I'm an ex-barista, and these are the 3 things I always look for in a budget espresso machine

Tom's Guide

a day ago

There's no way around it: the best espresso machines just are expensive. However, that doesn't mean you have to spend big bucks to get big performance. You can get one of the best cheap espresso machines for under $300, although the #1 best affordable espresso machine (Breville Bambino Plus, of course) is $499.
Low cost espresso machines obviously won't perform like the premium prosumer models I see all over TikTok and YouTube, but espresso machines on a budget can still make you excellent coffee. You just need to know what to look for.
Thankfully, I'm an ex-barista and now a professional espresso machine reviewer (yes, it's a real job), so I know exactly what you need to look for. If you're searching for the best home espresso maker on a budget, you've come to the right place.
This is the cheapest model Breville makes. If you want to get great espresso for the lowest possible cost, I'd check out the Breville Bambino. While the steam wand is less powerful than its bigger sibling the Bambino Plus, this is an ideal first espresso machine for a relatively low price.
However, if you've got a little more to spend and you want the best entry-level espresso machine, it has to be the Breville Bambino Plus. This dinky yet powerful machine has a PID controller for perfect espresso extraction and a 4 hole steam wand for delicious milk and latte art. And it's on sale right now for just $440.
I'll give you a quick 'ELI5' if you have never heard of a PID controller. It's basically a cool piece of tech that actively monitors and controls water temperature during espresso extraction. It ensures that the water is optimum temperature the entire duration of extraction, resulting in cleaner, more complex, more delicious flavors.
Sure, espresso machines without PID controllers can make good espresso, but it won't be as consistently and reliably perfect as a machine with a PID controller.
Most high-end espresso machines have PID controllers (like the Smeg Mini Pro, $1,800). But there are a couple budget options that have PID controllers. The Casabrews Ultra (pictured in the main image above) is one of the cheapest PID machines I've ever seen: it's just $249.
I'll admit that the Casabrews Ultra isn't a perfect machine — its steam wand is very poor — but for serious espresso drinkers, there probably isn't a cheaper way to get a PID controller. (However, Casabrews has reached out to me to let me know that they are actively working on a superior steam wand!)
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The Breville Bambino — $299 on Amazon U.S. — is $50 pricier, but has a better steam wand. If you can stretch to $499, the Breville Bambino Plus is a combination of powerful steam wand and PID-controlled espresso.
All this talk of steam wands brings me onto my next point...
If you want to learn how to pour the best latte art, you need to get a good steam wand. Unfortunately, most budget steam wands I've used all suffer from the same maladies: weak steam, low pressure, and, ultimately, poor milk texture.
This is a tricky one, as steam wands tend not to have 'markers' of high quality, like a PID controller. However, there's a relatively easy way to figure out the good steam wands from the bad.
First, check how many holes the steam wand has. A good rule of thumb is more holes = more power. If the steam wand has one hole, it won't be as powerful as a 3 hole wand.
I know I sound like a broken record recommending this machine over and over, but the Breville Bambino Plus has 4 holes, which is great for a sub-$500 machine. The Bambino (basic model, $299) has just one hole. The Casabrews Ultra has one hole, as does the Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder.
After figuring out how many holes your steam wand has, the next thing to do is read reviews. Obviously, you'll want to start here at Tom's Guide. But also make sure to read user reviews on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Williams Sonoma — whichever sites you usually shop at. Make sure you look at pictures in the reviews. Don't just take people's word for it.
Here's an example of what you should be looking for in said pictures.
Obviously, some of the users will simply have a more inexperienced technique, which might mean most of the review photos look like the 'non-perfect' example above. However, if there are no 'good' examples, then this likely means that the machine is the problem, not the user.
Also, make sure the review is for your specific model of espresso machine. I've seen review photographs attributed to incorrect machines in the past. (For example, many of the 'review' images on the Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder aren't, in fact, review images of that specific machine.)
Usually, if an espresso machine has 15-bar pressure or higher, it has more chance of the steam wand being powerful. However, the Casabrews Ultra I recently tested had 20-bar pressure, and the steam wand was quite poor as it only has one hole, so this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.
If that heading makes your eyes go funny, let me quickly explain. A portafilter is the metal sieve-like thing where you put the coffee. The portafilters come in two versions: single-walled and dual-walled. They look like this.
You need the single-walled portafilter. Most machines come with both single and dual, but you still need to make sure your machine of choice has both versions.
'Commercial standard' portafilter size refers to, well, the size of the portafilter. I recommend looking for either 58mm or 54mm. Some budget machines, like the De'Longhi Stilosa, have a 51mm portafilter. While you can buy third-party accessories with this size, I'd recommend going for a 58 or 54mm just to make your life easier.
In that case, I'd recommend the Breville Bambino Plus or Bambino, which both have 54mm. Alternatively, if you're happy to put up with mediocre steam wands, the Casabrews Ultra and the Gevi Espresso Machine both have 58mm portafilters.
However, I wouldn't recommend the Casabrews or Gevi models unless you rarely drink milk beverages, or you're not fussed about imperfect milk texture.
If you follow these tips, I'm sure you'll be able to find a great budget machine in no time! I recommend the following three machines for each budget: De'Longhi Stilosa ($149, no PID controller, but very cheap, and often discounted), Breville Bambino ($299, PID controller, one hole steam wand), Breville Bambino Plus ($499, PID controller, 4 hole steam wand, and auto milk froth).
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