Strengths
Build quality
Machines that score highly for build quality, ranked by our score.
- SageBarista Express BES875A PID, a real wand and a burr grinder in one body, which is why it is the machine most people learn on. It is also messy to dose and makes you wait between brewing and steaming, and both are the price of the format.Espresso8.6
- GaggiaClassic Evo ProA commercial 58 mm group and a real wand at a domestic price, with a brass boiler since the E24 revision. No PID, so you learn to time the warm-up — and almost everything on it can be replaced by hand.Espresso8.5
- RancilioSilvia V6A 300 ml brass boiler and a wand borrowed from Rancilio's café machines: steam that does not run out halfway through the second jug. Heavy, no PID, and a reputation built over nearly thirty years.Espresso8.3
- TechnivormMoccamaster KBG SelectIt does one thing and it is certified to do it properly: water at brew temperature, spread evenly, for as long as it should take. Five-year warranty, parts you can buy, and no espresso of any kind.Filter8.2
- LelitAnna PL41TEMThe cheapest way into a PID and a brass boiler, which is the combination that stops you guessing at temperature. The 57 mm portafilter is the catch: almost no accessory in the shops fits it.Espresso8.2
- JuraE8Sealed, one-touch and built to repeat itself for a decade. The brew unit is not meant to come out, which is the trade: you get consistency and give up the ability to service it yourself.BeanToCup8.1
- BialettiMoka ExpressUnchanged since 1933, and still the most coffee per pound in this catalogue. It has no pump, no steam and no electronics, which is exactly why it outlives everything else here.Moka7.4
Related articles
- ReviewLelit Anna PL41TEM review: is 57 mm worth a PID?
- GuideSage Barista Express worth it? Only if you own no grinder
- ReviewRancilio Silvia V6 review: 8.3, and the wand you buy it for
- GuideSage Bambino Plus: 4 cheaper machines and what they lose
- ReviewSage Bambino Plus review: 8.4/10, and half a purchase
- GuideGaggia Classic Evo Pro: is it worth it? 8.5, plus a grinder