Our top 3, compared on the specs that matter.
Thex’s quick pickBreville the Barista Express Espresso Machine (BES870). Best for real espresso at home. Best push-button bean to cup: the De'Longhi. Best for small spaces: the Nespresso by Breville.
Breville
The pick for anyone who wants café-style coffee and is happy to learn. It grinds fresh beans with 16 settings, holds water at 93°C with PID control and has a proper steam wand for silky milk. You do the tamping and frothing, which is half the fun.
De'Longhi
Fresh-bean coffee without the skill. Press a button and it grinds, tamps and brews for you, with 3 one-touch drinks and a 1.8 L water tank so you refill less often. A smart choice for busy mornings and offices.
Nespresso by Breville
The simplest way to a good cup. One button, and the machine reads each capsule to brew the right size, from a 40 ml espresso to a 230 ml mug. At 13.6 cm wide it fits almost any benchtop. Capsules cost more per cup than beans.
Side by side
| Spec | #1 Breville | #2 De'Longhi | #3 Nespresso by Breville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Best for real espresso at home | Best push-button bean to cup | Best for small spaces |
| Type | Manual espresso with built-in grinder | Automatic bean to cup | Capsule (Vertuo) |
| Grinder | Conical burr, 16 settings | — | — |
| Pump | 15 bar | 15 bar | — |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | — | — |
| Milk | Steam wand | — | — |
| Size | 40.5 × 33.4 × 31.6 cm | 230 × 430 × 340 mm | 13.6 × 42.6 × 25 cm |
| Water tank | — | 1.8 L | — |
| One-touch drinks | — | 3 | — |
| Power | — | 1450 W | — |
| Cup sizes | — | — | 4, from 40 ml to 230 ml |
| Controls | — | — | 1 button, reads the capsule |
| Buy | See today's price at Amazon | See today's price at Amazon | See today's price at Amazon |
The details
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Buying guide
Home coffee machines fall into three camps: manual espresso, automatic bean to cup and capsule. Pick the camp first, then the machine.
Machines like the Breville Barista Express grind fresh beans and let you control the shot and the milk. They take a little practice and reward it.
The De'Longhi Magnifica S grinds, tamps and brews for you, with 3 one-touch drinks. Good for busy mornings and several coffee drinkers.
The Nespresso Vertuo Pop reads each capsule and brews the right cup with one button. It is the smallest and simplest option, but capsules cost more per cup than beans.
If you drink lattes or flat whites, look for a steam wand. Capsule machines usually need a separate milk frother.
Our top pick is the Breville the Barista Express (BES870). It has a built-in conical burr grinder with 16 settings, a 15 bar pump and a steam wand for milk.
The De'Longhi Magnifica S (ECAM12.122.B). It grinds and brews at the touch of a button, with a 1.8 L water tank.
The Nespresso by Breville Vertuo Pop (BNV120). It is 13.6 cm wide and makes 4 cup sizes, from 40 ml to 230 ml.
If you want fresh-ground coffee without learning barista skills, yes. It costs more up front than a capsule machine, but beans cost less per cup than capsules.
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How we pick
Every spec comes from the maker or a major retailer, and each one shows where it came from and when.
Prices are checked and dated, and refreshed or removed when they go stale. Amazon shows today’s price on its own page.
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