How much should you spend on your first espresso machine?
Spend enough to get a machine that holds temperature and takes a real portafilter — and not so much that the grinder becomes an afterthought. The entry tier here holds 12 machines, 5 of them with a PID, which is plenty for a first setup that lasts years.
What the entry tier actually contains
"Entry" in this database means roughly under $700, and it is a more capable band than its reputation suggests. Of the 12 machines in it: 9 use a thermoblock, 3 use a single boiler, 5 have a PID, and 2 are super-automatics that grind and brew for you. What it does not contain is any machine that can brew and steam at the same time — that capability starts a tier up.
Three honest starting points
You want to learn to pull shots
A semi-automatic with a real portafilter, ideally with a PID so temperature stops being one of the things you are debugging. Budget for a separate grinder from day one.
You want good milk drinks with minimum fuss
Look at milk-drink machines and be honest about how many you make in a row. One or two: entry tier is fine. Four every morning: you will want simultaneous brew-and-steam and you will get there eventually, so consider skipping a step.
You want coffee, not a hobby
A bean-to-cup machine. It is a legitimate choice, not a lesser one, and it removes the grinder question entirely by making it inseparable.
Machines suited to beginners
These 18 are tagged for beginners across every tier — start at the top of the list.
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Common questions
How much should I spend on my first espresso machine?
Enough to reach a machine that holds temperature and takes a real portafilter, and no more than leaves you unable to afford a grinder. The entry tier here (roughly under $700) contains 12 machines, 5 of them with a PID — you are not required to leave it to get a genuinely capable first setup.
Is a cheap espresso machine worth buying?
The very cheapest pressurised-basket machines make something espresso-shaped and are hard to improve at. The entry tier proper is a different story: it is where most people start and stay for years. The failure mode is not spending too little on the machine — it is spending everything on the machine and nothing on the grinder.
Should my first machine be a super-automatic?
If what you want is a good drink with no ritual, yes, and you should stop feeling bad about it. 2 of the 12 entry machines here are super-automatics. If you want to learn to pull shots, a semi-automatic teaches you something a super-automatic deliberately hides.
What should I not compromise on in a first machine?
Two things: a real (unpressurised-capable) portafilter, so you can actually learn, and enough temperature stability to make one variable stop moving. After that, compromise freely — plastic housings, small water tanks and modest steam power are all survivable. The grinder is the thing to hold the line on.
More guides: Single boiler vs heat exchanger vs dual boiler · Do you need a PID? · 58mm vs 54mm vs 51mm portafilter · 9 bar vs 15 bar: why more bars is not better · Machine or grinder: where the money goes · Browse the data: by boiler · by price · every machine