacity is too short. It’s the perfect personal espresso machine. It delivers carefully-brewed shots. And the steam control knob lets you create delicious cappuccinos or lattes from it.

The beauty of the Rancilio Silvia is a combination of versatility and ease of use. Owing to its stainless steel steam wand and portafilter. It really enhances performance.


6. Jura D6 Automatic Coffee Machine

The Jura D6 uses freshly ground coffee beans. The conical grinder has a special receptacle setting. So when the coffee grounds are used up to a certain point. The machine notifies you to empty it out. So you can use the remains in your garden as they’re biodegradable.

Jura D6 Automatic Coffee Machine

The Good Things

  • The water tank has a sensor for refilling.
  • Good for strong espresso coffee beans.
  • The quality of each cup is consistent.

The Bad Things

  • The default cup size is too small.
  • Tricky settings

Though the Jura is an extravagant and high-end choice. It’s an advanced espresso maker. Its most compelling feature is the Aroma+ technology. This technology improves the coffee bean grinding process.

While making the rest of the performance easy to operate. So it brews like a barista but it’s not that difficult to use. The machine is compact, durable, and has a small footprint. You can adjust the coffee spout’s height to fit larger cups.

It fits one cup at a time. But that’s not so bad because you know it pays attention. The sleek design and accurate performance of make-at-home coffee brewers look good. Don’t you think?


7. Nespresso Lattissima Pro Original Espresso Machine

It’s difficult to talk about the top 10 espresso machines without mentioning this. Nespresso Lattissima Pro Original Espresso Machine is phenomenal. Brewing flavorful and strong espresso shots couldn’t have been easier.

Nespresso Lattissima Pro

The Good Things

  • The auto-clean feature is available.
  • Many of the coffee styles are pre-programmed.
  • The pods are made of aluminum.

The Bad Things

  • The lack of temperature control is disappointing.

Nespresso Lattissima does most of the work for you. And that’s why you need to trust that it does. It has a compact and durable design so it can be placed anywhere. It is controlled by two impressive technologies.

The 19-bar high-pressure pump and heating system. It delivers barista-like efficiency and consistency in deliverance. So you get your ideal cup of coffee every morning, in just a minute! The Espresso and Lungo cup choices are size-based. You can opt for a small or big-sized cup.


8. Breville BES840XL The Infuser Espresso Machine

I don’t have to tell you the benefits of a compact espresso machine at home. You just have to look at the Breville BES840XL The Infuser. It’s called “The Infuser” because it has a special pre-infusion function. This and a whole lot of exciting features make it worthy of consideration.

Breville Infuser Espresso Machine

The Good Things

  • The removable drip tray is easy to clean.
  • Consistent brewing performance.

The Bad Things

  • Not suited for beginners.

The water tank is removable which makes it easy to refill and clean. The portafilter, unlike many others, is made of steel. This promises less build-up or roughness in performance. Inside the filter basket, the dry puck feature gets rid of excess water. This helps in the better extraction of coffee.

Everything is smoothly-handled with an analog gauge button control. Just so you can understand this machine on a professional level. It is consistent, intuitive, and rugged.

What this espresso machine demand is a high-quality grinder. As long as you have that, you don’t need to worry about taste.

The Thermo coil heating system gets the texture and flavor right each time. It also adjusts the temperature automatically based on the grind. How hot or how super-hot you want the coffee to be – it’s got it under control.


9. Calphalon Espresso Machine with Tamper

Coffee aficionados will always buy an espresso maker. It’s because espresso machines are accurate, fast, and durable. And the Calphalon Espresso Machine is all of that but for the newcomer. So if you’re new to the world of coffee and need something small but powerful, this is it.

Calphalon Espresso Machine

The Good Things

  • Best for single or double espresso shots.
  • The steam wand has a quick-heating time.

The Bad Things

  • The material lacks durability.

This espresso machine is the easiest to use. It has its own frothing tool, milk frothing pitcher, tamper, permanent filter basket, and cleaning pin. You can control everything right off the bat. And get 2-cups of freshly-brewed espresso in a short time.

That’s right, an espresso machine with thermoblock heating and PID temperature control! The Calphalon has definitely transformed the way you drink coffee at home. All you have to do is turn a knob and place the glass decanter under the spout.

This decanter has a curved spout which makes pouring easy. So no spills, leaks, or other accidents that will get your machine dirty. It’s a steam espresso machine with tons of flexibility to offer.

All you have to do is find a good way to store your coffee beans. Most preferably in a coffee container. And grind them to suit your cravings on a daily basis. And you can drink as many as 2 cups without worrying about running out.


10. Flair Signature Espresso Maker

The Flair Signature Espresso Maker is an accurate lever espresso machine. Yes, it’s manual and it uses high-quality materials to make it a beast. You control the manual press so this means you’re the expert. All in all, it’s easy to clean, portable, and durable.

Flair Signature Espresso Maker

The Good Things

  • The water capacity is impressive.
  • It has a quick shot extraction time.

The Bad Things

  • Some plastic parts are weak.

What’s so tempting about buying a manual espresso machine is style. It looks aesthetically pleasing and impressive. And it will have an impression on anyone entering your kitchen.

The performance, on the other hand, is quite memorable. The portafilter has a professional quality to it. So does the brewing head which is made of high-quality stainless steel.

There’s plenty of room under the brewing head for a medium-sized cup. The base is strong and keeps itself sturdy while brewing. And the 6-bar to 10-bar pressure gives incredible flexibility. You can create shot espresso shots in a row.

The design is secure enough to be handled with bare hands. The upper part is more rugged because it houses all of the important parts of espresso. Be it a light or dark roast, the Flair Signature goes through no trouble to handle it all.


The Ways to Choose an Espresso Machine

Building trust is an important factor here. Why should you trust an espresso machine when there are so many more?

For an espresso enthusiast, what’s significant is flavor extraction. If it isn’t strong, then it’s a waste of your time. Especially since you’re the one making espresso all by yourself.

You can do something that even a skilled barista would long to have. But you want it for home use. Once you check these factors off, there’s nothing between you and your top 10 espresso machines!

Boiler Capacity

Single-boiler espresso machines are quick and efficient. They use the same heating capacity that boils the water and steams the milk. But what’s quicker? It is a dual-boiler mode that allows you to boil the water and steam the milk, at the same time.

Single or Double Shots

Most of this list’s espresso machines offer a single or two-cup capacity. Also, you can opt for a single or double shot. But that’s not only a marker of good performance. How consistently and quickly does the machine punch out two shots? That’s the real question.

Some espresso machines come with PID controllers. These allow better temperature regulation for back-to-back shots. So the water is quick to heat up and extraction is to the maximum.

As a result, a good espresso machine takes less than a minute to pull an espresso shot. Whether single or double, that’s up to you!

Filter Baskets

Pressurized baskets are good for espresso machines. And they’re also the most popular and effective to choose from. A dual-wall or pressurized filter basket pushes filter espresso through a single hole. Rather than have multiple holes spread across it.

The centre hole offers better extraction. This is when the ground coffee is uniform and balanced well with hot water passing through it. It also helps make the espresso creamy and strong.

Customization

To match up to professional barista standards, espresso machines have programmable settings. Whether you want to froth the milk manually or automatically. Monitor how you want to grind your coffee beans with a built-in grinder. Or use a tamper if it’s included in the coffee machine.

Such customization is important as it gives you more control. You can brew the freshest coffee without worrying about spoiling the taste. Or else opt for a fully-automatic espresso machine to skip that step.

Types of Espresso Machines

The type of an espresso machine is the way to understand how it works. If you thought there were only automatic and manual espresso machines. Then you’re in for a treat because there are many, many more.

Steam-driven Espresso Machine

Steam-drive espresso machines are comfortable. When it comes to delivering one or two shots of espresso. Though they never beat around the bush. Do you want an espresso shot? Well, steam-driven performance delivers it straight. And it is strong, bold, and delicious.

It’s steam-driven espresso machines that are also the least expensive. Most at-home brewers have a steam-driven model because they’re easy to use. You will also get a higher cup capacity from 1-4 cups per serving.

Pump-driven Espresso Machine

Nobody can get as serious about espresso as a pump-driven espresso machine. The rich crema, aromatic scent, and coffee essence is well-preserved here. Pump-driven espresso machines have a high-pressure system. So they’re powerful, intuitive, and more programmable.

Within pump-driven, you have a few more sub-categories. Such as automatic, semi, and super-automatic.

Automatic Espresso Machine

These are the most standardised espresso machines on the market. They give you the option to select brew size, shot selection, and so on. If you want to move to a more complicated espresso machine. Such as a semi-automatic one. It’s important to master this one.

Semi-automatic Espresso Machine

These are more performance-driven than their electric. You can adjust the pump system as much as other functions. That’s the real difference between an automatic and semi-automatic is brewing flexibility.

Automatic is one-touch brewing where semi-automatic lets you control its features. Such as the volume of water passing through the coffee grounds. Once you’ve determined the water quantity, the machine automatically stops pouring.

This gives you the chance to determine the strength of the extracted coffee.

Super-automatic Espresso Machine

Most super-automatic espresso machines come with a grinder. But what they’re really popular for is brewing time and temperature. It gives you control so you can customise each up accordingly.

This is why super-automatic machines take longer to brew. They want to make every cup perfect and irresistible. Because extracting coffee is also about setting the right temperature. And if it’s a bean-to-cup espresso machine, it’s also about getting the grind settings right.

Manual Espresso Machine

A manual espresso machine is perfect for skilled brewers. It’s what people dream of using, like baristas and cafes. Allowing you to pull your own shot. Grind your own beans. And improve your coffee brewing technique from scratch.

Manual espresso machines are compact, portable, and high-quality. And they’d last for a long time if taken care of like a pro.

Pod Espresso Machine

Such machines use pods to brew single or double espresso shots. It sets the perfect environment for brewing coffee at home. And for personal use, it’s quick and effective. All you have to do is place a coffee pod in the container and brew a button.

A Nespresso espresso machine gives you the ability to try out unique flavours. And each pod or capsule gives you one cup at a time. So it’s fresher than those machines that have a large brewing capacity!

The fact that these pods are pre-filled. Coffee lovers can really experiment with different flavours such as vanilla, caramel, mint coffee, etc. It’s something that other espresso machines fail to offer.

Final Thoughts

With so many types of coffee such as Americano, cappuccino, iced coffee, or flat white. It’s only a wonder why you don’t already have an espresso machine at home. The thing about espresso is that it’s in all these coffees. A shot of espresso with steamed milk or water or cream!

This is why I recommend you look at the Breville BES870XL Barista. It is for enthusiasts and skilled aficionados alike. The performance of this best espresso machine is powerful. It is also easy to control in terms of features. And you pull out rich, steamy, and creamy shots every time.

8c7d8fe2feaaa051e9086d66af742c12?s=100&d=mm&r=g

A. I. Moon

A.I. Moon, an experienced SEO Pythonista, spends his days coding and developing web applications to help business owners. A passionate coffee enthusiast, he believes that drinking coffee fuels his creativity and productivity. His day isn't complete without the rich aroma and invigorating warmth of a perfectly brewed cup. This love for coffee inspired him to found EspressoRivo, a platform dedicated to sharing his coffee knowledge and fostering a community of passionate aficionados.

Scroll to Top