Looking for a way to cut back on coffee without totally ditching your beloved morning latte? Trying espresso may not be the only answer, but it’s worth a shot…or two! Buying an espresso machine is a worthy investment for more reasons than just saving money by skipping the coffee shop (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). There are health benefits to making the switch, too: Studies show that dark roasted coffees like espresso can reduce the production of stomach acid, and Dr. Michael Yassa, Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow of Neurobiology and Behavior Psychiatry and Human Behavior Neurology at the University of California, Irvine, found that regular espresso consumption can also improve your long-term memory.
Making espresso at home might seem difficult without proper barista skills, but it’s a cinch when you have the right equipment. Whether you’re an espresso enthusiast or amateur, we’ve rounded up all the information you need to find the best espresso maker for you.
Want to get the most out of your coffee experience? Check out our recommendations for the best coffee grinders.
Our top picks
How we picked these products
We asked our expert friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute for their hot take on the best espresso machines. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust. They first identified the most popular semi-automatic, automatic, super-automatic, and capsule machines based on availability, reviews, and brand reputation. From there, they put each model to the test, assessing their performance, ease of use and assembly, cleanability, consistency of temperature and volume, noise while in operation, and even the intuitiveness of their design and controls. Using their findings, we’ve rounded up the best machines espresso-ly for you.