Design espresso machines: colours and looks for your kitchen

In the morning, the first light falls on the kitchen counter, and there it is: your espresso machine, in gleaming stainless steel, in matte black or in a cheerful yellow. Even before the first espresso flows into the cup, you delight in the sight of it. A beautiful machine is a luxury you treat yourself to, and it makes your kitchen a little more your own place. So the nicest question to start with is: what should your coffee corner look like?

In short: Choose your espresso machine by the look that suits your kitchen and you. Stainless steel and chrome feel timeless, matte black calm and elegant, white and light tones friendly, bold colours cheerful, wood warm and purist forms clear, and with a lever machine every espresso becomes a craft. With high-quality espresso machines, the technology confirms the look: an accurately controlled temperature, because you can taste temperature differences from just half a degree, and a group that suits your taste. A grinder in the same look completes the coffee corner. That is how we advise at Coffee Coaching Club.

La Marzocco Linea Micra in white on a bright kitchen counter in front of dark green tiles and a wooden shelf with ceramic bowls

Why the look may come first

The machine you buy is the one you want to have. You see it every day, you touch it every morning, and your coffee corner is the place for your own moment of the day. That is why we begin with colour, form and feel, and the technology follows as confirmation. And because you buy an espresso machine for many years, the nicest way to begin is straight away with your dream machine. You will find all models among the espresso machines.

Stainless steel and chrome: timeless and gleaming

On Sunday morning, the light is reflected in the polished housing, and steam rises softly from the wand. Stainless steel and chrome bring a piece of the Italian bar into your kitchen and suit almost any style, from a period apartment to an open-plan kitchen.

Classics in stainless steel are built by Rocket Espresso, ECM, Profitec and La Marzocco, for example, and you will find many of them among the Italian espresso machines. Often the E61 group with its typical chrome head is at work inside. E61 groups are known for their full body, with the aromas stepping a little into the background. More in E61: the secret behind the chrome head.

Rocket Mozzafiato FAST in stainless steel on a bright kitchen counter in front of a green wall, beside it espresso in glasses and coffee beans on a wooden board

Matte black: calm and elegant

In the evening, only the light above the counter is still on, and your machine looks like part of the architecture. Matte black is quiet and self-assured and feels velvety. It suits dark fronts, concrete and stone, and sets a calm accent in a bright kitchen.

Machines in matte black come from La Marzocco, ECM, Rocket Espresso, Arkel and Ligre, for example. At La Marzocco and Arkel, a saturated group is at work, bringing the most balanced interplay of aroma and body to the cup.

Rocket Giotto FAST in black on a wooden table in warm light, in front of it a portafilter with freshly ground coffee

White and light colours: bright and friendly

Seven in the morning, the window is open a crack, and on the light counter a machine in white or cream is waiting. Light colours make the coffee corner airy and friendly, and alongside wood and plants the machine looks fresh and a little Scandinavian.

White and cream are available at La Marzocco, for example, white at Lelit and Arkel, and Ligre builds its machine in a soft silver beige. At Rocket Espresso, white details set a bright accent on the stainless steel.

La Marzocco Linea Mini R in white under a wooden shelf with ceramics in a bright kitchen with white tiles

Bold colours: the machine as an eye-catcher

A sunny yellow, a deep red or a cool blue: a coloured machine lifts your mood even before the first espresso flows. In a calm, bright kitchen, it becomes the centrepiece where people love to linger.

La Marzocco builds its home machines in colours such as red, yellow, light blue, blue and cream. Victoria Arduino comes in shades such as coral, pearl blue or lavender, on request even in your own RAL colour, and at Profitec there is a cheerful yellow.

Detail of the La Marzocco Linea Mini R in yellow with paddle, display and gleaming group

Red La Marzocco Linea Micra next to the La Marzocco Pico grinder in black on a wooden kitchen counter

Wood: warmth you can touch

Your hand closes around a walnut portafilter handle; the wood is warm and smooth and develops its own patina over the years. Wooden details bring warmth and craftsmanship to a country house just as much as to a clean, modern kitchen.

You will find wood at Lelit, for example, at Eureka with side panels in walnut, oak or olive wood, at Rocket Espresso with wooden elements, at Bezzera in rosewood and at Arkel with walnut handles. Beautiful wooden portafilter handles are also available on their own.

Eureka Costanza R with a wooden side panel next to a white grinder with a wooden lid and a wooden tamping station

ECM Mechanika VI Slim in chrome with an espresso grinder on a dark shelf in a bright living room, next to it a small tree

Purist and minimal: design to admire

A smooth surface, a fine curve, nothing else: some machines stand in the kitchen like a design object and leave the stage to your bean. This look suits you if you love calm and clean lines.

You will find purist forms at Ligre, WPM and Arkel, for example. Ligre and WPM work with a hybrid group. Hybrid groups show more aroma and bring some body with them.

Ligre Youn in matte black with a wooden handle on a light wooden sideboard, beside it a cloth, a cup and a vase

Lever and craft: espresso by hand

You place your hand on the lever, pull it down slowly and feel the coffee under the pressure. Shortly afterwards, the espresso flows into the cup, entirely your own work. Lever machines look like small sculptures and turn every espresso into a ritual for all the senses.

You will find all models among the lever espresso machines. We are the exclusive importer of Flair Espresso in Switzerland. Manual levers from Switzerland come from Olympia Express, for example, among the Swiss espresso machines, and spring levers in stainless steel from Profitec, for example. Which lever suits you is shown in our guide Lever espresso machine. The scale shows you how much espresso goes into the cup, because we brew espresso by weight.

Man pulling the lever of the Flair Espresso 58+2 with a wooden handle in a bright kitchen, an espresso in a glass below

Profitec Pro 800 lever machine in stainless steel with wooden handles on a white plinth in front of a green wall with bird of paradise flowers

At a glance

Look How it feels Right for you if
Stainless steel and chrome timeless, gleaming, a piece of the Italian bar you love classic lines and like the light on metal
Matte black calm, elegant, velvety your kitchen is dark, graphic or modern
White and light colours bright, friendly, airy your kitchen is light and the machine should blend in gently
Bold colours cheerful, personal, an eye-catcher you want your coffee corner to bring joy and stand out
Wooden details warm, artisanal, cosy you would like to bring warmth into your kitchen
Purist and minimal clear, quiet, like a design object you love forms that need very little
Lever and craft elemental, sensual, a ritual you would like to make every espresso with your own hand

Machine and grinder in the same look

When the grinder stands next to the machine in the same colour, your coffee corner looks all of a piece. La Marzocco builds grinders in many of its machine colours, Ligre and WPM have grinders in the same design language, and at ECM machine and grinder gleam in the same stainless steel. Grinders in white, matte black, chrome or with wood come from Eureka, for example, and in white, silver and black from Varia, a brand we also import exclusively into Switzerland.

La Marzocco Pico in white next to a La Marzocco Linea Mini in white on a kitchen counter
In white
ECM Technika VI in stainless steel with a matching grinder in front of a wooden wall, beside it cups and milk jugs
In stainless steel
Ligre Youn and the Ligre Siji grinder in matte black on a dark kitchen counter
In matte black

With the grinder, too, the feeling counts. Single dose is a ritual: you weigh out every dose, and because nothing stays in the grinder, you switch from bean to bean. Grind by weight is absolute convenience and consistency: one press of a button, and the grinder grinds to the gram. More in coffee grinder for beginners. If you buy a new machine and a new grinder together, we add up to CHF 150 in shop credit with the bundle bonus*.

Made for many years

A high-quality espresso machine is built from stainless steel and solid components and can be serviced and cared for. That way it accompanies you through many years of mornings, Sundays and evenings with friends. So that it runs like on the first day, our own workshop takes care of servicing and repairs, you will find many parts with our spare parts finder, and we import many brands into Switzerland ourselves.

We explain which technology suits you in espresso machine for beginners, slim machines for small kitchens in Compact espresso machine, and our machine advisor asks about taste and everyday life. Jackson, our AI advisor, helps you around the clock to find the look for your kitchen.

La Marzocco GS3 in stainless steel on a stone kitchen counter, with cups on the cup tray and mugs beside it

You can also find us in person

In Bern at Gerberngasse 44 and in Zurich Oerlikon at Hagenholzstrasse 50b, many of these machines are set up and in operation, and in Bern they run all day long for the guests in the café. That way you see colours, surfaces and wood for real, in daylight. Drop by for an espresso. For anyone who would like to experience several machines and grinders side by side at their leisure, there is the espresso machine and grinder comparison.

Bar in the Bern café with coffee grinders, bean shelf and sofa by the window

Frequently asked questions

Which espresso machine looks most beautiful in the kitchen?

The one that suits your kitchen and you. Stainless steel and chrome feel timeless, matte black calm and elegant, white and cream bright and friendly, bold colours cheerful and wood warm. Start with the question of how your coffee corner should look, then choose the technology to go with it.

Are there espresso machines in colour?

Yes, many. La Marzocco builds its home machines in red, yellow, light blue, blue and cream, for example, and Victoria Arduino in shades such as coral, pearl blue or lavender and, on request, in a RAL colour of your own. White and matte black are available from many brands.

Which espresso machine suits a modern kitchen?

Clean forms in matte black, stainless steel or a soft silver beige. Purist machines, from Ligre, WPM or Arkel for example, stand in the kitchen like a design object, and a bold colour sets a beautiful accent.

Which machine suits a black or white kitchen?

In a black kitchen, a machine in matte black looks calm and refined, and stainless steel sets a gleaming accent. In a white kitchen, white or cream blends in harmoniously, and a bold colour or wood turns the machine into an eye-catcher.

Do machine and grinder match in colour?

Yes, many brands build both in the same look. La Marzocco offers machine and grinder in many of the same colours, Ligre and WPM have grinders in the same design language, and at ECM both gleam in the same stainless steel. Grinders in white, matte black, chrome or with wood come from Eureka and Varia, for example.

Is a design machine also good on the technical side?

With high-quality espresso machines, design and technology belong together. Saturated groups, from La Marzocco or Arkel for example, deliver the most balanced interplay of aroma and body; hybrid groups, as at WPM or Ligre, show more aroma and bring some body with them; and E61 groups are known for their full body, with the aromas stepping a little into the background. Because you can taste temperature differences from just half a degree, an accurately controlled temperature is what counts.

How long does a high-quality espresso machine last?

Many years. High-quality espresso machines are built from stainless steel and solid components and can be serviced; seals and other parts are simply replaced. With care and a service from time to time, your machine will accompany you for a long time, which is why it is worth starting straight with your dream machine.

* Bundle bonus: when you buy a new espresso machine and a new coffee grinder in one order paid by advance payment; amount depending on the purchase value; valid for 60 days. You will find all the conditions on the bundle bonus page.

Written by Yalcin Akpinar, qualified food chemist and coffee roaster at Coffee Coaching Club. Updated: October 2026.