Espresso at home is a journey with many crossroads. The difference between the first machine and the fifth is huge, and every step on that path means a different level of control, money and patience. There is no “best” machine — there is the machine that fits your rhythm, your space, and how deep you want to go into the story.
Broadly, home espresso machines fall into four categories.
Pump machines with a pressurized portafilter
Entry class. They most often don’t have a boiler but heat the water in a so-called thermoblock (similar to a flow-through boiler), so temperature stability is very questionable. Machines like the De’Longhi Dedica, EC685 and the like. They use a pressurized filter that fakes real pressure — the coffee will come out with crema even when the grind, dose and tamping aren’t ideal. That sounds like an advantage, but it’s actually the main drawback: the machine doesn’t let you learn what you’re doing wrong. A solid entry into the espresso world, but most people outgrow them relatively quickly. With most of them, fortunately, you can buy a replacement handle with regular baskets, so a machine like the Dedica can be turned into a decent first-step machine.
Single boiler machines with a standard portafilter
The first real step up. Machines like the Gaggia Classic Pro, Rancilio Silvia, Lelit Anna. They have one boiler that heats water both for the espresso and for the steam — which means you have to wait between extracting and heating milk. But they give you real pressure, much better temperature stability, a standard 58mm portafilter and almost full control. What these machines often lack is digital temperature control (PID), so it can be challenging to hit the right temperature and achieve consistency. This is where serious learning begins.
Dual boiler and HX (heat exchanger) machines
Mid and high class. Machines like the Lelit Bianca, Profitec Pro 600, ECM Synchronika, Rocket Appartamento (HX). They have two boilers (or a heat exchanger) — one for water, the other for steam. You can extract espresso and steam milk simultaneously. More stable temperature, faster workflow, a serious machine for someone who makes more than two coffees a day. They take longer to warm up, but their temperature is more stable and they most often have a so-called PID — digital temperature control. The price grows, but so does the level at which you can work.
Lever machines
A category of their own. Machines like the La Pavoni, Flair, Cafelat Robot. Pressure isn’t produced by a pump but by you — with your hand, via a lever or piston. The most tactile way of making espresso, the least electronics, the most feel. The Cafelat Robot is currently a favorite in the specialty community because it produces excellent espresso without a boiler, without electricity — just you and pressure.
What to get? It depends on two things: how much espresso you make per day and how deep you want to go into dialling in. For one coffee a day and without wanting to fuss too much — a single boiler. For two or more milk drinks per day — a dual boiler.
And one thing more important than the choice of machine: the grinder. A better grinder paired with a modest machine almost always makes a better cup than an expensive machine with a bad grinder. But more on that in another article.