The 9 Best Espresso Machines of 2023

Who says you have to go all the way to Italy for a delicious, smooth cup of espresso? With the Nespresso Gran Lattissima Coffee and Espresso Machine by De’Longhi, the farthest you’ll have to travel is your kitchen. The sleek, intuitive design of this machine features a 19-bar pressure system, built-in milk frother, and detachable pitcher, which is as easy to clean as it is to store in your fridge.

Though testers found the Gran Lattissima was a little loud and inconsistent between drinks, it certainly offers plenty of options—espresso! cappuccino! flat white!—that you can make with just the push of the start button, which the Good Housekeeping Institute calls a “small, but very helpful, underrated detail.”

Move over, Chopin: There’s a new virtuoso in town, and it’s called the VertuoPlus Deluxe, which secured its status with its consistent temperature and volume, 19-bar pressure system, and a sleek, modern design (which boasts a 54% recycled plastic construction and comes complete with a removable 60-ounce tank).

Though it may be a tad loud, you can whip up a frothy crema and up to 14-ounces of strong, silky-smooth beverages, like single or double espresso, lungo, and even regular coffee, with just the touch of a button thanks to its intuitive and functional interface. In fact, one of Good Housekeeping Institute's testers "didn’t even need to add milk, although that’s how she normally drinks her coffee."

Speaking of which, this model is only compatible with Nespresso’s VertuoLine premium pods, but with nearly 30 flavor options to choose from, you’re sure to find something you like. And when you’re done, you can mail any used pods back to Nespresso for recycling.

The key to Delish Senior Food Editor Lena Abraham’s Brooklyn Cocktail recipe? Why, the De'Longhi La Specialista, of course! Boasting 19 bars of pressure, six grind sizes and five brew options (including single and double espresso, Americano, and even hot water for tea), Lena says “making espresso the right way is ridiculously easy” with this machine, and it’s not difficult to see why.

In addition to being quiet and a breeze to operate and adjust, the Good Housekeeping Institute lauds this espresso maker for making “good, smooth, delicious” coffee. The La Specialista also comes fully loaded with thoughtful details, like a pressure gauge to monitor the quality of your drinks, a built-in tamper to perfectly pack coffee grounds, and an advanced latte system and adjustable steam wand to make frothy and flat drinks and “nice, not broken crema.”

If you want an espresso dynamo that will rival even your favorite barista’s skills, the Breville Barista Pro is the way to go with its 15-bar pressure system and ability to make one or two shots of flavorful espresso. Though this automatic machine’s stream is uneven and a little splattery, we think it’s worth the sacrifice given all the additional bells and whistles it comes with, including a basic steam wand, integrated tamper, trimming tool, stainless steel milk jug, and a hopper that has the capacity to hold up to a half pound of coffee beans.

The Barista Pro also includes four 1- and 2-cup filter baskets: Two for pre-ground coffee and two for whole beans. The 30 grind settings and five temperature options may seem overwhelming at first, but have no fear—the Good Housekeeping Institute advises “playing around , starting with the default settings, to create your perfect espresso.”

Looking for an authentic espresso maker that will make you sing “’O Sole Mio”? The Breville Bambino Plus is sure to please. Boasting two dual-wall filter baskets, 15-bar pressure pump, tamper, trimming tool, and attached steam wand with an accompanying milk jug, this machine proved to be moderately quiet and consistent in temperature and volume during testing.

Per Good Housekeeping Institute’s panel, the Bambino Plus yielded strong espresso and coffee that was “a little acidic”, while the crema “wasn’t overbearing.” Furthermore, the user-friendly control panel offers both single and double espresso options, plus your choice of steamed, frothy, or very frothy milk.

If an espresso machine seems too complicated to bother with, consider a superautomatic model like the De’Longhi Dinamica Plus. Sure, it can take a little effort to set up, but it’s all smooth sailing from there: From grinding beans to tamping and brewing, this espresso maker does it all, and Good Housekeeping Institute found it produced a "smoother", "rounder", and "nicely hot" cup compared to similar models (though they noted the crema was a little thin).

The intuitive touchscreen control panel even offers 16 drink options, as well as three frothing settings with enough time to choose your preference before it begins. And it doesn’t get easier to clean than this: The Dinamica Plus rinses when you turn it off, the detachable milk hopper is a breeze to clean and fill, and this maker even reminds you when it’s time to clean the thermal milk jug (which you can do using a pre-programmed setting).

The Nespresso Essenza Mini may be compact, but it packs a powerful punch with a whopping 19-bar pressure system, a 20-ounce water tank, and a removable drip base if you want to use a larger cup. This espresso machine can be a little loud and drips for a little longer than is ideal, but it makes up for these minor hiccups by producing what the Good Housekeeping Institute called a frothy crema and “smooth, more full” brew that was “not bitter or acidic.”

The Essenza Mini does require Nespresso Original capsules, but there are plenty of elements to enjoy your espresso while keeping your environmental impact low, including Nespresso’s pod recycling service, an eco-mode that reduces its energy consumption after 3 minutes, and an automatic energy-saving function that turns off the machine after nine minutes of inactivity.

Want to give espresso a whirl, but not sure how to start? The Keurig K-Café’s ease of use, “strong” brewing function, and ability to make espresso and four different sizes of hot and iced drinks makes it a great option for beginners.

During testing, this machine was a breeze to operate and was consistent in brew time, preheat time, temperature, and volume, and it even has a built-in milk frother (but no crema). However, the Good Housekeeping Institute noted that in one test, the espresso was “bland”, weak, and even "burnt" (though it “seemed to get hotter as more cycles were brewed”).

That being said, testers called the cappuccino a “nice treat” and said the lattes it brewed were “very milky.” Furthermore, it splatters a bit on the counter and doesn’t automatically deposit used K-cups into a collection container like some of our other recommendations—so you’ll have to dispose of them yourself—but we think these clean-up issues are minor considering the K-Café’s overall ease of use.

Boasting four size options and the ability to brew multiple kinds of coffee, it doesn’t get more versatile than the Mr. Coffee All-in-One. This machine uses its 15-bar pressure system to produce a single or double shot of espresso (which the Good Housekeeping Institute’s panel described as “smoothish” and “a little acidic”), plus a 10-cup thermal carafe for drip coffee and even a built-in milk frother to make a latte or cappuccino.

This machine also boasts K-cup compatibility, but the testers noted this option “takes a little under two minutes to brew because it doesn’t produce a steady stream of coffee.” Nevertheless, the Mr. Coffee is easy to clean and its removable 55-ounce water reservoir is simple to refill. It also includes thoughtful features like an indicator sound to let you know when it’s finished brewing a fresh cup and a storage tray to hold all the attachments.