Best espresso machines under $500: 4 compared by specs

Breville lists PID temperature control and low-pressure pre-infusion alongside a 54 mm portafilter and an 18 g dose. The programmable 1-cup and 2-cup buttons let you save coffee volumes; hot water and steam have separate controls. Breville rates the ThermoJet system as ready in 3 seconds.

I’d choose the Bambino for programmable coffee controls and a manual milk routine. The coffee presets do not automate milk texturing: temperature and texture remain decisions for the person using the wand; the milk-steaming guide explains that routine. For automatic milk preparation, the neighboring Bambino Plus is the relevant alternative.

The Bambino costs $200 less at the supplied manufacturer prices. That saving trades away the Plus’s automatic milk controls and extra year of limited warranty.

Automatic milk texturing is the Bambino Plus’s main distinction: Breville lists 3 temperature settings and 3 texture settings. Manual mode remains available, alongside auto-purge. Breville rates its ThermoJet system as ready in 3 seconds, the same readiness claim made for the base Bambino.

I’d pay the additional $200 for automatic milk preparation, not for the heating specification. Someone who wants to select milk temperature and texture without managing the wand manually has a concrete reason to choose the Plus. Buyers who prefer manual texturing can keep the saving by choosing the Bambino instead.

The larger tank and 2-year limited warranty add to the case for the Plus, but neither replaces the milk decision. Automatic milk is the feature that changes the routine; manual coffee preparation remains part of using either machine. The Bambino Plus guide covers its controls in more detail.

The Stilosa uses a stainless-steel boiler rather than the Thermoblock and ThermoJet systems listed for the other machines. Its milk frother is manual, and its supplied accessories include a portafilter, tamper, and single and double filters. At $149.95, it has the lowest supplied manufacturer price in this comparison.

I’d choose it when keeping the machine cost down matters more than automatic milk preparation. The manual frother leaves milk texturing with the user, so this is not the alternative for someone seeking the Plus’s automatic milk settings.

At $150 less than the Bambino, the Stilosa leaves more room for a grinder and jug in a complete setup.

Allow for a separate milk jug: one is not listed among the supplied accessories. The budget example below includes that allowance rather than assuming a jug comes in the box.

At 5.9 in (15 cm) across the front, the Dedica DeLuxe is the narrowest machine in this comparison. De’Longhi lists Thermoblock heating and an adjustable manual milk frother. It accepts ground coffee or E.S.E. pods, giving it a format choice beyond loose ground coffee alone.

I’d choose the Dedica when counter width is the deciding constraint and the E.S.E. pod option is useful. It does not offer automatic milk texturing, so its narrow body is not a substitute for the Plus’s milk controls.

Against the Bambino, it costs $20 less and is narrower by 0.2 in (0.5 cm). That is a small width saving; the pod option and different controls deserve as much attention as the footprint when choosing between them.

Leave working room for fitting the portafilter, placing a cup and handling a milk jug. A slim machine still needs usable space around it, not just a gap wide enough to hold its body.