Breville BES500BSS Bambino Plus Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

Why it's worth it

A compact espresso machine that heats in about three seconds and steams milk automatically to your chosen temperature and texture. It's the shortest path from beginner to a latte that actually tastes like one, provided you buy a grinder too.

If your goal is a cafe-quality latte and not a pot of coffee, none of the drip machines here will get you there. This will. The ThermoJet system hits brewing temperature in about three seconds, so there's no waiting around for a boiler to warm up. Digital temperature control keeps the water where it should be during extraction, and low-pressure pre-infusion wets the coffee gently before ramping to full pressure.

The automatic steam wand is the feature that makes this a beginner machine. Put the pitcher under it, pick your temperature and foam level, walk away. It produces the glossy microfoam that normally takes weeks of practice to learn, which removes the single most intimidating part of making espresso at home.

From our review of 7 coffee makers, by Paul Evans, Technical Reviewer

What we like

• +If your goal is a cafe-quality latte and not a pot of coffee, none of the drip machines here will get you there
• +The automatic steam wand is the feature that makes this a beginner machine
• +It's small. Genuinely small — this fits on a cramped apartment counter next to a toaster, which matters because most espresso…
• +Worth knowing: this is a starting point, not an endpoint

What to know

• –There's no grinder, and you can't skip one
• –Espresso is fussy in a way drip coffee isn't, and this machine is honest about that
• –The included tamper and filter baskets are mediocre