Coffee lovers start out innocently enough with drip filters, French presses, milk frothers, and stovetop espresso makers, but the next thing you know, they’re browsing Amazon for full-on espresso machines with all the bells and whistles. If you’ve reached that stage of coffee addiction, don’t worry, we’re here for you.

We’ve outlined everything you need to know about buying a shiny new espresso machine for your home and we’ve spent dozens of hours researching, testing, and combing through the details of popular espresso machines to bring you our top five. All of the below picks are tried and true by us, and vetted by in-house and out-of-house experts, including Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh of Coffee Project NYC and the Specialty Coffee Association.

Here are our top picks for the best espresso machines:

Prices and links are current as of 8/20/2020. We recently tested the Cuisinart EM-200, a programmable semi-automatic espresso maker, and while we’d recommend it for a machine in the $200 range, it didn’t quite make it into our top five.

Looking forward, we’re going to test the Ascaso Dream Up V3 and the Rancilio Silvia Pro (the forthcoming version of the Rancilio Silvia), which is due out early this fall. We’ll report back with our findings, but for now, we stand by our current picks.

The best overall

The semi-automatic Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine makes top-notch espresso and it includes a burr grinder, tamper, and frothing pitcher.

Most espresso machines don’t come with everything you need, so you end up buying a bunch of accessories to actually make your coffee. Not so with the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine.

It comes with a stainless steel conical burr grinder, a 1/2 pound sealed bean hopper, a 54mm tamper, a steaming wand for frothing your milk, and a frothing pitcher. The only thing you need to buy is the espresso beans. The user manual is very detailed, so you should be able to follow its instructions without too much trouble.

Based on our testing, learning how to use the machine is well worth the effort, and the result is absolutely beautiful-tasting coffee. It's actually really easy to use, and you'll have the process down after two or three attempts.

The Barista Express espresso machine uses a 15-bar pump and a 1600W Thermocoil heating system to make rich espresso. Since it's a semi-automatic machine, the Breville automatically adjusts water temperature after steam to extract the most flavor out of your beans. The machine also has a 67 fl.oz (2L) water tank with a nice handle for easy removal, and it comes with a replaceable water filter.

The built-in burr grinder is Breville's Smart Grinder Pro, which is a favorite of ours (though we don't recommend it in our guide to coffee grinders because it's a little on the pricey side), and you can easily adjust the grind size and amount with a dial on the front of the machine. You can choose to use either a single- or double-wall filter basket, and the grinder will automatically adjust to give you the right amount of coffee grounds for your brew. Reviewers love that it comes with the grinder and praise its quality.

If you push the 54mm stainless steel portafilter into the hands-free grinding cradle, the grounds will go right into the filter. The grinder shuts off when it's done, too, so you don't have to worry about figuring out if you've got the right amount. Finally, the included 54mm tamper ensures that your grounds are evenly pressed, so you get the most out of your beans.

When it comes to deciding how much espresso you want to make, you can choose between two presets for 1- and 2-cup volumes. Alternatively, you can manually override the settings and choose your own amount of espresso.

The Thermocoil heating system controls the water temperature, and you can watch the espresso machine's pressure gauge. If you want frothy milk on top of your espresso, you can use the 360-degree swivel steam wand to whip up some foam in the included milk pitcher.

A removable drip tray catches any excess, so you don't end up with a huge mess on your hands. You do have to clean that part every day. Breville's machine will also tell you when it needs a thorough cleaning, and it comes with a special cleaning kit. Follow Breville's very detailed care and maintenance guide to keep your machine in working order. And if you have any issues, the Barista Express comes with a one-year warranty.

If you're inexperienced, it's a good machine to learn with, and if you're interested in fiddling around with settings, you can do that, too.

Before you purchase the Breville Barista Express, be aware that Breville will probably phase out this model soon with the newer and faster Breville Barista Pro. We recently tested it and there's a lot to like. However, until it's actually out of stock, we find that the Express works just as well as the Pro, albeit a bit slower. In fact, we prefer the old portafilter over the one that's in the Pro. Even more to the point: the Express is cheaper, and it comes with Breville's Smart Grinder Pro built in, so there's no need to spend an extra $200. For now, it's still our overall pick - Owen Burke and Malarie Gokey

Pros: Built-in burr grinder and frother, makes great crema on your espresso, it's relatively easy to use, lovely design, one-year warranty

Cons: Slower than the newer Breville Pro

Read our review of the Breville Barista Express

Read our review of the Breville Barista Pro

The best on a budget

Foto: Source: DeLonghi/Max Pixel/Business Insider

The De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker is affordable, but it still makes strong espresso.

Not everyone can afford a top-of-the-line espresso machine, but there are some good budget options. The De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker is the best in the sub-$100 category, thanks to its easy-to-use design and tasty espresso.

Let's get one thing out of the way: It won't deliver a cup of espresso like a more expensive espresso machine would. But as an affordable and basic machine, it gets close. Plus, it has great Italian design and it's made by a brand that's a household name in Italy.

You get a manual milk frother and a built-in tamper along with the machine, so you do have to buy your own grinder and milk frothing pitcher if you want foam on top. Many reviewers and users complain that the tamper and milk frother aren't that great, though, so you may end up wanting to invest in better ones. Keep all of this in mind, because between a grinder, a frother, and this machine, you're easily getting into the $350+ range.

You can check out our guide to the best milk frothers here. If you choose to stick with the machine's frothing wand, you'll still need a milk frothing pitcher, so we recommend this one from Rattleware. Should you want a better tamper, this one, also by Rattleware, will do the trick. To save money on the coffee grinder, you can try this manual Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Mill, which, with enough elbow grease, will get you to the fineness of espresso grounds. But if you want a high-end one, you may pay more than $200 for it.

Regardless of whether you buy extra accessories, it's still very affordable, and you're really buying this machine for the espresso. The De'Longhi mostly delivers in that regard. It's a 15-bar (unit of pressure) machine with a self-priming function, so you don't have to go through the hassle of prepping the machine. The 35-ounce water tank is removable for cleaning and it has a drip tray to catch spills, as well as a durable, high-quality stainless steel boiler to ensure many years of delicious espresso.

Although the machine may not be entirely stainless steel like the high-end options on this list, it does have stainless steel where it counts: the boiler. The three-in-one filter holder has a holder for one espresso shot, a holder for two shots, or one for an espresso pod.

De'Longhi offers a one-year limited warranty and you can check the user manual for extra details. - Malarie Gokey

Pros: Affordable, relatively easy to use, offers real espresso machine performance, makes good espresso

Cons: No built-in grinder, tricky to clean, built-in milk frother and tamper aren't the best, not a lot of crema, does not generate as much pressure as we would like

The best pod espresso machine

Foto: Source: Nespresso

The Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Maker by De'Longhi takes all the work out of making espresso at home, and you can get tons of differently flavored pods.

True espresso purists may shudder at the thought of popping coffee in a pod and pressing a button to extract espresso from it, but convenience is king these days. Nespresso made espresso pods popular, and now they're everywhere. If you want to go that route, the Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Maker by De'Longhi is your best option.

The first thing you need to know is that the pods are expensive - a lot more than a bag of good espresso beans. However, if ease-of-use and convenience are more important to you than money, the Nespresso VertuoPlus espresso machine will be worth its weight in gold. Just don't forget to recycle!

The Nespresso machine takes all the grinding, tamping, and measuring out of the equation. You just turn it on, pop some pods in, and press the button to make espresso. It has a fast pre-heating time, and the pump offers 19 bars of pressure. The water tank has a 40-ounce capacity.

However, you can probably do better with the other options on our list if you're willing to put in a bit of effort for better espresso, and the De'Longhi EC 155 Espresso and Cappuccino Maker is actually cheaper. - Malarie Gokey

Pros: You don't have to do anything, pods are easy to buy online, fun flavors, easy to use, inexpensive

Cons: You have to recycle the pods, pods are expensive, not the best espresso you can make at home

The best manual machine

Foto: Source: La Pavoni

La Pavoni's Europiccola is a timeless machine that looks great and pulls a perfect shot.

You might be a little intimidated at first: this is a step up from the Flair, but keep in mind that operating this machine and its attached boiler and steamer still requires a bit of work. Your tamping and grinding skills are at play, and the only way to pull a good shot more often than not is with practice.

There are several companies making lever espresso machines, but La Pavoni has been in the business for over a hundred years, and we like to think they know what they're doing. La Pavoni lever machines are built like tanks, using hardly any plastic, save for the boiler cap, handle, and steam knob, which can be swapped out for wood. This makes cleaning a cinch, and it also means that these things are designed to last. So long as you don't do anything catastrophic, you'll most likely be passing it on to future generations.

But, until you pass your La Pavoni on down the line, you probably won't be moving it around much. It's 14 pounds, so the best thing to do is perch it atop a convenient, aesthetically pleasing stretch of kitchen counter and leave it there. This is not a portable machine by any means, and if you're looking for something you can tuck away, you may want to check out some of the other options on this list.

In short, take even moderately good care of your La Pavoni and it will likely take excellent care of you and yours for decades to come. - Owen Burke

Pros: A classic design that'll look good in any kitchen, few plastic parts

Cons: Not cheap, takes a little time to perfect pulling a shot

The best manual device

Foto: Source: Flair Espresso/Facebook

The Flair Espresso machine is the best shot of espresso you're going to pull at home, and it's under $200.

Being a full-blown espresso fiend, my quest for the perfect espresso is never-ending. I've generally been pleased with the $5,000+ machines from which my café shots come, but getting anywhere near that quality at home has been a constant challenge. Sure, I am, on occasion, impressed with my success while working with my simple stovetop Bialetti Mokka Pot or GROSCHE stovetop espresso machine.

I originally liked the Flair as a potential portable espresso maker for camping, and perhaps for a camper van, but it quickly found a home on my kitchen counter and hasn't left since.

Pulling a shot of espresso with the Flair is something of a chore in the beginning, but it really only takes somewhere between three and five minutes. If you're used to using any type of espresso machine or pot, you'll pick it up quickly. The first piece of advice I'll give you is that investing in a burr grinder is going to make your life with the Flair a lot better, and your grounds more consistent.

I learned this the hard way: I started out with a regular blade grinder, ground my beans a little overzealously, and found that I couldn't get the machine to operate as easily. I pulled a little harder, and then harder still, thinking I might unclog it. At some point I decided, out of curiosity, to put the balance of my body weight down on the thing, at which point the copper-colored part of the stand snapped. If I had read the instruction manual or even the little warning sticker on the machine, I would have realized that half of my body weight was easily the contraption's limit and well above the pressure required to pull a good shot anyhow.

Since receiving a replacement part, I've been a little more cautious, and ultimately, the issue was that sometimes I was grinding my beans too finely, preventing me from pulling a shot at all. Suffice it to say that investing in a burr grinder was the best move.

The most unique thing about the Flair is that it comes with a detachable brewing head, which you can also buy separately, so if you're pulling shots for a few people, you can stack them up without having to clean and tamp between pulls. - Owen Burke

Pros: Affordable, produces thick and cream-rich shots, easy to clean, looks beautiful on the counter

Cons: It can be a bit of a pain to reload it if you're making espresso for more than one person (but this will more or less be the case with any single-cup espresso machine)

What else we considered

Foto: Source: Breville/Facebook

Breville Barista Touch: The Barista Touch was recently one of our recommendations. It's a great espresso machine that incorporates technology to produce a tasty cup of espresso that's close to what you'd find in a high-end coffee shop. Using the touchscreen, you can pick a drink from the menu or save custom ones. We liked that it has a built-in grinder and a three-second heat-up time, and found it easy to use.

But after much research and consideration, we think its fancy features don't justify the cost. For the same ease of use and better performance, we think the more affordable Barista Pro is the smarter buy. Don't get us wrong: If you can afford it and the touchscreen functions appeal to you, it's a great machine - it's just not the best machine for everyone.

Cuisinart EM-200: A programmable semi-automatic espresso machine with 15 bars of pressure and a 1000-watt motor, the Cuisinart EM-200 is notably solid considering its $200 price tag. It makes decent espresso, but know that you'll need to spend upwards of $150 for a good burr grinder to really make this machine work in your favor. We weren't huge fans of the steam wand compared with others we've tried from Gaggia and Breville, but it did the trick with steaming milk. Frothing, for a cappuccino, for example, was trickier. If you want lattes, and if you buy pre-ground coffee and forego the expensive burr grinder, you'll be getting a solid espresso machine for the same price or less than pod machines that do not make true espresso.

What makes a true espresso?

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Espresso coffee literally translates to something like "pressed-out coffee," and is essentially coffee expressly brewed under pressure. The Italian Espresso National Institute has very strict standards as to what can be called a true espresso. However, the basic idea is this: espresso machines force a small amount of nearly boiling water under at least nine bars of pressure (that is nine times the atmospheric pressure at sea level) through finely-ground coffee to make true espresso. Still, to get to that nine bars of steady pressure, a good espresso machine will have 15 bars (no more is necessary) to kickstart the brewing process.

The result is a thicker, creamier coffee with more caffeine. Pressure is the key defining metric of making real espresso, and that's why stovetop espresso machines don't produce "real" espresso, according to the experts (but we still highly recommend them for anyone on a budget, and a number of us at Insider Reviews drink from a Moka Pot daily).

What are the different kinds of espresso machines?

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There are two kinds of espresso machines in this world: steam-driven and pump-driven. Steam-driven machines come in two types: stovetop espresso makers like the Bialetti Moka Express and pump-less electric machines.

Pump-driven machines are much more common and there are more varieties that fall under that umbrella, including:

  • Manual Lever Pump: It works just like you'd imagine it would - you manually pump the espresso out by hand with no help from electricity.
  • Electronic Pump: With this kind of machine, you set the right temperature and electricity pumps the espresso out for you.
  • Semi-Automatic Pump: Here, you grind the beans and tamp them into the filter before turning on the machine. Then, you pump the button until the water turns black, at which point you turn the espresso maker off.
  • Automatic Pump: This machine also makes you grind the beans and tamp them into the portafilter. It will automatically turn on to brew the espresso and go off again when it's done.
  • Super Automatic Pump: Finally, a super-automatic machine takes everything out of your hands. It grinds the beans, tamps the grounds into the filter, boils the water, applies the pressure, and takes care of the waste for you. It's very easy, but it'll cost you a pretty penny.

There are also fully-automatic pod machines like the Nespresso, which require zero assistance from you beyond popping in a pod and pressing a button, but while those serve a purpose in a pinch, they don't really make espresso either, and in the long run, tend to be more expensive thanks to the cost of coffee pods.

How to clean your espresso machine

Foto: Source: Shutterstock

Espresso machines aren't the easiest things to clean. Every machine is different, but here are some basic tips for beginners that should apply to most machines.

  • Clean the outside regularly. It's best if you do this before and after each use so that you avoid germs, dust, and other particles interfering with your machine.
  • Clean the inside of your machine by running water through it. Each machine will have a slightly different process, and some manufacturers provide tips and suggestions in their user manuals. CoffeeLounge and other sites suggest mixing 2 oz. of vinegar in 20 oz. of water every now and then to clean your machine even more thoroughly. After you use vinegar, though, be sure to rinse your espresso maker three times with water to avoid any lingering vinegar taste in your next drink.
  • Clean the frothing wand and grinder. You can dust off extra grounds with a brush. Clean both after each use.
  • Disassemble and wash any removable parts. Just pop them in your dishwasher or sink for a good soap and water scrub. You don't have to do this part every day, but try to do it more than once a month.
  • Follow your machine's instructions. You can also use special espresso cleaners, but be sure to follow all the steps and check for any specific instructions in your machine's manual.

Everything you need to make espresso

Foto: Source: Pexels

Some machines come with all the accessories you need to make espresso, but others don't. Check to see if your machine includes any extras before you buy them. You will need a grinder for your espresso beans, a milk frother or a milk frothing pitcher if you like foamy milk for cappuccinos or lattes, and a tamper to press down the coffee grounds. We explain why you need each one and share recommendations below.

The best coffee grinders

If your machine doesn't have a grinder built-in and it doesn't use pods, you'll need to buy a grinder. Burr grinders are best, and you should try to get the most powerful one you can find. It's key to have evenly ground coffee that's meant for an espresso machine. You'll get the most flavor and crema out of perfectly ground beans.

The best milk frothers

You'll need a milk frother for some machines on this list, or at the very least, a milk frothing pitcher. If your machine has a steam frothing wand but no frothing pitcher, we recommend the Rattleware 20-Ounce Latte Art Milk Frothing Pitcher.

The best tampers

A tamper is a nifty tool that evenly presses your grounds so you can make the most out of your coffee beans while making espresso. Here are our top picks.

Check out other great coffee gear guides

Foto: Source: Amazon

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A great coffee maker can make or break your brew - and your morning. These are the best coffee makers you can buy, whether you want a drip coffee, French Press, espresso, pour-over, or cold brew coffee maker.

The best French Presses

You can brew coffee in a number of ways, but many caffeine addicts swear by the French Press method. Of all the French Presses we researched, these are our favorites.

The best stovetop espresso makers

After hours and hours of research, testing, and countless ensuing caffeine overloads, these are the best stovetop espresso makers we've found to make strong, delicious coffee right at home.