Best Espresso Machine Under $1,000: Five Options and One to Avoid

With a budget of $1,000, you can get:

• An espresso machine with a built-in grinder and a display screen user interface.

• A buy it for life espresso machine with a steam wand (but no grinder).

• A good, no-frills espresso machine and a high-quality grinder.

• A fully automatic espresso machine that can make a latte with one button press.

As well as telling you the best espresso machines for each of the above categories, I’ll also tell you about one home espresso machine in this price bracket that you should avoid if you don’t want to waste your money.

Top Picks

A Quick Note on Grinders

If you’re spending anything close to $1,000 on an espresso machine and using pre-ground coffee with it then you are wasting your money.

The second that coffee is ground it starts releasing carbon dioxide. 

This CO2 helps provide resistance to your water when brewing your espresso.

So if you brew espresso with pre-ground coffee water will flow through too quickly through your coffee puck resulting in at best a dull-tasting espresso.

If you’re going to brew espresso with pre-ground coffee, you might as well use an espresso machine under $500. The stale coffee puts a low ceiling on your espresso quality and a more expensive machine won’t fix that problem.

If your budget is $1,000 and you don’t already have a grinder, then you should either get the Breville Barista Pro, which has a built-in conical burr grinder, or the Breville Bambino and the Baratza Sette 270Wi.

Anyway, on with the reviews…

Best if You Don’t Have a Grinder: Breville Barista Pro

Espresso Quality

The Breville Barista Pro can make a good, but not an exceptional, espresso.

The machine has exceptional temperature and water dosing control, but it’s let down slightly by its grinder.

The Breville Barista Pro’s grinder is decent, but not amazing. 

I don’t like the fact that it measures your coffee dose by time to grind rather than by weight. Time to grind is not the best way of measuring coffee dose as grind time increases the finer you grind.

The Barista Pro’s espresso is good enough for 90% of people, but if you’re a coffee perfectionist then you’re going to find its shots slightly underwhelming.

Espresso Quality: 7/10

Functionalities

The Breville Barista Pro’s built-in grinder gives it more functionality than most espresso machines under $1,000.

The Barista Pro can do the following:

• Grind your beans
• Pull single and double shots at the touch of a button
• Let you adjust brew length and pre-infusion time
• Let you steam milk manually.

It’s the most functionality-rich espresso machine under $1,000 that’s not a full-blown super-automatic machine (super-automatic machines come with their own set of disadvantages that I’ll discuss later).

Functionalities Rating: 9/10

Ease of Use

The Breville Barista Pro’s built-in PID and automatic shot volume dosing mean that you just need to get the correct grind size and tamp to pull a good shot.

The Barista Pro automates the following:

• Ground coffee dosing
• Shot volume dosing
• Temperature control

You have to do the following manually:

• Work out your optimal grind size
• Tamp your ground coffee

The Breville Barista Pro has a digital display screen. This makes adjusting the machine’s global settings (such as default brewing temperature, default shot volume size, and ground coffee dose) really easy.

I also love that the machine times your shots. 

This helps you diagnose any problems you might have with your shot’s extraction (you want to aim for a 25 – 30 second shot pull – if it pulls faster than this you should grind finer).

Ease of Use Rating: 9/10

Design and Build Quality

While the machine is well built, it’s not a buy-it-for-life product (unlike some other espresso machines under $1,000).

The Breville Barista Pro is a well-built home espresso machine. 

It’s only somewhat flimsy parts are its water tank and its tamper. Its core brewing system, steam wand, and display screen are very durable.

Although you can reasonably expect the machine to last you well over five years, it will not retain its performance (or value) for as long as the Rancilio Silvia or the La Pavoni Europiccola.

Design and Build Quality Rating: 8/10

Value for Money

While the Breville Barista Pro is a good machine for the money, I think that you generally get better value buying a separate machine and grinder.

The Breville Barista Pro is reasonably priced in the sense that you get a good performance and a lot of features for your features.

However, I don’t like how the machine commits you to its less-than-stellar grinder.

If you want to upgrade your grinder, you’re then left with a machine with a built-in grinder (a feature you’ve paid a premium for) and a separate grinder.

This will cost you more in the long run (if you decide to upgrade your setup in this way).

Value for Money Rating: 7/10

Breville Barista Pros

Let’s you easily adjust every aspect of your espresso making including grind size and preinfusion time.

Its automatic shot timer makes it easy for beginners to dial in.

No need to buy an additional grinder.

Breville Barista Cons

It won’t make quite as good an espresso as many other machines listed here.

It’s not as durable as the La Pavoni Europiccola or the Rancilio Silvia espresso machine.

Best if You Have A Grinder: Rancilio Silvia Pro

Espresso Quality

The Rancilio Silvia makes a very good espresso out of the box and can make coffee shop quality espresso with a small tweak to its over-pressure valve.

The Rancilio Silvia has a more powerful pump than the Breville Barista Pro and Bambino so can therefore work with finer grinds.

This means that the Rancilio Silvia can make espresso with a bit more body than a Breville machine.

Many Rancilio Silvia users complain that the machine’s overpressure valve is set too high and that this can lead to bitter shots. 

However, its over-pressure valve is relatively easy to adjust (video on how to do it here) and once you do it it makes as good an espresso as you can get in a high-end coffee shop.

Espresso Quality Rating: 9/10

Functionalities

The Rancilio Silvia has relatively few functionalities. It can basically just brew espresso and steamed milk.

The Rancilio Silvia cannot:

• Automatically dose out your shots

• Grind your coffee beans for you

• Offer you any feedback on how your shot is pulling (it doesn’t have a pressure gauge or a shot timer).

This stripped-back design has two benefits:

• The machine is extremely durable (fewer parts to break down).

• The machine’s price/performance ratio is very high (you’re paying for the highest quality brewing mechanism possible and nothing else)

The choice between the Breville and the Rancilio Silvia is basically one of the functions (Breville) vs durability (Rancilio Silvia)

Functionalities Rating: 5/10

Ease of Use

The Rancilio Silvia’s lack of automatic volumetric dosing, PID, and the professional-grade steam wand makes it harder than most to use (especially for beginners).

The Rancilio Silvia is a harder espresso machine to use for three reasons:

• No volumetric dosing: You need to put scales under your cup if you want consistent shots.

• No PID: You’ll need to develop a temperature surfing routine if you want to pull consistent shots.

• Professional grade steam wand: This can lead to scorching your milk if you’re not already familiar with milk frothing.

Bear in mind that the machine’s lack of volumetric dosing and professional-grade steam wand is often seen as a good thing for more experienced espresso makers. It gives you more control over your shots and allows you to steam milk faster.

While the machine’s lack of PID is annoying, there are lots of resources online showing you how to add a PID to the Rancilio Silvia espresso machine.

Ease of Use Rating: 6/10

Design and Build Quality

The Rancilio Silvia is a potential buy-it-for-life product.

The Rancilio Silvia is built like a tank. It can last you well over ten years (and often a lot longer than this) so long as you descale it regularly.

It’s a regular on the buy it for life subreddit (a forum dedicated to products that can last you a lifetime). You can find two threads praising the machine here and here.

Some of the machine’s removable parts such as its portafilter and water tank are a bit flimsy, however, these are designed to be cheaply and easily replaced (the machine’s core is excellently built).

Design and Build Quality Rating: 9/10

Value for Money

The Rancilio Silvia offers good value for money given its durability and modification potential.

The Rancilio Silvia is a sub $1,000 espresso machine that can last you for life and has the potential to be upgraded to a $3,000 machine (while these upgrades won’t be free they will cost you significantly less than $2,000).

What stops the Rancilio Silvia from being an outstanding value purchase is the fact that you still need to buy a separate grinder to get the most out of it.

Value for Money Rating: 8/10

Rancilio Silvia Pros

Can make the best espresso of all machines under $1,000.

A potential buy-it-for-life product.

Has the fastest steam wand of all espresso machines under $1,000

Rancilio Silvia Cons

Not easy for beginners to use.

It can produce too high a pressure out of the box (this is relatively easy to adjust).

Best Espresso Machine and Grinder Combo: Breville Bambino and Baratza Sette270Wi

Espresso Quality

The Breville Bambino can make very good, but not quite outstanding, espresso when paired with the Baratza Sette270Wi.

The Breville Bambino’s flawless temperature control and accurate shot volume control allow it to make an excellent espresso when paired with a good quality grinder.

This is highlighted by an experiment that showed that a barista could make a better espresso with the Breville Bambino than a beginner with a $30,000 espresso machine (watch here). 

The Bambino’s limiting factor is its slightly too low pump pressure which means that it cannot work with as fine grinds as the Rancilio Silvia or La Pavoni Europiccola.

Espresso Quality: 8/10

Functionalities

The Breville Bambino has automatic shot volume dosing and allows you to adjust its shot volume size and pre-infusion length.

Its lack of a display screen makes it more difficult to make these adjustments compared to the Breville Barista Pro.

Still, its automatic volumetric dosing means you can pull shots without always having to get scales out. This makes it one of the best espresso machines for beginners.

Functionalities Rating: 7/10

Ease of Use

The Breville Bambino’s automatic temperature control and volumetric dosing make it easy to use, even for a beginner.

While you’ll need to experiment a little bit to pull a good shot with the Breville Bambino, it’s nowhere near as fiddly as the Rancilio Silvia (or any other semi-automatic home espresso machine like the Gaggia Classic Pro, for example).

While I wish the Bambino had a way of giving you feedback on your shot (such as a shot timer or pressure gauge), it’s still an easier espresso machine to use than most purely because of its automatic shot volume dosing.

Ease of Use Rating: 7/10

Design and Build Quality

While no part of the Breville Bambino feels flimsy, it’s not a buy-it-for-life product.

The Breville Bambino uses a thermojet heating system. 

While this is a high-quality mechanism that allows your machine to go from off to being able to pull a shot in three seconds, it’s not going to last you forever.

I think that you can reasonably expect your Breville Bambino to last over five years, but you’d be lucky if it lasts you over ten years (assuming daily use).

Design and Build Quality: 7/10

Value for Money

The Breville Bambino combined with the Baratza Sette is an excellent value purchase.

It will allow you to make a very good espresso without the same “grinder commitment” as the Breville Barista Pro.

Value for Money Rating: 9/10

Breville Bambino Pros

Has automatic shot volume dosing so you can brew consistent shots without having to weigh your espresso every time.

Heats up in three seconds.

Does not commit you to a specific grinder.

Breville Bambino Cons

Not as durable as some other espresso machines under $1,000.

Less powerful steam wand than most home espresso machines.

The Baratza Sette 270Wi is a conical burr grinder with 270 grind settings. I recommend the Baratza Sette 270Wi for three reasons:

• It measures by weight rather than time to grind: This means that you’re always getting a consistent dose regardless of grind size.

• You can grind straight into your portafilter: This means less mess and wasted beans.

• You can program three automatic doses: One for a single espresso, one for a double espresso, and one for a drip coffee.

Best Super Automatic Espresso Machine: Philips LatteGo 4300

Espresso Quality

The Philips 4300s makes a passable espresso.

Super-automatic espresso machines cannot make espresso with the same depth of flavor or body as you’d get from a portafilter-driven machine.

You’re sacrificing some espresso quality for the convenience of not having to grind, dose, and tamp your own beans – that’s just the deal with these types of machines.

Still, the Philips 4300’s espresso is not bad – it’s just closer to a moka pot espresso than one from a traditional espresso machine.

Similar story with the Philips 4300 LatteGo’s steamed milk – it won’t be as silky as what you’d get with a steam wand (latte art is definitely off the table), but on the flip side, you don’t need to fiddle around with a steam wand.

Espresso Quality Rating: 5/10

Functionalities

The Philips 4300 can make eight espresso drinks (including latte and cappuccino) at the touch of a button.

The machine also lets you customize each drink with just a few button presses.

This is far more functionality than any other machine on this list.

Functionalities Rating: 10/10

Ease of Use

The Philips 4300 allows you to make an espresso or a milk-based drink at the touch of a button.

This makes it far easier to use than any other espresso maker featured in this article. It even has an LCD screen to guide you through customizing your coffee drinks.

Its ease of use, even for someone who barely knows what an espresso is, is why I recommend it for offices.

Ease of Use Rating: 10/10

Design and Build Quality

The Philips 4300 is the least durable machine on this list.

This lack of durability is part of the parcel of super-automatic machines. It has far more moving parts than traditional espresso machines and therefore there are far more ways the machine can break down.

Philips offers a two-year warranty on their super-automatic machines. While I’d expect the machine to last longer than that, you’d be lucky to get five years of regular use out of it.

Design and Build Quality Rating: 6/10

Value for Money

If you want a super-automatic espresso machine then the Philips 4300 LatteGo offers good value for money.

It’s the cheapest espresso machine that has both an LCD screen and automatic milk frothing.

That’s why I named it the best super-automatic espresso machine for under $1,000.

Value for Money Rating: 8/10

Philips 4300 LatteGo Pros

Can make all the common espresso drinks at the touch of a button.

Can froth milk at the touch of a button.

Its LCD screen makes customizing your drinks as easy as possible.

Philips 4300 LatteGo Cons

It doesn’t make a particularly great espresso.

It’s not the most durable machine.

Best Manual Espresso Machine: La Pavoni EPC 8 Europiccola

Espresso Quality

The Europiccola can (but might not always) make an excellent espresso.

Its espresso quality ceiling is about on par with the Rancilio Silvia (and better than all other machines on this list).

Just bear in mind that since you’re in complete control of its brewing pressure and water temperature, it might not create an amazing espresso as consistently as some of the other machines under $1,000.

Espresso Quality: 8/10

Functionalities

The La Pavoni Europiccola can brew espresso and steam milk, however, you need to manage every aspect of this brewing and milk frothing.

The Europiccola has one button which turns the machine on. It starts heating your brewing water as soon as it turns on.

Everything else is controlled by you. It gives no assistance when it comes to generating brewing pressure or managing brewing or steaming pressure.

Functionalities Rating: 4/10

Ease of Use

The La Pavoni Europiccola is harder to use than any other machine listed here.

Your brewing pressure is determined by the force you exert on its lever – this gives you one more skill to master compared to the Rancilio Silvia (the second hardest machine on this list).

Still, its visible pressure gauge and relatively long lever make it easier to use than most manual espresso machines.

Ease of Use Rating: 4/10

Design and Build Quality

The La Pavoni Europiccola is both stunning and has buy-it-for-life potential.

It’s considered a design classic and a machine that still works after 40 years of use.

You can easily find replacement parts for it if a specific component breaks and its simple design makes it relatively easy to modify.

Design and Build Quality Rating: 10/10

Value For Money

While the La Pavoni Europiccola might not have the best price-to-utility ratio, it doesn’t seem outrageously priced to me.

$1,000 for a buy-it-for-life espresso machine is never a bad deal in my book.

Value for Money Rating: 8/10

La Pavoni Europiccola Pros

Can make as good an espresso as any domestic espresso machine.

Looks far better than any other espresso machine under $1,000.

A potential buy-it-for-life product.

La Pavoni Europiccola Cons

It’s harder to use than most espresso machines.

It struggles to make multiple shots in a row.

One to Avoid: Delonghi La Specialista

The Delonghi La Specialista built-in grinder is too poor to make a good espresso.

The Delonghi La Specialista is Delonghi’s answer to the Breville Barista Pro – an espresso machine with a built-in grinder and digital temperature control for under $1,000.

While the Breville Barista Pro’s grinder is satisfactory (but not amazing) the Delonghi’s one is terrible.

It only has six grind settings and cannot grind fine enough to pull a decent shot with. 

You either get under-extracted sour espresso, or you have to brew with pressurized portafilter baskets (in which case you might as well go for a cheaper coffee machine).

What to Ask Yourself When Buying an Espresso Machine Under $1,000

Here are the questions that you should ask if you’re not sure which espresso machine to get.

What Type of Espresso Machine Do You Want?

There are four types of espresso machines: automatic, semi-automatic, super-automatic, and manual.

Automatic Espresso Machine

Automatic espresso machines require you to grind and tamp your own beans but dose out your shot for you.

You just press a brew button and the machine will automatically stop brewing after a certain volume of water has been dispensed.

I think that you should see automatic espresso machines as the default option if you’re new to espresso brewing or not sure what type of machine you want.

They offer the best balance between control and ease of use. 

They take a bit of initial fiddling to “dial in” but once you’ve done that you can get consistent shots with one button press.

The best automatic espresso machines under $1,000 are the Breville Barista Pro or the Breville Bambino combined with the Baratza Sette 270Wi Grinder.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine

Semi-automatic espresso machines require you to grind and tamp your own beans in a portafilter and dose out each espresso shot manually.

Semi-automatics have one switch which you turn on to start brewing, and which you turn off to stop brewing.

This differs from automatic espresso machines where you just need to press a brew button once and the machine automatically stops you brew once a certain volume of water has been dispensed.

I recommend semi-automatic espresso machines to people who want to experiment with different coffee beans and brew ratios (such as making ristretto and lungo).

They give you more control over your brewing, however, you are going to have to brew with a scale under your cup if you want to pull consistent shots.

The best semi-automatic espresso machine under $1,000 is the Rancilio Silvia.

Super Automatic Espresso Machine

Super-automatic espresso machines grind, tamp, dose, and brew your espresso at the touch of a button.

For $1,000 you can get a super-automatic espresso machine with an automatic milk frother. This allows you to make different coffee drinks like a latte or cappuccino with one button press.

You can see a video of how this works below (watch from 13:23 – 16:05):

I’d recommend a super-automatic espresso machine if you don’t want to mess around with measuring out coffee beans and loading up a portafilter, or if you are buying a machine for an office setting.

The best super automatic espresso machine under $1,000 is the Philips 4300 LatteGo.

Manual Espresso Machine

Manual espresso machines require you to grind and tamp your own beans, dose out each shot, and create your own brewing pressure.

You create brewing pressure by pulling a lever. You can see how this works in the video below (watch from 6:12 – 7:06):

I’d recommend a manual espresso machine if you want a statement piece for your kitchen that can also make espresso.

There are certainly more convenient ways to make espresso that yield just as good results, but they’re not as cool to look at and use as a manual espresso machine.

The best manual espresso machine under $1,000 is the La Pavoni EPC-8 Europiccola.

Do I Want a Machine with a Separate Grinder or Built-in Grinder?

I generally recommend getting a separate espresso machine and coffee grinder.

Having a separate espresso machine and grinder gives you a lot more flexibility if you ever want to upgrade your espresso setup.

I, for example, currently have the Breville Barista Pro and want to upgrade my grinder.

This means I’m now going to be saddled with an espresso machine with a built-in grinder (which I paid a premium for because of its grinder) and a grinder.

This is not cost-effective.

If I had a separate machine and grinder and I wanted to upgrade, I could have upgraded either the machine or the grinder and sold my current one. 

This would have cost me less in the long run.

The best espresso machine and grinder combination under $1,000 is the Breville Bambino and the Baratza Sette 270Wi Grinder.

I’d only recommend an espresso machine with a built-in grinder if you have limited countertop space or if you specifically want a super-automatic espresso machine.

An espresso machine with a built-in grinder will almost always be more space efficient than having a separate machine and grinder.

The best espresso machine with a built-in grinder is the Breville Barista Pro.

The best super-automatic espresso machine is the Philips 4300 LatteGo.

Do I Want A Boiler or Thermoblock/Thermojet Heating System?

Espresso machines with thermoblock/thermojet heating systems are easier to use but lack the durability of machines with boiler heating systems.

The table below shows the differences between a boiler and a thermoblock/thermojet heating system:

You manage a boiler espresso machine’s brewing temperature through “temperature surfing”. The video below shows you the basics of temperature surfing with the Rancillio Silvia:

If you can’t be bothered with temperature surfing, then choose a machine with a thermoblock/thermojet heating system.

If this process doesn’t look too daunting then I’d recommend a single boiler machine – they tend to last much longer than machines with a thermoblock/thermojet heating system.

The table below shows each machine featured in this article’s heating system:

Would I Ever Want to Mod the Machine?

If you think you’d ever want to upgrade your espresso machine by opening it up and playing around with its internal parts then I’d recommend you get the Rancilio Silvia.

Not only is the Rancilio Silvia by far the easiest machine to modify, but it’s also the only home espresso machine on this list to have active modder communities online.

This means that you’ll easily find guides and discussions on modding every aspect of the machine from its steam wand to its heating system. 

It’s not all that difficult to turn the Rancilio Silvia from a $1,000 to a $3,000 machine with about a $500 spend and a bit of effort.

Best Espresso Machine Under $1,000 Dollars: Final Verdict

If your budget is $1,000 for an espresso machine and a grinder then I’d recommend either getting the:

• Breville Barista Pro (which has a built-in grinder)
• Breville Bambino and Baratza Sette 270Wi (the machine and grinder together) will cost just under $1,000)

If you already have a grinder and your $1,000 is just for a machine then I’d recommend getting the Rancilio Silvia.