Buying Your First Espresso Machine: A Practical Checklist

Buying your first espresso machine is easier when you decide how you want to make the drink before comparing all the buttons and features. Here’s what to think about.

Do You Want to Learn, or Mostly Press a Button?

A hands-on machine lets you prepare and adjust the coffee yourself. A capsule brewer makes the coffee portion simpler. A fully automatic espresso machine grinds and brews inside the appliance.

Choose the work you’ll enjoy doing every day. There’s no point buying a hands-on setup if it will annoy you every morning.

Where Will the Ground Coffee Come From?

If the machine has no grinder, plan for one or buy suitably ground coffee. Espresso needs a finer, more adjustable grind than many simple coffee grinders provide.

The Breville Bambino lets you pick a separate grinder. The Barista Express includes grinding in the machine.

How Will You Make the Milk?

For straight espresso, this may not matter much. For daily cappuccino, it matters a lot. You can learn a manual wand, choose automatic milk help, or use a separate frother.

Read our cappuccino machine guide if milk drinks are the main reason you’re buying.

Will Everything Fit?

Measure the working space, not just the machine. Leave room to open the water tank, move cups, set down a milk jug, and clean the tray. A separate grinder needs space too.

Would You Be Happy Cleaning It?

Look at which parts come out, which can be washed, and which cleaners you need. Automatic drink-making still leaves maintenance to do.

Compare one small machine, one with a built-in grinder, and one fully automatic option such as the Philips 3300 LatteGo. That gives you a useful picture of what the extra money and equipment actually change.

Coffee Machines You Might Want to Look At

Still deciding? Have a look at our coffee maker reviews, espresso machine reviews, or cappuccino machines to see what else might suit you.