Best Home Espresso Machines Under £500
Buying a home espresso machine is a great way to start making coffee shop quality drinks in your own home.
Although it may seem like a large initial investment at first, the amount of money you will save by making coffee at home instead of going out will make the machine pay for itself in no time.
Con’s
Espresso not as good as higher-end machines
Steam wand isn’t powerful enough for latte art
Only a single boiler machine
Pro’s
Slim design
Fast to heat up
Has a few programmable options
Simple steam wand with froth/hot milk switch
Good size water tank
Very user friendly
Bottom Line
If you are sticking to a tight budget and want a nice looking machine that gives you a hassle-free coffee, then the Dedica is a great choice.
Although the espresso won’t be amazing and the milk foam is somewhat limited, it will still give you a good tasting drink. Plus it looks great in your kitchen without taking up too much space!
Con’s
Espresso not as good as higher-end machines
Only single boiler machine
Pro’s
Conventional steam wand with foam/temperature control
Compact size
Has a few programmable options
Heats up in 3 seconds
Very user friendly
Bottom Line
This is a great option if you want a user-friendly machine that does most of the leg work for you. It’ll give you a good espresso and a slightly better milk foam than the Dedica.
Con’s
Not as automatic as the Bambino
Larger footprint
Reasonably small water tank
Only single boiler machine
Pro’s
Large cup warmer
Large drip tray
Heats up very fast
Auto-cool feature
PID temperature control
Bottom Line
Considering the near-identical price between this and the Bambino, if you have a bit of extra counter top space and prefer a little more manual intervention when making your coffee, this would be the better choice.
With the extra features such as PID temperature control (for more consistent brew temperatures) and a non-pressurised basket, this model offers great value for money.
Con’s
Only single boiler so can’t brew and steam simultaneously
Not as automated as cheaper alternatives
Descaling can be tricky
Larger footprint
Pro’s
Has 3-way solenoid valve for pressure release (and dry puck)
Commercial steam wand
Large drip tray
58mm commercial-sized filter basket
Bottom Line
For those who want to take coffee making more seriously, the Gaggia Classic gives you a superior tasting espresso and has a commercial style steam wand which is great for latte art.
For under £500, this is about as close as you will get to a coffee shop style espresso machine.
Pro’s
Commercial standard components
Powerful steam wand
Non-pressurised filter basket
Angled portafilter handle which makes tamping easier
Has 3-way solenoid valve for pressure release (and dry puck)
58mm commercial-sized filter basket
Con’s
Can take a while to warm up to brewing temperature (20-30 minutes)
Only single boiler so can’t brew and steam simultaneously
Larger footprint
No PID so hard to control the temperature
Industrial design
Bottom Line
The Rancilio Silvia is a classic home coffee espresso machine and is renowned for producing a cafe like quality drink. It’s a great choice for users who take coffee brewing seriously and want coffee shop style drinks at home.
This machine will let you brew a full-bodied espresso and frothy cappuccinos with ease. Just bear in mind that you will need a coffee grinder that is capable of brewing for espresso as well as it doesn’t take ESE pods or use a pressurised filter basket.
When comparing this to the Gaggia Classic Pro, they are very similar espresso machines however the steam wand on the Silvia is slightly more powerful and many argue you will get a better shot too. One of the downsides is the warm-up time, the Silvia takes longer to warm up than the Classic and also takes longer to reach steam temperature after brewing.
Summary
So these are our recommendations for the best home espresso machines under 500 pounds. When choosing between the models I would recommend going for the most expensive you can afford as the price to quality is very comparable.
It’s also worth bearing in mind the amount of manual intervention and control you want to have; the lower-priced models such as the Dedica give you less control but will do most of the legwork for you and give you a good tasting drink. However, if you take coffee more seriously and want to develop your technique, it’s worth going for a model with more control.
The home espresso machine which really stands out would be the Gaggia Classic. This is in the more expensive end of the list, however it’s really in a class above the rest as it’s considered a machine compared to the others (excluding the Rancilio Silvia) which are ‘appliances’. It’s very similar to the Rancilio Silvia however the quicker warm-up time and design give it a slight edge.
In addition to an espresso machine, it’s recommended to spend around the same amount of money on a good grinder to match. Ensuring your grinder can grind fine enough for espresso and grinds consistency is arguably as important as the espresso machine itself. So this is also important to bear in mind when deciding on your budget and choosing a machine.
Glossary
Before we get into things, here is a brief glossary to help explain some of the jargon.
Single vs Double Boiler - Single boiler machines only let you either brew espresso OR steam milk. Double boiler machines let you do both at the same time and you won’t need to wait for the boiler to cool down
Pressurised vs Non-Pressurised Filter Baskets - Non-pressurised baskets are the coffee shop standard, they give you a better espresso but have more margin for error when extracting. Pressurised are aimed more towards beginners and will produce a hassle-free good espresso
Programmable Options - These options let you adjust parameters such as brew temperature, brew time, etc so you have more control over your shot
Dry vs Wet Puck - After you’ve brewed an espresso you will be left with a ‘puck’ of coffee grounds in your filter basket. Machines without 3 way solenoid valves have a mushy/wet puck which is much harder to clean. Ones with the valve are dry and can be easily knocked out.