However, some people prefer flat burr grinders, which are more consistent and produce a clean and balanced cup. If you want a flat burr grinder, then opt for a Breville espresso machine without mr coffee machine a grinder and budget for something like the Eureka Mignon. If you don’t already have a burr grinder, buying a Breville espresso machine with a built-in conical burr grinder is a great option.
We think the Jura E8 is a great machine and recommend it, especially if you aren’t an iced coffee person. Ultimately we chose the Delonghi Eletta Explore instead because it could just do a bit more and it had a lower price tag. We should note that there are Juras that can do everything the Delonghi can and more. They just come with price tags close to $4,000—and that was higher than we were ready to consider for this review. The images of coffee drinks on the control panel seem off for a high-end machine and the body doesn’t have the same wow factor as the Jura.
In comparison, with a machine like the Gaggia, for example, you’ll have to walk away after a while and let it rest. Of all the models we tested, the Breville Bambino Plus was one of the easiest to use. And its consistent shots and capacity to efficiently steam finely textured milk froth made it the most powerful, dependable, and fun machine we tested under $1,000. It comes with a steam pitcher large enough for a latte, a comfortable tamper, and two dual-wall baskets for the portafilter. Our espresso machines are designed to use the right dose of freshly ground beans, ensure precise temperature control, optimal water pressure and create true microfoam milk essential for latte art. You’re only a touch away from getting the 4 keys formula used by professional cafe machines.
Even though the machine measures out your coffee consistently, it’s best to take the espresso volume into your own hands. Easily make aromatic coffee varieties like Espresso, Coffee, Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato at the touch of a button. LatteGo tops milk varieties with silky smooth froth, is easy to set up and can be cleaned in as little as 15 seconds. Crafting your favorite caffeinated drink at home is actually less work than you’d expect. With the right espresso machine, you can create flat whites, americanos, macchiatos or whatever else you are in the mood for (as long as you have the ingredients).
Almost all of our picks include a hot-water spout that makes this easy, but you can also heat water separately and add it to your shot of espresso. The shots I pulled on the Barista Touch had the same degree of balance and depth as those from the Bambino Plus. This machine comes with both dual- and single-wall baskets (the Bambino Plus includes only the former). We spent the bulk of testing using the traditional (single-wall) basket to make sure the Barista Touch could capture some of the nuance that can be lost with dual-wall filters (it could). As with the Bambino Plus, the majority of shots pulled with the Touch emphasized a cocoa-y mid-tone, sometimes with a slight, pleasant tartness. The preprogrammed double-shot setting on the Bambino Plus cut off the extraction too quickly during our initial attempts.
Pre-infusion hydrates the coffee grounds before the actual brewing begins and makes sure your puck is in the perfect state to extract the most flavor and get a rich crema. Breville has 11 different models of espresso machines from the no-frills Bambino to the luxurious Oracle Touch (plus the Cafe Roma). The nice thing about Breville is they segment their lineup for different needs. The hard part is each machine has slightly different features, and it’s not a linear trade-up. And you lose the automatic milk frothing feature that the Bambino Plus has. So unless you find an outstanding deal on the Barista Pro, getting the Bambino Plus and a superb separate grinder might make more sense.
In our testing, we noticed it had a tendency to generate clumpy grounds on the finer settings. We saw less clumping from the grinder on the Breville Barista Pro, which uses those newer burrs too. When it came to milk drinks, the Bambino Plus’s steam wand created delicious, uniform froth with unexpected speed, thus ensuring that the milk didn’t overheat.
You are paying for convenience and the technology required to deliver that convenience. If you’re a coffee lover of simple needs and modest means, the Cafe Roma could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Introduced in 2019, the Barista Pro is a relatively new addition to the Breville line-up. It is very similar to everybody’s longtime favorite, the Breville Barista Express, but with a few extra bells and whistles that we think make it worthy of the top spot on our list this year. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
In fact, by the time you’ve read through this buyer’s guide, you’ll probably know exactly what you’re looking for. The Dual Boiler is the one Breville espresso machine that even the espresso geeks who routinely drop thousands of dollars on machines have to admit is a great buy. It has all the features you’d expect from a high-end prosumer espresso machine but is packed into friendly Breville packaging and at a far lower price.