Catalog
Pump, lever, and all-in-one machines for pulling shots at home.
Looking for our ranked picks? See the guide →
The best 'just make me good espresso' machine for a first-timer: it's up to temperature in a few seconds and steams milk automatically, so a drinkable flat white is genuinely a week-one skill. The catch is the 54mm portafilter and the pressurized basket it leans on — comfortable now, but a ceiling you'll feel once you start chasing café-level shots.
One box, one footprint, whole bean to cup — the reason it's been the default first espresso setup for years. The built-in conical grinder is the compromise: convenient and good enough to learn on, but not as consistent as a dedicated grinder, and when it eventually wears you'll wish the grinder and machine were separate purchases.
Proof that 'cheap espresso machine' doesn't have to mean 'pod machine in disguise.' For around a hundred dollars it pulls a real, if forgiving, shot through a pressurized basket — a low-stakes way to find out whether the hobby grabs you. Don't expect steam power or temperature stability; expect an honest starting point you won't feel bad outgrowing.
A lever press for people who want to feel the shot, not just push a button — you set the pressure by hand and taste exactly what that does. The 58mm basket and bottomless portafilter put it in serious-hobby territory, but there's no pump and no steam wand: it's a shot-quality instrument first, and a latte machine not at all.
The enthusiast's entry point, because almost nothing about it is a dead end: a 58mm commercial portafilter, a real steam wand, and simple internals people happily mod for years. It asks more of you — bring your own grinder, your own timing — but every skill and accessory you build on it carries straight up the ladder.