Best list · Espresso machines
The best espresso machines under £500
Under £500 you can buy a machine that makes good espresso, though each one cuts a corner somewhere. The list is built from current UK prices and stock, and the notes below it explain what you give up at this price.
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Nearly every machine under £500 heats its water with either a thermoblock or a small single boiler. Both have one heater doing two jobs, so you make the coffee first and then wait while the machine gets hot enough to steam milk. Machines that can do both at once (heat exchangers and dual boilers) mostly cost more than this. Every machine here gives something up as a result. The sections after the list explain what, so you can choose the compromise you’d mind least.
The order is based on four things. Temperature control counts most, because water held at the same temperature for every shot gives coffee that tastes the same from one cup to the next. Next is whether the machine takes standard baskets as well as the pressurised kind made for pre-ground coffee. You’ll want the standard ones once you own a grinder. After that comes heat-up time, since a machine that needs ten minutes to warm up tends to stay switched off on weekday mornings. Price separates machines that are otherwise close.
How this list is chosen
Every espresso machine we cover that's in stock up to £500, 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
What you give up under £500
You can’t brew and steam at the same time. Almost every machine here has a single heater, so once the coffee has run through you wait for it to get hot enough for steam. With one or two milk drinks the wait is a few seconds. If you’re making four in a row, it starts to drag.
Build quality is where most of the money is saved. Expect plastic drip trays, lighter portafilters (the handle with the basket that holds the coffee) and smaller water tanks. None of them makes much difference to the coffee, but you’ll handle them every day.
If you also need a grinder, it comes out of the same budget. Our guide to splitting your budget suggests giving the machine between 55 and 75 per cent of the total. At £500 that means a machine at about £275 to £375, with the rest going on the grinder.
Thermoblock or single boiler?
At this price most machines use one or the other. A thermoblock heats water as it flows through, so it’s ready in seconds and uses little electricity. A single boiler keeps a small tank of water hot. It takes longer to warm up and needs more attention, but the traditional designs use the same 58mm parts as café machines and have heavier group heads that hold their heat well. They also last for many years.
Our guide to single boiler, heat exchanger and dual boiler machines explains how each design works in more detail.
If you mostly want milk drinks without much fuss, a thermoblock with good temperature control is the safer buy. A traditional single boiler asks more of you. It suits someone who would like to learn the craft and keep one machine for many years. When a part wears out, it can be repaired.
- The Bambino is ready in 3 seconds; the Classic E24 takes about 5 minutes.
- The Bambino uses a thermoblock; the Classic E24 a single boiler.
- The Bambino has PID temperature control; the Classic E24 doesn't.
| Bambino | Classic E24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £322.99 | £493.99 |
| Heating system | Thermoblock | Single boiler |
| Heat-up time | 3 seconds (better) | about 5 minutes |
| Portafilter size | 54mm | 58mm |
| PID temperature control | Yes (better) | No |
| Pre-infusion | Yes (better) | No |
| Width | 16cm (better) | 23cm |
| Height | 31cm (better) | 38cm |
| Depth | 32cm | 24cm (better) |
If you’re deciding between the two Bambinos
Many people buying at this price end up choosing between Sage’s Bambino and Bambino Plus. They use the same heating system and portafilter. The main difference is the steam wand. The Plus has an automatic one that heats and froths the milk to a temperature you choose, while on the Bambino you steam the milk by hand, which takes some practice. Our Bambino and Bambino Plus comparison looks at whether the Plus is worth the extra money.
- The Bambino steams milk with a manual steam wand; the Bambino Plus with an automatic wand.
- The Bambino is 16cm wide; the Bambino Plus is 19.4cm.
- The Bambino is 32cm deep; the Bambino Plus 36.2cm.
| Bambino | Bambino Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £322.99 | £399.95 |
| Milk frothing | Manual steam wand | Automatic wand |
| Width | 16cm (better) | 19.4cm |
| Height | 31cm | 30.4cm (better) |
| Depth | 32cm (better) | 36.2cm |
| Water tank | 1.4L | 1.9L (better) |