Have you ever thought that the coffee you buy from coffee shops is different from the regular coffee you make at home? Well, that’s because it is. Coffee baristas use the best espresso machines the business can afford, and that makes a huge difference.

In this post, we’ll discover what some of the best espresso machine brands on the market are. Getting familiar with these brands will make it easier for you to choose the right brand and machine for your home, office, or coffee-shop needs.

Espresso machine brands in a glance

Everything you need to know before choosing your espresso machine brand and model is further below. However, check out the following list if you’re in a rush and just want to quickly go over the best espresso machine brands. 

Espresso Machine Brand
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Nespresso​

Fantastic entry-level machines

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De’Longhi

Great for intermediate to pro coffee lovers

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Smeg

Super stylish, sleek design to upgrade your kitchen aesthetics

Smeg on Amazon
Breville

A fantastic brand for the more experienced espresso lovers.

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Gaggia

For those who can recognize a true legend in Italian coffee culture when they see it!

Gaggia on Amazon
Miele

A high-priced high-end option for pro users with a bigger budget.

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Mr. Coffee

A well known cheap brand – great for beginners

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Skip to the interesting part:

Choose one of the best espresso machine brands, and replace your okay coffee with a superb espresso experience

The National Coffee Association stated that seven in every ten Americans drink coffee every week. I can assure you that many of them don’t enjoy the espresso they deserve. 

My first espresso machine changed the way I enjoyed coffee. If you feel you just NEED a great-quality espresso when you get up, put some effort into it and invest in a brand-new espresso machine. This blog will help you choose the machine brand and model suitable for you.

All the brands on this list offer home espresso machines, yet they are different. If you feel ready to take your coffee experience to the next level, read this post to know which espresso machine brand is best for your needs and budget. 

Should you Get an Espresso Machine for your home?

An espresso machine makes homemade coffee taste significantly better than regular coffee. From my personal experience, these machines will open you a door to the secret world of coffee culture (read my About page for my personal story).

Apart from enjoying better coffee at home, an espresso maker will help you save money in cafes, which can add up to a significant amount of money (5$ a day times 365 days – you do the math).

What about espresso machines for cafes and restaurants?

If you want to open a cafe or already own one, you can’t afford to wait any longer. The taste of your coffee is what get clients hooked to your place, so I definitely recommend buying a high-quality espresso machine for your business.

Whether you are a cafe owner or someone who wants to make better coffee at home, I recommend investing in a decent espresso maker. It might seem unnecessary at first, but I can assure you, it can change your life.

What are the best espresso machine brands out there?

I know it can be a nuisance to look for the best coffee machine brand for you – there are so many of them, it’s confusing! But don’t worry – I’m here to help you find the best machine brand for your needs. 

So without any further ado, here are the best coffee maker brands on the market:

Nespresso

Fantastic entry-level Espresso machine Brand

Nespresso espresso machines are quickly becoming the go-to machine for many coffee enthusiasts. On average, they can be purchased in the range of $200 to $400 and typically come with various features that enhance the user experience. One notable feature is their capsules, which allow different flavors to be available at any given time.

Pros

  • Great value for money
  • Fantastic entry-level machines
  • The machine comes with a complimentary welcome gift
  • Experts on energy saving

Cons

  • Original Nespresso capsules are relatively expensive but still much cheaper than the coffee you buy at your local cafe.
  • Capsules, in general, are less eco-friendly than using ground coffee. Nespressos’ aluminum-made capsules are recyclables, though.

Nespresso – Review

Nespresso machines are considered an expensive alternative to standard espresso makers. However, they may be worth the price considering the quality of their espresso – Let’s say they are good value for money. Nespresso machines produce a rich and flavorful cup of coffee, which is desirable for most people who drink espresso.

Nespresso machines come with a price tag of 200-400$, which is rather expensive for a capsule-based espresso machine, but way cheaper than a full-automatic espresso machine.

If you are a beginner in the coffee world, many Nespresso machines can give you a quick and easy way to get your espresso done without too much hassle. They use pods that can make a cup of espresso with one push of a button.

If you care for the environment, bear in mind that machines that use ground coffee make less waste than machines using paper filters or pods.

Nespresso machines use recyclable capsules with a biodegradable aluminum exterior and an interior made of paper and plant fibers instead of plastic. It means Nespresso capsules do not create any waste once consumed.

Some Nespresso machines, such as the Nespresso Essenza Mini, only brew ristretto, espresso, or lungo, but not milk-based drinks, such as latte, cappuccino, or macchiato. Other Nespresso machines, such as the luxurious Gran Lattissima model, do come with a milk frother, so choose the model right for you.

De'Longhi

Great espresso machine brand for intermediate to pro coffee lovers

De’Longhi is an Italian-based company founded in 1902, with a wide range of manual, semi-automatic, fully automatic machines, and even Nespresso machines.

De’Longhis’ espresso machines are easy to use but might be too advanced as your first machine. I believe they are best for intermediate to pro espresso lovers.  

Pros

  • A wide variety of automatic and semi-automatic machines
  • It can brew espresso regardless of the coffee beans you use

Cons

  • Although all its products have intuitive designs, some are made for experts and experienced people, so you need to know which one to pick.

Delonghi – Review

De’Longhi espresso machine is a well-known Italian espresso maker company established in 1905. They started as an industrial parts manufacturer but expanded to produce and sell many home appliances, including espresso and coffee makers.  Delonghi is now one of the most popular coffee machine brands among coffee lovers due to the variety of machines they offer to intermediate to pro espresso lovers. Whether you want an automatic espresso machine, a semi-automatic one,  a manual one, or even a Nespresso machine –  you’ll find it in their catalog.  If you’re looking for an automatic model, check out our review of the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus. If you’re looking to handcraft your coffee with a semi-automatic espresso machine check out De’longhi La Specialista Arte, for example. Although Delonghi’s products are a bit more expensive than Nesspresso’s ones, you can still see them in many coffee shops across the country.  I would recommend Delonghi’s products for people that, while not being beginners, still need to learn a lot about the art of making superb coffee. The De’Longhi machines are a great option to take your coffee skills to the next level. It doesn’t mean you can’t use a Delonghi espresso machine as your first espresso machine. It would just take you a little longer to master.

Smeg

Super stylish, sleek design to upgrade your kitchen aesthetics

Smeg is another well-known Italian brand. Their unique chic design is very recognizable, and their machines are good but more expensive than other machines of the same level, with less functionality. If a smart design is important to you and you want a great quality espresso machine that will look great on your kitchen counter – you might want to get yourself a Smeg espresso machine.    

Pros

  • Easy to use with ground coffee
  • Super stylish, sleek design that will upgrade your kitchen aesthetics
  • Milk frother

Cons

  • More expensive than other home espresso makers 
  • It doesn’t support some adjustments that other higher-end espresso machines do.

Smeg  – Review

The essential job of automatic espresso machines is making good coffee. Some brands also try to offer you a stylish look to match the design of your kitchen. 

Smeg gives you a beautiful vintage aesthetic in each one of its products, so you can make your house look more “chic” than ever with a smeg espresso machine.

With their focus on aesthetics, Smeg espresso machines don’t offer you as many options and adjustments as other brands.

The fewer options help Smeg machines be easier to use than other machine brands.  Smeg products are also lightweight and slim, so you can take your espresso machine with you or fit it anywhere on your home or office kitchen counter.

The Smeg Espresso Coffee Machine is one of the best options for yourself, but it’s considerably more expensive than other brands on the same level.

When you first use this high-quality machine, you need to set it up and clean its essential components. That includes cleaning the interior parts of the coffee maker, so try to run some cycles without coffee grounds.

Super-automatic machines only require pressing a few buttons to start the whole process, and that’s how it works with this automatic espresso machine. Making frothy milk is also possible with this machine’s single boiler, so get ready to have the perfect cup of coffee or glass of foamy milk for you.

Breville

A fantastic brand for the more experienced espresso lovers.

Breville is an Australian commercial, more professional brand of espresso makers than the brands we have covered so far. 

Breville offers a great selection of professional espresso makers from manual to automatic (“automagical”, as they call it). If this is your first espresso machine, it might be too complicated for you.

Pros

  • It has a reasonable price compared to other commercial espresso makers.
  • Appealing, professional design
  • It gives you professional espresso without leaving home.

Cons

  • Requires some experience and skills 
  • Not suitable as a first espresso machine

Breville- Review

As you can see, we are now getting to the more professional espresso machine brands suitable to the more experienced espresso lovers. These brands are also more expensive, and I wouldn’t recommend them as your first machine. Breville products are a dream for people wanting to make professional espresso at home. For example, the Breville BES870XL Barista Express is an excellent semi-automatic professional machine. It will enable you to enjoy the high-quality espresso you get at a good coffee shop without leaving home. The Breville Barista Express brews better coffee than many other high-quality espresso machines on the market. That’s because this semi-automatic machine uses a built-in grinder and milk frother that make the job easier and better than ever. Making steam milk or taking coffee grounds to brewing temperature is easy and fast. It means you have more time to enjoy your coffee or, if I may suggest, practice your latte-art? Check out my review on the sharp-looking Breville Bambino Plus!

Gaggia

For those who can recognize a true legend in Italian coffee culture when they see it!

Gaggia has decades of espresso machine manufacturing. In fact, they made the first espresso machine and the first single-serve espresso machine ever. 

Get yourself a Gaggia espresso machine if you appreciate high-end espresso and the impact of Gaggia in coffee culture.

Pros

  • a lot of experience making espresso machines
  • Gaggia machines are known for being longlasting
  • Its new products have all the features you need to make next-level coffee.

Cons

  • Although its old products are excellent, they don’t have some of the essential features every espresso machine should have

Gaggia – Review

Gaggia is one of the oldest and most respected Italian espresso machine brands globally. In 1938, the founder patented the first espresso machine that would revolutionize the world of coffee and have a lasting legacy in coffee shops worldwide for decades to come. In 1947 he also patented the first single-serve espresso machine.

Some of Gaggia’s espresso machine models have been there for decades, like the Gaggia Classic, sold since the 90′. The Gaggia Classic Pro has everything the original design shined for and some improvements to adapt it to new-era coffee makers. While the first espresso maker of this brand didn’t have a steam wand, this new release’s cool touch steam wands offer you top-notch temperature control.

The price range of Gaggia espresso machines starts around 450$ Gaggia Classic Pro and can get to around 1900$ for a Gaggia Babila.

You should consider buying a Gaggia espresso machine if you appreciate high-end espresso makers and the legacy of Gaggia in coffee culture.

Miele

A high-priced high-end option for pro users with a bigger budget.

Miele espresso machines are known for their high-quality construction, quiet operation, durability, and longevity.

These qualities make Miele espresso machines an expensive yet popular choice among pro espresso lovers.

Pros

  • Miele uses only the finest materials for its products.
  • Their machines have all the features you need on an espresso machine.
  • The Miele coffee grinder can handle any bean.

Cons

  • Its products are extremely expensive
  • not particularly stylish 
  • require more maintenance than other types of coffee makers

Miele – Review

Miele is considered one of the best espresso makers in the market.

Their machines are high-end coffee makers known for their durability and longevity. Their construction is solid, and the machine is generally very quiet while in use.

On the other hand, Miele espresso machines can be expensive for people on a budget and are not as stylish as some of the other brands at their scale.

One of Miele’s unique features is using a combination of steaming and pressure to create their coffee. I’ll explain:

There are two main ways to make an espresso: steam or pressure. The steam provides a rich, full-bodied flavor, while the pressure extracts more complex flavors from the grounds for a more balanced taste. Miele combines both of these techniques so that you get a fantastic drink every time.

The price range of Miele espresso machines starts around 1600$ for the Miele CM 5310 Silence and up to 5500$ for a Miele CM 7750 CoffeeSelect

I recommend going for a Miele espresso machine if you are a pro user with the appropriate budget. 

Mr. Coffee

A well known cheap brand – great for beginners

Mr. Coffee espresso machines are perfect for beginners who love coffee and enjoy brewing it by themselves. It is an affordable option that can produce rich and tasty espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, and other types of beverages.

 

Pros

  • budget espresso machone
  •  a wide variety of products from manual to semi-automatic mespresso machines.
  • You can get them anywhere

Cons

  • Although it does the job, it mainly has basic features.

Mr Coffee – Review

Mr. Coffee was the world’s first manufacturer and distributor of automatic drip coffee makers. They are very well-known in the US for their price and durability.

Their espresso machine models are for you if you are a beginner who’s looking for a quick, cheap, and straightforward way to prepare your espresso drink at home.

Mr. Cofee offers different manual and semi-automatic espresso machine models, with a price range from as low as 55$ and up to higher-priced models, all under 300$.

Despite being of a considerably low price, the Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Maker has everything a beginner needs to drink coffee as they’ve never done before.

Quick Tip From The Expert

Are you buying your first espresso machine and feeling overwhelmed by all the information? Go for a Nespresso or a Mr. Coffee machine. 

They are perfect for beginners and have a good variety of models to choose from.

Are Espresso Machines Worth It? Get an Automatic Espresso Machine Now!

Don’t worry if you feel confused by everything I talked about on this page – it’s natural. Many coffee machines have intuitive designs and automatic brewing methods, so you can get yourself an inexpensive and beginner-friendly coffee machine. Doing it not only makes your morning coffee a much better experience than it used to be but will also help you save a lot of money in the long run.

Why would a coffee machine be a profitable investment? 

Well, because, even if you don’t notice it, you can spend tons of money on coffee every day. I’m sure you are going to be surprised if you calculate how much money you’ve spent on street coffee this year.

Don’t hesitate to try any of the products listed on this page! I’m not telling you to leave street coffee altogether. Still, you can now make coffee that tastes like these products by getting a good espresso machine. Remember, you can always read more of my blog posts if you want to know more about coffee.