The 8 Best Espresso Makers of 2026, According to People Who Take Their Coffee Seriously

If versatility is your love language, the Terra Kaffe TK-02 will speak straight to your coffee-loving heart. It does espresso extraction with 9 bars of pressure for lattes, cappuccinos, and straight-up espresso. It also features a true drip-coffee mode, allowing for regular coffee customization through adjustments to brew volume, flow rate, and temperature, which I appreciate. That flexibility makes it a dream for households with mixed preferences (or for anyone who switches between oat milk lattes and black drip coffee depending on the day).

The TK-02 is also built for balance and ease. It uses whole beans or pre-ground coffee (no pods!), so you get the antioxidant benefits of freshly ground coffee and less environmental waste. My husband and I have been using this machine for over a year now, and we LOVE it. It grinds, brews, and even cleans itself automatically. The built-in frother (also detachable for cleaning and storage) delivers silky milk at the tap of a touch screen. We use the app to calibrate everything from drink strength to temperature.

It’s a bit loud when brewing and self-cleaning (and your pets might jump when it rinses itself, as I’ve witnessed), but those minor quirks are easy to forgive when the reward is a café-quality espresso or drip coffee made exactly to your liking every single day.

If you’re new to espresso-making, the Philips Baristina might be the easiest on-ramp you’ll find. Health writer Mary Sauer calls it “a low-effort, automated espresso machine” that made it simple to pull a shot: “Once the portafilter is in place, you push the shot button, and the machine does the rest,” Sauer says. The built-in grinder doses freshly ground beans automatically, and the system automatically moves the portafilter into brewing position. The result? “It pulls the same shot every time,” she says, adding that it consistently produced a caramel-colored crema and “a rich, full-bodied shot that wasn’t bitter or sour.”

This machine is also refreshingly compact. Consider it ideal for smaller kitchens or apartments where counter space is tight. The one caveat is the separate milk frother ($99), which heats and froths simultaneously, often creating foam that’s too dense to drink, according to Sauer. If you mainly drink straight espresso or Americanos, you’ll love its simplicity and consistency; latte lovers may wish for an actual steam wand.

If you’re short on counter space and budget but not on taste, the Thyme & Table Barista Espresso Machine proves that great espresso can come in sleek packages. It’s lightweight and looks far more expensive than it is. It earned top marks with me when I tested it; it is both stylish and easy to clean. It’s so simple, I didn’t even need to read the manual to understand how to set it up or make it work.

At 15 bars of pressure, it pulls a solid espresso shot in about 20 to 30 seconds after a quick one-minute warm-up. The attached steam wand also lets you froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos in seconds. The only downside? It’s not as versatile as higher-end machines. It can’t make a simple drip coffee: This is exclusively an espresso maker. And while the removable water tank is easy to lift out, I found it a bit tricky to fill. Still, for espresso purists or anyone wanting a chic, compact machine that keeps mornings easy, this one’s a win. 

If you’re short on counter space but still want café-level espresso, the Breville Bambino Plus makes an impressive case for itself. Editor Katie Tuttle says she had it “unboxed, rinsed, and pulling a shot within minutes,” adding that it heats up quickly and doesn’t require a long calibration or app setup. The Bambino Plus gives you just enough control to learn espresso-making without overwhelming you. It’s ideal for small kitchens or anyone who wants a low-fuss morning ritual.

Tuttle notes that the espresso it produced was “smooth, rich, and full-bodied, with a nice, even crema,” and she loved the automatic steam wand that let her “pick my milk temperature and foam level, press a button, and watch it do the work.” Cleanup is equally simple thanks to the auto-purge feature.

The only downside? “It doesn’t have a built-in grinder, so your coffee quality depends heavily on your grind consistency,” Tuttle says. But pair it with a decent burr grinder, and you’ve got a fast, capable espresso maker that doesn’t hog your countertop.

If your perfect morning starts with a latte or cappuccino, the Cuisinart Espresso Bar Grind & Brew might be your dream machine. Tuttle describes it as “an entire espresso setup in one box,” pointing out that the built-in grinder, tamper, and steam wand make it a true all-in-one system. Once she dialed in the grind, she found the espresso “rich and full-bodied, with a dense crema that tasted like something from a real coffee bar.” The steam wand, she adds, “had good pressure and produced smooth, consistent milk froth without much effort.”

At roughly the size of a small microwave, this isn’t the most compact model, but it earns its space on the counter. “It feels substantial in a good way; more like café equipment than a countertop coffee maker,” Tuttle says. The conical grinder can be a little loud, and it’s not as refined as a separate burr grinder, but for most latte lovers, that’s a small trade-off for the convenience.

Whether you’re crafting weekday cappuccinos or weekend cold brews, this machine delivers café-quality drinks without juggling multiple gadgets.

If you want café-level coffee drinks without ever touching a portafilter, the Bosch 800 Series VeroCafe is about as hands-off as espresso gets. Tuttle describes it as “ridiculously easy to use,” adding that the most complicated step was setting up the app, which lets you register the device, save drink preferences, and even track how many cups you’ve made. Once it’s ready, the machine does everything — from grinding the beans and frothing milk to cleaning itself — at the press of a button.

Tuttle says the Bosch “produces smooth, even shots,” and the automatic milk system made frothing “as easy as attaching the milk container.” She loved the app reminders for maintenance, too: “It tells you when parts need cleaning or replacing, which is great because oils and other gunk can really affect flavor over time,” she says.

The only downside? “It’s expensive, and the filters and tablets add up,” Tuttle notes, but she also admits she now rarely visits coffee shops. For anyone looking for the ultimate in convenience and customization, this fully automatic machine turns your kitchen into your own personal café.

If you’re often on the move — whether traveling, staying in hotels, camping, or just want a compact coffee maker for a small kitchen or dorm room — the Original AeroPress really shines. It’s so portable that you can easily toss it into a carry-on and still get a high-quality brew. It can make one to three cups per pressing in about a minute.

The trade-off? Because there’s no built-in steaming wand, if you’re a dedicated latte or cappuccino lover, you’ll need to carry a frother or be willing to skip the milk-texture step. But if your focus is on brew quality, speed, portability, and flexibility (and you’re okay doing a little manual work), the AeroPress is a solid travel companion that doesn’t require you to compromise too much on taste.

“I know this isn’t ‘true’ espresso,” says Tuttle, “but the AeroPress lets you make a drink that’s awfully close, and it beats the sad coffee you usually get in your hotel room.”

If you want coffeehouse flavor without sacrificing counter space, the Nespresso Vertuo Plus Deluxe is a total gem. It’s compact, chic, and ridiculously easy to use. Simply insert a pod, press a single button, and watch as the capsule spins at up to 7,000 rotations per minute to blend ground coffee with water.

The Vertuo Plus Deluxe also wins points for sustainability. Each metal capsule can be recycled through Nespresso’s free mail-back program, a thoughtful perk for eco-minded coffee drinkers. Cleanup is almost effortless, too: just lift the lever, and the used capsule drops neatly into a hidden container. The only snag? The pods are pricier than K-Cups, but as Swanson puts it, “This is the best coffee you will ever have at home.”

For anyone who wants barista-quality coffee in seconds — without the mess, guesswork, or countertop clutter — this machine delivers, one capsule at a time.