The best espresso machines to unleash your inner barista at home, tested

The Guardian

16-04-2025

More espresso, less depresso. To be clear, these weren't the words of Angelo Moriondo, the Italian inventor who patented the first espresso machine in 1884, but it's nice to imagine that he shared the sentiment. Without him, and the inventors that refined his creation, our daily lives – the sour-faced commutes and sunny weekend strolls – would be all the poorer.
The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
Espresso forms the bedrock of many coffee staples – the latte, the cappuccino, the flat white, the americano – but making the perfect shot, or just a rather good one, is a thrillingly contentious topic. Millions of hours of YouTube videos have been dedicated to the craft, and the associated Reddit threads may one day form a voluminous historical artefact.
The truth? It's not hard to brew good espresso at home. It's not even that hard to make a fairly great one – all you need is a decent espresso machine on your worktop, a respectable grinder, some freshly roasted coffee and the patience to do more than press a single button. The new breed of 'assisted' models even do most of the hard work for you, if you prefer.
Over the past couple of months, I've put a troop of espresso machines, from £100 manual wonders to four-figure assisted wunderkinds, through a highly caffeinated bootcamp to find the best-value espresso machines money can buy.
Best manual espresso machine overall:
Lelit Anna PL41TEM£509.95 at Amazon
Best budget espresso machine:De'Longhi Stilosa EC230£89 at Amazon
Best for temperature control on a budget:
ProCook espresso machine£199 at ProCook
Best if you can afford it:Sage Dual Boiler£1,249.95 at Sage
Best assisted espresso machine overall:
Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier£499 at John Lewis
Best assisted machine for beginners:
Sage Bambino Plus£349 at John Lewis
Best high-end assisted espresso machine:Sage Oracle Jet£1,699 at John Lewis
My kitchen has hosted many coffee machines since I started reviewing them seven years ago. I've come to learn why even good coffee beans can make bad coffee, and I've spent hundreds of hours swearing at grinders, measuring scales and coffee machines in the search of bliss in a cup. My ideal? The best possible coffee with the bare minimum of effort. My attention span is short, my kids noisy and my need for caffeine insatiable.
By the time I've decided a machine is worthy of sitting on my kitchen worktop, I've spent hours poking, prodding, pouring and slurping before finally putting pen to pad and fingers to keyboard.
Over the course of several weeks, I made a lot of espresso. Some awful, some wonderful – but a lot of espresso all the same. The sheer number of machines (12, plus others that I'll be reviewing in the coming months) meant I had to rotate the various machines in my kitchen, and then come back to specific models to test them side by side with their closest competitors.
The starting point is good coffee. Several kilos of freshly roasted beans from Craft House Coffee were consumed during testing, and they were used about a fortnight after the roast date for optimum and comparable results. Grinders included a Kingrinder K6 hand grinder and a Baratza Vario W+ (which featured in our guide to everything you need to make great coffee).
In addition to taste testing, I also timed how long it took for machines to reach brewing temperature from cold, and how long it took to froth 180ml of fridge-cold milk to a creamy 65C microfoam.
And if you've ever wondered how much espresso is too much, then I can safely say that it is once your eyeballs begin to feel as if they're sweating. At this point, I recommend a drink of water, a nice sit down and some calming music. This paragraph is unofficially sponsored by Brian Eno. Thanks, Brian.
£509.95 at Coffee Friend£509.95 at Amazon
It might look similar to the Gaggia Classic, but the Anna PL41TEM squeezes in one key feature missing on that machine: PID temperature control for brewing and steaming. A PID controller maintains temperature more precisely than thermostat boilers, and the result is more adjustability, better shot-to-shot consistency and no need to consider third-party upgrades.
Why we love itThe simple LCD screen shows you the temperature and you can separately adjust the brew and steam temperature in a range from 80C to 130C. The default brew setting is a sensible 95C. A dial shows you the brew pressure, too, which is handy, and you can adjust it if you're brave enough to delve inside the machine with a screwdriver.
The machine takes about three minutes to heat up, and usefully the top tray warms up enough to heat a few espresso cups. The results are uniformly good, too. Excellent, even, for the money, and the adjustable temperature makes it easy to dial in lighter and darker roasts to perfection.
Lelit is confident of the build quality. Unusually, you get two years of warranty for home use and a full year of warranty for commercial use – something that would void all the other warranties here.
It's a shame that … the build might be tough, but it all feels quite clunky, and beginners may find the manual fill boiler daunting. The bullet-point instructions look as if they've been printed straight out of Microsoft Word.
Another minor annoyance: the 57mm portafilter is not a standard size, so upgrades are in shorter supply than the usual 58mm. Take note when buying replacement baskets, or a proper metal tamper for that matter – the awful plastic one supplied is sadly destined for the recycling bin. If you have hard water, you'll want to stock up on Lelit's dedicated resin water filters, too – none are included.
Type: manual
Dimensions: 23 x 38 x 34cm (WDH) Water tank: 2.7l Time to heat up: 3mins Time to steam milk: 1min 19secs Grinder included: noNoise: 50dB (brew), 67dB (steam) Warranty: two-year repair or replace at Lelit's discretion
£89.99 at De'Longhi£89 at Amazon
The De'Longhi Stilosa is a rare sight: a genuinely decent espresso machine with an RRP that's a whisker under £100. Pair it with a good grinder and it'll pour a ludicrously tasty shot. What's more, its basic steam wand creates the perfect microfoam for silky cappuccinos and flat whites.
Why we love itThe first thing to be aware of is that there are three similar-looking models: the EC230, EC235 and EC260. The EC235 and EC260 come with pressurised baskets designed for use with pre-ground, not-so-fresh coffee; the EC235 has a manual steam wand, the EC260 a low-effort automatic wand. I tested the EC230 and the EC260, and it's the EC230 I'd recommend: it comes with unpressurised single and double baskets and a manual steaming wand.
There is a simple, plasticky charm to the Stilosa. It's sturdy and solid for the cash; the controls are easy to get to grips with; and the design is sensible. The one-litre water tank slides in and out easily, and a little slot alongside stores the spare single or double shot basket. Leave the machine on for a few minutes, and the front section warms up enough to gently warm cups before you begin brewing.
The manual steam wand makes a far silkier foam than the EC260's automatic wand with the right technique, and with a little effort, the EC230 produced microfoam as good as any of the assisted machines here – and that includes the £1,699 Oracle Jet.
It's a shame that … at this price, my biggest complaint is that the user manual is awful. It swaps text for confusing illustrations, and this makes a simple machine far harder to understand than it needs to be. Also, the plastic tamper is rubbish – but frankly, at this price, you can afford to upgrade it.
Type: manual
Dimensions: 21 x 34 x 29cm (WDH) Water tank: 1lTime to heat up: 1min 30secsTime to steam milk: 1min 25secsGrinder included: noNoise: 50dB (brew), 65dB (steam)Warranty: one-year repair or replace
£199 at ProCook£174.98 at eBay
ProCook's machines combine familiar-looking design with the kind of features that usually command a far higher price. This is the entry-level model in the range, delivering adjustable PID temperature control and a solid all-round performance for the price.
Why we love itIf you initially thought you were looking at a Sage machine, then join the club: the silver metal and curved plastics are terribly familiar.
Flip the machine on, and the simple button layout and LCD screen make it easy to get brewing. You can set the brewing temperature between 90C and 96C in two-degree increments, and while the single and double shot buttons produce a standard volume, you can manually set it to your preference. The dedicated hot-water button is a boon, too – take note, Sage – although it rather awkwardly dispenses from the steam wand.
Brewing quality and steaming performance are respectable for the cash. Heat-up time is less than 30 seconds thanks to the Thermoblock design, and the only disappointment is that, despite the promising-looking wand, steaming feels underpowered. All importantly, though, espresso quality is good for the money, and the adjustable temperature makes a big difference here, especially with the medium-light roast beans I had on the shelf.
It's a shame that … it's not as solid-feeling as Sage's Bambino models: the 58mm portafilter feels light and cheap, and the overall build feels more plasticky.
You'll have to buy your own stainless-steel milk jug for steaming milk, too, and there's no water filter included or available to buy. If you're in a hard-water area, you'll want to use a good water filter jug.
There was lots of dripping after pulling shots: the machine does eventually purge the excess water into the drip tray, but it takes its time. Only time will tell what the long-term reliability looks like.
Type: manualDimensions: 27 x 30 x 33cm (WDH) Water tank: 2.2l Time to heat up: 45secsTime to steam milk: 1min 35secsGrinder included: noNoise: 48dB (brew), 73dB (steam)Warranty: two-year replace or refund
£1,249.95 at Sage£1,299.95 at Assembly Coffee
It may sound like an exceedingly strange thing to say about a coffee machine this expensive, but Sage's Dual Boiler is very good value for money. Half the battle with espresso is consistency, and the Dual Boiler provides a firm bedrock for everyone from beginners to seasoned aficionados. It's easy to use, highly adjustable and makes stunning coffee.
Why we love itIt's not as daunting to use as some enthusiast machines, which means that anyone in the house who's eager to learn – not just the coffee obsessives – will get the benefit, and the simple LCD screen and push-button controls make it easy to tinker with.
The dual stainless-steel boilers require a five-minute warm-up time – far longer than any of the other machines here – but once they're up to temperature, they stay there. Even the portafilter is temperature controlled, and the steam wand is supremely powerful – though it takes a little getting used to.
Dial in the grind, dosage, brewing temperature, pre-infusion and shot time, and you can tweak the results to perfection with confidence. Pour a bad shot and you know it's entirely your fault, which makes it far easier to fix.
The other details only add to the appeal. The hidden caster wheels that allow you to roll the machine forward to access the water tank; the little window that shows the remaining water level; the weighty-feeling portafilter, generous drip tray and the little compartment hidden behind so you can hide useful accessories.
It's a shame that … you need a truly great grinder to get anywhere close to the Dual Boiler's capabilities. Don't skimp – if you can't afford another £300 or so, then split your budget more evenly between a sub-£1,000 machine and grinder.
Also, the powerful boilers make themselves heard. Start pulling a shot and the machine begins to thrum excitedly – your flat- or housemates may be less so. Until they taste the coffee, that is.
Type: manualDimensions: 40 x 37 x 38 cm (WDH) Water tank: 2.5l Time to heat up: 5mins Time to steam milk: 45secsGrinder included: noNoise: 60dB (brew), 64dB (steam) Warranty: two-year repair, replace or refund at Sage's discretion
£499 at John Lewis£499.99 at Argos
With most assisted machines costing closer to £1,000, this £550-ish machine breaks the mould. Ninja's superb Barista Assist feature is the best of any machine here – and means that the Luxe Cafe is a viable, and better-tasting, alternative to a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine.
Why we love itYou get a lot for the money. The patchwork of black plastics and brushed metal looks good and feels solid, and most of the parts feel hefty. I'm a big fan of the heavy, sprung tamper, which makes it easy and satisfying to get the coffee puck just so.
The sheer number of drinks the Luxe Cafe can concoct is dizzying. The coffee staples include espresso, cold-press espresso, filter coffee and iced coffee, and the ingenious milk frother is more versatile than most, producing steamed milk, thin and thick froth and even cold frothed milk. The result? There are few coffee-based drinks it can't prepare.
Ninja's Barista Assist technology is superb. It's terrific at dialling in the grind, the dosage and the shot, and it does a better job of tweaking grind size to maintain a consistent brew from shot to shot than any machine here – and for each brewing method. It's a godsend for users who just want great coffee, but obsessives can still tweak grind size and brew temperature to produce the perfect shot.
It's a shame that … the plastic dosing funnel is an obvious weak point, and given that you need to shove the portafilter under the grinder, we suspect it may be the first part to break. Only time will tell.
Also, the controls are initially rather daunting. With multiple buttons scattered across the fascia, and a huge number of drink options, beginners will want to keep the simple step-by-step manual close to hand.
Type: assistedDimensions: 37 x 33 x 37cm (WDH) Water tank: 2l Time to heat up: 35secs Time to steam milk: 2mins 20secsGrinder included: yesNoise: 48dB (brew), 58dB (steam), 63dB (grind)Warranty: two years
£349 at John Lewis£349.95 at Amazon
The Bambino Plus remains a go-to recommendation. Watch a few of Sage's helpful YouTube tutorials, take a little time to learn the ropes, and you'll soon be making stonking cups of coffee. The automatic milk frothing makes life so much easier, too.
Sign up to The Filter
Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.
after newsletter promotion
Why we love itThe stylish, compact design – it's just under 20cm wide – is perfect for smaller kitchens, and you get all the accessories you need. There are pressurised and unpressurised baskets, so you can brew with freshly ground coffee or bags of pre-ground supermarket coffee, and you get single and double baskets for both types.
The 'razor' dosing tool means you don't need to shell out on scales right away – it ensures you don't overpack the portafilter – and the light plastic tamper is fine for starting out. The stainless-steel milk jug and cleaning accessories are a nice touch.
The Bambino Plus's PID temperature controller ensures that brewing temperatures are consistent. It's not adjustable, but if you feed the machine with medium or dark roast beans and carefully optimise the grind size and dosage, you'll be pouring consistently good espresso.
With zero faff, espresso is very good indeed, but it's the automatic milk texturing that's really handy. It's possible to get better results doing it manually, but being able to hit the button and walk off while the Bambino whips up a silken microfoam is a godsend on busy mornings, or when you're feeling lazy.
It's a shame that … at this price, the Bambino Plus isn't much cheaper than models with adjustable brew temperature, such as the Lelit Anna PL41TEM, that give you more versatility when it comes to light or dark roasts. It's more user friendly, but it's a question of priorities.
Type: assistedDimensions: 19 x 36 x 30cm (WDH) Water tank: 1.9l Time to heat up: 6secsTime to steam milk: 56secsGrinder included: noNoise: 46dB (brew), 59dB (steam)Warranty: two-year repair, replace or refund at Sage's discretion
£1,699 at John Lewis£1,699.95 at Sage
Imagine being able to put many of your local coffee shops to shame – and without having the faintest idea where to start. That's the appeal of the Oracle Jet.
Why we love itThe colour touchscreen provides a silky-smooth interface. Slick animations lead users through the preparation and brewing process, and you can pick from 14 preset drinks recipes, including espresso, cappuccino, flat white, iced espresso, cold espresso and cold-brew coffee. You can also add your own.
The automatic dosing and tamping works well: just slot in the portafilter, nudge it to the right and the Oracle Jet will grind the perfect amount and tamp the puck beautifully with no faff. Double shots tended to be a little long, but they tasted great – there's more depth of flavour than any of the cheaper assisted machines here.
Sage's Auto MilQ feature froths dairy, soy, almond and oat-based milks, and temperature is adjustable from 40C to 75C (in case you prefer burned milk). The froth is a bit too bubbly with semi-skimmed milk, but whole milk is wonderfully creamy.
Once you gain confidence, there's oodles of adjustability. The fine grind-size adjustment allows for tiny tweaks, and the brewing temperature adjusts in single degree increments from 86C to 96C.
It's a shame that … at this price, there's room for improvement. The barista guidance doesn't adapt as readily as the cheaper Ninja; I'm hoping firmware updates over the wifi connection will improve things. Given the potential of the machine, I often found myself fine-tuning manually – it's nice to have the option, but arguably defeats the point somewhat.
Type: assistedDimensions: 38 x 37 x 43cm (WDH)Water tank: 2.3l Time to heat up: 6secsTime to steam milk: 1min 12secsGrinder included: yesNoise: 46dB (brew), 58dB (steam), 66dB (grind) Warranty: two-year repair, replace or refund at Sage's discretion
£999.95 at Sage£999.99 at Currys
Best for: Sage's excellent barista assistance at a slightly lower price
Let's get one thing straight: is the Barista Touch Impress (RRP £1,199.95) twice as good as the £549 Ninja Luxe Cafe? No, it isn't. Is it still good, though? Yes, very. And despite being another assisted model, it's a very different type of machine.
We love that the touchscreen is more welcoming than rows of buttons and little LED lights. Anyone can walk up to the machine, prod an icon and make some coffee (or a hot chocolate, or babycino). Once you've filled the 340g bean hopper and run through the initial setup process, there's little in the way of faff.
There's nothing to get wrong: the grind is automatic, the lever tamps for you, and as long as you rerun the 'intelligent' set-up process when you buy new beans, the espresso is great. Then simply shove the milk jug in place with your choice of dairy or plant-based milks, and the Impress whips it to a pleasing froth. If everyone in the house has their preferred recipe, then they can create their own drinks icon, too.
It all feels elegant and slick; it's more refined than the Ninja. It's still not as simple or immediate as a brilliant automatic bean-to-cup machine, but the coffee is on a different planet – and all the difficult bits are done for you. The only danger? The hand-holding may embolden nervous baristas to upgrade to a fully manual machine and go it alone.
It didn't make the final cut because … it's still expensive, and now that it's flanked by the more capable Oracle Jet and the dramatically cheaper Ninja Luxe Cafe, it's tougher to recommend unequivocally. It's a great assisted machine.
Type: assisted; dimensions: 36 x 34 x 42cm (WDH); water tank: 2l; time to heat up: 5mins; time to steam milk: 1min 10secs; grinder included: yes; noise: 50dB (brew), 57dB (steam), 69dB (grind); warranty: two-year repair, replace or refund at Sage's discretion
£699.99 at De'Longhi£699.99 at John Lewis
Best for: touchscreen barista guidance for less than rival models
The La Specialista Touch sees De'Longhi attempt to blend the ease of use of its bean-to-cup machines with the brewing talents of its La Specialista manual espresso models. The result is a touchscreen-powered, assisted espresso experience for less money than other touchscreen-equipped rivals.
The bright colour 3.5in touchscreen leads you through the process step by step. It asks for the roast type of your beans and adjusts the brewing temperature to suit – something other assisted machines don't tend to automate. It also helps you balance the grind size, dosage and pour with a guided, hands-on approach.
Looks and size are a major plus point: this is a nicely styled machine and it's also relatively compact. Despite the small footprint, the 1.7-litre water tank, which can be topped up in place or unclipped from the rear, is a sensible size and the bean hopper on top has a 180g capacity and 15 grind settings.
You also get unpressurised single and double baskets in the box, a nice stainless-steel milk jug and the steam wand has adjustable modes for different dairy or plant-based milks, alongside four temperature settings and five adjustable froth levels.
It didn't make the final cut because … the coffee it brews is good, but not mind-blowing. Milk frothing could be better, too: the automatic mode struggles to produce a genuinely fine microfoam. It's a shame there isn't a water filter included. It's not available to buy, either, which could eventually spell trouble in hard-water areas.
Crucially, though, the assisted brewing is below par. Unlike the Sage or Ninja machines, there's no sensor to detect the correct amount of ground coffee, so you manually have to grind, check the tamp height, grind again, trim, tamp and repeat the process when you change beans. Frankly, it's as much of a faff as doing it manually.
Type: assisted; dimensions: 32 x 37 x 40cm (WDH); water tank: 1.7l; time to heat up: 46secs; time to steam milk: 1min 55secs; grinder included: yes; noise: 46dB (brew), 70dB (steam), 72dB (grind); warranty: one-year repair or replace
£549 at Gaggia£549 at Amazon
Best for: hands-on espresso enthusiasts and secondhand bargain hunters
The Gaggia Classic keeps on having things added to its name – Evo, Pro, E24 – but the changes are minor. While recent redesigns have chopped and changed the boiler design between polished aluminium, non-stick coated and brass, it's otherwise unchanged and remains a firm favourite of upgrade-focused tinkerers.
The simplicity of the Classic is its biggest asset: there are no LCD screens or LED-lit, button-clad fasciae. There are three big, clicky buttons. One is an on switch. One brews coffee. One toggles the steam. A big plastic dial at the side opens and closes the valve to the steam wand.
You get the essential accessories in the box. The big, heavy 58mm portafilter isn't beautifully cast, but it's fine – the 58mm size means it's easy to find bottomless upgraded alternatives and better-machined baskets – and you get single and double baskets in the box. The supplied plastic tamper fits well in the recycling bin.
It didn't make the final cut because … the Classic Evo Pro is a lovely machine, but to get the best from it you need to modify it straight away. Out of the box, the brew pressure is high, and this can make pulling consistently balanced shots tricky. It's only a few quid for a new OPV (over-pressure valve) spring and about 10 minutes' effort to modify it, but it's a hassle many won't want.
Even with that done, the lack of a temperature controller can make consistent brewing a bit of a stab in the dark. Aftermarket PID upgrades – or turbo-charged mods such as the Gaggiuino – take the Classic into giantkiller territory, but those £200+ DIY projects aren't for everyone.
Type: manual; dimensions: 23 x 24 x 38cm (WDH); water tank: 2.1l; time to heat up: 1min; time to steam milk: 1min 24secs; grinder included: no; noise: 54dB (brew), 72dB (steam); warranty: three-year repair or replace
Truly great espresso is akin to alchemy. A high-pressure pump forces hot water through a small puck of finely ground coffee at precisely the rate required to draw out a perfect balance of the coffee's sour, sweet and bitter flavours. Done correctly, the result is a tiny cup of gold-topped ebony.
Every facet of the brew must be in equilibrium: the coffee should be fresh (look for a roast date, not a best before); the grind fine, but not too fine; the water hot, but not too hot; and the pressure high, but – you get the idea. If the espresso flows too fast, the sour flavours dominate. If it slows to a drip, the bitterness draws focus. Somewhere in between lies perfection: a staccato drip quickening to an elastic pour. To put it in numbers: you want 15-20g of ground coffee to produce two to three times that weight of espresso in about 20 to 30 seconds.
The coffee you use, and the way it's been roasted, presents different challenges. Beans come broadly in light, medium and dark roasts. The longer a bean is roasted, the softer and more porous it becomes, and this means two things – it becomes easier to dissolve its flavours in hot water, and it goes stale more quickly. The first of these issues is why it's desirable for an espresso machine to have an adjustable brewing temperature: dark roast beans might only need to be brewed at 80C to 90C before bitterness overwhelms, whereas a more dense light or medium roast bean might need 90C to 96C to mollify the mouth-puckering sourness.
If you're intent on using something other than freshly roasted coffee, then you'll need to think about baskets. These are the little metal containers that hold the coffee and slot in and out of the portafilter handle, and they come in two options: pressurised and unpressurised.
Pressurised baskets are designed to compensate for coffee that is either not fresh enough or too coarsely ground – such as supermarket coffee – by forcing the coffee through a couple of tiny holes underneath. By contrast, unpressurised baskets have lots of pinprick holes all over, and these rely on fresh, finely ground coffee to provide enough resistance to build up a sufficient brew pressure. Using the right type of basket for the coffee you have is essential.
Broadly speaking, several types of coffee machines claim to brew espresso. There are capsule machines that provide a facile foil-wrapped approximation, fully automatic bean-to-cup boxes that concoct a half-decent espresso at the touch of a button, and then there are 'proper' manual espresso machines of the kind you see in coffee shops. You know, the ones with fancy portafilter handles and big stainless-steel exteriors. It's this latter sort, and their modern 'assisted' derivatives, that are covered in this article, and – with no exceptions to the rule – it's this type of machine that makes the best-tasting espresso.
Where it gets a little confusing is that there are fully manual portafilter espresso machines and assisted variations, all of which provide differing amounts of assistance. (To confuse things further, some manufacturers refer to manual espresso machines with integrated grinders as bean-to-cup espresso machines, which are not to be confused with the fully automatic bean-to-cup type, but I digress.)
Some machines, such as the Sage Bambino Plus, provide a bare minimum of assistance and leave the grinding, tamping and brewing entirely to you (and you'll need to buy your own grinder, too). Press a button, however, and they'll automatically steam a jug of milk to a hot, creamy froth.
Right at the other end of the scale, fully assisted machines, such as the Ninja Luxe Cafe or Sage Oracle Jet, are akin to an AI barista: they use integrated grinders and sensors to automatically grind the right amount of coffee into the portafilter, help you to tamp (in other words, squish) it down just so, and then time and measure the shot to ensure that you're extracting the perfect espresso. Shove the milk jug in place, and they automatically froth the milk to a silky perfect microfoam. The fun barista role play is all yours, though: you get to manually lever the portafilter into place, thunk the spent coffee puck into the bin and attempt to daub latte art on top of your flat white.
Sasha Muller is a freelance tech and consumer journalist, avid coffee drinker and craft beer enthusiast with more than two decades of experience in testing products and avoiding deadlines. If he's not exploring the local woods with his kids, boring people talking about mountain bike tyres or spending ill-advised amounts on classic drum'n'bass vinyl, he's probably to be found somewhere swearing at an inanimate object