This immersion blender aced all of our tests, and this deal also includes a blending jar, whisk attachment, and accessory stand.
Serious Eats / Grace Kelly
Immersion blenders are handy—they’re easy to store, quick to set up and clean up neatly, too. They can blend soup right in the pot and whip up a two-minute mayonnaise, but if you’re looking to tackle tougher tasks like crushing ice or making a smoothie, you’re going to need power. The Vitamix Immersion Blender is the most powerful model we tested—and, luckily, it’s currently on sale as part of a 4-piece bundle for Vitamix Days.
Serious Eats / Jesse raub
To buy: Vitamix Immersion Blender 4-Piece Bundle was $200, now $170 at vitamix.com.
Why It Won Our Review
When we tested immersion blenders, the Vitamix was so powerful that it fully blended even the toughest celery fibers into a smooth soup. We really liked its 4-way blade which was sharper than the competition, and the plastic-tipped blade guard allowed us to use it on any surface without worrying about scratching or damaging the blades. When blending liquids, it created a deep vortex that obliterated and mixed everything quickly, though its highest settings were so fast that the droplets often splattered out of the container we were using. This bundle, thankfully, comes with a flared blending jar that’s designed to catch droplets so you can let ‘er rip without making much of a mess. It also includes a whisk attachment for whipping cream or mixing batters and a stand to hold all your accessories. If you need an immersion blender that combines power with precision, the Vitamix fits the bill—and with $30 off the already discounted bundle price, it’s a great deal to snag before soup season starts.
Good to Know
Weight: 2.5 pounds
Material: Stainless steel, plastic
Wattage: 625 watts
Speeds: 5
Pule option: Yes
Dishwasher-safe head: No
Care instructions: Hand-wash
Warranty: 3-year full warranty
FAQs
What can you use an immersion blender for?
Immersion blenders are great for tackling tasks that would be too small for a regular blender, like making mayonnaise. They can also blend soups directly in the pot they were cooked in, crush ice, and whip cream.
Can you crush ice with the Vitamix Immersion Blender?
Yes—the Vitamix has sharp blades and a powerful motor that crushed ice into fine snow. Because it’s so powerful, however, it can turn the top layer of ice into a frozen slush and you might need to adjust your speed settings or the position of the blade head in order to get through to the bottom of the container.
We rounded up our best small coffee makers and espresso machines, based on our tests.
Pulling a moka pot from the heat just as it starts sputtering is key for sweeter brews.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
You don’t need a full-sized cafe in your kitchen to brew excellent coffee. In fact, some of our favorite coffee gear is of a smaller stature.
We think even the tiniest kitchen counter can be transformed into an espresso paradise with the right equipment, whether you've dreamt of a coffee bar in your apartment or need a travel-friendly brewer for a hotel room, Airbnb, camper, or the like. There’s just no need to sacrifice quality for size. So, we went through our coffee reviews and rounded up the best small coffee gear, no matter how much space you have to spare.
If you’re on the hunt for smaller coffee equipment, chances are you’re looking to maximize your available countertop space. When it comes to espresso, the Breville Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder to save space, but it might not fit in a tight corner. That doesn’t mean you have to stick to pre-ground espresso (we seriously encourage buying whole beans), it just requires getting creative. For around the same cost, you could pick up the Breville Bambino Plus and Baratza Encore ESP and tuck one behind the other when not in use. For drip coffee, the OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker has the smallest footprint of any drip brewer that we recommend, which pairs great with the Baratza Encore grinder. But if counter space is maxed out, you can opt for the Timemore Chestnut C2 Max handheld coffee grinder, which is great for drip coffee (and pourover and French press) and can be tucked away into a drawer when not in use—just as long as you’re willing to put in some elbow grease for your morning cup.
If you’re heeding the call of the wild and want a portable rig for adventure coffee (or maybe just an alternative to hotel brews), it’s hard to beat the Aeropress Go. This plunger-style brewer is the more portable version of one of our favorite single-serve coffee brewers and comes with all of its accessories packed inside of a travel cup. Fresh-ground fiends can also bring a handheld coffee grinder for better-tasting brews. If the Aeropress Go’s eight-ounce capacity won’t cut it, however, the Kalita Wave 185 Stainless Steel Dripper can brew up to 24 ounces at a time and its sturdy stainless steel construction makes it easy to toss into any luggage without worry (though you’ll also need something to brew it into).
The Best Small Espresso Machines and Coffee Makers
What we liked: It doesn’t get more compact than the Bambino Plus when it comes to espresso, and this machine delivers more professional-style features than models twice its size. Its ThermoJet boiler heats up in just seconds, it features an algorithm-driven PID (a module that controls precise brewing temperatures), and it even has an automatic steam wand that aerates milk with silky microfoam. And above all else, it pulls excellent espresso shots, which is why it’s our favorite espresso machine.
What we didn’t like: Our only real gripe with this machine is that the automatic espresso volume buttons aren’t as consistent as we like, so we recommend stopping your espresso shots manually.
Price at time of publish: $500.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 8 x 13 x 12 inches
Weight: 11 pounds
Accessories: 54mm tamper, the Razor precision dosing tool, 16-ounce stainless steel milk jug, 1- and 2-cup single wall and dual wall filter baskets, cleaning tool, cleaning disc
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year limited product warranty
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
What we liked: The Barista Express Impress has an assisted tamping lever attached to its built-in grinder, saving you extra counter space. Though it’s slightly larger than the Bambino Plus, it’s also the only all-in-one espresso machine to earn a top pick in our espresso machine review. What really impressed us (har har) was its automated coffee portioning system—the Express Impress uses the puck depth (measured by the tamper) to calibrate how much espresso it doses into your portafilter, cutting down on the learning curve for home espresso beginners.
What we didn’t like: Like the Bambino Plus, we don’t think the espresso volume measurement buttons are accurate enough to use regularly and recommend stopping your shots manually.
Price at time of publish: $900.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 13 x 15 x 16 inches
Weight: 24 pounds
Accessories: Stainless steel milk jug, 1- and 2-cup single and dual wall filter baskets, water filter holder with filter, the Razor precision trimming tool, cleaning tablets, Allen key, steam wand cleaning tool, cleaning disc, cleaning brush, descaling powder
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year repair, replacement warranty
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
What we liked: It’s not the smallest option out there, but it is the smallest model that aced our rigorous coffee maker tests. The OXO 8-Cup can brew enough coffee for a small crowd, and is still compact enough to fit easily on most small counters. Its sprayhead and automatic bloom cycle evenly saturate the coffee, and its precise brew temperatures ensure every pot brews up sweet and balanced. It also features a mode for single-cup brewing, too, and a smaller filter basket insert to go with it.
What we didn’t like: Some batches between 20 and 24 ounces showed signs of uneven extraction, so it can be difficult to know at which brew volume to switch between the smaller basket and the larger basket.
Price at time of publish: $200.
Key Specs
Stated capacity: 1.25 liters/40 ounces/8 cups
Height of brewer: 13.5 inches
Weight: 10.3 pounds
Type of carafe: Thermal carafe
Average brew time: 5 minutes, 53 seconds
Warranty: 2 years
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
What we liked: With near-indestructible stainless steel construction, the Kalita Wave 185 is also one of the lightest and most compact pourover brewers around. But what we really love is its flat bottom and small exit holes, which encourage even extraction for sweet and balanced coffee. In our testing we also found it had the most consistent flow rate regardless of grind size. It's easily packable for travel, and can fit in most kitchen drawers for storage.
What we didn’t like: The biggest downside is having to order custom sized filters, which are hard to find in most stores. We recommend stocking up online.
What we liked: The Aeropress is one of our favorite single-serve brewers (especially when paired with a Fellow Prismo filter), and the Aeropress Go is an even more compact version. The entire brewer and its accessories all fit inside an included travel cup, so you can easily hide it away in any kitchen drawer or pop it into a backpack for camping. One of our favorite things about the Aeropress is how versatile it is: you can use it to brew espresso-style concentrated coffee, make pourover-like brews, or flip it over and use it as an immersion brewer, like a French press.
What we didn’t like: Because it’s such a versatile brewer, it can take some practice to master your favorite recipe. It’s also a brewer limited by size—it can only brew around eight ounces at a time.
What we liked: A French press is excellent for brewing large amounts of coffee without needing a lot of storage space, and the Fellow Clara is our favorite one by far. Its dual-wall insulation ensured ideal brew temps while keeping coffee hot for almost an hour, and its rubber-edged micro-mesh filter kept grit out better than any other model we tested. The inside of the Clara also features a nonstick coating, making it easy to clean off any residual coffee oils (which cause that old coffee smell). We also really like the volume-based measurement lines—if you don’t have a scale handy, you can use the visual guides for both coffee and water to fudge your way to pretty good coffee. And if you do have a scale? The Clara brews clean, sweet coffee that’s easily repeatable.
What we didn’t like: The Clara’s biggest downside is its price—it’s more expensive than any other French press we tested. It also tops out at 24 ounces compared to glass French presses of the same size that can brew up to 32 ounces—the dual-wall insulation cuts down on available brewing capacity.
Price at time of publish: $100.
Key Specs
Capacity: 24 ounces
Dimensions: 4.53 x 6.69 x 7.87 inches
Materials: Stainless steel
Insulation: Dual-wall insulated
Filter type: Single screen
Care Instructions: Hand-wash
Ashley Rodriguez
What we liked: The Moka Express comes in multiple sizes, but when we tested moka pots we were impressed with how much coffee the 6-cup model could brew for its size. While it won’t brew quite as strong as espresso, the Moka Express is a great way to share sweet and syrupy coffee with friends while taking up much less space than any espresso machine.
What we didn’t like: We had some issues with getting the top to screw on easily, and the soft aluminum threads liked to stick to each other during assembly. It’s also made from aluminum and isn’t induction-friendly the way that a stainless steel moka pot is, like the Bialetti Venus.
Price at time of publish: $33.
Key Specs
Materials: Aluminum, plastic
Weight: 24.6 ounces
Capacity: 9 ounces
Induction-friendly: No
Care instructions: Wash with warm water, allow to air dry before re-assembling; clean with coffee detergent when coffee residue becomes visible
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
FAQs
How do you make a small amount of coffee?
The best way to make a small amount of coffee is with a single-serve manual brew method, like a pourover, French press, or Aeropress. Drip coffee makers tend to brew single cups too quickly, leaving the coffee tasting weak and sour. When you brew coffee by hand, you have more control over the brew time no matter how big or small the batch is.
What is the simplest coffee set up?
The simplest coffee setup is an automatic drip coffee maker with a high-quality burr grinder and a scale. This combination will brew excellent coffee with repeatable results and require very little effort from the user—just measure out the water, weigh and grind your coffee, and brew. If you’re looking for a simple coffee setup that doesn’t take up too much space, we also recommend looking into pourover brewing.
Can you make good espresso without a fancy espresso machine?
Yes—our best-tested espresso machine is the Breville Bambino Pluswhich packs lots of incredible features, like precision temperature control and an automatic steam wand, into an entry-level espresso machine. It makes really excellent espresso, is quick to heat up, and costs much less than most well-regarded home espresso options. You can also look into brewing with a moka pot, though the coffee it produces isn’t actually espresso.
For this review, we included our findings and top picks from various tests. You can read more about how we tested (and which models we do and don't recommend) in our reviews of espresso machines, French press coffee makers, and more. We made sure to link to our independent reviews throughout this piece.
This indoor herb garden won our review with its programmable grow light, digital display, and easy-to-clean tray.
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Okay—the temperatures spiked, and you took a day trip to the beach to beat the heat, but when you get home ready to make a light and fresh dinner, the basil in your window box is dried up and crunchy.
Growing herbs can be finicky. Not enough light, too much water, extreme heat or cold, the wrong type of plant food, and boom: there go your plans for pesto. Not to mention storebought herbs seem to go bad near-instantly. Indoor herb gardens can manage your plants for you (telling you when to water them and featuring built-in grow lights), and our favorite one—the AeroGarden Harvest Elite—is currently a whopping $84 off.
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
To buy: AeroGarden Harvest Elitel was $206, now $122 at amazon.com.
Why It Won Our Review
We tested eight indoor herb gardens, and the AeroGarden Harvest Elite was the most versatile. While we did have to consult some videos to set it up, in the end, it was fairly easy to get started. It’s big enough to grow six plants and it comes with six seed pods to start, but you can plant your own seeds with the Grow Anything Kit. Plus, it has a digital screen that tells you exactly when to water and fertilize each plant—no guessing! No over-or under-watering! Its grow light can also be programmed to accommodate a variety of plants and herbs, and it even has custom settings if you need to override a pre-programmed schedule. We also loved its vacation mode, which cuts down on water use and dims the lights while you’re away to slow plant growth. Finally, when it’s time to clean (because yes, you should clean your indoor garden since mold or algae can form), the top of the unit comes off and you can easily wipe out the water tray. And while it was our most expensive pick, it’s currently 40% off, making this a steal for anyone who loves fresh herbs.
Good to Know:
Dimensions: 10.5 x 6.125 x 11 inches
Comes with: Pod garden unit with LED grow lights, 6 pod seed kit, grow domes, plant food, power adapter
Number of pods: 6
Warranty: 1-year limited
Good to know: Guaranteed to germinate; will replace pods if they do not
FAQs
What’s the difference between the AeroGarden Harvest and the AeroGarden Harvest Elite?
The AeroGarden Harvest Elite features a digital display that tracks when you planted your pods so you don’t have to write down any dates manually. It also has customizable settings for its grow light and built-in reminders for watering and adding plant food, making it a great option for people who want a less hands-on approach. The Aerogarden Harvest does not have a digital display, which, while not a deal breaker, doesn't allow for the same amount of customization.
Can I plant my own seeds in the AeroGarden Harvest Elite?
Yes—you can plant any seed you like using AeroGarden’s Grow Anything Kit. This system lets you grow anything you’d like, though some plants work better than others with the AeroGarden. They also note that anything that grows underground (like beets, carrots, or radishes) can be started in the AeroGarden but needs to be moved outside to fully develop.
After testing, we named the Breville Bambino Plus our favorite espresso machine. We also love the Breville Barista Express Impress.
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Breville’s espresso machine lineup combines user-friendly design with professional-quality espresso. They were one of the first companies to add a PID controller (an algorithm-driven precision temperature control module) to home espresso machines. Breville also pioneered quick-heating steam wands that were ready to go in seconds and added user-friendly details (like cleaning instructions on the water reservoir) that helped demystify the shot-pulling experience for new home baristas.
At the same time, a lot of their espresso machines look similar and only reveal their differences when you get down to the technical nitty-gritty. We put together this guide to highlight our favorite tested Breville espresso machines—along with a handful of others that we’ve had hands-on experience with—to help you decide which model is right for you.
Our Favorite Breville Espresso Machines, at a Glance
Packed with high-end features like precise PID temperature control (an algorithm-driven computer that regulates boiler heating) and an automatic milk steaming wand that aerates the milk for you, the Bambino Plus is also a user-friendly espresso machine well-suited for beginners and pros alike. It’s quick to heat up, has a simple and intuitive interface, and is small enough to fit on almost any kitchen counter. And, of course, it pulls really tasty espresso shots, winning the designation as our top overall espresso machine during testing (we evaluated 14 models).
Best for: While this machine brews great espresso, its automatic milk steaming wand makes it an excellent choice for latte and cappuccino drinkers. It has three presets for both milk texture and temperature, delivering cafe-quality milk at the push of a button, and it’s one of the cheapest machines in Breville’s lineup. For those with aesthetics on the mind, it comes in three colors (including a striking deep blue).
Challenges or shortcomings: Our biggest gripe with this machine is its programmable volume buttons—they couldn’t consistently deliver the same amount of espresso. Instead, we recommend stopping your shots manually.
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
Good to Know:
Breville also has another entry-level model—the Breville Duo Temp—but it lacks a PID, has a clunky dial to pull your shot instead of buttons, has a manual steam wand, and is overall the same price as the Bambino Plus with considerably fewer features.
If you’re on a budget and don’t mind steaming milk yourself, the Breville Bambino features the same shot-pulling capabilities, just with a manual steam wand. It also has a smaller boiler (only 47 ounces) and will need to have its water reservoir topped off more often.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 8 x 13 x 12 inches
Weight: 11 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 54 millimeter
Capacity: 1 liter
Comes with: 54mm tamper, the Razor precision dosing tool, stainless steel milk jug, 1- and 2-cup single wall & dual wall filter baskets, cleaning tool, cleaning disc
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year limited product warranty
Price at time of publish: $500
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
For anyone new to espresso, the Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder, automated coffee dosing, and an assisted tamping lever—and it’s the machine of choice for multiple Serious Eats staffers. It has the same precise PID temperature control as other Breville machines, only this one automates every step of the shot-pulling process for you. We were thoroughly impressed (get it) during testing by its coffee dosing system, which consistently portioned out coffee grounds within a half-gram every time. In order to achieve the correct dose, the system uses a series of lights to tell you if the puck is too shallow or high. A just-right puck displays a green light next to a smiley face to let the user know they have the right amount of coffee. It was easy to pull delicious shots, and its steam wand was able to produce microfoam silky enough to pour latte art.
Best for: This is an excellent machine for anyone who is excited about espresso drinks at home and wants a streamlined drink-making process that doesn’t require extra training. Perfecting espresso techniques can be time-consuming, but even a person brand new to home espresso can make a great latte within minutes of setting up the machine for the first time.
Challenges or shortcomings: Like the Bambino Plus, we wish the programmable espresso volume buttons were more consistent, and we recommend stopping your shots manually. The built-in grinder is also more limited than a standalone espresso grinder, which would have more settings to experiment with in the ideal espresso range.
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Good to know:
The automatic coffee dosing system takes a little tweaking to perfect. After the machine automatically portions your coffee out, you use the tamping lever to compact the espresso puck. If the dose is too high, the grinder automatically delivers less coffee the next time. If the dose is too low, the user manually tops up the coffee and re-tamps until the green light triggers next to the smiley face. The grinder then gives you that same amount of coffee the next time.
Because the automatic coffee dosing and assisted tamping lever are designed around the filter baskets that come with the machine, you aren’t able to swap these parts out for third-party filter baskets.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 13 x 15 x 16 inches
Weight: 24 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 54 millimeter
Capacity: 2 liters
Grind settings: 25
Comes with: Stainless steel milk jug, 1- and 2-cup single and dual wall filter baskets, water filter holder with filter, the Razor precision trimming tool, cleaning tablets, Allen key, steam wand cleaning tool, cleaning disc, cleaning brush, descaling powder
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year repair, replacement warranty
Price at time of publish: $900
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
If you like the idea of a built-in grinder but want a more hands-on approach, the Barista Pro has 30 grind settings—more than any other Breville espresso machine—and you can also control how much coffee the grinder doses into your portafilter based on a digital timer that’s easy to adjust. Like the rest of the Breville lineup, it’s quick to heat up, has precision PID temperature control, and pulls great espresso shots.
Best for: Anyone who’s looking for more control over their espresso but still wants the convenience of a built-in grinder. The Barista Pro also lets the user adjust how much coffee the grinder portions out, so if you’re picky about your espresso quality, you can tinker away to your heart’s delight.
Challenges or shortcomings: In our testing, the Barista Pro’s grinder couldn’t match the grind precision of a standalone espresso grinder. While we still like this machine, we prefer the extra automation of the Barista Express Impress and the espresso quality of the Bambino Plus paired with a grinder.
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Good to know:
The Barista Pro uses a ThermoJet heating system, like the Bambino Plus, which is more efficient and heats up faster. This boiler, plus more grind settings and a digital timer for coffee portioning, helps set it apart from the Barrsta Express, which looks very similar.
There’s also the Breville Barista Touch, which is a version of the Barista Pro that adds a touchscreen for easier control and step-by-step guides. It’s expensive, and we prefer the BrevilleBarista Touch Impress (which we detail below) for its automated dosing and assisted tamping lever.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 13.9 x 13.5 x 16 inches
Weight: 20 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 54 millimeter
Capacity: 2 liters
Grind settings: 30
Comes with: Dosing funnel attachment, single & dual wall (1- and 2-cup) filter baskets, the Razor precision dose trimming tool, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning kit, water filter
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year limited product warranty
Price at time of publish: $850
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
The Barista Express is a no-frills espresso machine with a built-in grinder and an approachable price point. It’s easy to use, features the same PID temperature control as every other Breville machine, and has 16 grind settings and a dose adjustment dial to fine-tune the grinder delivering more or less coffee into the filter basket. Its steam wand also heats up in under a minute and is powerful enough to create microfoam for latte art.
Best for: The Barista Express is Breville’s most popular espresso machine, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a simple, straightforward model with a built-in grinder, and what it lacks in features it makes up for in value compared to buying a standalone espresso machine and grinder.
Challenges or shortcomings: The biggest shortcoming of the Barista Express is its lack of features. While it’s Breville’s least expensive espresso machine with a built-in grinder, the Barista Pro and Barista Express Impress are only marginally more expensive for either more automation or more precise control. It’s also around the same price as pairing a Bambino Plus with a Baratza Encore ESP (one of our favorite espresso grinders).
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
Good to know:
This machine is Breville’s most popular model. It’s been around since 2011 (with an overhaul in 2013), and compared to buying a standalone espresso machine and grinder, it’s a good price point. However, we recommend the Breville Barista Express Impress if someone wants a machine with streamlined shot pulling for its wider variety of grind settings and automated dosing and tamping system.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 12.5 x 13.8 x 16 inches
Weight: 23 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 54 millimeter
Capacity: 2 liters
Grind settings: 16
Comes with: Dosing funnel attachment, single and dual wall (1- and 2-cup) filter baskets, the Razor precision dose trimming tool, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning kit, water filter
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 1-year limited product warranty
Price at time of publish: $750
Serious Eats / Ashley Rodriguez
For the ultimate user experience, the Barista Touch Impress combines Breville’s intuitive touchscreen controls with the automated dosing and assisted tamping of the Express Impress and the automatic milk steaming of the Bambino Plus. Just select a drink on the touchscreen, and the machine will walk you through every step of how to make it (including letting you know if your shot pulled too fast or slow). The automatic steam wand also has an auto-purge for easy cleaning, and it even has settings for different kinds of plant milks. This is also the first Breville grinder to implement precision Baratza burrs (the same ones used in our favorite grinders) since they bought the company in 2020.
Best for: If you’re looking for an espresso machine that does most of the work for you, you’ll be happy with the Barista Touch Impress. It’s an easy-to-use espresso machine with a built-in grinder and a touchscreen that can make your barista ambitions a reality.
Challenges or shortcomings: To start, this machine is expensive. And while the features work well, together they can be limiting for a more experienced home barista who wants to experiment more with their espresso specs.
Good to know:
This is a pricey machine. The touchscreen is really handy, the Baratza burrs are a nice upgrade, and we like the alternative milk settings for the automated steam wand. We think the Breville Barista Express Impress is still an excellent alternative—at nearly half the price.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 16 x 14.1 x 13.5 inches
Weight: 31 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 54 millimeter
Capacity: 2 liters
Grind settings: 30
Comes with: Stainless steel milk jug, 1- and 2-cup single and dual wall filter baskets, water filter holder with filter, water hardness strip, the Razor precision trimming tool, cleaning tablets, steam wand cleaning tool, cleaning disc, cleaning brush, descaling powder
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year limited product warranty
Price at time of publish: $1500
Serious Eats / Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm
If you’re looking to make the leap to a professional-style espresso machine that still features Breville’s user-friendly touches (like retractable wheels for moving around your counter), the Dual Boiler is a big step up from Breville’s Barista series. To start, it features independent boilers for brewing and its steam wand, which means you can steam milk and pull shots at the same time. It also has a much more powerful steam wand than most of the Breville lineup, and allows you to adjust your brew temperature by a single degree Fahrenheit, in case you want to experiment with slightly hotter or cooler brew temps. The Dual Boiler features a 58-millimeter portafilter instead of Breville’s usual 54-millimeter diameter, which makes it compatible with our recommended filter basket upgrade for sweeter-tasting shots. And although it’s a small detail, the Dual Boiler has a manual operation button for more control over your espresso brewing—something we’re grateful for since the automatic volume buttons tend to be inconsistent. To top it all off, it automatically times your shots on its digital display—no more fiddling with an external timer in one hand while you pull a shot with the other.
Best for: Anyone looking to take the next step in pulling professional-style espresso shots will greatly appreciate the Dual Boiler’s precision. It’s a great jump-up in machine quality while still being user-friendly—Breville’s attention to detail includes a hidden tray for cleaning supplies, a pop-up sign when the drip tray is full, and cleaning instructions printed on the back of the water reservoir.
Challenges and shortcomings: It’s one of Breville’s most expensive espresso machines, but in terms of what you get for the price, it’s a decent value. Most espresso machines with dual boilers run closer to $2,000 and are made by niche espresso machine companies, making the Breville Dual Boiler a great option for people ready to take the next step while still having access to a customer support line.
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Good to know:
The Oracle is Breville’s version of the Dual Boiler with a built-in grinder and automatic steam wand (like the Bambino Plus). But for a machine that has this much espresso-pulling precision, we think you’re better off pairing the Dual Boiler with a high-end espresso grinder like the Baratza Sette 270, which has 270 grind settings compared to the 45 that the Oracle offers.
The Oracle Touch is—you guessed it—the touchscreen version of the Oracle, and while it adds the same step-by-step usability of the other Touch machines, we think part of the appeal of the Dual Boiler is how much freedom it gives the barista to experiment, and someone looking for an automated experience would probably get more out of the BrevilleBarista Touch Impress (which is a good deal cheaper, too).
Key Specs
Dimensions: 15.9 x 14.7 x 14.9 inches
Weight: 23 pounds
Portafilter diameter: 58 millimeter
Capacity: 2.5 liters
Comes with: 58mm razor dosing tool, 58mm stainless steel portafilter, 1-cup and 2-cup single and dual wall filter baskets, tamper, stainless steel milk jug, cleaning kit, water hardness test strip, water filter holder, and water filter
Care instructions: Backflush with coffee detergent according to the manufacturer's instructions
Warranty: 2-year limited product warranty
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
FAQs
What is the best Breville espresso machine?
In all of our testing, we found the Breville Bambino Plus to be the best overall espresso machine for its espresso quality, automatic milk steaming, small footprint, and lower cost. If you’re looking for a machine with a built-in grinder and more automation, the Breville Barista Express Impress is another great option.
Are Breville espresso machines easy to use?
Breville’s espresso machines are very user-friendly. They have intuitive button placement, easy-to-read interfaces, and hidden storage for tools. Most machines feature cleaning instructions printed right on the water reservoir for easy maintenance.
Are Breville espresso machines worth the price?
Breville’s espresso machine lineup features commercial-style features while being comparable in price to other consumer-level espresso machines. Most notably, Breville includes a PID temperature control module in all of its machines that regulates brewing temperatures within a tenth of a degree Fahrenheit; this is usually only found in a professional espresso machine.
We tested 11 moka pots to find out which made the best coffee and were the easiest to use.
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Moka pots are ubiquitous in Italian homes, where espresso is most people’s preferred way to drink coffee. And while a moka pot can’t quite replicate the espresso you order in a cafe, it’s able to brew a much stronger coffee than drip brewers through the use of steam pressure.
As water begins to boil in the lower chamber, steam pushes water up the middle filter where it extracts coffee, pushing it through the spigot and into the top chamber. Using steam pressure to brew can be tricky, however. Towards the end of a moka pot’s brewing cycle, hot steam can pass directly through the coffee, sputtering and extracting more bitter flavors.
To find the best moka pots, we tested 11 models and evaluated how easy they were to set up and clean and, of course, which brewed the best coffee.
The Winners, at a Glance
Based on the original design for the moka pot developed by Luigi De Ponti and Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, the Bialetti Moka Express repeatedly brewed the best coffee out of any model we tested. It had a filter basket that was large enough for proper brew ratios, and every piece fit together neatly. Made from heavy gauge aluminum, it conducted heat evenly for consistent steam pressure and well-extracted coffee.
Made from stainless steel, this moka pot heated up quickly and brewed a full minute faster than our aluminum top pick. It brewed great coffee time and time again, and it’s also induction-friendly.
The Tests
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Dark Roast Brew Test: We brewed a moka pot with dark roast coffee by measuring coffee and water volumetrically to see how much fit in each chamber. We ground the coffee on the finest setting of a filter coffee grinder. We evaluated each model on ease of use and brewed coffee quality.
Light Roast Brew Test: We brewed a moka pot with light-roasted coffee and weighed out a 1:10 ratio of coffee to water (or as close as we could get) for each brewer. We ground the coffee slightly coarser than a traditional espresso grind and used a paper filter to remove more sediment from the final cup. We evaluated each model on ease of use and coffee quality.
Cleanup and Usability Tests: We repeatedly disassembled each moka pot to see how well the parts fit together after multiple uses. We also evaluated how comfortable the handles were, how well the spouts poured, and how tight each seal was. Finally, we washed each moka pot by rinsing it thoroughly with water, and then a second time with coffee detergent to see how easy each one was to clean.
What We Learned
There’s No One Perfect Moka Pot Recipe
Pulling a moka pot from the heat just as it starts sputtering is key for sweeter brews.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
The moka pot is 90 years old and, in that time, its design hasn’t changed much. While other brew methods like pourover or espresso use precise measurements for better success, brewing with a moka pot involves a bit of wiggle room and well-wishing. Traditional moka pot recipes call for adding cold water to the bottom chamber until it’s just under the safety valve, filling the coffee basket until it’s level, and heating on the stove until all of the water runs through. But that method adds a lot of excess heat to the coffee before the water is even hot enough to pressurize.
Starting with boiling water ensures proper brew temps.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
When designing our tests, we leaned on former World Barista Champion James Hoffmann’s moka pot technique for pointers. The main takeaways are to start with water just off the boil, grind coffee slightly coarser than espresso, use a paper Aeropress filter for cleaner-tasting brews, and remove from the burner when the moka pot starts to sputter to avoid excess bitterness. In our tests, we found this last part was key: as the water boils in the bottom chamber, it creates pressurized steam that drives the hot water up through the coffee filter. Towards the end of the cycle, the water level gets low enough that steam itself pushes through the coffee filter. This means that you never quite fully get all of the water from the bottom chamber up through the coffee, and brew ratios are designed to compensate for this. We landed on a 1:10 ratio of coffee to water for the best-tasting brews, but it was harder to settle on one ideal grind size. To accommodate the variety of ways a moka pot can be used, we developed two recipes. First, we brewed a dark roast coffee ground to the finest setting on a standard coffee grinder with coffee and water measured by volume. After that, we brewed a light-roast coffee, using a high-end grinder to grind the beans slightly coarser than espresso. We also added a paper Aeropress filter and weighed out the coffee and water in grams before brewing. This way, we felt confident that our winning moka pot could accommodate any style of coffee preference.
Filter Basket Size Was Crucial for Brew Quality
Most filter baskets couldn't hold enough coffee, resulting in weak and bitter cups.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Moka pots must be filled with water up to just below the safety valve to pressurize properly. This restricts the amount of water you can add. The same goes for the filter baskets: tamping the coffee down can cause the moka pot to choke, so grounds can only be added and leveled, leaving them loosely packed (think: measuring flour in a measuring cup). The only two moka pots with filter baskets that could hold the proper amount of coffee were the Bialetti Moka Express and the Bialetti Venus Moka Pot. Most other models brewed weak, bitter coffee due to baskets that were too small.
Angular Moka Pots Were Easier to Screw Together
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
The original moka pot design features a decagonal shape with Art Deco vibes, but these flat sides are more than just looks—they also gave you something to grab onto when screwing the top chamber onto the bottom. The London Sip and Cuisinox Roma, which are round, were harder to grab when screwing together, especially since our recipe called for hot water in the bottom chamber, and we had to rely on the rubber grips of a pair of heat-resistant gloves to get enough traction.
Heavier Pots Brewed Better Coffee
Most moka pots had the same capacity, but ones with thicker walls heated more evenly and brewed better coffee.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
In general, moka pots that were heavier and had thicker walls conducted heat better and brewed better coffee—as long as the basket was big enough. Both the Coffee Gator Stovetop Espresso Maker (21 ounces) and Cuisinox Roma Stovetop Espresso Maker (33 ounces) built pressure consistently, but with smaller baskets, the coffee came out weak and bitter. On the other hand, the Primula Classic Stovetop Espresso Makercould fit a 1:10 ratio, but its thinner walls had a hard time controlling the heat, and it often sputtered out before the brew was finished.
Wider Bases Were More Accommodating for Gas Stoves
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
The Stelton Collar Espresso Maker impressed us with its looks, but its extremely narrow base was difficult to center on a gas burner. Wider, flared bases, like the Bialetti Venus, London Sip Stovetop Espresso Maker, and Cuisinox completely covered the flame, making it easier to control exactly how much heat was added. Even slightly narrower bases, like the 3.8-inch Grosche Milano Stovetop Espresso,were more difficult to center than the 4-inch wide Bialetti Express.
Stainless Steel Moka Pots Brewed Much Faster
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
Stainless steel is great at transferring heat (see: baking steels), and all three stainless steel moka pots brewed in under two minutes. Most aluminum models took at least three minutes, but this also made them more forgiving: slower-heating moka pots meant you had time to catch the end of the brew before sputtering kicked in. The fast brew times of the Bialetti Venus were appreciated with back-to-back testing, but the aluminum Bialetti Express is likely a better model for moka pot beginners.
Moka Pots Are Hard to Keep Clean
Since manufacturers advise against using dish soap, rinsing with water is the best way to clean a moka pot.Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
When you brew with a moka pot, coffee gets into all three chambers and, eventually, gives off stale, old coffee aromas. But cleaning with dish soap risks the metal absorbing soapy smells and off-flavors. Cleaning between brews should be done with a thorough hot water rinse to get rid of any leftover grounds, and then each piece should be wiped clean with a cloth or paper towel to remove coffee oils from the surface. Even then coffee oils will build up over time, requiring a thorough cleaning with coffee detergent. Just be sure to let every piece dry completely after cleaning—there are a lot of nooks and crannies that can hold onto water, and trapped water can grow mold and mildew inside the brewer.
The Criteria: What to Look for in a Moka Pot
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
The number one thing to look for in a great moka pot is a basket that’s large enough to accommodate a proper coffee-to-water ratio. It should also be easy to assemble and have thicker walls and a wide base for better heat distribution.
The Best Moka Pots
What we liked: The build quality of the Bialetti Moka Express was drastically better than most other models. It’s made from heavy gauge aluminum with thick walls, and it weighed 24.6 ounces—much more substantial than most of the competition. Combined with a wider base, the Express heated evenly during every brew, building a steady, predictable pressure that extracted excellent coffee. We got tasty brews from both the dark and light-roasted coffee tests, and the same amount of water moved through before sputtering started. The most important part? Its filter basket was able to hold a full 1:10 ratio of coffee to water, which was crucial for syrupy and sweet coffee. All in all, it’s a fantastic moka pot and only slightly more expensive than some of the other models that performed much poorer.
What we didn’t like: Aluminum is a softer material, and that makes it stickier when trying to screw the top chamber onto the bottom chamber. We wish the threads were a little smoother, as this model was tricker to assemble than some of the cheaper moka pots.
Price at time of publish: $38.
Key Specs
Materials: Aluminum, plastic
Weight: 24.6 ounces
Height: 8.5 inches
Base width: 4 inches
Capacity: 9 ounces
Induction-friendly: No
Care instructions: Wash with warm water, allow to air dry before re-assembling; clean with coffee detergent when coffee residue becomes visible
Serious Eats / Jesse Raub
What we liked: The stainless steel Bialetti Venus brewed the fastest out of any of the moka pots we tested. Steel is a great heat conductor, and the Venus also features a flared base that covers more of the burner, allowing for quicker heating. It has the same large basket as the Bialetti Moka Express, and we also liked its comfortable wider handle. Since it’s made from stainless steel, it’s also induction-compatible.
What we didn’t like: Faster brews mean less time babysitting a moka pot on the stove, but it also means a smaller window of time before sputtering kicks in. It took us a few tries to master the speed of the Venus, but when we did, it brewed excellent coffee.
Price at time of publish: $40.
Key Specs
Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
Weight: 24.4 ounces
Height: 7.5 inches
Base width: 4.25 inches
Capacity: 8.6 ounces
Induction-friendly: Yes
Care instructions: Wash with warm water, allow to air dry before re-assembling; clean with coffee detergent when coffee residue becomes visible
Serious Eats / Jess Raub
The Competition
Stelton Collar Espresso Maker: This brewer had the smallest coffee basket (18 grams) and brewed weak and bitter coffee. It also had too narrow of a base and heated unevenly.
Grosche Milano Stovetop Espresso: The brewer on this basket was too small for an ideal brew ratio, and it brewed bitter and weak coffee.
IMUSA Moka Pot: This was the thinnest moka pot we tested, and it had trouble brewing at consistent speeds. It also had too small of a filter basket.
Coffee Gator Stovetop Espresso Maker: We were impressed with the build quality of this moka pot (and it has an induction compatible plate on its base), but this brewer, too, did not have a big enough filter basket and brewed bitter coffee.
Primula Classic Stovetop Espresso Maker: Even though this filter basket could accommodate a proper amount of coffee, the Primula’s walls were thin and it was hard get consistent results—some brews heated up quicker than others and would sputter prematurely.
Cuisinox Roma Stovetop Espresso Maker: Yet again, the filter basket for this moka pot was too small for a proper ratio, resulting in weak and bitter coffee. Its handle was made out of stainless steel and got hot during brewing.
Zulay Kitchen Stovetop Espresso Maker: After multiple tests, this moka pot failed to seal properly and could not produce enough pressure to brew coffee.
Yabano Stovetop Espresso Maker After multiple tests, this moka pot, too, failed to seal properly and could not produce enough pressure to brew coffee.
FAQs
Are moka pots worth it?
A moka pot is an affordable way to make strong coffee at home if you’re not ready to invest in an espresso machine. They’re straightforward to use, sturdy, and, with good cleaning, a moka pot can last for years.
Is moka pot coffee as strong as espresso?
Moka pots brew coffee with a 1:10 ratio of coffee to water, ending up with a total concentration between 3 to 4% total dissolved solids—a little more than twice as strong as drip coffee, and around the same concentration of strong cold brew. Espresso, on the other hand, is brewed with a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water and has a concentration of 9 to 10% total dissolved solids, making it around 2.5 to 3 times stronger than coffee brewed from a moka pot.
Can moka pots grow mold?
Yes—coffee residue is very susceptible to mold growth, and moka pots can trap a lot of water if they’re not allowed to fully air dry before being reassembled. After brewing a moka pot, you should wash every part thoroughly with warm water and wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel to remove as much coffee oil residue as possible. If you use your moka pot frequently, you should consider a thorough monthly cleaning with coffee detergent.
Should you tamp coffee in a moka pot?
No—moka pots brew with steam pressure, and steam isn’t powerful enough to push through a tamped bed of coffee. Instead, you should fill the moka pot filter basket with coffee and level it off with your finger or a knife, as if you were measuring out flour in a measuring cup. This ensures that the moka pot won’t stall out in the middle of the brew cycle.
For this review, we tested 11 moka pots. We spent approximately 12 hours researching and testing the moka pots and went through four pounds of coffee beans.
We've written numerous times about moka pots in the past—including about their history and our general love for the inexpensive brewer.
