The 10 Best Commercial Espresso Machines

Editor's Notes

August 14, 2020:

Since many people think of coffee as a "religion" of sorts, so do they also maintain a very specific palate for what tastes good. When dealing with a lot of customers, versatility is a key requirement to any and all commercial espresso machines, more so than your run-of-the-mill drip coffee maker.

Newly added this year is the Breville Oracle Touch, which includes an intuitive touchscreen, digital temperature controls, and a conical burr grinder.

Despite its rather bulky appearance, we thought the Nuova Simonelli Musica was a worthy addition to the list, thanks to its backlit buttons, for programming three independent water dosages, and integrated heat exchanger for maintaining temperature consistency.

Perfect for small cafes, the Saeco PicoBaristo sports a removable brewing group, specialized steaming system for effortless cleaning, and ten adjustable grind settings. Its ceramic blades stay sharp for several years before they need to be serviced. Its filter can last for up to 5,000 cups.

July 25, 2019:

Keeping in mind that flavor and consistency are important to most die-hard coffee aficionados, it's important to illustrate versatility in the machines that essentially bring these beverages to life, regardless of whether you plan to put one in your home or train your baristas to operate one. While some may prefer a traditional coffee maker to help them wake up and get through the day, you may be the type of person who appreciates the intensity that espresso can provide early in the morning. If you run your own coffee shop, your customers will appreciate the specialized option as well.

I wanted to include a few Breville options on the list and even though many of them are similar in appearance, they each have their own convenient functions setting them apart from one another. The Breville Barista, for example, has an integrated bean grinder, an intuitive touchscreen interface, and its own steam wand for producing that velvety foam that tops off a customer's cappuccino. I decided to include the Breville Dual due to its twin boilers and built-in over-pressure valve that helps prevent bitterness. It can also test for water hardness. The Infuser model utilizes low levels of water pressure to gently expand your coffee grounds, yielding maximum flavor extraction. The Gaggia Babila can easily accommodate different cup sizes, thanks to its height-adjustable coffee dispenser. It's also capable of running automatic rinsing and descaling cycles. You can practically eliminate the concern for overloads on the job with the Quickmill Alexia, thanks to its internal magnetic sensor that cuts power to the heating circuit when water levels drop too low. Additionally, the hinged cover provides easy access to the water reservoir for quick refilling. I realize the Saeco Xelsis is one of the more expensive options, but it also delivers many useful features, including a hygienic steam cleaner for its milk spout and a water filter that allows it to be used continuously for up to 5,000 cups before it requires descaling. The Nuova Simonelli Oscar II supports passive recirculation of the heat exchanger from its boiler for energy efficiency. Finally, I wanted to include at least one manually-operated model, so the La Pavoni Professional is it. Despite its lack of high-tech features, the internal thermostat is dependable enough to control the boiler temperature, while its mounted pressure gauge is relatively easy to read.