Choosing the best espresso machine under $500 greatly depends on your purpose.
If you need a coffee machine for your business or in the office, you might need to invest in long-lasting — most likely more expensive ones.
But, if you’re just a mild coffee drinker, having an expensive espresso machine might be an exaggeration for you.
If you buy cheaper ones, are you sure you’ll like its features? If you buy expensive ones, are you benefiting from it?
You need to be wise and aware of your needs to choose the right coffee maker for you.
So, if you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars more to buy a good budget espresso machine, then, your next one is surely among the list below.
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The best espresso machines under $500
- Breville Infuser Espresso Machine
- Nespresso Lattissima Pro by De’Longhi
- Saeco HD8645/47 Vapore
- Nespresso Lattissima One by
- Breville Duo Temp Pro
- Gaggia RI8525/01 Carezza De LUXE
- Breville Bambino Plus
- illy 60255 X1 Espresso Machine
- Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Maker
- KitchenAid KES0504OB Nespresso Bundle
Breville Infuser Espresso Machine
With the Breville BES840BSXL The Infuser, you can now get an espresso maker that fits your preferences. This espresso machine can give you a perfect espresso shot. With its 1600W thermocoil heating system and 15-bar Italian pump, you have control of the water and coffee grounds for a perfect coffee blend.
Related: Breville Infuser Review
To brew the coffee at an optimal level, aside from its reliable heating system, it uses PID technology to regulate the temperature fluctuations. The espresso pressure gauge is also there to help monitor espresso extraction pressure. So, there is no way you over- or under-extract the coffee.
Its 61oz removable water tank has a water filter to remove all the impurities and chlorine. The drip tray is divided into two for wet and dry spills. It has “Empty Me!” indicator when it’s full and needs to be emptied.
Pros
- Machine produces great coffee quality
- Makes espresso with thick crema
- Super easy to use and the water filter is easy to change
Cons
- Pressure gauge stops working after some time
- Espresso is not hot, cups need to be pre-warmed
- Pump is terribly loud
Nespresso Lattissima Pro by De’Longhi
If you like the foamy crema in your coffee drink, then, Nespresso Lattissima Pro by De’Longhi is the perfect one for you. Whether you want a cappuccino, latte or espresso, you can achieve rich and lasting-foam in every cup, thanks to the advanced cappuccino system.
The machine accepts recyclable aluminum capsules that pack the natural taste of a coffee bean. The one-touch capability of this espresso machine allows you to quickly select your favorite coffee drinks for preparations.
With a rapid heating system, you don’t need to wait for seconds or minutes to fill your next cup. Since the system can maintain the optimal brewing temperature of the coffee maker, you can brew your next cup instantly. And, with its large water tank, you don’t need to refill every time you brew a cup of coffee.
Pros
- Easy to use for lattes and can accommodate different types of capsules
- Fast to start up, then, instantly froths milk to your coffee
- Cleaning and maintenance is a breeze
Cons
- Produce great and hot coffee, but the problem is the milk as it won’t go higher than 160 degrees
- Water tank is difficult to clean since it’s hidden in a plastic tube
- Pods are expensive
Saeco HD8645/47 Vapore
If you want to have a next level coffee experience, go with Saeco HD8645/47 Vapore. Get a great blend of espresso with just a touch of a button. It has a manual frother that gives velvety and foamy finish for all your coffee drinks.
Saeco delivers quality on its products by relying on ceramic burr grinder to grind all types of coffee beans. To customize your coffee taste, you can experiment with the five grinder settings. Since it has a quick heat boiler, you can grab any coffee beverage without much waiting.
To add that interesting froth to your coffee, it has a built-in milk frother that gives a creamy and foamy finish. You can take advantage of the one-touch interface and the memo function that allows you to adjust your preferences to suit your taste. Enjoy auto cleaning without a fuss and with removable brewing group, you can clean the system thoroughly to ensure freshness in every cup.
Pros
- Great space-saving machine
- Has an efficient auto-cleaning function
- Drip tray gives an alert when it’s full
Cons
- Not a versatile coffee machine, though it’s a little pricier
- Water tank is smaller, needs frequent refilling
Nespresso Lattissima One by
This single-serve espresso machine gives a premium cup for each coffee capsule. The Nespresso Lattissima One by De’Longhi has a 40-second latte function that helps the machine reach ideal brewing temperature in 40 seconds for espresso and 25 seconds for milk-based drinks.
It comes with a 19-bar pressure pump that helps you achieve barista-quality coffee drinks. Since all Nespresso capsules are prepared with state-of-the-art technology, you know freshness is sealed in each capsule. For milk froth, you can just fill the milk tank and the machine will froth it and pour it directly to your drinks — to have a great finish for your latte or cappuccino.
You can prepare different drinks from the three dedicated buttons for espresso, lungo, and milk. After brewing, the used capsule is sent to the storage container which can be collected afterward. Milk reservoir is removable, so, you get no waste and no mess coffee preparation.
Pros
- Compact and very easy to use
- Lightweight and has a modern design
- Have the option to dispense fresh milk foam
Cons
- Small water tank and milk tank
- Only accepts compatible pods
Breville Duo Temp Pro
BREVILLE BES810BSS Duo Temp Pro is a multi-functional coffee maker perfect for home and office use. It’s a great machine for varying coffee needs. It has 15-bar Italian pump to help you optimize the extraction to get full and flavorful coffee.
Whether you want a cappuccino or espresso, with low-speed extraction, you can achieve a perfect blend of sweet and bitter coffee. With its 61oz water tank, you can prepare a few more servings of espresso. These and a lot more are packed in this affordable espresso machine.
Also Read: Breville Duo Temp Pro Review
Pros
- Has digital temperature control (PID) technology that keeps the brewing temperature stable
- Automatic purging to prepare the system for the next use
- Create micro-foam for your drinks with its manual steam wand
Cons
- You need to be mindful and turn it off manually
- Quite hard to familiarize how to operate this machine
Gaggia RI8525/01 Carezza De LUXE
Gaggia RI8525/01 Carezza De LUXE is a very compact and durable-looking semi-automatic espresso machine. It’s very easy to operate with intuitive button setup and front-loaded 47oz water capacity. Water level is visible to monitor and it’s compatible with Mavea Inteza water filter system.
It’s versatile as the pressurized portafilter accepts both coffee pods and coffee grounds. The standard 9-bar pump makes a great thick crema for your espresso. It works through pre-infusion technology that wets the coffee first before brewing for perfect, even extraction.
Related: Gaggia Classic PRO Review
The built-in Pannarello wand is dependable to make a great latte and cappuccino. This wand doubles as a hot water dispenser in case you need it for your cereal, tea or Americano. It’s power-efficient since it will auto shut-off after 9 minutes of inactivity.
Pros
- Makes great coffee from either pods or coffee grounds
- Front-loaded water reservoir
- Steam wand and milk frother is reliable
Cons
- Appearance and design may not be that interesting
- Kind of noisy when brewing, but still tolerable
Breville Bambino Plus
The fastest way to get an espresso is not a drive-thru to Starbucks, but with Breville BES500BSS Bambino Plus at home. Its innovative thermojet heating system starts to brew in 3 seconds, so you have your coffee in half a minute or even less. Low-pressure pre-infusion aids the perfect extraction of the coffee grounds by gradually increasing the pressure during the process.
It’s automatic milk frother helps you get micro-foam as if crafted by a skilled barista. With the automatic steam wand, you can make great latte arts, while enhancing the flavor of your coffee.
The 54mm portafilter (with 19g of coffee grounds) is also the key to get cafe-grade coffee. Plus, the digital temperature control (PID) keeps the temperature to a single reading to ensure optimum extraction is achieved.
Pros
- Has 64oz removable water reservoir
- Small footprint with beautiful design, great for every kitchen
- 3-second heat up and fast brewing
Cons
- Lacking in features, given its price
- Doesn’t have ‘hot water dispensing’ capacity
- Smaller drip tray means you still need a few trips from the machine to the sink
illy 60255 X1 Espresso Machine
Illy X1 has proven its top quality and performance for more than 20 years in the market. With the Illy 60255 X1, a special edition of Illy X1, you can expect the same quality of every cup of espresso. It’s a versatile multi-function machine not only for espresso but also for specialty drinks.
It uses Illy iperEspresso capsules and compatible with these capsules only. So, using this machine means you gotta store a lot of Illy iperEspresso capsules, especially if you are a heavy coffee drinker. For a perfect espresso blend, use a capsule (which contains 7g of roasted ground coffee).
It has a steam wand for frothing cappuccino and lattes. It has ‘hot water on demand’ for cereal, tea, or hot cocoa. It has a 1L of water tank for more espresso servings. For the controlled volume of coffee, it has an auto-off function for it, so you get the exact volume you want — no more, no less.
Pros
- Brews great coffee
- Can steam milk for lattes
- Really quick to warm up
Cons
- Some claim coffee is not as hot as they want it to be
- Cannot accommodate a large crowd
Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Maker
If you want an espresso and want to pull some coffee-grade at home after a busy day, the Gaggia 14101 Classic is the answer. It’s a semi-automatic espresso machine made with stainless steel and built to last. It has the famous Pannarello wand that helps you achieve great latte art.
The 58mm portafilter is among the great features of Gaggia 14101. It’s made of chrome-plated brass like the brew group. And, the portafilter basket is pressurized to meet commercial standards and demands. Therefore, brewing becomes so easy, extracting the maximum crema for your coffee without any problem.
The milk frothing system, on the other hand, has the Turbo-Frother steam wand. Hence, making cappuccinos and lattes has never been this fun. The three-way solenoid valve helps keep the dry coffee puck in the portafilter ready to be thrown away after brewing.
Pros
- Has a commercial-grade portafilter for a more consistent espresso
- 55-watt pump for steaming and brewing with less recovery time
- Can use either coffee pods or coffee grounds
Cons
- Takes much longer to steam milk, the steam wand is short
- Blunt design and color, not captivating
KitchenAid KES0504OB Nespresso Bundle
Simplified to give you more quality espresso, KitchenAid KES0504OB Nespresso Bundle is a great choice for you. With Nespresso’s brewing technology, you are sure that each coffee pod is completely extracted. So, you’ll have a very desirable coffee.
It is quick to start for about 30 seconds only. You can choose any from the six pre-programmed settings for your morning coffee routine. You are assured of its quality because it incorporates the durability and timeless design of most KitchenAid coffee makers.
This has a 1.3L removable water reservoir and a milk frother.
Pros
- The milk frother is reliable
- Reaches ideal temperature in less than 30 seconds
- Makes espresso in less than a minute
Cons
- Quite heavier than other models
- It was a little expensive
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST ESPRESSO MACHINE UNDER $500
It’s not a question of budget, but, how much you’re willing to invest in your new coffee maker. Whether you are buying for home or office use, a lot of things need to be taken into consideration before sealing the deal on a single espresso machine.
Semi-automatic vs. Super Automatic
The very first thing to consider is whether you want a more expensive super automatic or a more affordable semi-automatic espresso machines. However, take note that if you want a super automatic and have a budget of $500, maybe you’ll have a hard time finding one as they are a bit expensive.
Features
Depending on your needs, there are so many things to check when buying a new espresso machine.
Go for Trusted Brand
It’s very important to consider the brand, on top of the features you find in your prospect coffee maker. For customer service, pre-existing issues with the users, and other concerns, it’s very important to go for a brand that has stood the test of time.
The more advanced your needs are, the more complicated it is to look for the perfect espresso machine for you.
Other Guides
Our Choice
Choosing a great coffee machine at this price point gives you the advantage, not just in your business (if you use it for your cafe), but also in your day-to-day living.
To have your favorite coffee in less than a minute means that you’re really that lucky to skip the long waits and the long lines.
Thankfully, with Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine you can achieve barista-quality espresso and other coffee beverages.
With a quick heat-up and low-pressure pre-infusion, you’ll have a great-tasting coffee in less than a minute. The automatic milk frother works magic in every single milk-based coffee you’ll make. So, if this is not your choice, would you share with us about it and why it’s your bet?
FAQs
Q: What types of espresso machines can I buy for under $500?
A: You can buy a variety of espresso machines for under $500, including manual, semi-automatic, and automatic machines. Some popular brands include De’Longhi, Breville, and Gaggia.
Q: What is the difference between a manual, semi-automatic, and automatic espresso machine?
A: A manual espresso machine requires you to manually operate the pump to create pressure, whereas a semi-automatic machine has a pump that is automated but still requires manual control over the amount of water and coffee. An automatic espresso machine takes care of everything for you, including grinding the beans, dosing, tamping, and brewing.
Q: What features should I look for in an espresso machine under $500?
A: Some features to look for in an espresso machine under $500 include a built-in grinder, a milk frother, programmable shot settings, a removable water tank, and a steam wand.
Q: Can I make latte art with an espresso machine under $500?
A: Yes, you can make latte art with an espresso machine under $500. However, it may require some skill and practice to master the technique.
Q: How do I clean and maintain my espresso machine?
A: It’s important to regularly clean and maintain your espresso machine to ensure optimal performance and longevity. This may include descaling, backflushing, and wiping down the exterior. Consult your machine’s manual for specific cleaning instructions.
Q: How long does it take to make an espresso with an espresso machine?
A: The time it takes to make an espresso with an espresso machine can vary depending on the machine and the desired shot size, but typically takes between 20-30 seconds.
Q: Can I use pre-ground coffee with my espresso machine?
A: Yes, you can use pre-ground coffee with most espresso machines. However, for optimal flavor and crema, it’s recommended to grind fresh coffee beans immediately before brewing.
Q: What is the warranty on espresso machines under $500?
A: The warranty on espresso machines under $500 varies by brand and model, but most come with a 1-2 year limited warranty. Be sure to check the warranty before purchasing.
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