Espresso
The best espresso machines of 2026, for people who pull shots
Home espresso in 2026 is still a portafilter story, not a capsule monument. Our pick is the Breville Bambino Plus, because you will pull shots before work. Oracle Jet if you want the machine to grind, dose, and tamp. Profitec GO if you want steel, a PID, and a 58 mm group.
Breville Bambino Plus
$499.95. Three second heat up. You still have to grind.
UpgradeBreville Oracle Jet
$1,999.95. It grinds, tamps, and walks you through the shot.
AlternativeProfitec GO
$1,199. Steel, PID, 58 mm. Wirecutter’s current favorite.
Our pick
Breville Bambino Plus BES500
Breville
The machine you’ll pull shots on before work, if you already own a grinder.
$499.95 at Breville
Check priceThis is the box we would leave on the counter. ThermoJet is at brew temperature in three seconds. The 54 mm stainless portafilter is built for an 18 g dose. Low pressure pre infusion, then 9 bar from a 15 bar Italian pump, with PID holding the water where it should be. The auto steam wand has three temperatures and three foam levels, or you can texture by hand at 266 F. Breville includes the 16 oz jug. Serious Eats has kept the Bambino Plus as its favorite across years of tests. The recurring gripe is the volumetric 1 cup and 2 cup buttons, which wander, so stop the shot yourself. There is no grinder in this chassis. Budget for one, or this is a paperweight. Wirecutter used to pick it, then moved on. We still start here, because a $500 machine you use every morning beats a $1,200 machine you dread. Live manufacturer price is $499.95. Amazon listing B07JVD78TT is live.
What people like about it is the three second heat up and the auto milk. Most people say they pull shots on weekdays, which is the whole point.
What reviewers tend to say
Pros
- 3 second heat up
- Auto milk that works
- Small enough to leave out
Cons
- No grinder
- 54 mm, not 58 mm
- Volumetric buttons drift
Specs that matter
- Portafilter
- 54 mm stainless, 18 g dose, single wall and dual wall baskets
- Heat up
- ThermoJet, ready in 3 seconds; PID
- Pump
- 15 bar Italian pump, 9 bar extraction, low pressure pre infusion
- Steam
- Auto wand, 3 temps and 3 textures, or manual; 16 oz jug included
- Tank / size
- 1.9 L tank; 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in (WxDxH); ~12.3 lb
- Power / warranty
- 1560 W; 2 year limited (US). No built in grinder.
Upgrade
Breville Oracle Jet BES985
Breville
Grind, dose, tamp, and milk on rails, if you’ll pay for the hand holding.
$1,999.95 at Breville
Check priceThe Oracle Jet is Breville’s all in one for people who want café drinks without becoming a hobbyist. It auto grinds on Baratza European Precision burrs (45 settings), doses, and tamps into a 58 mm portafilter at a 22 g dose. Barista Guidance flags over extracted and under extracted shots and tells you which way to move the grind. Auto MilQ handles dairy, soy, almond, and oat. The touchscreen has 13 presets, including Cold Brew (under 3 minutes) and Cold Espresso (just over 1 minute). ThermoJet and a heated group head keep temperature honest. Wirecutter’s 2026 guide calls this the upgrade pick and notes a guest could walk up and get a decent drink. You cannot set dose precisely. You cannot twiddle brew pressure. It is $1,999.95 at Breville (Wirecutter listed about $2,000 at Amazon and Best Buy). That money also buys a Bambino Plus and a serious grinder, with money left. Buy this if you want one appliance, not a station.
Reviewers tend to like the auto tamp and the on screen grind hints. Most people say a houseguest could use it.
What reviewers tend to say
Pros
- Grind, dose, tamp for you
- 58 mm, 22 g
- Milk programs for oat and soy
Cons
- $1,999.95
- Little dose control
- Big on the counter
Specs that matter
- Portafilter
- 58 mm stainless, 22 g dose, auto grind / dose / tamp
- Grinder
- Baratza European Precision burrs, 45 grind settings, 340 g hopper
- Heat up
- ThermoJet, heated group head, PID in 1 F steps
- Steam
- Auto MilQ, dairy / soy / almond / oat, 104 F to 167 F, 8 textures
- Tank / size
- 2.3 L tank; 16.6 x 14.2 x 14.9 in; 27.78 lb
- Power / warranty
- 1400 to 1600 W; 2 year warranty; 13 drink presets
Alternative
Profitec GO
Profitec
The steel box Wirecutter prefers, if you want a 58 mm group and a pressure gauge.
$1,199 at Whole Latte Love
Check priceThe Profitec GO is the machine Wirecutter now puts first. Single boiler, PID, 58 mm ring group, a pressure gauge, and an OPV you can reach. Whole Latte Love has it at $1,199 as of August 2026. That is up from the $1,000 to $1,060 band we expected, so we used the live number. Fast Heat Up is about 5 to 8.5 minutes, not three seconds. Steam is ready in about a minute. The wand is weaker than the Brevilles. There is no jug in the box. There is no grinder. What you get is steel, a shot timer on the PID, and shots Wirecutter found deeper than the Breville boxes. Wirecutter compared the portafilter to a café tool. If you want to learn espresso, this is the homework machine. If you want a flat white before Slack opens, it is extra steps. Three year parts and labor through Whole Latte Love is the grown up warranty in this roundup.
What reviewers tend to say is that it punches above its price. Most people who like it like the control, not the convenience.
What reviewers tend to say
Pros
- 58 mm, PID, pressure gauge
- Heavy, stays put
- 3 year WLL warranty
Cons
- $1,199, still needs a grinder
- Slow versus ThermoJet
- Weaker steam, no jug
Specs that matter
- Portafilter
- 58 mm ring group, commercial style portafilter, OPV for brew pressure
- Heat up
- Fast Heat Up, about 5 to 8.5 min; PID; shot timer on the display
- Boiler
- Single boiler, 0.4 L insulated eco brass (US listing); 2.8 L tank
- Steam
- Manual wand, no burn grip; steam in about 1 min; no pitcher included
- Size / weight
- 8.25 x 14.5 x 14.9 in (W x D x H); 28.4 lb
- Power / warranty
- 1200 W (US listing); 3 year parts and labor at Whole Latte Love