There are a number of different espresso machines that you can buy and it can be difficult to figure out which one would best suit your needs.
This post will show you 6 espresso machines that you can buy for under $1500 that have all received many good reviews and have proven to be reliable and high quality options.
There are two types of espresso machines recommended in this post which are semi-automatic and super-automatic espresso machines.
The difference between the two is that, with semi-automatic machines, you are the one that determines when the shot is done and you will need to tamp the coffee grind. Whereas, super-automatic machines will automate the entire process for you all you need to do is to put water and coffee beans into the machine.
| Espresso Machine | Type | Features |
| Breville Barista Express on Amazon | Semi- automatic | Built-in grinder, espresso size selector, milk frother, hot water dispenser, automatic shutoff, drip tray, tamper included, portafilter included |
| DeLonghi Magnifica XS Compact on Amazon | Super- Automatic | Milk frother, grinder with 13 settings, auto shutoff, coffee maker, ability to adjust temperature, strength and size of espresso, automatically makes cappuccino |
| Breville Dual Boiler on Amazon | Semi-automatic | PID control, filter, portafilter, tamper, regulates extraction temp, gradually increases water pressure, easy cleaning, |
| Jura E6 on Amazon | Super-automatic | Automatically makes cappuccino, Coffee, two coffees, Espresso, two Espresso, milk foam 8 coffee strength options, Auto-shutoff, water filter, internal grinder |
| DeLonghi Magnifica S Smart on Amazon | Super-automatic | Integrated grinder, automatic foam system, removable milk unit, water filter, Auto-shutoff makes Cappuccino; Latte; Espresso Macchiato; Double Shot |
| Saeco Incanto on Amazon | Super-automatic | Automatically makes espresso, lungo, latte, cappuccino, and can be programmed to make others, 5 grinder settings, Auto-cleaning cycle, Remembers your preferred settings |
These espresso machines are top picks because of how well they have been received among their users and how reliable they have proven to be so far.
Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express is one of the most popular espresso machines available and it has received many good reviews amongst its users.
It is a semi-automatic machine meaning that you will need to be the one to tamp the grind and to time the shot.
However, the Breville Barista Express comes with an automatic grinder where all you need to do is to put the beans into the machine, select the grind fineness and the grind amount and it will do it all for you.
To get the grind out you push on a latch using the portafilter that comes with the machine and the grind will then pour out onto the portafilter.
You then tamp the grind using a tamper that comes with the machine, put the portafilter into the machine and select the espresso size to make the espresso.
The Breville Barista Express also comes with a milk steamer so you will be able to make cappuccino, latte and other espresso-based drinks easily using the machine.
It also comes with a hot water dispenser that you can use to make Americano or long black with.
It can hold 67 oz of water and it comes with a removable drip tray that will let you know when it is full via a latch that floats up when it is full.
The capacity of the grinder is 8 oz which should be enough for any of your espresso needs.
You can watch the video review below to get a full overview of what the Breville Barista Express offers.
If you are interested in getting the Breville Barista Express then you can get it online here on Amazon.
DeLonghi Magnifica XS Compact
The DeLonghi Magnifica XS Compact is another popular espresso machine that has received many good reviews amongst its users.
It is a super-automatic espresso machine meaning that it will automate the entire espresso making process for you. All that you have to do is to select the beans that you want to use and to put them into the machine.
Buttons for single and double shot espresso as well as single or double long coffee. It also features a dial that allows you to adjust the strength of the espresso by adjusting the amount of coffee grind that is used for brewing.
It also comes with a steaming wand that has a special tip to make it easier to prepare latte or cappuccino. If you want to get a machine that will make cappuccino or latte without you having to do anything then consider the Saeco Incanto.
It comes with an automatic grinder that allows you to select the grind size that you want and has enough capacity to make 14 single espressos with.
It also comes with a removable water tank with a capacity of 60 fluid ounces which is a lot for a machine of its size.
You can watch the video below to see more of what the DeLonghi XS Compact has to offer.
If you’re interested in getting it then you can find it here on Amazon.
Breville Dual Boiler
The Breville Dual Boiler espresso machine is a premium espresso machine that has established itself as a high quality and reliable espresso machine.
It is a semi-automatic machine so you’ll be the one that grinds the beans, tamps them and that controls the brewing time.
Being a dual boiler machine means that it has a boiler for the brewing and a boiler for steaming. This means that you can make espresso and steam the milk Simultaneously meaning that you should be able to make espresso using the machine more quickly.
It comes with a milk steamer, a hot water dispenser, 4 baskets and it features a tamper and a stainless steel portafilter which are specifically designed to be used with the machine.
It allows you to program that shot size that you want to get out of the machine so that it automatically defaults to that setting every time that you use it. You can also program that boiler temperature, you can also program it to turn on at a certain time.
It will also automatically backflush itself for you so you will not have to do it yourself which will help to reduce your cleaning time and to prolong the life of the machine.
You can watch the video review below to see the Breville Dual Boiler in action.
If you’re interested in getting it then you can get it here on Amazon.
Jura E6
The Jura E6 is another premium espresso machine that has been well received amongst its users.
It is a super-automatic machine so it will make the espresso entirely by itself without you having to do anything other than to put the beans and water into the machine.
It features an automatic grinder that can hold up to 9.9 ounces of coffee beans so you won’t need to be filling it up very often. The water tank will also hold 66 ounces of water and it comes with a smart water filter that will automatically tell you when it needs to be replaced.
It will also allow you to Automatically make cappuccino, Coffee, two coffees, two Espresso sizes and milk foam. It also allows you to control the temperature and the amount of grams of coffee grind to make the espresso with so you will be able to control the strength of the espresso more easily.
It has a milk sucking device that will suck up milk from a reservoir of your choosing that it will then heat up and use to make latte, cappuccino or milk foam.
If you’re interested in getting the Jura E6 then you can check it out here on Amazon.
You can watch the video below to see a review of the Jura E6.
DeLonghi Magnifica S Smart
The DeLonghi Magnifica S Smart is an upgrade over a previous model made by DeLonghi that was a popular machine.
It is a super-automatic machine that will automatically make espresso, latte, a doubles shot espresso, cappuccino and macchiato espresso. All you need to do is to add beans to the grinder and to fill the water tank with water every so often.
It features settings allowing you to control the amount of beans that get used to make the coffee with and the amount of water that gets used to make the espresso. This means that it will be easy for you to control the strength of the espresso based on your taste.
It also features an automatic grinder that holds 10 ounces of beans and a water tank that can hold up to 61 ounces of water. It also comes with a hot water dispenser and a removable milk container that is used to automatically make latte and cappuccino.
You can watch the video below to see how the machine works.
If you are interested in the DeLonghi Magnifica S Smart then you can find it here on Amazon.
Saeco Incanto
The Saeco Incanto is an update on a previous model that was very popular.
It is a super-automatic espresso machine that will automatically make espresso, lungo, latte, cappuccino, and can be programmed to make other types of drinks based on your preferences.
It comes with a automatic grinder that will hold up to 9 ounces of coffee beans that has 5 different grind settings and the water tank that it uses will hold up to 54 ounces so you shouldn’t need to add beans or water too often.
It has a removable automatic milk dispenser that is used to make latte and cappuccino without you having to steam the milk yourself. By removing the milk dispenser the machine will also allow you to dispense hot water.
It has a programmable menu that lets you control the temperature of the coffee, standby time, water hardness, water filter, a descale option and or you can revert if back to factory settings.
You can watch the video below to see more about the Saeco Incanto.
If you’re interested in the Saeco Incanto then you can find it here on Amazon.
