As a brew maniac, you always strive for a decent cup of coffee. Thus, having a coffee machine at home is the best way to achieve that. Even so, deciding whether to buy an espresso machine or a coffee maker can be a daunting task. But I am here to help you make an informed choice.

If you love strong espresso shots or making specialty drinks like latte and mocha, an espresso machine will serve you best. But if you like regular drip coffee, whether black coffee or with milk and other additives, the coffee maker is what you should buy.

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What Is Espresso Machine?

An espresso machine is an appliance that brews strong coffee. The coffee machine works by forcing pressurized water with a temperature between 195^oF and 202^oF through finely packed coffee grounds. As a result, you get a thick, rich, and concentrated coffee, better known as espresso.

There are home espresso machines and commercial espressos. Commercial espresso machines are most suitable for coffee shops, while the home espresso appliances are the smaller versions for the home barista.

Besides, when buying your espresso machine, you need to choose whether you want an automatic, semi-automatic, or manual appliance.

With the semi-automatic and automatic brewers, you press a button, and the machine does the work. But if you want to have control of your brewing machine, you can opt for the manual espresso machine.

In most cases, experienced users produce barista-quality coffee using a manual machine. But if you are still new to brewing, perhaps you can consider buying the automatic model.

In terms of price, the best espresso machine models range between $500 and $1500. Even so, you can still find other espresso brewers with their prices, ranging between $100 and $200.

Espresso Machine Pros

• The appliance gives you rich espresso shots.
• An espresso machine is highly versatile. Apart from the rich shots of espresso, you can use it to add water to Americanos. Besides, the espresso makes specialty drinks like latte, mocha, cappuccino, among other options.
• Most espresso machines have an in-built steam wand for steaming and foaming milk.
• It takes about 20-30 seconds to extract a shot of espresso. Therefore, you don’t waste a lot of time waiting for your coffee drink to brew.
• There are espresso machines with an in-built coffee beans grinder. With that, you don’t have to spend an extra coin buying a separate grinder.

Espresso Machine Cons

• The price of espresso machines tends to be a bit high. Many coffee lovers may fail to afford it because of limited funds.
• The manual espresso machines seem challenging for beginners. You need to undergo some training for you to brew your fast cup successfully.
• The espresso from the coffee machine may be too concentrated for someone who likes a standard drip coffee cup.

Related: Can You Make Espresso in a Regular Coffee Machine?

Best Espresso Machines In The Market

If you are looking towards buying an espresso machine, allow me to suggest some of the best options in the market;

1. De’Longhi 15 Bar Espresso Machine

If you need to spend less but still get a quality brewing machine, this model is the way to go. Besides, it is user-friendly and produces excellent results.

2. Calphalon Temp IQ Espresso Machine

With this mid-range model, the temperature setting is precise for optimal flavor.

3. Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine

If you aim to acquire a fully automatic espresso machine, this is what you have been looking to find. Furthermore, it contains a built-in coffee bean grinder. Therefore, you don’t have to purchase it separately.

What Is a Coffee Maker?

A coffee maker is an appliance that enables hot water to pass through coffee grounds and drip into the mug. You can refer to the resulting brew as a drip coffee. The most common coffee makers include the Keurig coffee maker and Mr. Coffee.

You can find high-end drip brewers with built-in grinders. However, in most cases, you have to buy the coffee beans grinder separately.

 Even so, most coffee makers are simple to use. Therefore, you can control the strength of your coffee by changing brewing settings or changing the coffee grounds.

Coffee makers produce regular black coffee that is less strong than espresso. But if you like, you can add to it milk, cream, or other additives. The price of coffee makers ranges between $20 and $150.

Coffee Maker Pros

• Coffee makers are relatively simple to use. Therefore, they do not require any special training like the manual espresso machines.
• Coffee makers are less expensive.
• The majority can brew large coffee volume at a go. Thus, making them ideal for households with high coffee consumption levels.
• You get a standard cup of black coffee from a coffee maker. Therefore, you can add cream, milk, sweeteners., or other additives to it if you want.

Coffee Maker Cons

• Coffee makers are often slow when brewing.
• When your brewed coffee stays on the hot plate for quite some time, it burns and becomes bitter.
• It is not possible to extract espresso or specialty coffee drinks using a coffee maker.

Best Coffee Makers In The Market

Here are some of the best coffee makers. Perhaps you can check them out.

1. Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker

You can go for the Keurig k-classic. It is the most convenient brewer you can find on the market now. It is fast and less messy. It also enables you to brew the exact portion you need to avoid wastages. Oh, yeah, do not forget that this Keurig looks pretty. Doesn’t it?

2. Cuisinart Perfectemp Coffee Maker

With this brewer, you can program it to brew the kind of coffee you want. It has options for bold flavors and a cup setting of 1-4.

3. Hamilton Beach Two-Way Brewer

What an affordable pick with a 14-cup capacity. The brewer also gives you a two-way brewing option.

Between An Espresso Machine And a Coffee Maker, Which Should You Buy?

Coffee makers and espresso machines are two different brewers. Therefore, they produce different coffee drinks. Besides, each has its pros and cons. Due to that, none of them is better compared to the other. But it all depends on what you prefer.

Therefore, I recommend you buy an espresso machine if you love the rich and concentrated espresso shots. Also, you may love making specialty coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. On the other hand, you can go for a coffee maker if you prefer regular drip coffee.

Conclusion

I believe by now you are in a better position to decide whether to buy an espresso machine or a coffee maker. Besides, I have given you some of the best options in the market. Therefore, you can save some coins and time when buying.