Best Espresso Machines According to r/espresso (December 2025)

tldr; Dual boiler E61 machine. German build quality, rotary pump option. Prosumer favorite for serious home baristas.

tldr; The Breville Bambino is considered a good entry-level machine, especially when refurbished, but some users report inconsistency and often upgrade to more advanced models.

tldr; E61 dual boiler with 0.75L brew and 1.0L steam boilers. Optional flow control paddle makes it a true endgame machine. More compact than Pro 700 with vibration pump.

tldr; The Olympia Cremina is a highly recommended lever machine, praised for its engaging manual control, personal interaction, and fun, traditional espresso-making experience.

tldr; The Flair 58 is a highly regarded manual espresso machine, appreciated for its quality shots and often seen as an upgrade for enthusiasts, especially for fewer milk drinks.

tldr; The Breville Barista Pro is considered the best among machines with integrated grinders, offering faster heating and steaming than the Express, but its built-in grinder and tamper are often criticized.

tldr; The Cafelat Robot is highly praised as an amazing manual lever machine that produces excellent espresso, often noted as a significant upgrade from entry-level automatic machines.

tldr; The Profitec Drive is a highly regarded, top-tier E61 dual boiler machine, praised for its quality, features, and considered an "endgame" option.

tldr; The Decent DE1 is a highly praised, compact espresso machine, offering unique features like flow profiling, though its high price and tariffs might impact long-term sales.

tldr; Single boiler with PID, pre-infusion, and 58mm commercial portafilter. LCC display shows real-time temp and shot timer. Best-in-class single boiler for the price.

tldr; Entry dual-boiler with PID and programmable buttons. Italian-made compact footprint. $1800 gets you 90% of prosumer performance.

tldr; The Ascaso Steel Duo PID is highly praised for its fast heat-up, dual thermoboilers, controllable PID, adjustable OPV, and strong steam, leading to consistent, tastier shots.

tldr; Dual boiler with saturated group head, PID on both boilers, and 6-second pre-infusion. Built like a tank with powerful steam for back-to-back milk drinks.

tldr; The legendary group head. 1961 design still used today. Temperature stability, pre-infusion built-in. Foundation of prosumer espresso.

tldr; The Wacaco Picopresso is highly praised as the smallest, most convenient, and cheapest portable espresso setup, offering awesome build quality and producing real espresso, though it requires a quality grinder.

tldr; The Lelit Bianca is highly regarded as a top-tier, "buy once cry once" machine, delivering exceptional espresso quality that makes other lattes incomparable.

tldr; Thermojet single boiler with 3-second heat-up. Auto-frothing makes milk drinks effortless. Best budget machine when paired with a quality grinder.

tldr; The Breville Dual Boiler is praised for its espresso quality and value, with some considering it an "endgame" machine, though reliability can be inconsistent.

tldr; The Gaggia Classic Pro is a popular, reliable, and highly moddable entry-level machine, often recommended for those willing to upgrade and pair it with a good grinder.

tldr; The La Marzocco Linea Micra is viewed as a highly desirable, premium machine, often considered an aspirational upgrade, known for its quality but also its significant price point and 6-8 minute heat-up time.

tldr; The ECM Classika PID is highly regarded for its exceptional build quality, ease of maintenance, and ability to pull consistent espresso shots, especially for users who don't frequently steam milk.

tldr; The Rancilio Silvia is a durable machine capable of producing cafe-level espresso and steam, but it requires persistence and a good grinder to master due to its single boiler design.

tldr; The Breville Infuser is a decent starter machine with PID and pre-infusion, but it's often seen as a stepping stone to higher-end machines with better build quality and temperature stability.

tldr; The La Marzocco GS3 is recognized as a high-end, aspirational machine, though some older models reportedly had issues, and it lacks flow control compared to competitors.