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Bean & Burr

HUB 01 · Espresso Machines

The Best Espresso Machines for Beginners

Machines that make a good shot easy to reach — auto-frothing, guided, or just cheap enough to learn on without regret.

By Stephen V.Updated How we research
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"Beginner-friendly" means two different things, and it's worth knowing which you want. It can mean a machine that does the hard parts foryou — like the Bambino Plus, which auto-textures milk to a set temperature — or a machine cheap enough that learning the hard parts yourself costs nothing if the hobby doesn't stick, like the Stilosa.

The Bambino Plus wins this list because it removes the step beginners get wrong most often (steaming milk) while still making a genuinely good shot — provided you pair it with a grinder, since it doesn't include one. If your budget won't stretch that far, the Stilosa is the honest cheapest way in, and we say plainly where it gives ground.

The short answer

Quick picks

#ProductBest forScorePrice
01
Breville Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)
Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)

The one to buy if you already have a grinder. Tiny, fast to heat, and it auto-steams milk.

People who already own a grinder
8.2
$499.95Amazon
02
De'Longhi De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)
De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)

The honest cheapest way to find out whether you're actually going to do this.

Testing the waters on a tight budget
6.6
$147.99Amazon
03
Gaggia Gaggia Classic Evo Pro
Gaggia Classic Evo Pro

The enthusiast's entry machine. A commercial-style 58mm portafilter at a home price.

People who want to learn espresso, not be shielded from it
7.8
$501.21Amazon
04
De'Longhi De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe (EC685)
De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe (EC685)

The slimmest real machine here — barely wider than a wine bottle, and it works.

The narrowest counters
7.0
$249.00Amazon
05
CASABREWS CASABREWS Compact Espresso Machine (CM5418)
CASABREWS Compact Espresso Machine (CM5418)

The budget-brand machine that looks the part. Fine to start with, easy to outgrow.

The lowest price on a machine that steams milk
6.4
$118.99Amazon

#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of Jul 21, 2026. Where we have no verified live price, we show none — we would rather leave a gap than print a number that has rotted.

In detail

The picks, in full

01
Breville Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)

People who already own a grinder

Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)

No built-in grinder54mm portafilter3-second heat-upAutomatic milk texturing
8.2/10

The one to buy if you already have a grinder. Tiny, fast to heat, and it auto-steams milk.

Shot quality
8
Steam & milk
8
Ease of use
9
Build quality
7
Value
9

Pros

  • Breville rates it at a 3-second heat-up — you genuinely can go from cold to a shot faster than a kettle boils
  • The automatic milk-texturing wand froths to a set temperature and texture with no technique required, which is the feature beginners actually benefit from
  • A tiny footprint that fits a cramped counter where the Barista Express won't

Cons

  • No grinder, so you must own or buy one — factor that into the real price
  • Small water tank means frequent refills if you make several drinks a day

Don't buy this if…

…you don't have a grinder and don't want to buy one. Pre-ground coffee makes bad espresso in any machine, and this one gives you nowhere to grind — get the Barista Express instead.

$499.95View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 21, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)

02
De'Longhi De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)

Testing the waters on a tight budget

De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)

15-bar pumpManual steam wandTamper includedCompact footprint
6.6/10

The honest cheapest way to find out whether you're actually going to do this.

Shot quality
6
Steam & milk
6
Ease of use
7
Build quality
5
Value
9

Pros

  • Costs a fraction of the Breville and De'Longhi machines while still pulling a real pressurized shot
  • A genuine manual steam wand, so you can practice milk without an auto-frother doing it for you
  • Small and light enough to stash in a cupboard if the hobby doesn't stick

Cons

  • No grinder, single-walled basket, and modest temperature stability — the shot ceiling is lower than the pricier machines
  • Plastic-heavy build that feels its price

Don't buy this if…

…you already know you're serious. You'll outgrow it fast and end up buying twice — start with the Barista Express or Bambino Plus and skip the upgrade.

$147.99View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 21, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)

03
Gaggia Gaggia Classic Evo Pro

People who want to learn espresso, not be shielded from it

Gaggia Classic Evo Pro

58mm commercial portafilterMetal bodyCommercial steam wandHugely moddable
7.8/10

The enthusiast's entry machine. A commercial-style 58mm portafilter at a home price.

Shot quality
9
Steam & milk
8
Ease of use
6
Build quality
8
Value
8

Pros

  • The 58mm portafilter is the same size commercial machines use — accessories are everywhere and skills transfer upward
  • A metal body and a genuinely enthusiast-favorite platform with a deep community and endless mods
  • The steam wand is a real one — you learn to texture milk properly, not push a button

Cons

  • No grinder, no training wheels — it rewards a good grinder and good technique and punishes neither gently
  • Single boiler with a temperature-stability quirk that the community has spent years documenting workarounds for

Don't buy this if…

…you want plug-and-play. This is a learner's machine that expects you to meet it halfway — if that sounds like a chore rather than a hobby, the Bambino Plus is the friendlier buy.

$501.21View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 21, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Gaggia Classic Evo Pro

04
De'Longhi De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe (EC685)

The narrowest counters

De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe (EC685)

4.9-inch wide15-bar pumpManual milk frotherFast pre-heat
7.0/10

The slimmest real machine here — barely wider than a wine bottle, and it works.

Shot quality
7
Steam & milk
6
Ease of use
8
Build quality
6
Value
8

Pros

  • De'Longhi lists it at under five inches wide, which genuinely solves the 'no counter space' problem better than anything else here
  • Heats quickly and pulls a respectable shot for the size and price
  • Manual frother lets you learn milk texturing properly

Cons

  • The small stature means a small boiler and tank — it's built for one or two drinks at a time
  • No grinder, and the pressurized basket flatters mediocre grinding rather than rewarding good grinding

Don't buy this if…

…counter space isn't your constraint. You're paying a slight premium for slimness — a Stilosa or a Bambino Plus gives you more machine for the footprint you'd otherwise use.

$249.00View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 21, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe (EC685)

05
CASABREWS CASABREWS Compact Espresso Machine (CM5418)

The lowest price on a machine that steams milk

CASABREWS Compact Espresso Machine (CM5418)

CASABREWS rates it 20 barSteam wandStainless housingCompact
6.4/10

The budget-brand machine that looks the part. Fine to start with, easy to outgrow.

Shot quality
6
Steam & milk
6
Ease of use
7
Build quality
5
Value
8

Pros

  • Costs less than the name-brand entry machines and includes a steam wand for milk drinks
  • Stainless housing looks more expensive than it is
  • A low-risk way to find out whether you like making espresso at home

Cons

  • The '20 bar' figure is a pump rating, not a quality signal — pressurized baskets flatter poor grinding rather than rewarding good grinding
  • Long-term reliability and parts support are weaker than Breville, De'Longhi, or Gaggia

Don't buy this if…

…you want a machine you'll keep for years. This is a starter — if you already suspect espresso will stick, the Stilosa (cheaper) or Bambino Plus (better) are smarter money.

$118.99View on Amazon

$139.9915% off

Price as of Jul 21, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to CASABREWS Compact Espresso Machine (CM5418)

What makes a machine easy to start on

Three features do the heavy lifting for a beginner: an automatic or forgiving milk system, a fast heat-up so you're not waiting to experiment, and a design that doesn't demand perfect technique to make something drinkable. The Bambino Plus has all three; the cheaper machines trade one or two away for the lower price.

Whatever you pick, two things make the biggest difference to your early shots and neither is the machine: a proper burr grinder and a scaleto weigh your dose and yield. Get those and even a cheap machine makes coffee you're proud of. Skip them and even a great machine makes a mess.

How we picked

We do not run a testing lab

We compiled published manufacturer specifications, computed what each option costs to run where relevant, and cross-referenced aggregated owner reviews, then scored each product against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research — they are not measurements we took, because we do not have a lab and we are not going to pretend we do. Where a number came from a manufacturer or a standard, we name it in Sources.

Questions

Frequently asked

Should a beginner get a machine with a built-in grinder?
It's the simplest path, yes — the Barista Express bundles a grinder so you buy one box. But the Bambino Plus (no grinder) plus a separate beginner grinder often lands at a similar total and gives you a better grinder you can keep when you upgrade the machine.
Is an automatic milk frother worth it for a beginner?
It removes the single most fiddly skill in espresso, so for a beginner focused on the coffee itself, yes — the Bambino Plus's auto-texturing is genuinely helpful. If learning latte art is part of the appeal, a manual steam wand (the Gaggia, the Stilosa) is what you want to practice on instead.
How much should a first espresso machine cost?
You can start for around $150 with a Stilosa, or spend $400-500 on a Bambino Plus or Barista Express that will last longer and make a better shot. Remember to budget for a grinder too if the machine doesn't include one — that's often the difference between a good first setup and a frustrating one.

Keep reading

Related

Receipts

Sources

We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from a manufacturer spec sheet or a published standard, we name it and link it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.