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Best espresso machine of 2021 – CNET [CNET]
CNET’s guide to the best espresso machine can help you find equipment that produces superb shots of espresso. With its powerful charms, espresso can hook you like no other coffee, but it can be a tall order to make at home without a commercial espresso machine for that barista touch. Even worse, if you don’t do your homework, you could end up with an awful espresso maker that slings terrible drinks, and that would be a complete waste of the specialty coffee you bought expressly for this purpose. Complicating matters, many coffee makers billed as domestic espresso machines aren’t really espresso machines.
Don’t worry — I’m here to guide you through the leading choices. A home espresso machine needs to have an advanced brewing process and handy bells and whistles such as a double portafilter basket for double-shot drinks or a milk frother and steam wand for a cappuccino or latte. A good automatic espresso machine doesn’t come cheap though, and you can expect to pay at least $500 for something that whips up a legit cafe-caliber espresso drink (or just an espresso shot, if that’s your thing). But when in doubt, try to remember how much you’ll be saving on all the cappuccinos, lattes and double shots from the specialty coffee shop.
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To find the best commercial espresso machine for espresso lovers, I spent over 80 hours putting 10 available espresso machines through their paces. I limited my testing to manual espresso machine picks, not the ones that make espresso from a coffee pod or capsule. (After all, is espresso from an espresso pod really espresso?) I also revisited three other machines I reviewed previously. During the process, I made and sampled scores of espresso shots, double shots, lattes, cappuccinos and pitchers of steamed milk and milk froth. Basically, if it was a coffee drink, I made it. I also took into account things like water reservoir and storage, water filter, control panel, grinding capabilities and automatic milk frother length (and its milk steamer and milk frother abilities).
Based on my experience, these are the three I’d pick as the best home espresso machines. While they all get the job done and offer the essential features you need — like a steam milk frother, drip tray, substantial water reservoir and easy-to-clean stainless-steel base — the key differentiating factor between them is the price. And how much you spend on an espresso machine does have a major impact on what type of coffee you’ll ultimately get.
I limited this list to automatic and semiautomatic espresso machines. I excluded any “super automatic” espresso machine options, as sold by Krups, Philips, Miele and others. Those models are a breed apart, costing many times more ($2,000 to $3,000). I update this list periodically, and you’ll find my testing methodology below.
Still with me? Keep going — delicious espresso will soon be yours!
How we test espresso machines
My evaluation process for home espresso machines is similar to how I test standard drip coffee makers. First, I hand-wash and dry all removable parts and accessories. For most espresso products, that includes the filter basket, metal portafilter inserts, water tank and so on. Next, I run one brewing cycle with just hot water to flush away any residual material from manufacturing.
Most automatic espresso machines, save for fancy super-automatic models, lack an integrated coffee grinder, and I prefer to test with freshly ground coffee, not preground coffee. So I supply my own grinder: the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. I chose this conical burr grinder for two reasons. First, it’s calibrated more for espresso than for drip or other brewing styles. That means it produces a coffee bean grind that’s quite fine. Second, its grind size is consistently uniform. Both factors are critical for a proper espresso brewing process.
To pull shots, I start with the suggested method outlined in a given machine’s product manual. Usually that covers the amount of coffee grounds expected per shot, along with any guidelines regarding coarseness level. Likewise, I follow tamping instructions (light, medium or hard tamp) if the manual provides them.
Whenever possible, I brew double shots of espresso for all my test runs. I make sure to record the weight of the grounds I use, plus the weight of espresso for each shot I pull. This data, along with readings from a portable refractometer, allows me to calculate two important percentages: total dissolved solids and extraction percentage.
Just as for any coffee brew, the ideal extraction percentage for espresso is a range between 18% and 22%. This yields a balanced cup, assuming you perform an even and efficient extraction of coffee compounds from your grounds (both flavor and caffeine).
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And if you’re a true caffeine fiend, here’s more recommendations for coffee and tea lovers:
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