In the past, it required a great deal of practice to create café-quality espresso drinks on a home machine; however, the latest advanced models have greatly simplified the process. Moreover, it is now possible to purchase a machine that can prepare exceptional drinks for less than $1,000.
After conducting research and testing for over 120 hours, we have determined that the Breville Bambino Plus is an ideal choice for both new and moderately skilled enthusiasts. It is a powerful and user-friendly machine that consistently produces rich espresso shots and perfectly steamed milk. Additionally, the Bambino Plus features a sleek and compact design, making it suitable for most kitchens.
Breville Bambino Plus
The Breville Bambino Plus is a simple, fast, and enjoyable machine to operate. It enables you to create excellent espresso beverages at home. The user manual is easy to comprehend, and with a bit of practice, you can produce flavorful and consistent shots, and even capture the intricate nuances of high-quality coffee beans. Perhaps the most impressive feature is the Bambino Plus’s capability to produce smooth milk froth that rivals the froth made by your favorite barista, whether you opt for the quick automatic froth setting or manually steam the milk. Additionally, the Bambino Plus is compact in size, making it easily fit in any kitchen.
Gaggia Classic Pro
The Gaggia Classic Pro is an updated version of the Gaggia Classic, which has been a popular entry-level machine for many years. It is known for its simple and approachable design, as well as its ability to produce good espresso shots. Although the Classic Pro has a slightly improved steam wand compared to the Classic, it is still not as precise as the wand on the Breville Bambino Plus. Additionally, it may struggle to create velvety textured milk froth, although with practice, it can achieve this. The Pro is slightly more challenging for beginners to learn compared to our top pick, but it can create shots with more complexity and acidity, often producing a more intense crema. If you prefer straight espresso, this advantage may outweigh the drawbacks of the Gaggia.
Breville Barista Touch
The Breville Barista Touch is a suitable choice for both beginners and experienced users. It provides a touchscreen control center with step-by-step tutorials, multiple programs, and advanced controls for those who want to experiment. The machine features a built-in grinder and adjustable auto-froth setting for controlling foam levels in milk. It allows beginners to easily make decent drinks without the need for online tutorials. Even guests can use it without much difficulty. However, experienced users can also enjoy the machine’s versatility by adjusting their level of control over each step of the drink-making process. Similar to the smaller Breville Bambino Plus, the Barista Touch is consistent and powerful in pulling balanced shots and frothing milk.
Ascaso Dream PID
The Ascaso Dream PID is a compact and elegant machine that consistently produces professional-level espresso drinks. If you have some knowledge of espresso and want a machine that is user-friendly yet durable, the Dream PID offers the perfect combination of easy programmability and hands-on experience. During our tests, we found that the espresso it produces is remarkably flavorful and complex, surpassing that of any other machine we tested. There was little variation in quality across multiple test rounds, unless we intentionally adjusted the settings. The steam wand also has the capability to froth milk to your desired texture, although it requires effort to learn how to use it properly since there is no automatic setting. This machine is the first one we have recommended that costs over $1,000, but we believe the price is justified. The Ascaso Dream PID was a pleasure to use and consistently produced superior espresso compared to its competitors.
De’Longhi All-in-One Coffee and Espresso Maker COM532M
The De’Longhi All-in-One Coffee and Espresso Maker is designed to make things simple, making it a great choice for those wanting to try being a barista. This is clear from its split design. On one side, there is a portafilter and milk frother for espresso, while on the other side, there is a 10-cup carafe for drip coffee. This setup helps new users choose their preferred coffee easily. Additionally, it can brew espresso and drip coffee at the same time, so your morning routine won’t be interrupted.
During our Lab testing, the De’Longhi stood out as the leader in terms of steaming speed, milk quality, and the time it took to recover between drinks. The milk frother is clearly labeled for different foam densities, with denser foam for lattes and lighter, more voluminous foam for cappuccinos. According to Chris Hallowell, the owner of Turning Point Coffee Roasters, this model distinguishes itself from competitors due to the high quality of its frothing. Our taste testers also gave the De’Longhi top ratings for coffee flavor. Three different testers considered it as the coffee they would always eagerly wake up to, even though it didn’t produce the strongest espresso among all the machines we tested.
In terms of cleanliness, we discovered that this device was fairly simple to clean, as there were not many coffee grinds trapped in its crevices. However, during usage, we experienced a water overflow issue where it would leak out from the back without any warning as soon as the drip tray became full. Therefore, we had to be cautious and clean it regularly. Additionally, it is worth noting that this device is equipped with a removable water reservoir on the espresso side, which allows for easier filling and cleaning. It also has a front-loading reservoir on the coffee side.
The COM532M model is an updated version of a previous De’Longhi coffee and espresso maker, featuring a digital touchscreen display. Overall, this model stood out as one of the top-performing machines due to its versatility, exceptional drip coffee capabilities, and its ability to create cappuccinos and lattes with the desired milk texture.
Miele CM5300 Countertop Coffee System
If you prefer not to think in the morning, you have the option of using a super-automatic machine or one that handles all tasks from grinding to brewing. The Miele CM5300 Countertop Coffee Machine delivers a luxurious experience with its intuitive touch controls, sleek design, and coffee that rivals what a barista can make. While it comes with a high price tag, we discovered that this product offers something unique: a high-quality cup of coffee in just 45 seconds with minimal effort, as well as the ability to make consecutive espresso shots. This is made possible by Miele’s innovative design, which uses a metal block to heat the water instead of warming up the entire reservoir.
The Miele CM5300 offers nine preset drink options, including lattes, cappuccinos, ristrettos, and macchiatos. During testing at our Lab, we discovered that users can personalize the size of their drink and adjust the temperature of the coffee. What sets the Miele CM5300 apart from other coffee and espresso machines is its ability to automatically grind the beans using a burr grinder, as well as froth and pour the milk for your beverages. According to our at-home tester, the frothing feature was particularly enjoyable, especially if you prefer to avoid the hassle of measuring coffee-to-milk ratios. However, she did mention that the resulting espresso did not reach the same level as a manual espresso machine, possibly due to differences in pressure. Meanwhile, our Lab testers felt that the final coffee produced by the machine resembled an Americano more than an American drip coffee.
Although we appreciated the automatic cleaning system while continuously making shots during testing, additional regular cleaning is still necessary and can be somewhat time-consuming. In terms of ease of cleaning, this particular model scored slightly lower because the drip tray, drip tray cover, coffee grounds container, and water container all require regular washing, and the manual recommends cleaning the brew unit and main dispenser approximately once a week. On the positive side, our coffee expert noted that while the maintenance reminders may be slightly bothersome, they also ensure that users properly care for their super-automatic machines, allowing them to function efficiently for an extended period of time.