10 Best Commercial Espresso Machines


hand of a lady is holding a cup and getting some coffee from the espresso machine

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What is the best commercial espresso machine? Don’t you wish someone would just TELL you? Every machine out there sounds like the best commercial espresso machine when you read the specs and advertising, but a lot of them fail the test once you get them home. We’ve done a thorough review of the Kona French Press and nine of the best commercial espresso machines. By the time we’re done, we’ll know which machine to choose.

Compariso of the Best Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B00FMJDJ5C,B000N2YKQ0,B013DPYPAO,B00CH9QWOU,B016RYODRS,B07DD2GPSW,B00H1OUSD2,B0195V8OPW,B000FEHG1M,B00CZ4XKEM” template=”table”]

Espresso Machine FAQ

1. What Is a Commercial Espresso Machine?

By calling it “commercial,” we mean that you can make the same quality espresso with the machine as you could get in a cafe. The best commercial espresso machine will bring the quality of the coffee shop to your home. You can make Americanos, cappuccinos, and lattes in your own home. Best of all, you can make it whenever you like and at a fraction of the cost of going to a traditional coffee shop.

2. What Do the Best Commercial Espresso Machines Do?

All of these machines apply heat and pressure to coffee grounds, extracting their flavor and chemicals like caffeine for your enjoyment. The best machines do this quickly and safely. They also allow you, the user, to adjust the settings in ways that let you achieve exactly the flavor and intensity you want.The best machines often also include a steaming wand to let you prepare milk to add to your espresso. The wand will let you steam, heat, or froth milk for the perfect cuppa.

3. How Is Espresso Different From Regular Coffee?

Whatever type of java you drink, it should be robust and flavorful. What it should not be is bitter. Bitterness can be caused by using old beans, by overgrinding or undergrinding the beans, by exposing hot water to the grounds for too long, or by using too dark a roast.

Regular coffee can be fine and delicious, but it’s easy to get a bitter cup. Espresso by its very nature reduces the likelihood of getting the wrong grind or too much extraction time. If you’re using one of the best commercial espresso machines in your very own home, you are also in control of the age of the beans, the roast, and the size of the grind. You never have to suffer through a bitter cup again.

4. Where Can You Buy a Commercial Espresso Machine?

We’ve provided links for all these machines, and most of them are available on Amazon. You can also get them at most kitchen supply stores, at cafe/coffee outfitters and online shops, and many other places. A quick Google search will turn up plenty of links for each model so you can find the best deal possible.

5. How Do I Make the Perfect Cup with My Machine?

Whether you get the Kona French Press or the Breville Barista Express, there are a few things you’ll want to do to make sure your brew is perfect. Assuming you’ve gotten good beans with the right roast and grind and are using your machine correctly, here’s all you need to know:

  • Pre-brew for about five seconds
  • Use water at 208 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Use filtered water that is free of chemicals
  • Pump the water through the grounds at 9 bars of pressure
  • Keep your extraction time as short as possible: less than 20 seconds

How We Reviewed

Coffee beans and ceramic mugs on black surface

Image by Pixabay via Pexels

We looked at 10 of the best commercial espresso machines on the market right now. We considered the features of each, weighed the pros and cons during use, compared prices, and looked at what real users like yourself had to say about why they loved or hated a machine. We’ve got a favorite, but all these machines will do a good job. There might be one that’s just perfect for you!

Overall Price Range of Espresso Machines

White coffee cup on top of beans

Image by Pixabay via Pexels

Some of these machines are powered by electricity and come with so many bells and whistles that you’d think they should be able to make your entire breakfast for you, not just your coffee. The Kona French Press is as simple as a coffee press. All of them make amazing brews, but the price is going to depend on how many features you want. You can pay as little as $25 and as much as $3000.

What We Reviewed

  • Kona French Press
  • DeLonghi Magnifica Espresso Machine
  • Saeco X-Small Vapore Espresso Machine
  • Breville Barista Express
  • Gaggia Anima Prestige Coffee Machine
  • Saeco Incanto Plus
  • Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine
  • Bezzera Magica Espresso Machine
  • La Pavoni Napolitana
  • Grindmaster-Cecilware Espresso Machine

Kona French Press

[amazon box=”B00FMJDJ5C”]

Features

In the Kona French Press, we’re starting with the simplest and cheapest you coffee maker of the bunch. But simple and cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad. The Kona French Press delivers amazing coffee in what some consider the purest way: just mixing whole bean coffee and hot water and letting the magic happen.

The Kona French Press comes with a three-part infuser filter system that ensures you’ll never get gritty bits in your java. The high-quality glass won’t break easily, either.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Simple to use
  • Easy to clean
  • Resistant to chips, scratches, and cracks
  • Quiet
  • Easy to transport

Cons

  • No way to make true espresso
  • Cannot heat water
  • Cannot separate carafe from the frame

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

The Kona French Press has a 90-day warranty.

DeLonghi Magnifica Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B000N2YKQ0″]

Features

DeLonghi’s super automatic machine shines in the milk department. The frother mixes steam and milk in a true cafe style, letting you make the perfect cappuccino. It’s easy to use, and you can programme it to do everything short of launching a missile.

You’ll only need to clean this half as often as other brands, and if you can’t be bothered with maintenance, you can just call DeLonghi, and they’ll come to maintain it for you.

Pros

  • Excellent milk frother
  • Uses whole or ground beans
  • Easy to use
  • Comes with a cup warmer

Cons

  • Relatively small water reserve
  • Bin for the grounds is of poor quality
  • Warning lights are not always clear

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

This machine comes with a two-year warranty.

Saeco X-Small Vapore Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B013DPYPAO”]

Features

This is an elegant little machine that looks great in any kitchen. It makes a delightful espresso, and the premium ceramic grinder can be customized to any setting you prefer. It works quickly and even comes with an automatic cleaning function.

Pros

  • Good price for the machine
  • Elegant profile
  • Easy to use
  • Quality ceramic grinder
  • Makes excellent coffee

Cons

  • Can’t adjust the ratio of water to grounds
  • Some parts feel cheap
  • Can be difficult to figure out at first

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

There is no warranty information until you buy, though you are invited to purchase warranty extensions of one or two years for an extra cost.

Breville Barista Express

[amazon box=”B00CH9QWOU”]

Features

This is an Italian marvel featuring 15 bar pressure and a 1600 watt coil for fast heating. It has a premium conical burr grinder and a sealed hopper for your beans, so you’ll always have the perfect grind and keep your beans fresh.

There’s a huge water tank, precise temperature control, and a micro-foam milk steam wand. This machine is big, but that’s because it delivers serious espresso.

Pros

  • Cafe quality espresso
  • Perfect temperature and pressure control
  • Large water carafe
  • Keeps beans fresh
  • High-quality grinder

Cons

  • Very large profile for a home kitchen
  • Expensive
  • Water catcher needs regular emptying

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

This machine has a limited warranty that lasts for a year.

Gaggia Anima Prestige Copy Machine

[amazon box=”B016RYODRS”]

Features

This machine does it all. It pulls shots, froths lattes, steams cappuccino, and does it all automatically. They’ve thought about all the little things, so it’s easy to reach all the parts and manipulate the settings to get just the cup you want. Once you set it up, it’s one-touch perfection.

Pros

  • Makes quality espresso
  • Large carafe
  • Easy to access parts
  • Makes excellent frothed milk

Cons

  • Difficult to clean
  • Documentation can be hard to understand
  • Some feel the milk and espresso are not hot enough
  • Milk function is not truly “one-touch.”

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

This machine comes with a two-year warranty.

Saeco Incanto Plus

[amazon box=”B07DD2GPSW”]

Features

This is one of the best commercial espresso machines you can buy. It comes with a selection of steaming attachments, and all the parts are easy to access. Programming is a breeze, and the power save function automatically shuts it off anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours after the last use, depending on how you program it.

Pros

  • Makes good coffee
  • Holds plenty of water
  • Quality ceramic grinder
  • Makes great foam and crema

Cons

  • Only one cup size of 7oz of coffee beans
  • Some people will find the coffee too cool
  • Buttons can be difficult to program

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

This product comes with a one-year warranty.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B00H1OUSD2″]

Features

This professional-grade machine has an articulating steam wand and a beautiful design that will be an aesthetic plus to your kitchen. It offers great extraction times and heat control, and the filters make sure your water is always good quality.

Pros

  • Makes great coffee
  • Heats well
  • Durable switches and electrical components
  • Easy to use
  • Casing and frame are a durable metal

Cons

  • Some components are an inferior plastic or silicone
  • Water carafe is a bit small
  • Consistent brewing takes practice

Where to Buy

This product is available on Amazon.

Warranty

Interestingly, the warranty card specifies what is and is not covered and the method for obtaining help, but it does not specify any time limit.

Bezzera BZ10 Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B0195V8OPW”]

Features

This is the machine you want if you want to serve up lattes for all your friends forever. The thermosyphon system keeps water circulating constantly, so it never cools down. The amazing copper boiler lets you pull shots and froth milk at the same time, and two separate manometers make sure extraction time and pressure is always perfect.

If you love history, there’s a bonus to this machine. The company, Bezzera, was founded by Luigi Bezzera, who debuted the first espresso machine at the Milan International Fair in 1906.

Pros

  • Makes commercial quality coffee
  • Easy to understand controls and wands
  • Always hot
  • Easy to pull shots and froth simultaneously
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Water carafe is a bit small for the price
  • Very expensive

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

The company does not give information about the warranty, but most sellers offer a 60-day money-back guarantee.

La Pavoni Napolitana

[amazon box=”B000FEHG1M”]

Features

This is a more economical, but solid, machine. It’s only 27 pounds, has a quality conical bur grinder, and delivers water at 16 bars of pressure. It heats water quickly, provides plenty of steam, and is made of quality stainless steel.

Pros

  • Excellent price for the functionality
  • Makes good espresso with fine crema
  • Excellent steaming function

Cons

  • Louder than some other machines
  • Drip trays are inferior plastic
  • Can be problematic if the pump is allowed to run dry

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

There is no manufacturer warranty information on this product, but most sellers offer a 60-day money back guarantee.

Grindmaster-Cecilware Espresso Machine

[amazon box=”B00CZ4XKEM”]

Features

If you are ready to open a cafe in your kitchen, then this might be the best commercial espresso machine for you. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Perhaps. It will indeed perform under commercial use pressure and can make either one or two cups at a time. The touch control panel feels sophisticated, and the double gauge means temperatures and pressure are always right.

Pros

  • Heavy-duty, durable machine
  • Precise temperature and pressure
  • Automatic cleaning function
  • Can make up to 240 cups an hour

Cons

  • Too expensive for most home users
  • Difficult to move or fit in the kitchen

Where to Buy

This product can be found on Amazon.

Warranty

This machine is imported, so individual sellers offer their own warranties. Contact a seller to find out what kind of protection you can get.

The Verdict

Six white ceramic mugs with espresso coffee

Image by rawpixel.com via Pexels

There’s a lot of good quality coffee to be made, and any of these machines will get you some of it. If you’re new to the espresso machine scene and want to get a quality machine at a good price, we recommend the Breville Barista Express. It’s a quality machine that’s simple to use and comes at a good price.

If you want a top-of-the-line machine, try the La Pavoni Napolitana. Although it’s not the most expensive option, it makes coffee as if it was. The Grindmaster will make better coffee, but unless you need to make 200+ cups day, the Grindmaster is a bit of overkill.

If you just want something that makes a good cup of coffee, is easy to use, can be taken anywhere, and doesn’t cost much, the Kona French Press is the way to go. It’s not technically one of the best commercial espresso machines, but it will deliver great coffee every time.

Image by poedynchuk from Pixabay

Featured image by Burst via Pexels.

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