Best list · Espresso machines
The best espresso machines under £1,000
Several of the best machines under £1,000 cost far less than that, and if you need a grinder too, the difference is better spent on it. The list is built from current UK prices and stock.
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Up to £1,000 buys most kinds of home espresso machine. There are thermoblocks that heat up in seconds, traditional single boilers, and all-in-ones with a grinder built in. At current prices, heat exchangers and dual boilers (the machines that can steam milk while the coffee runs) mostly start a little above £1,000.
We rank machines on the same things as our under £500 list. Temperature control comes first. Then we look at whether the machine takes standard baskets for freshly ground coffee, whether it will still suit you once you’re more confident, and how quickly it heats up. Price comes last. Being expensive doesn’t earn a machine a place, which is why several of these cost well under the limit.
How this list is chosen
Every espresso machine we cover that's in stock up to £1,000, ranked for “best overall”. Favours stable brew temperature, baskets that suit freshly ground coffee, room to grow and a quick start, then value for money. It updates as prices and stock change. How we recommend
The list updates whenever prices or stock change. If a machine goes above £1,000 or sells out, it drops off and another takes its place.
If £1,000 has to cover a grinder too
In that case, aim to spend between 55 and 75 per cent of it on the machine, roughly £550 to £750, and the rest on the grinder. Our guide to splitting your budget explains where those numbers come from. That leaves you two ways to go.
The first is a machine and a separate grinder. A good single boiler or thermoblock machine with a stepless grinder (one with no fixed clicks, so you can set it anywhere) will make better espresso than most all-in-ones for the same total, and you can replace either one later.
The second is an all-in-one, which has the grinder built in. It puts the whole budget into one appliance and takes up much less room on the worktop. You can’t upgrade the grinder by itself, though.
The two all-in-ones people compare
Sage’s Barista Express and Barista Pro use the same 54mm portafilter (the handle that holds the coffee) and come with both kinds of basket, and each has PID temperature control. They differ in heat-up time (about a minute for the Express, three seconds for the Pro) and in the controls. The Express has a pressure gauge and the Pro has a shot timer.
- The Barista Express is ready in 60 seconds; the Barista Pro takes 3 seconds.
- The Barista Express has a pressure gauge; the Barista Pro doesn't.
- The Barista Pro has a built-in shot timer; the Barista Express doesn't.
| Barista Express | Barista Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £616.99 | £729.95 |
| Heat-up time | 60 seconds | 3 seconds (better) |
| Pressure gauge | Yes (better) | No |
| Shot timer | No | Yes (better) |
| Width | 33cm (better) | 35.4cm |
| Height | 40.4cm (better) | 40.6cm |
| Depth | 31.8cm (better) | 34.3cm |
Our Barista Express and Barista Pro comparison goes through the differences in full and who each one is for.
The traditional route
If you’d like a machine you can keep for ten years or more and repair yourself, look at a traditional single boiler. These take longer to heat up than a thermoblock and are less forgiving while you learn. In exchange you get the same 58mm parts that café machines use and a heavy brass group head, which holds its heat well. The Gaggia Classic and the Rancilio Silvia are the two that people most often weigh up.
- The Classic E24 is ready in about 5 minutes; the Silvia takes about 10 minutes.
- The Classic E24 comes with pressurised and non-pressurised baskets; the Silvia with non-pressurised ones.
- The Classic E24 stands 38cm tall; the Silvia 34cm.
| Classic E24 | Silvia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £493.99 | £582.99 |
| Heat-up time | about 5 minutes (better) | about 10 minutes |
| Filter baskets | Pressurised, non-pressurised | Non-pressurised |
| Width | 23cm (better) | 23.5cm |
| Height | 38cm | 34cm (better) |
| Depth | 24cm (better) | 29cm |
| Water tank | 2.1L (better) | 2L |
Our Classic and Silvia comparison sets out what you give up with each. Neither can steam milk while it brews, and our guide to single boiler, heat exchanger and dual boiler machines explains why.
What you don’t get under £1,000
Almost every machine at this price can brew or steam, but not both at once. If you’ll often make several milk drinks in a row, it’s worth stretching to a heat exchanger or dual boiler.
Machines that connect to the mains water supply are rare at this price too, so expect to fill the water tank by hand.