A good first espresso machine should be forgiving enough to get you a decent drink quickly, while still teaching you something about how espresso works. The picks below cover the most common starting points: hands-free milk, a complete all-in-one, and a budget toe-in-the-water.
Whichever you choose, a separate burr grinder makes a bigger difference to taste than almost any machine upgrade, so factor that into the budget if the machine has no grinder.
- 17.6/10
Espresso machineMid-range · approx $500Breville Bambino Plus
Fast to heat and forgiving thanks to automatic milk frothing, in a compact body.
- 27.6/10
All-in-oneMid-range · approx $700Breville Barista Express
A complete grind-and-brew setup out of the box, with a manual wand to grow into.
- 36.2/10
Espresso machineBudget · approx $100De'Longhi Stilosa
The lowest-cost way to try real pump espresso before committing more.
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we would use ourselves, and our editorial picks are never sold.