7 Best Espresso Machines With Grinders, Tested by Experts

The design of this espresso machine was inspired by professional baristas, so it looks like something you would find in a high-end coffee shop. It has a built-in burr grinder, which is clouted for being a premium type of coffee grinder compared to blade grinders. (It grinds coffee by passing beans through two burrs versus chopping them with a blade.) It also has a steam wand for frothing milk. Even though this machine is manual, it comes with handy features like the Smart Tamping Station, which ensures you get the correct tamping pressure for your grounds with the press of a lever. You can customize your grind size with eight different settings which we found easy to adjust. (The grind size is just another way you can adjust the taste of your espresso.)

Our pros loved the espresso the machine produced that was full-bodied with thin, silky crema. Besides a single espresso, it also offers options to make a double espresso or Americano. This sleek looking machine is a steal for espresso makers with grinders at under $1,000, but keep in mind that there may be an initial learning curve to get the correct grind size for your ideal shot. Overall, we found this machine easy to use and clean.

This fully automatic espresso machine isn’t the cheapest on the list, but for under one thousand dollars it’s one of the most convenient machines to make the most popular coffee drinks. It can whip up espresso, coffee, americanos, cappuccinos and latte macchiatos at the push of a button. It includes a milk container that automatically froths milk and pours it into your drink, so there’s no manual frothing required.

Testers commented that the drink was light-bodied but flavorful and were impressed with the cappuccinos and lattes. We love that all parts of the milk container are dishwasher-safe, making it easy to clean up. Plus, it doesn't have a straw like most milk containers do, which is one less thing to clean. Our pros found the large touchscreen intuitive to use, easy to select drinks and make adjustments such as strength, volume and milk amount.

There’s no getting around the fact that espresso makers with grinders take up quite a bit of counter space, which is why we like Cafe Affetto’s espresso machine. It’s the smallest and most compact espresso maker with grinder we tested. We also love that the water reservoir and hopper are hidden inside the unit, which adds to the sleek look. Additionally, it has a built-in milk frother, and we found in our tests that it was able to produce hot foam quickly. The frother is easy to clean with a quick wipe, and it’s removable for when you want to give it a deep clean.

The buttons on the control panel on top of the machine are simple to use, with four options: espresso, americano, my cup or hot water. “My cup” is set to ristretto (smaller and stronger than espresso), but you can change the style in the SmartHQ app. If you want to customize your drink, the espresso maker connects with the SmartHQ app, where you can adjust temperature and grind dosage to your preferences. In our tests, the espresso was silky with a golden brown crema. Take note, the brand advises not using dark roasts or oily beans because they can stick to parts of the machine and cause damage.

Make espresso, lattes and cappuccinos at the push of a button with this super-automatic machine that has a built-in grinder. We found the touchscreen very responsive and easy to read thanks to the digital display, which shows the drink along with writing. You can scroll through 16 drink options on the screen, including flat espresso, flat whites, regular coffee and more. The built-in Intelligent Smart-One-Touch feature will remember and list your most frequently brewed drinks and display them on the screen first.

Our experts found that this machine pulls tasty, hot espresso shots with a thin and creamy crema. If you’re craving a milk-based drink, like a cappuccino, the milk carafe froths the milk and adds it to your drink automatically. Our pros loved that the milk container was detachable, so any leftover milk could be stored in the fridge. It’s also easy to fill, detach and clean when finished. The machine will rinse itself before and after making a drink, though this means the drip tray needs to be emptied frequently.

The Spinn Espresso and Coffee Machine is not quite like anything else we’ve tested. In fact, our experts loved this machine so much that they gave it a spot in our 2022 Kitchen Gear and Coffee Awards. The machine uses centrifugal force that spins at different speeds to produce different types of coffee and espresso. Our testers were impressed with the flavor of various espresso and coffee options, with one even saying it was the best coffee they’ve ever tasted.

Not only does it make espresso, lungos and doppios, but it also makes drip coffee, cold brew and nitro-like cold brew. We loved the unique nitro-style coffee option, which we found tasty and mimicked nitro coffee well with a thin layer of foam that resembled espresso crema. There’s also a Spin app that gives step-by-step instructions to make various drinks like Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos and more. Just keep in mind that machine doesn’t froth milk so you’ll need to buy a separate milk frother. In addition to all these great features, we found it easy to use with a large wide-mouth hopper and detachable water reservoir. Just note that the reservoir is smaller than many we've tested and it needs to be refilled often.

Aspiring beginner baristas or anyone who wants to make the perfect shot of espresso will love this Breville machine. Our experts were so impressed with this machine that it earned a 2022 Good Housekeeping Coffee Award because it helps you pull the perfect shot of espresso every time. The smart dosing technology automatically detects the correct amount of espresso that’s needed. It doesn’t stop there either — the assisted tamping function produces a perfectly polished surface that’s tamped at the correct pressure every time, which is important and helpful to newbies who may not know the proper way to tamp. (Tamping affects how the portafilter fits into the unit and also how the water flows through the grounds. If the grounds are tamped too hard, it makes it harder for the water to pass through the grounds, which yields an overly strong cup, and if it's too loose, it can make a watery brew.)

In our tests, the Barista Express Impress made dark, rich shots of espresso with a thick layer of crema. Our pros were also amazed with the frothing wand capabilities that produced hot milk with a thick layer of froth.

If you want to bring the Barista experience home, the Breville Barista Pros Espresso machine is for you. It has 30 grind sizes to choose from and five temperatures. We loved the intuitive LCD display, and on top of making selections, it shows grinding and extracting progress animations. The built-in steam wand will allow you to froth your milk like a pro.

In our tests, our experts were impressed with how quickly the machine heated up compared to other models. We also appreciate that the parts are easy to wash and wipe down. The portafilter is compatible with Breville’s single or double wall baskets, which come in single or double shots. The double-walled filters make it easy to produce a thick layer of crema with little effort. We recommend starting with the default settings and then tweaking them as you go to produce your perfect espresso shot.