The best espresso machine under $150 won’t give you an espresso like you’d expect from your favorite coffee shop, but it can give you a great experience in the comfort of your home.
So, what does an espresso machine do?
Once you’ve filled your portafilter with fresh espresso grounds and tamped it down, its job is to heat water to the right temperature (around 200F, or 96C), and force it through the coffee ‘puck’ you’ve created at a high pressure to extract its flavor.
9 bar is widely considered the best pressure for espresso, and is what you’ll get from commercial machines. Home machines can be higher – but anything over 9 is not important. It’s just marketing-speak.
The real challenge faced by even the best entry level espresso machine isn’t in reaching the right temperature and pressure. It’s in maintaining these during the espresso making process.
This is where the extra money goes when you buy more expensive machines, since the slightest pressure and temperature fluctuations (by even a couple of degrees) can completely change the taste.
While $150 won’t buy you perfect control over pressure and temperature (you’d need to spend over $1,000 for this), it is enough to give you an enjoyable espresso experience every day.
How can I get the best tasting espresso from my espresso machine?
Espresso making is a delicate process. To get the best tasting espresso at any budget, you should be grinding your own beans.
Why? From the moment coffee beans are ground, they start losing their aroma.
For the first two minutes after grinding, they de-gas, giving off carbon dioxide. While this happens, the aroma is sealed in. After this – all bets are off, and within a couple of hours it will lose much of its aroma.
So if you’re buying pre-ground espresso, most of the aroma has gone the day after you open it.
The best coffee grinder for espresso will grind your coffee beans to the ideal size and consistency, ready for your espresso machine to work its magic on.
Features to Look For
To choose the best entry level espresso machine, firstly decide which features are the most important to you.
- Steam Driven or Pump Driven. Steam driven machines use steam pressure to force water through the ‘puck’. They’re cheaper, but they don’t give you a real espresso with crema since they don’t reach the right pressure. It’s actually just a coffee shot. Pump Driven espresso machines use a motor-driven pump to get the right pressure. This is how all commercial espresso machines work.
- ESE Pods. ESE pods are convenient, fresh, single serve espresso capsules. Some entry level espresso machines can take them as well as ground espresso, while others can’t.
Entry Level Espresso Machine Comparison Table
Use the search box and sort the columns to find the machine which ticks all the right boxes for you.
E.g. if you want to see all Pump Driven espresso machines which takes ESE pods in order of price , enter ‘pump yes’ into the search box, and then click the ‘PRICE’ heading to sort by price.
Espresso Machine | Type | ESE Pods | Notes | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker | Pump | Yes | Best entry level espresso machine with pump. | $$ |
Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine | Steam | No | $ | |
De'Longhi BAR32 Retro 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker | Pump | Yes | $$ | |
Saeco HD8325/47 Poemia Class Manual Espresso Machine | Pump | Yes | No need to tamp. | $$$ |
Mr. Coffee ECMP50 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker | Pump | No | $$ | |
DeLonghi EC5 Steam-Driven 4-Cup Espresso and Coffee Maker | Steam | No | $ | |
Espressione Café Minuetto Professional Thermoblock Espresso Machine | Pump | Yes | Great stainless steel looks, performance and quick to heat. The best espresso machine under $150. | $$$$$ |
Mr. Coffee BVMC-EL1 Cafe Latte | Steam | No | $ | |
Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine | Steam | No | $ | |
Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel | Pump | Yes | Great looking stainless steel espresso maker. | $$$$$ |
Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine | Pump | Yes | Quick heating. | $$$$ |
The Best Espresso Machine Under $150 Reviews
De’Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
In a line: Cheap and cheerful.
The De’Longhi EC155 is the best cheap espresso machine to use a pump system. Without boring you with too much detail, a pump makes real espresso. Cheaper ‘steam’ espresso machines do not make real espressos, just strong coffee shots.
While its plastic appearance won’t win any beauty contests, the EC155’s has inner beauty in spades. Most importantly, it delivers a satisfying shot of espresso with a thick crema (the crema size is dependent on the beans you use, but with Illy or Lavazza it rocks!).
It’s a compact machine, and if it’s your first espresso maker, you might find the small space beneath the portafilter and the frothing wand to be too small for the cups you already have. So you might need to buy standard European size espresso and / or cappuccino cups, and a short frothing pitcher.
It warms up quickly (just under a minute), and as a superb addition, it also takes ESE Pods. This gives you the option of making very fresh, high quality espresso with no fuss.
It comes with a 1 year warranty.
- The best price at Amazon can be found here.
De’Longhi BAR32 Retro 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
In a line: Virtually the same as the EC155 above, but with retro looks.
Being very similar to the EC155 in all the areas which matter, the De’Longhi BAR32 Retro Espresso Maker is ideal if you’re on the tightest budget, but don’t like the looks of the EC155.
- The best price on Amazon can be found here.
Saeco HD8325/47 Poemia Class Manual Espresso Machine
In a line: Similar performance, better looks and no need to tamp!
The Philips SAECO Poema class espresso machine has a very similar performance to the De’longhi’s, and produces a satisfying espresso with a good crema.
I personally prefer the way this looks, with its classic design. A big plus this has over the De’longhi’s is its pressurized portafilter – with it, you don’t need to tamp down the grind. Since even tamping is an art, let the espresso machine do it for you! It also saves you a little time and effort!
It also has a cup warmer on top, which helps to preserve the crema. Comes with a 1 year warranty.
This is the best entry level espresso machine with convenience in mind.
- The best price on Amazon can be found here.
Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine
In a line: A fast heater and a good performer, despite its looks!
The Capresso EC100 is another fugly one, but it is a good performer which makes a good espresso with crema quickly.
The extra money here goes into the heating system – the Capresso uses a Thermoblock to heat water. This works like a radiator – water is heated as it passes through it. This makes it quicker than a boiler heating system, which boils all the water at once.
- The best price on Amazon can be found here.
Espressione Café Minuetto Professional Thermoblock Espresso Machine
In a line: Great looks and performance, plus the fast heating Thermoblock make this the best choice under $150.
The Espressione Café Minuetto Professional delivers espresso in the same range as the other choices on this page, but without the plastic-y feel of of the others. While the body is stainless steel and plastic, the overall look and feel is much better.
You won’t be fooling anyone into thinking you have a $2,500 commercial grade beast in your kitchen, but it’s certainly head and shoulders above the rest of these budget espresso machines.
Additionally, the Thermoblock heating system make it quicker to heat, and produces steam instantly. Comes with a 1 year warranty.
It’s the all round entry level espresso machine.
- The best price on Amazon can be found here.
Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker
In a line: Great looks and performance, like the Espressione. But slower to heat.
The Cuisinart EM-100 is similar to the Espressione – it’s a good performer, and a nice looking machine.
Additionally it has a hot water function, which makes it great if you want a to make tea or hot cocoa.
In my opinion, this is a better looking machine than the Espressione – its simple design and the cup heater on top of the unit is very eye catching. But it’s a little slower to heat than the Espressione.
It’s the best espresso machine under $150 if the cheaper ones make you want to throw a cloth over it when you have guests.
- The best price on Amazon can be found here.
mike christian says
thank you for this very helpful review!
Claudio says
What’s your opinion on the VonShef machines? Amazon has little reviews as they seem to be brand new ?
Bruce Argue says
I have the 15bar Vonshef. Seems similar to the Delonghi. It has been heavily used and worked better than my old Gaggia Classic which leaked and dripped constantly. Recently, my portafilter blocked and despite assiduous cleaning wouldn’t even let clean water pass. Customer service (yes! you can actually talk to an English speaking human being!) wanted to replace the machine but I said it only needed the portafilter. They have found one and it’s on its way.
Can’t fault Vonshef service and they have a 2yr warranty. The machines are as cheap as chips. How can you go wrong?
espresso machine says
Now this sound likes a great deal and once you will go out for
your purchase, you will never find any other product that provides you with same convenient feature in so reasonable price.
It sells for less than $150 at Sears and also offers the ease of
pre-measured pods. The professional patented technology features a Thermoblock heating system that
ensures fresh hot water anytime in less than a minute.
mashakadja says
What’s your opinion on the VonShef machines? Amazon has little reviews as they seem to be brand new ?