Best home espresso machine UK: 9 compared on the data

Which espresso machine for which buyer?

• If this is your first machine and space is tight, the De’Longhi Dedica EC685 is 14.9 cm wide and accepts ground coffee or ESE pods. The Stilosa and the Krups Virtuoso share its entry-level bracket.
• If you plan to buy fresh beans and a grinder, the Sage Bambino is the mid-range machine whose spec sheet says the most: a 54 mm portafilter, PID temperature control, single-wall and dual-wall baskets. Our Dedica vs Bambino head-to-head shows where the two differ.
• If you want the milk textured for you, two machines have an automatic frother: the Sage Bambino Plus and the Ninja Luxe Café Premier.
• If you want one appliance rather than two, three machines have a built-in grinder: La Specialista Arte in the mid-range bracket, then the Sage Barista Express and the Ninja one bracket up. See Barista Express vs Ninja Luxe Café.

If you would rather press one button and be done, an espresso machine is probably the wrong category: look at bean-to-cup machines instead.

How to read the table

The grinder column needs a word of explanation. “No grinder” means what it says. “Not stated” on La Specialista Arte and the Ninja does not mean there is no grinder: both have a built-in conical grinder, but neither manufacturer publishes the burr material, so we cannot file them under steel or ceramic. The number of grind settings in the next column tells you at a glance which machines grind.

In the heating column, “Thermocoil” on the Barista Express and “ThermoJet” on the two Bambinos are Sage’s own names for two different systems.

In the baskets column, “Pressurised and single-wall” on the three Sage machines means both kinds are in the box, and “No” on La Specialista Arte means single-wall baskets only.

The buying criteria, with the figures

Start with the coffee you will put in it

An espresso machine without a grinder needs coffee that is already ground. You have three ways to get it: pre-ground coffee, ESE pods, or a grinder of your own.

ESE compatibility is stated for the Dedica EC685, the Krups Virtuoso and the Stilosa EC260. A caution on the Stilosa: De’Longhi lists the EC230 and the EC260 under the same name in the UK, and pod compatibility is stated for the EC260, not for the EC230. La Specialista Arte and the Ninja do not take pods.

If you intend to grind fresh, plan the grinder into the budget from the start. The machine and grinder pairings page puts the two together bracket by bracket, and the grinder comparison covers the grinders on their own.

Baskets and portafilter: where the spec sheets fall silent

Sage is the only manufacturer here to publish its portafilter diameter: 54 mm on the Bambino, Bambino Plus and Barista Express. De’Longhi, Krups and Ninja give none. The figure matters when you buy a tamper or a spare basket, since both are sold by diameter.

On baskets, Sage ships both kinds, and its manual reserves the dual-wall (pressurised) ones for pre-ground or older coffee and the single-wall ones for freshly ground coffee. De’Longhi states single-wall baskets for La Specialista Arte. For the Dedica, the Dedica Duo, the Stilosa, the Krups and the Ninja, the basket type is not named, and we do not guess it.

Heating and temperature control

Four machines state a thermoblock: the Dedica EC685, the Dedica Duo, the Krups Virtuoso and La Specialista Arte. The two Bambinos use what Sage calls ThermoJet, with a heat-up time of 3 s according to the manufacturer; that is Sage’s figure, not a measurement of ours. The Barista Express has what Sage calls a Thermocoil, with no heat-up time in our data. The heating system of the Stilosa and the Ninja is not published.

PID temperature control is stated for the three Sage machines only. A pressure gauge is fitted to La Specialista Arte and the Barista Express.

As for pump pressure, eight machines state 15 bar and Ninja states nothing, so the figure cannot be used to tell them apart.

Milk: by hand or automatic

Seven machines have a manual steam wand. The Bambino Plus has an automatic wand with adjustable milk temperature and texture, which can also be used by hand. The Ninja froths in a jug with a built-in whisk, using preset programmes.

Tank and footprint

Tanks run from 1 l on the Stilosa and the Krups to 2 l on the Barista Express and the Ninja. With a small tank you refill more often, particularly if you steam milk and rinse the wand.

• De'Longhi Stilosa Manual espresso maker EC230.BK / EC2601 l
• De'Longhi Pump Espresso Coffee Machine Dedica EC685.M1.1 l
• Sage the Bambino (SES450)1.4 l
• De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Manual espresso maker EC9155.MB1.7 l
• Sage the Bambino Plus (SES500)1.9 l
• Sage the Barista Express (SES875)2 l
• Ninja Luxe Café Premier (ES601UK)2 l

On width, the two Dedicas stand apart at 14.9 cm. The Stilosa measures 21 cm, and the three machines with a grinder between 28.5 cm and 33.6 cm. Remember that a machine without a grinder needs space beside it for one.

We publish no dimensions for the two Bambinos or the Krups. Sage’s pages give figures in an order that does not add up for the Bambino and contradict each other for the Bambino Plus; the Krups manual gives three numbers without saying which is which. Rather than choose, we left the cells empty.

The nine models, one by one

Entry level, the simplest De'Longhi

De'Longhi Stilosa Manual espresso maker EC230.BK / EC260

Espresso machineEntry level

The way into De’Longhi’s portafilter range: a manual steam wand, a 1 l tank and 1,100 W, the lowest stated power of the nine. The manual is mostly pictures: heating system, basket type and portafilter diameter are not given.

Pump pressure

15 bar

Power

1,100 W

Water tank

1 l

Maximum cup height

11 cm

Width

21 cm

Price at Amazon:£89.00as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£105.99as of 10 November 2026

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Entry level, 14.9 cm wide

De'Longhi Pump Espresso Coffee Machine Dedica EC685.M

Espresso machineEntry level

The narrow one. Thermoblock, manual steam wand, cup warmer, and cups up to 12 cm tall. De’Longhi publishes neither its weight nor its portafilter diameter, and describes its baskets without calling them pressurised.

Width

14.9 cm

Heating system

Thermoblock

Water tank

1.1 l

ESE pod compatible

Yes

Cup warmer

Yes

Price at Amazon:£149.00as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£229.99as of 10 November 2026

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Entry level, with a cup warmer

Krups Virtuoso XP442C40 Pump Espresso Coffee Machine

Espresso machineEntry level

Another entry-level option beside the Stilosa: thermoblock, 1 l removable tank, steam wand, ESE pod filter and automatic switch-off. Dimensions, weight and basket type are missing from the sources we could read.

Pump pressure

15 bar

Heating system

Thermoblock

Water tank

1 l

ESE pod compatible

Yes

Cup warmer

Yes

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Mid-range, the Dedica with cold brew

De'Longhi Dedica Duo manual coffee maker EC890.M

Espresso machineMid-range

The recent Dedica: the same narrow footprint, touch controls and three preset recipes (espresso, double espresso and cold brew). Basket type and portafilter diameter are, again, not specified.

Width

14.9 cm

Weight

4.2 kg

Drinks advertised by the manufacturer

3

Cold brew function

Yes

Water tank

1.1 l

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£279.99as of 10 November 2026Price stated by the manufacturer, excluding promotions. The retailer’s current price may differ.

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Mid-range, 54 mm portafilter

Sage the Bambino (SES450)

Espresso machineMid-range

The simplest Sage here: ThermoJet heating, PID control, a manual steam wand and a hot water function. It has no grinder, and its single-wall baskets call for freshly ground coffee, so budget for one. Sage states no weight.

Portafilter diameter

54 mm

Heating system

ThermoJet

PID temperature control

Yes

Water tank

1.4 l

Hot water function

Yes

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£329.95as of 10 November 2026Price stated by the manufacturer, excluding promotions. The retailer’s current price may differ.

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Mid-range, built-in grinder

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Manual espresso maker EC9155.MB

Espresso machineMid-range

Machine and grinder in one without going automatic: a conical grinder with 15 settings, single-wall baskets, a pressure gauge and a dosing and tamping kit. Burr material and weight are not confirmed. Its bracket reflects typical selling prices; De’Longhi’s list price sits one bracket higher.

Grind settings

15

Pressurised baskets

No

Pressure gauge

Yes

Water tank

1.7 l

Width

28.5 cm

Price at Amazon:£349.00as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£529.99as of 10 November 2026

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Upper mid-range, automatic steam wand

Sage the Bambino Plus (SES500)

Espresso machineUpper mid-range

The Bambino with milk texturing done for you and a larger tank: 1.9 l against 1.4 l. Sage’s UK page mentions two different heating systems for this model; we record ThermoJet, the one named on all three country pages.

Milk system

Automatic frother

Portafilter diameter

54 mm

Water tank

1.9 l

PID temperature control

Yes

Heat-up time (manufacturer figure)

3 s

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£399.95as of 10 November 2026Price stated by the manufacturer, excluding promotions. The retailer’s current price may differ.

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Upper mid-range, grinder and gauge

Sage the Barista Express (SES875)

Espresso machineUpper mid-range

Sage’s all-in-one: steel conical burrs, a 250 g hopper, PID control, a pressure gauge and a manual steam wand. At 1,850 W it has the highest stated power of the nine.

Grinder

Steel conical burrs

Grind settings

16

Bean hopper

250 g

Water tank

2 l

Portafilter diameter

54 mm

Price at Amazon:£499.00as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£629.95as of 10 November 2026

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

Upper mid-range, three brewing styles

Ninja Luxe Café Premier (ES601UK)

Espresso machineUpper mid-range

Espresso, filter coffee and cold brew from one machine, with a built-in scale and a grind setting recommended by the machine itself. It weighs 11.7 kg, the highest of the three weights published for these nine machines. Ninja’s page and manual give two different power ratings, so we publish neither.

Grind settings

25

Dosing

By weight

Milk system

Automatic frother

Water tank

2 l

Weight

11.7 kg

Price at Amazon:£549.00as of 10 Nov 2026, 10:31Including VAT; delivery may be extra. The price is checked once a day and may have changed since. The price shown on Amazon at the time of purchase is the one that applies.

Regular price on the manufacturer’s website:£579.99as of 10 November 2026

Check price on Amazon*Read the model profile

What this comparison cannot tell you

This ranking rests on manufacturer data. We have not measured any of these machines: nothing here describes the taste of the espresso, the texture of the milk or the noise of the pump. Our own measurements will come as we buy machines, and will be kept separate from the manufacturers’ figures.

The gaps are larger than for bean-to-cup machines. Portafilter diameter is published by one manufacturer out of four. Basket type is missing for five machines. Weight is missing for six. For the Ninja, the UK, German and French sites refused to load for us; the figures come from Ninja’s Irish site and the ES601UK manual.

Go further

• New to espresso? Espresso machines for beginners narrows the list to seven.
• The Sage line-up in detail: Bambino, Bambino Plus, Barista Express and Smart Grinder Pro.
• Vocabulary getting in the way? The glossary defines portafilter, basket, thermoblock and PID.
• Getting the grind right: the grind size guide.

ToolWhich coffee machine should I buy? A chooser based on your needs ToolCost per cup calculator: beans or pods?