Coffee Blog » Best Espresso Machines for Home Use.
Best Espresso Machines for Home Use.
By: Kev | Updated On: September 16, 2024 at 2:39 pm
Home espresso machines are a bit of a tricky subject, and that’s probably something that’ll become apparently fairly soon into your quest to find the best home espresso machine. It’s really not as simple as you might have thought.
But fear not, you’ve found me, so all is well! 😉
I know a fair bit about home espresso machines, it’s been my passion since I “fell down the home barista rabbit hole” back in 2015.
I started this blog back then, basically to journal my journey – sounds a bit naff but it’s actually true.
When I was trying to find info about espresso machines & all of the other related gear, I was either finding genuine info & guidance that was way over my head, or not so genuine mainly marketing blurb thinly disguised as helpful content.
So I thought I’d start the kind of helpful blog I was looking for, and that started off as a hobby, then a passion – and it’s now my full time gig.
- Main Pros: Price & space saving (compared to standalone setups)
- Main Cons: Lack of grinder choice or upgradeability
Not Another List…
Home espresso machines are a bit of a tricky subject, and that’s probably something that’ll become apparently fairly soon into your quest to find the best home espresso machine. It’s really not as simple as you might have thought.
But fear not, you’ve found me, so all is well! 😉
I know a fair bit about home espresso machines, it’s been my passion since I “fell down the home barista rabbit hole” back in 2015.
I started this blog back then, basically to journal my journey – sounds a bit naff but it’s actually true.
When I was trying to find info about espresso machines & all of the other related gear, I was either finding genuine info & guidance that was way over my head, or not so genuine mainly marketing blurb thinly disguised as helpful content.
So I thought I’d start the kind of helpful blog I was looking for, and that started off as a hobby, then a passion – and it’s now my full time gig.
- Main Pros: Price & space saving (compared to standalone setups)
- Main Cons: Lack of grinder choice or upgradeability
Guess what, that's exactly what you've found :-).
I don’t think that when you started searching for best espresso machines, you were hoping to find just a list of potential choices – you could get that anywhere.
What you were probably hoping for was some guidance regarding the types of espresso machines on the market, and some help in figuring out which of the machines within your budget are the type of machine you’re actually looking for, and which among these should be on your shortlist.
Guess what, that's exactly what you've found :-).
I’ll start off demystifying espresso machines when it comes to all the various types, and I’ll then explain which options for each type I think are among the best.
By the way, if you don’t need to read all this extra info, the links below will take you directly to that machine section below so you can read through the suggestions.
Types of Home Espresso Machinesc
If you’re happy to go through a bit of a learning curve, the benefits of using a traditional stand-alone traditional espresso machine with a separate grinder are that ultimately you’ll have the best cup quality potential, the most control over your shots.
If you know you’re getting into the home barista hobby (even if you don’t know that, just a word of warning, you may be) I’d recommend a traditional espresso machine and grinder setup.
You could go for an integrated grinder machine, but in most cases I believe separates are the way to go, for a few reasons.
Integrated grinders are neat & handy, but they usually don’t give quite the range required when you’re trying to grind fine enough to use lighter roasts and higher extraction baskets, so if you’re thinking of going down that kind of direction, you may find a machine like this holds you back at some point.
I’ll make grinder suggestions for each machine, but for the big coffee grinders review post see:
Types of Home Espresso Machinesc
If you’re happy to go through a bit of a learning curve, the benefits of using a traditional stand-alone traditional espresso machine with a separate grinder are that ultimately you’ll have the best cup quality potential, the most control over your shots.
If you know you’re getting into the home barista hobby (even if you don’t know that, just a word of warning, you may be) I’d recommend a traditional espresso machine and grinder setup.
You could go for an integrated grinder machine, but in most cases I believe separates are the way to go, for a few reasons.
Integrated grinders are neat & handy, but they usually don’t give quite the range required when you’re trying to grind fine enough to use lighter roasts and higher extraction baskets, so if you’re thinking of going down that kind of direction, you may find a machine like this holds you back at some point.
I’ll make grinder suggestions for each machine, but for the big coffee grinders review post see:
Sage Bambino Plus
Features:
- Water Tank: 1.4L
- Dimensions: 19 cm wide x 30.4 cm deep x 31 cm tall
- Boiler: ThermoJet (Sage's new thermocoil)
- PID?: Yes
- 3 Way Solenoid?: No
- Portafilter Size: 54mm
- Pump : 15 bar vibe pump with over pressure valve (9 bar)
- Interface: Buttons
- Preinfusion?: Yes, pre-set and manual
Which Grinder?
For the Bambino, the Sage Dose Control Pro is a popular option, they’re a great match in terms of looks, the same is true of the Smart Grinder Pro and they’re both a good pairing for the Bambino. The Baratza Encore ESP is also a good entry level option.
I wouldn’t limit yourself to an entry level grinder, though, just because you’re going for an entry level espresso machine.
If you have the budget for it, going for something like the Eureka Mignon Specialita, Baratza Sette 270, or a single doser grinder such as the DF54, DF83, Niche Zero or Niche Duo would be a great option, and as you upgrade your espresso machine in the future, one of these grinders would be a great pairing for higher end machines, too.
The (relatively) new “Go” is Profitec’s answer to the entry to mid level single boiler market, and I think they’ve done a very good job when it comes to the overall features, build quality and performance vs the cost. It’s one of the priciest single boilers, but its certainly among the best.
In case you’re not familiar with Profitec, they’re an espresso machine manufacturer based in Germany, the sister company of ECM, they’re well known when it comes to the more premium side of things, with their heat exchanger & dual boiler machines.
This is a very solid machine, with a PID, an easily adjustable OPV (you just turn a screw), shot timer, pressure gauge, and a nice sized, nice quality drip tray.
If you’re someone who was considering a Gaggia Classic Pro or Rancilio Silvia, but you were thinking of modding including fitting a PID, personally I think you should at least be open to the idea of going up a notch in terms of price point. Yes they’re about £800, but overall I think it’s worth it.
The only thing that I think would stop me from buying the Go, being completely honest, is that at this price there are a couple of options that are very similar in price, both of which are Heat Exchanger machines, rather than single Boiler. The Oscar 2 for example, is available slightly cheaper than the Go, and this is a (very capable, and underrated) heat exchanger machine, and there’s the Lelit Mara X too (below), which isn’t all that much more.
What Kind of Espresso Machine Is Bianca?
My Observations:
The (relatively) new “Go” is Profitec’s answer to the entry to mid level single boiler market, and I think they’ve done a very good job when it comes to the overall features, build quality and performance vs the cost. It’s one of the priciest single boilers, but its certainly among the best.
In case you’re not familiar with Profitec, they’re an espresso machine manufacturer based in Germany, the sister company of ECM, they’re well known when it comes to the more premium side of things, with their heat exchanger & dual boiler machines.
This is a very solid machine, with a PID, an easily adjustable OPV (you just turn a screw), shot timer, pressure gauge, and a nice sized, nice quality drip tray.
If you’re someone who was considering a Gaggia Classic Pro or Rancilio Silvia, but you were thinking of modding including fitting a PID, personally I think you should at least be open to the idea of going up a notch in terms of price point. Yes they’re about £800, but overall I think it’s worth it.
The only thing that I think would stop me from buying the Go, being completely honest, is that at this price there are a couple of options that are very similar in price, both of which are Heat Exchanger machines, rather than single Boiler. The Oscar 2 for example, is available slightly cheaper than the Go, and this is a (very capable, and underrated) heat exchanger machine, and there’s the Lelit Mara X too (below), which isn’t all that much more.
Sage Bambino Plus
There’s about £50 difference, and for that you get a slightly different look (the plus looks slightly nicer in my opinion) and the standard single walled baskets, and the digital display for the grinder and the shot timer, and for me it’s well worth the additional £50 for these things, I really like having a shot timer.
Just beware the blurb, as in various marketing blurb I’ve seen the Barista Max Plus blurb being used when it comes to the baskets, indicating that it comes with single walled standard baskets, as far as I’m aware it’s only the plus version that does, the standard version has dual walled baskets, but it’s a 58mm portafilter so you can always swap out the baskets anway, 58mm standard baskets are very easy to get hold of.
Sage Oracle Touch
The MD15 from Gaggia is a conical burr grinder that Gaggia launched specifically for their lower-end espresso machines, the Gran Gaggia, Carezza, and Viva, and for the Gaggia Classic Pro with the pressurized baskets (the Classic Pro comes with both standard and dual walled pressurized baskets. See the note about shims below, though, for traditional baskets.
Features:
- Grinder: Etzinger 38mm conical burrs, 45 grind settings.
- Hopper: Locking hopper (for easy beans removal) with UV protection & gasket
- Portafilter: 58mm stainless steel portafilter (single and double baskets, standard + dual walled)
- Assisted Espresso: Automated dosing and tamping
- Boiler: 950ml steam boiler + PID controlled 450ml brew boiler + heat exchanger
- Milk Steaming: Hands-free microfoam with 4 presets, full control over texture and temperature
- Menu: Espresso, Long Black, Latte, Cappuccino + 8 customisable drinks
- Water tank: 2.5L, with water filter. Top (front) access and removable from rear.
- Drip Tray: Huge 1.2L capacity drip tray with hidden storage space
- Dimensions (w x d x h): 41cm x 38 cm x 45cm
- Adjustable brew temperature: Yes from 86 – 96C in 1C increments
- Preinfusion?: Yes, pre-set (adjustable) & manual, control over power and length
Kafmasino One
Features:
- Water Tank: 1.7L
- Dimensions: 22 cm wide x 31 cm deep x 37.5cm tall
- Weight: 13 Kg
- Boiler: 550ml stainless steal brew boiler + thermoblock for steam
- PID?: Yes
- 3 Way Solenoid?: Yes
- Portafilter Size: 58mm
- Pump: 15 bar vibe pump (no OPV, Kafmasino app controls the pump power)
- Interface: Buttons & App Controlled
- Preinfusion?: Yup, whatever you like.
- Adjustable brew temperature: Yes from 80 – 100C in 1C increments
- Warranty: 2 years return to base at their cost.
For more options see:
Kev's Flat White FAQ
What is the difference between flat white and latte?
Flat whites are flat whitish in appearance while lattes are more latte-like. Just kidding. For me, it’s more about intensity and texture than anything else, but flat white and latte are almost the same texture-wise, at least they are in 2022, in many coffee shops, as most baristas wouldn’t change their milk steaming routine much if at all for flat white vs latte.
So the main difference is that latte would usually be more subtle in flavour, as they’re usually (not always) larger, in volume, with the same or smaller espresso content, being made with a single or double shot depending on where you’re drinking your lattes and whether you’re asking for a single or a double shot – although many coffee shops will use a double shot for both latte and for flat white, but will use more milk, in a larger cup or glass, than flat white.
Latte tends to be served in glasses too, although not always.
What is in a flat white
Two thirds flat, and four thirds white. Again, just kidding, it’s of course espresso or ristretto, and textured milk. Usually a double espresso or double ristretto, with around 3-6 ounces of milk, in a 5-8 ounce cup or glass.
What size is a flat white
Depends on where you go or who you ask, but usually around 5-8 ounces.
What is a skinny flat white
This would be a flat white made with skimmed milk.
What is the difference between a cappuccino and a flat white
This is a good question, and it depends on where you’re drinking your cappuccino, and whether or not you have a Delorian powered by banana skins which is capable of taking you back to the 80s. If you do, you’ll find that cappuccino was always made with a nice big mountain of stiff milk froth, and often dusted with chocolate.
So traditional, or “old school” cappuccino is made with more dry textured milk than flat white, which is made with a much wetter, microfoam textured milk, with less air pulled in, and smaller bubbles.
So that’s the texture part of it – a traditional cappuccino and a flat white are very different when it comes to texture. The texture of flat white is like liquid velvet and with just a very small layer of foam, often in the form of latte art – yeah, for some weird reason we still call it latte art, even when it’s on a flat white ;-).
Just keep in mind though, that a lot of coffee shops these days, most third wave coffee shops, will use texture similar to flat white texture, usually just aerated for slightly longer so there’s a bit more foam on the top, but the texture of the drink itself is very similar.
The intensity, though, is usually the main difference. While a flat white is almost 50/50 espresso (or ristretto) to milk, a cappuccino is usually larger in volume and less intense in coffee flavour.
What year did Costa Coffee bring the flat white to the UK?
2010 – but, just so we’re clear – Costa Coffee didn’t bring the flat white to the UK. This is a myth/legend I’ve heard previously, one which I’m sure they don’t mind ;-).
In Between Machines from Sage:
Portafilter machines that will produce traditional espresso, but which do it with assistance or automation, to reduce the learning curve.
- Main Pros: Cup quality of a traditional machine but ease of use and convenience of a bean to cup.
- Main Cons: Cost.
If you fall in between these two categories, in that you really want the cup quality of a traditional, but the convenience and user experience of a bean to cup machine, then what I refer to as the “in-between” machines from Sage might be perfect for you.
They’re a bit more money than some people may be considering dropping on a coffee machine (depending on which option you go for), but they’re capable of cup quality better than any home bean to cup machine I’ve used, and there’s a bit of a learning curve but it’s shorter than a traditional machine.
See: Sage “in-between” traditional/bean to cup coffee machines
Pod Machines:
Nespresso original, Nespresso Vertuo, Lavazza, Nescafe Dolce Gusto, Tassimo.
- Main Pros: Cost price & convenience.
- Main Cons:Cost per coffee
If you’re much more focused on convenience and low initial cost, then you may be considering a pod machine, if that’s the case jump straight to: Pod Coffee Machines
You can get pod machines incredibly cheap, and some of the cheaper ones are actually some of the better ones, as you’ll see below, but in terms of long term value for money, taking into account how long you might have the machine for and what the pods cost, it’s often not quite the same story.
If you were thinking of a pod machine for convenience, and you like fairly strong coffee, just keep in mind that although some of the pod coffee machine options (Nespresso original line in particular) can be really cost effective when it comes to price per pod, this isn’t quite the case if you have to use 2, 3 or more pods per cup, which many people end up doing with pod machines – personally I think a lot of people considering a pod machine, would be well advised to consider looking at one of the entry level bean to cup machines.
How to make flat white at home with an espresso machine.
So Ninja have made a coffee machine – the Ninja Luxe Cafe, and let me tell you – it’s surprising! But its it surprisingly good, or surprisingly bad? Keep reading and you’ll find out ;-).
I love waffles, but if you don’t – just click here to go straight to the main review & skip my intro.
Ninja have made a couple of coffee machines, they’ve not been available in the UK, and on paper they didn’t really do much for me, it looked like they were just having a little punt at the coffee machine market to be honest.
So when people started contacting me about the Ninja Luxe Cafe asking me to review it, I have to admit I kind of shrugged it off at first.
“Oh yeah, yet another mainstream brand emulating one of the Sage espresso machines and selling it for a lower price point, yawn!”
But enough people nagged me about it, in fact people were even contacting Brickoven, the video production company in Manchester who do all of my YouTube videos, asking them if they could convince me to review it!
So I started to have a look at what the fuss was all about, and luckily my friend Mark Prince from CoffeeGeek.com had just done his first look blog post on the Nina Cafe Luxe.
Mark has more experience with espresso machines than anyone I know, and if he says a coffee machine is good, it’s definitely good.
I honestly thought as I started reading that Mark was going to confirm my assumption that the Ninja coffee machine was yet another low blow from another mainstream brand, a brand that doesn’t seem to understand what Sage (Breville Worldwide) really do, and who think that just slapping on an integrated grinder and paying lip service speciality coffee is all you need to do in order to capture some of that valuable growing market.
I was wrong!
Mark’s initial thoughts were largely positive, he did state that it was early days and he had a lot more testing to do, but so far, he was very impressed.
So I bought one from America, as they weren’t available yet in the UK – I also bought a step down converter so I could use a 120v machine on a 220v circuit. I’ve heard from others who’ve done the same, please don’t do this if you’re considering it.
They’re available to pre-order now at John Lewis with a dispatch date of 25th Sep, so you’ll probably have it quicker this way, and you’ll have a UK warranty, and you won’t need a bulky converter.
Anyway, I received it, my daughter unboxed it and did the unboxing video for Instagram, YouTube shorts etc., and then I had a look at it – and I was relatively indifferent to it, it looked how I’d expect a Ninja coffee machine to look.
But then I used it, and I was no longer indifferent!