Best Home Espresso Machines for Beginners of 2025

Getting into home espresso doesn't mean you have to become a professional barista and it certainly doesn't need to break the bank.

If you're looking to get your start with brewing at home, an entry-level espresso machine is the perfect choice for a beginner. We've compiled a list of our favorite machines across a range of performance features and price points to satisfy anyone looking to improve the quality of their home espresso without getting overwhelmed in the process.

Read on for our picks for the machines we think are the best options for anyone looking to start brewing espresso and making drinks like lattes and cappuccinos at home.

We've also got a video on this topic that I'll link below that you can watch if you prefer that to reading.

Gaggia Espresso Evolution

The Gaggia Espresso Evolution is the most entry-level espresso machine in our Gaggia catalog and a great choice for anyone looking for a lower barrier to entry in terms of both price and complexity. This is a machine that borrows heavily from Gaggia's super-automatic espresso machines, with features like an on-demand thermoblock boiler and an auto-frothing pannarello style steam wand to simplify the process of steaming milk.

Keeping it simple with just three buttons, with the machine powered on you can either brew or steam, and that's it. The brew button in the middle will flash as the machine heats up, so you'll easily know when you're ready to brew. Just like a super-automatic, you can press and hold the brew button to program your desired volume. Pressing the steam button switches the machine to steam mode for frothing milk. The steam pipe on the Espresso Evolution is compatible Gaggia's Capp-in-Cup auto frother so you can further simplify making milk drinks and store leftover milk in the fridge via the glass carafe.

Coffee wise, the Espresso Evolution is geared towards brewing with pre-ground coffee or pre-measured ESE pods and has a pressurized portafilter that accepts tampers with a 53mm diameter. Ultimately get this machine if you're looking to save on space, time, or money, though if you're looking to get your feet wet in the world of specialty coffee, you'll want to take a look at some of the other options on this list.

Solis Barista Perfetta Plus

The Solis Barista Perfetta Plus slots in nicely between our previous entry the Espresso Evolution and some of the later machines on our list. Made by Solis of Switzerland, the Barista Perfetta Plus is a 54mm semi-automatic machine with a thermoblock boiler just like the Espresso Evolution. It ups the ante with two programmable shot buttons and a full commercial steam wand. And, if the 54mm diameter has you worried, we carry a wide range of 54mm accessories.

Depending on where you are in your espresso journey, the machine includes both pressurized and non-pressurized filter baskets, meaning you can brew using either pre-ground coffee and pods, or pair the machine up with a suitable grinder and get dialed in. This flexibility is great if you don't have room in your budget at the start, but plan on upgrading. The machine has three temperature settings you can play with for dark, medium, and light roasts as well as a built-in pre-infusion function.

Steaming milk uses the commercial steam wand so you can produce latte art quality foam with practice. When brewing, the machine produces dry, easy to knock out pucks thanks to the inclusion of a 3-way solenoid valve. Available in four colors (black, red, stainless and white) the Barista Perfetta Plus matches nicely with the Varia AKU scales and a number of Eureka's Mignon series grinders.

Gaggia Classic E24

The Gaggia Classic has consistently been a best-value espresso machine for decades, and there's never been a better time to buy one than right now. Last year Gaggia made the most substantive update to the machine yet with the introduction of a brass boiler that puts in on equal footing with its longtime rival and contemporary the Rancilio Silvia, along with a host  of other single-boiler machines.

With just a brief flush, the Classic Pro E24 can achieve incredibly consistent 200° extractions. It heats up fast, and is pretty serious in the steam department these days. Features you take for granted like a 3-way solenoid valve and 58mm stainless steel commercial portafilter have consistently given the Classic an edge over would-be rivals and these days there are nine colors and four custom wood accents available from our friends at Wiedemann, so you'd be hard pressed not to find a combo that suits your style.

Marc goes deep in his review of this machine so I'm going to post it below because you should definitely give it a watch. Suffice it to say that Classic E24 is king of entry level machines as far as I'm concerned:

Profitec GO

I'm sure you're already familiar with the Profitec GO, but that's half the reason it's on this list. The successor to the ECM Casa V, updated with a more youthful color palate and a PID controller, the Profitec GO is compact and precise. It's the machine on this list that's best suited to handle single origin specialty coffees thanks to the degree by degree precision of its PID controller.

When brewing, the PID doubles as a shot timer to help when dialing in or following brew recipes. Things can be further refined via the OPV which allows you to modify brew pressure if you're looking for something a little below 9 bar. Steam wise, I recommend setting the GO to its max of 284° and leaving it there. Purging some water from the boiler can help to increase pressure, but the GO has never really blown me away with its steam power.

However, its pedigree as a Profitec machine, modern design, multiple colors and wood accents make the GO one of the most popular espresso machines around and one that we're very fond of here at Whole Latte Love.

Stone Lite

The Stone Lite is the most compact heat exchanger machine we've ever carried and an incredible value for anyone looking to make on-demand milk drinks at home. This is a machine that I've personally reviewed already, so I'll keep my thoughts relatively quick.

If you like milk drinks, this is a machine for you. It has a playful personality and fun design that's very distinct from the flashiness of Rocket. You lose out on a hot water dispenser, but the machine is also ready to brew and steam in just 10 minutes. Pressure wise, the Stone Lite is powerful enough to froth one or two lattes back-to-back and it's compatible with Rocket's set of steam tips so you can swap out if you're curious.

The Stone Lite's heat up time can be attributed to the heating element in group. It's 200W and actually finishes heating brew water that flows from the heat exchanger. The brew group isn't an E61 but it takes E61 screens, so there's some room to play there too and it also accepts E61 portafilters so there's no trouble finding a bottomless.

This is definitely a machine for milk drink lovers and people who enjoy a good medium roast espresso like Crema Wave, but not a machine for very high volume use or Americano lovers.

Which espresso machine is best for beginners?

If you’re the kind of beginner who is looking to begin their journey as a home barista and learn how to pull shots and froth milk like a pro, the Gaggia Classic E24 is the strongest option. If you're looking to get into brewing premium specialty coffee, the Profitec Go is probably your best bet—its PID display means you can precisely adjust boiler temperatures and the build quality means you’ll feel like you’re using a professional-grade machine.

If, however, you simply want to push a button and have espresso brewed for you, the Espresso Evolution or Solis Barista Perfetta Plus are the way to go. They have automatic shot timing and even milk frothing in the case of the Evolution. But if you love milk drinks, the Stone Lite deserves a look!

Watch Our Video

Like I mentioned above, our very own John starred in a video covering the machines featured in this article. Give it a watch and let us know what you think of our picks.

Final Thoughts

Photography by Grace Walker

Shop This Blog

Related Articles