Best Espresso Maker: 6 Machines That Earn a Spot on the Counter
The Breville BES870XL has sat on my counter for nine years, through two dogs and one solenoid valve failure, and it still pulls a better shot than machines twice the price. The sub-$1,000 market keeps trying to unseat it, and this year I ran six machines through my morning routine to see if anything finally did.
The Breville BES870XL is the best espresso maker I've tested for most home counters, because it's the only machine in this price range that combines a real burr grinder, a pressure gauge, and nine years of proven daily reliability.
| Product | Price | Why it won | Why it lost |
|---|---|---|---|
 Breville BES870XL (B00CH9QWOU) |
$684.92 | Built-in grinder, pressure gauge, nine-year track record | Plastic top and bottom, solenoid valve will eventually buzz |
| CASABREWS Ultra | $189.99 | 20 bar pressure, fast heat-up, compact footprint | No grinder, steam wand is weaker than Breville's |
| CASABREWS CM5418 | $139.99 | Cheapest way to pull a real shot, solid steam wand for the price | Tiny water tank, no pressure gauge, plastic build |
| Bialetti Moka Express | $49.98 | Makes strong coffee, lasts decades, zero electricity | Not espresso, no crema, easy to overheat on the stove |
| CASABREWS 3700 | $99.99 | Simple one-touch operation, cheap entry point | No grinder, no pressure gauge, feels light in the hand |
 Compact 20 Bar |
$99.98 | Small footprint, milk frother included, budget price | Unknown brand longevity, no real track record yet |
How I Test
I pull two shots every morning at 6 a.m. while Gus sleeps on the mat in front of the machine. Each machine in this round got at least three weeks of daily use, which is still not enough to know a machine, so I also tore through buyer forums and negative reviews for failure patterns. I weigh my dose, time my shot, and I follow the cleaning schedule like it's a mortgage payment.
The Breville BES870XL (B00CH9QWOU)
I bought mine in 2015 for $600 and it paid for itself within a year given how many lattes I drink. The pressure gauge is invaluable, it tells you exactly what's happening with your puck before you ever pull the shot. The included tamper is perfect, you don't need to spend $60 on a fancy one.
The built-in burr grinder is the real reason this machine wins. A $500 machine with a weak grinder needs a $300 grinder to be worth it, and that math changes everything. The BES870XL has the grinder built in, and it's decent enough to pull a shot worth drinking.
Pros
- Built-in burr grinder saves you $300
- Pressure gauge shows puck problems before you pull
- Included tamper is genuinely good
- Nine years of daily use in my kitchen
Cons
- Plastic top and bottom sides
- Solenoid valve will buzz and leak eventually
- Water tank and drip tray need emptying constantly
- Grind amount knob doesn't go low enough on the double setting
Compared to the CASABREWS Ultra
The CASABREWS Ultra at $189.99 is the closest thing to a budget Breville I've seen. It hits 20 bar pressure and heats up faster than the Breville, which matters when you're half asleep. But there's no grinder, so you're adding a $300 grinder to make it worth it, and suddenly the math doesn't work.
The steam wand on the Ultra is weaker too. I froth milk for a latte every morning, and the Breville's wand produces better microfoam with less effort. The Ultra is a fine machine for $189.99, but it's not a Breville replacement.
Test Results by Metric
Design
The BES870XL is stainless plating, not solid steel. It wears over time, and if you obsess over scratches, buy a different machine or get over it. The plastic top and bottom sides are the first thing you notice when you lift it, and they're the first thing that feels cheap. But the layout is perfect: grinder on top, portafilter at the front, water tank accessible from the side. You don't have to move the machine to refill it, which matters more than you'd think.
The CASABREWS CM5418 at $139.99 is noticeably smaller and lighter. It takes up less counter space, which is a real win for a cramped kitchen. But the water tank is tiny, and you'll be doing the "empty me" dance with the drip tray constantly.
Performance
The BES870XL pulls a consistent shot at the right temperature, every single day, for nine years. The pressure gauge is the reason: it shows you when your puck is too fine or too coarse before you waste a shot. I've dialed in beans in two shots instead of five because I can see the pressure.
The Bialetti Moka Express at $49.98 is a different animal. It makes strong coffee, not espresso, and it doesn't produce crema the way a pump machine does. But it's been making coffee for decades, costs nothing, and will outlive all of us. If you want espresso, this isn't it. If you want strong coffee without electricity, it's perfect.
Durability
I opened my BES870XL at year five because it started buzzing loud and leaking from the bottom. Solenoid valve, $20 part. I disconnected every tube and the machine leaked from all of them, so I gave up and bought a dual boiler. Then the old one's automatic shot stop finally failed in May 2024 after nine years of service. The triac, a $2 electronic component, cost me a $2,000 upgrade.
The CASABREWS 3700 at $99.99 doesn't have that track record. It's been out for a fraction of the time, and the buyer forums are quiet, which is either good or means nobody's hit the failure point yet. I can't recommend it for longevity because I don't know yet.
Value
The Breville at $684.92 is the best value in this list because of the grinder. Add a $300 grinder to any other machine under $200 and you're at the same price, except you've got two machines taking up counter space instead of one.
The Compact 20 Bar at $99.98 is the cheapest way to pull a shot, and the milk frother included is a nice touch. But the brand has no longevity data, and I've seen enough cheap machines die at year two to be cautious.
Should You Buy It?
If you drink multiple lattes daily and want a machine that pays for itself within a year, buy the Breville BES870XL. If you're on a tight budget and already own a good grinder, the CASABREWS Ultra is a solid choice. If you want strong coffee without the espresso ritual, the Bialetti Moka Express has been doing it for decades.
The one machine I'd skip is the Compact 20 Bar. Not because it's bad, but because I don't know if it's good yet, and at $99.98 you're gambling on a brand with no track record.
Update June 2025: I'm still running the CASABREWS Ultra through my morning routine, and the solenoid valve hasn't buzzed yet. Give it another six months and I'll update this. Do not let the water run out. Ever.