Choosing the Right Coffee Espresso Maker

A good cup of coffee is an important start to the day, and a high-quality espresso maker allows you to enjoy your favorite drinks at home without having to visit a cafe. But the many choices can make it difficult to decide what type of brewing system is best for you. Whether you’re looking for a coffee-only machine or a combination brewer that can serve both espresso and drip coffee, we’ve rounded up the top options based on our expert testing and user reviews.

Choosing the Right Coffee Espresso Maker

When shopping for a coffee and espresso machine, it’s important to consider how much you and your household drink. If you tend to brew multiple cups at a time, a model that has a large carafe may be the better option for your family. If you’re primarily interested in making espresso, look for a machine that can produce several shots at a time or has a separate milk carafe to help you keep your drink ratios consistent.

Generally, there are two types of coffee and espresso machines: automatic or semi-automatic. Super-automatics, like those made by Jura, take care of all the brewing process for you including grinding and tamping the beans before pulling a shot of espresso. This style of machine offers the greatest amount of convenience and can often be found at a more budget-friendly price.

Semi-automatic coffee and espresso machines, like the De’Longhi Dinamica, have a larger boiler that can heat water and steam simultaneously for nearly simultaneous brewing and frothing. This allows you to control the temperature of your shots with a digital PID and choose from a range of settings that includes grind size, water temperature and espresso strength.