Espresso Machines Reviews

Updated August 2007

Best Espresso Machines Reviews: (out of 12)
Choice.com.au, CoffeeGeek.com, Consumer.org.nz

Best Espresso Machines: (out of 50)
Rancilio Silvia, Nespresso D290, Breville Cafe Roma

Fast Answers - Best Espresso Machines

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Rancilio Silvia *Est. $550 >> Where to buy	Best espresso machine overall Expert reviews say this is the best espresso machine for most home espresso enthusiasts. The Silvia gets high marks for its espresso taste, features, ease of use and build quality. The stainless steel-clad Silvia has a forged-brass boiler and a three-way solenoid valve. Some say the Silvia is somewhat sensitive to grind coarseness, and frothing milk properly takes practice, but experts say that the Silvia lives up to her excellent reputation as best in this price class. (compare prices)
• Nespresso D290 *Est. $500 >> Where to buy	Best pod espresso machine Although some experts scoff, owners love the Nespresso D290 pod espresso machine. The Nespresso works like any other high-quality pump-driven home espresso maker, but it takes away the learning curve by using prepackaged coffee pods. Users don't have to grind beans, measure and tamp the grind, or clean up afterwards. Reviews say that although you are limited to buying the coffee pods (about 50¢ each), the Nespresso D290's high-quality construction and simplicity is its major strength. Espresso taste is excellent and consistent. (compare prices)
• Breville Cafe Roma *Est. $250 >> Where to buy	Budget stainless-steel espresso maker Although more expensive espresso makers get much better reviews for consistency and long-term durability, reviews say the Breville Café Roma is a good beginner espresso maker, and its stainless steel housing makes this model a little more attractive than some other less expensive machines that are generally encased in plastic. On the downside, reviews say espresso quality from shot to shot can be inconsistent, and that the grouphead can eventually start to leak. (compare prices)
• Gaggia Espresso *Est. $200 >> Where to buy	Budget espresso maker (plastic housing) Although its plastic external housing doesn't make this espresso machine a head-turner, experts say that the Gaggia Espresso has many of the same internal components as more expensive Gaggia espresso machines, so espresso quality is very good, especially in this price range. You can also choose to use pods in the Gaggia Espresso instead of your own grind. (compare prices)
• Krups Allegro FND111 *Est. $50 >> Where to buy	Steam-driven machine Experts say that steam-powered machines can't produce true espresso because they don't use enough pressure to force water through grounds. The Allegro is an inexpensive way to get your coffee fix, however, and you can use it to practice your milk foaming technique and experiment with various grinds and tamping pressures. Connoisseurs reserve machines like the Allegro for travel. We read some complaints about durability. (compare prices)

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Full Story

What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated August 2007

Introduction to Espresso Machines

Of all the publications that review espresso machines, Australia's Choice magazine tests the largest number (15 manual and semi-automatic and 9 automatic espresso makers). Editors rate each on its espresso taste, ease of use, features and build quality. New Zealand's Consumer magazine rates eight manual and semi-automatic espresso machines. Editors also test espresso machines against uniform criteria, and they uniquely test for temperature consistency of multiple shots of espresso. Although these two sources are the most scientific of the reviewers we found, most of the tested espresso machines aren't available in the United States, which limits these reviews' usefulness.

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In this report:

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
5	Rancilio Silvia (*Est. $550)	details
3	Nespresso D290 (*Est. $500)	details
2	Breville 800ESXL (*Est. $400)	details
2	Gaggia Classic (*Est. $500)	details
2	Pasquini Livia 90 (*Est. $1,500)	details
2	Nespresso Le Cube (*Est. $325)	details
1 each	Nespresso D150, Nespresso Essenza Flow Stop, Saeco Incanto Deluxe, Saeco Incanto Sirius, Saeco Magic Deluxe, Saeco Classico, Isomac Zaffiro, Breville Die Cast, Breville Cafe Roma, Sunbeam Caffe Latte, Gaggia Baby, Gaggia Espresso, Gaggia Coffee, Solis Crema SL70, Solis Crema SL90, La Pavoni PN Professional, Capresso Jura F9, Francis! Francis! X1, Dualit 84024, Alessi Snapper 9090, Andreja Premium, Bialetti Moka Express, Ala di Vittoria La Valentina

Although purists may scoff at pod espresso makers, owners love them because they drastically shorten the learning curve. The Nespresso D290 gets the best reviews among these. Unlike the cheaper Nespresso Le Cube, the D290 has a steam wand for frothing milk. Among regular espresso machines, the Rancilio Silvia is the best choice overall. We found good reviews for the Gaggia Classic, but we include the Gaggia Espresso in Fast Answers, instead. The Gaggia Espresso has a plastic housing, but its "guts" are of high quality, and experts recommend it as an entry-level espresso machine.

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