A home espresso machine is something every espresso lover dreams of. Check out the best ones available on the market.
If you’re an espresso lover looking for a new coffee maker, you’re certainly looking for the best home espresso machine in 2012-13. There are many models available on the market, so it might be difficult to find one that meets your needs and doesn’t ruin your budget.
When looking for a machine that will allow you to satisfy your craving for morning (of afternoon!) espresso, look for a machine that’s easy to use and clean and makes an awesome coffee. Reading some customer reviews will help you with making an informed decision and choosing a machine that will live up to your expectations.
After reading many customer reviews I’ve picked a ew top-rated models in various price ranges. You can find below both inexpensive and fairly simple espresso machines and more expensive and feature-rich devices. Choose one that satisfies your needs and is within your budget.
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Best home espresso machines
De’Longhi 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
This De’Longhi Espresso Maker makes preparing espresso, cappuccino and latte easy and convenient – you can use the swivel jet frother. When making coffee you can make pods or just ground espresso (the filter is dual-function), depending on your preferences. It’s compact, easy to use and clean and, what’s probably the most important for coffee lovers, it makes great coffee.
There are few things you should know about this device before buying it. firstly, you need to clean it thoroughly every month to remove built up grounds that found their way inside the machine. This will prevent the machine from running slower after some time. What’s even more important – many people complain about internal construction of this espresso maker. They stated that this device stopped working after almost a year of daily use and it isn’t built to last long.
Knowing that, it seems like this espresso machine is a great choice only if you’ll take good care of it and won’t use it on a daily basis, but only few times a week or when you have guests.
Nespresso C60 Pixie Espresso Maker
Nespresso C60 features programmable buttons for both espresso and lungo. It features a fairly large folding drip tray, so you’ll easily place there a taller cup, although you need to hold the tray so it’ll stay folded. It’s a compact (good fit for a smaller kitchen), fast and easy to use espresso maker. The water tank has capacity of 24 ounces, which some people find a little small.
The best thing about this espresso maker is that it makes coffee of great taste. Please note, that to use this machine you need to regularly buy Nespresso capsules (the best place to do that is the Nespresso website). Also, they have set a requirement for their customers to order multiples of 50 capsules, which isn’t great for people starting with Nespresso and wanting to figure out which tastes are the best.
Nespresso C100-US-AERO Essenza Automatic Single-Serve Espresso Machine
Nespresso C100-US-AERO is an automatic espresso machine with a 19-bar pump. It’s, unlike cheaper models, equipped with a milk frother. Like other Nespresso machines, it for use with coffee-filled capsules (you can buy them on Nespresso website). The water tank has capacity of 41 ounces (more than 1 liter), so you don’t have to refill it very often. You can easily control the amount of coffee in a cup using buttons – 40 ml for espresso and 110 ml for lungo. The milk frother is very easy to use – you just need to add milk, change the lid and press the button for either milk froth or hot milk, depending on what you need.
If you’re looking for an espresso machine that’s easy to use, makes fabulous coffee and costs under $200, it is a model for you. Probably one of the best models for the money.
Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother
Nespresso CitiZ is one of the top-rated and well-known Nespresso machines. It’s pretty compact and within 30 seconds it can make you a cup of espresso. Of course you can choose lungo if that’s what you want at a moment. If you’re into cappuccino or latte, you should know that the machine features an integrated milk frothing device as well.
Of course you need to remember that Nespresso coffee makers support only Nespresso coffee capsules (order them on Nespresso’s site) and one cup of espresso costs about 55 cents (there are also more expensive blends available). There are quite a few blends available on Nespresso’s website (decaffeinated as well) and you get a sampler of their line with their espresso machine, so you can buy blends that you find the best. It’s not the cheapest espresso maker, but chances are it will force you to say goodbye to your favorite baristas and save a lot of money by making your coffee at home.
Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder
Breville BES860XL is an espresso maker monster equipped with an integrated grinder. Thanks to the built-in grinder you can go from coffee beans to espresso in no time and, as you probably know, freshly ground beans produce crema that is noticeably richer and thicker than espresso from coffee grounded few days ago. This espresso machine features a 15 bar Italian pump and a 1450W stainless steel heating system. It’s a really feature-rich machine – you can control grind size and grind amount, set filter size (indicate whether you’re using single- or double-wall filter basket), volumetric control (preset and reprogrammable volumes) and many more.
If you’re looking for a semi-professional espresso machine that gives you a lot of features to play with and possibly to learn the art of brewing the perfect cup of coffee, this is a great choice.
