6 Best Espresso Machines of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

But buying an espresso maker can still be very expensive up front, and with a wealth of options on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. To get a better sense of what some of the options offer, we evaluated seven popular home espresso machines that cost anywhere from $90 to $2,000. 

Each one operates a little differently. All of these models require you to pack coffee grounds into a portafilter, which you lock into the machine to brew espresso (as opposed to coffee makers that take pods or espresso machines that dispense the beans themselves), and they all come equipped with a steam wand for milk. Those steam wands vary in terms of power, length, and range of motion. 

Based on what an espresso requires to taste good, we look for two main performance features in all of them: the machine’s ability to consistently deliver sweet, balanced shots of espresso with little trouble, and the steam wand’s ability to produce an even microfoam, ideal for lattes, cappuccinos, and latte art. From there, we drill down on the details to figure out which model might be right for you.