Best espresso machines to buy in 2024

Espresso machines aren't always manual, but the process of tamping the ground coffee, loading and unloading the portafilter and steaming your milk is a hands-on experience you'll recognise from commercial coffee houses. And you don't have to be a seasoned barista to make great coffee either.

Many machines offer the step-by-step guidance to walk you through creating espresso-based drinks, then the technical sophistication to brew richly flavoured and aromatic shots topped with caramel-coloured crema. Some will even teach you how to build latte art skills.

For more coffee reviews, check out our best coffee subscriptions and best gifts for coffee lovers. Make your own homemade coffee syrup using our step-by-step recipe and discover more advice and buyer’s guides on everything from the best British gins and best English vineyard breaks to Gozney vs Ooni pizza ovens in our reviews section.

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• Best espresso machines at a glance
• Best espresso machines to buy in 2024
• How to choose the best espresso machine
• Top tips for making great espresso every time
• How we tested espresso machines

Best espresso machines at a glance

• Best automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine: KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8, £1,899
• Best mid-range espresso machine: SMEG ECF01 espresso machine, £310
• Best modern classic: Gaggia New Classic espresso machine, £425
• Best compact bean-to-cup machine for espresso: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte manual espresso machine, £289.28
• Best bean-to-cup espresso machine: Sage The Oracle Touch, £2,099.95
• Best colourful espresso machine: Smeg ECF02 espresso machine, £329.95
• Best mid-range buy for simplicity: Sage The Bambino Plus, £349.95
• Best compact machine for quality accessories: KitchenAid Artisan espresso machine, £269.40
• Most stylish espresso machine: De’Longhi Dedica EC685.M manual espresso maker, £179.99
• Best espresso machine for adventures: Wacaco Minipresso GR espresso maker, £55.90

Best espresso machines to buy in 2024

KitchenAid fully automatic espresso machine KF8

• Available from KitchenAid (£1,899), Harts of Stur (£1,899), Currys (£1,999)

Best automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine

Star rating: 5/5

An espresso machine usually requires a lot of knowledge, plus manual elements mean lots of room for error with extraction. This is ok if you're a coffee connoisseur, but once you've got more people in your household wanting to make coffee, things can be difficult. Here's where the KitchenAid fully automatic espresso machine comes in. With fully automatic features all you need to do is put in your coffee beans or ground coffee, select your drink and the machine does all the hard work for you.

At just under £1,900, it's certainly an investment, but if you've got a large household we think it's worth it.

SMEG ECF01 espresso machine

Best mid-range espresso machine

Star rating: 5/5

This espresso machine is unmistakably SMEG’s, channelling the brand’s chunky 1950s styling into a slimline footprint. Behind the deceptively simple three-button interface lies a comprehensive series of personalisation features.

Everything from water temperature, coffee quantity and automatic shut off timings can be tailored to your taste. The milk steam wand is efficient, although the lack of stainless-steel milk jug is a shame considering the price of the machine. But most importantly, the dark espresso is rich in flavour and topped with a silky crema. Read our full SMEG ECF01 espresso machine review.

Gaggia New Classic espresso machine

• Available from Coffee Friend (£479), Amazon (£499)

Best modern classic

Star rating: 5/5

Gaggia is an Italian coffee brand steeped in legacy that's been at the forefront of home-coffee machines since the 1930s. Its Classic espresso machine was originally launched in the 1990s and is characterised by long lines and the trio of rocker switches that are still carried on its New Classic. But the magic that positions it as state-of-the-art machine for home-use lies beneath its stainless steel outer.

Unlike most home-espresso machines, this Gaggia has a solenoid valve for controlling water temperature inside the filter holder. All of the accompanying accessories are also professional grade. The chromed brass group and filter holder are the same weight and capacity as those used in commercial machines. A heavy tamper is a useful addition for ensuring the even compression of grounds, plus the cup storage is actually a practical size for five espresso cups. It's pricey, but the perfect espresso machine for style and substance.

Available from:

• Coffee Friend (£479)
• Amazon (£499)

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte manual espresso machine

Best compact bean-to-cup espresso machine

Star rating: 5/5

Thanks to its integrated bean storage and grinder, you can class this as a bean-to-cup coffee machine. But it's manual elements of a loadable filter holder enables a hands-on, experiential coffee making experience synonymous with espresso machines.

It's a great value choice for anyone who likes their beans ground freshly for every cup and the flexibility to experiment, alongside the sophisticated comforts of 11 coffee presets and the opportunity to save your preferences as favourites. High-quality accessories accompany the machine in a barista kit. The comprehensive instruction manual walks you through set-up and the basics of coffee to milk ratios of classic espresso-based drinks. But for the curious, it also expands into areas like adapting pre-infusion temperature profiles and latte art skills, so will support the development of your own coffee knowledge. Despite its height, this model doesn't dominate kitchen space so would be a compact bean-to-cup coffee machine option.

Sage the Oracle Touch espresso machine

Best bean-to-cup espresso machine

Star rating: 5/5

This Sage is as forgiving to those who know nothing about coffee, as it's adjustable for those who know exactly what they want. It’s a bean-to-cup machine that combines 11 automated pre-sets with sophisticated personalisation features, while leaving the fun bits to you, like loading the portafilter and frothing the milk in a stainless-steel jug. It grinds and doses beans depending on the filter basket you’ve loaded.

Grind level is adjustable, as is milk froth level, temperature and up to eight tailored drinks can be saved for selection on its touchscreen. Despite its bells and whistles, it fulfils the fundamental requirements of guaranteeing a great cup of coffee every time. But if you’re after simple, delicious espresso, the same quality can be achieved from a much smaller and less expensive machine. Read our full Sage Oracle Touch espresso maker review.

Smeg ECF02 espresso machine

• Available from Amazon (£304.98), John Lewis & Partners (£399), Selfridges (£400)

Best colourful espresso machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

This mid-range espresso machine from Smeg features the brand's signature retro design, and comes in a wide choice of colours including Pastel Green, Blue Mediterraneo and Pink. We found the machine quick to set up and very user-friendly — perfect for if you're buying your first espresso machine or are in a household with coffee drinkers of different skill levels.

There are four drink options available on two different menus. When the buttons on the machine illuminate white you can choose between a single or double espresso and when they shine orange you can choose a long black or a tall long black. The scoop meant the portafilter was easy to load and tamp without too much mess. While the steam wand does take a little while to pre-heat, we liked that this machine comes with the option for manual milk frothing, although we were a little disappointed a milk jug didn't come included with the machine.

Sage Bambino Plus espresso maker

Best mid-range buy for simplicity

Star rating: 4.5/5

This is a sleek little gadget that delivers on the style front as much as the performance with a brushed-metal body and textured control buttons.

Like its bigger counterpart, the Bambino comes with a water filter which slots into the water tank – a well thought out addition that will help prolong the life of the espresso machine, particularly handy for those in hard-water areas. It also has an in-depth manual that guides you through tamping techniques and filter fill levels. Read our full Sage Bambino plus espresso maker review.

KitchenAid Artisan espresso machine

Best compact machine for quality accessories

Star rating: 4.5/5

KitchenAid's Artisan espresso machine doesn't disappoint. A proper coffee tamper is included in the box along with an accurate coffee scoop and single and double-wall filter baskets depending on whether your coffee is freshly ground or not. The machine is not very tall so it's a practical model for slotting below kitchen cupboards on countertops.

This does mean it limits the type of cup you could fit below the outlet, tall mugs won't be accommodated. We would have enjoyed a second cup tray for lifting short cups towards the coffee spout to prevent espresso from splashing. The four control icons are also small, but on a sustainability front, the five-year warranty offers important coverage that should save you replacing the whole machine in certain circumstances.

De’Longhi Dedica EC685.M manual espresso maker

Most stylish espresso machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

This espresso machine has the look and feel of a modern-classic. Just 14cm wide and 33cm deep, it’s also a practical option for smaller countertops, packing 15 bars of pressure into this compact footprint for professional espresso extraction.

The result was gleefully strong and aromatic without a hint of bitterness. It’s an excellent example of both style and substance being packed into an affordable espresso machine. Read our full De'Longhi Dedica EC685.M review.

Wacaco Minipresso GR espresso maker

Best espresso machine for adventures

Star rating: 4.5/5

The portability, design quality and experience of the Wacaco makes it one of the most satisfying espresso makers we’ve ever tested. It’s like a Russian doll – each part slots into another until you’re left with one hand-sized gadget with a manual pump.

Despite its size it produces 9 bars of pressure for a single espresso and the result is a rocket-fuel shot topped with silky crema that rivals all the others tested. Plus you can chuck it in your bag for easy transportation. Read our full Wacaco MiniPresso GR espresso maker review.

How to choose the best espresso machine

Depending on your budget and level of passion for the process, there are different considerations when finding the perfect espresso machine for you. The number of personalisation options on your espresso machine will correlate to the price: the more you spend, usually the more features to help you tailor each element to your taste, from the grind-grade to brewing time and milk temperature.

Additional features often include a milk steam wand. Single and double cup filters are common staples. Some machines will also be ESE pod compatible, which are biodegradable and mess-free alternatives to coffee pods or ground coffee. A two-in-one dosing spoon and tamper is another common accessory.

Bean-to-cup machines have integrated bean grinders that will automatically grind and dose coffee grounds depending on your selected drink. Some ‘manual’ espresso machines still plug into the mains but require you to do the dosing and tamping before it heats the water and adds pressure to extract the espresso.

These models often come with a button interface offering single, double and ESE pod options.

Fully manual pump espresso machines don’t need to be plugged into the mains so share one obvious credential: sustainability. This is only to a certain extent, considering you need to preheat the water in a kettle anyway. It does mean, however, that espresso can be made while out and about.

Top tips for making great espresso every time

• Grind your own beans: freshly ground beans offer the best flavour and taste.
• Buy beans with a ‘roasted on’ date rather than a ‘use by’ date: store them in an airtight, opaque container. Old coffee beans can taste bitter.
• Invest in a proper tamper: most espresso machines will arrive with a two-in-one dosing spoon and tamper. But there’s a reason professional baristas use heavy little numbers and put their body weight into compressing the grounds. The goal is to press out any air bubbles and create an even layer for brewing, particularly for achieving the same amount when splitting a double espresso into two cups.
• Preheat manual pump espresso makers: pulling a ‘mock espresso’ without coffee will help prevent a cold machine from stealing all the precious heat from the hot water as it infuses your grinds.
• Clean your filter and milk wand after every use: coffee residue and oils linger long after you’ve rinsed your portafilter

Like coffee a different way? Find out how to make coffee like a barista with our guide to achieving the perfect cup of cafetière, AeroPress or pour-over and discover our tried and tested picks of the best coffee machines, including bean-to-cup coffee machines and coffee pod machines. Like a latte, macchiato or flat white? Give your coffee a proper, barista-like serve using a milk frother.

How we tested espresso machines

The espresso machines featured in this review were the best performing appliances chosen from a longlist of more than 20 machines. All were tested in control conditions using a standardised criterion with ground espresso coffee and scored out of five against the following areas:

• Quality of espresso
• Value for money
• Ease of use
• Quality of materials
• Design and aesthetic for keeping on the countertop

The average score out of 5 decided the overall star rating. The additional criteria played into our decision making:

• Variety of functions
• Kitchen footprint
• Ease of cleaning
• Advanced features
• Packaging

Want to learn more about becoming an expert at-home barista? Read our guides here:

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Celeste Wong's guide on sustainable coffee
Celeste Wong's best moka pots
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Celeste Wong's best coffee grinders
Celeste Wong's best decaf coffee to try
Celeste Wong's best reusable and compostable espresso pods
Celeste Wong's best coffee beans to try
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If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.