Espresso Machine Finder: Which Machine Suits You?
Tomorrow morning, your kitchen, your first cup
Picture your kitchen tomorrow morning: the colour, the first sound, the first cup. A few questions about taste, look and everyday life – and you see machines and grinders that fit exactly that moment. Not by spec sheet, but by feel; the technology confirms it afterwards.
The questions: eight to nine answers on taste, look, space, milk and budget – tap one each, no right or wrong. Only looking for a grinder? There is a short route for that.
The results: an orientation from our consulting experience – not a test result, not a measurement. Prices live from the shop.
The basis: points per answer; taste and look count as much as technology. No guarantee – details right underneath the tool.
In more detail: weighting, our view and the terms
How it is weighted: Every answer gives the machines points. Taste, look and coffee moment count just as much as technology. The budget is a limit with a small tolerance: above it we recommend nothing – except as a clearly marked «one step up». We show at most one machine per brand so you see real alternatives.
Said openly: If two machines fit similarly well, we show La Marzocco first. The reason is the cup: its saturated group head convinces us most on taste. Our view, one of many – you decide.
For grinders, we show Mahlkönig, Timemore, Varia, Weber Workshops and Option-O first when two fit similarly well – they are our focus brands.
EstimateThe points are our consulting experience from roastery and showroom, translated into numbers – not a measurement and not a test result. Prices and availability come live from the shop.
- Single boiler
- One single boiler for everything. It sits either at brew temperature or at steam temperature – between espresso and frothing milk you wait until the machine has changed temperature.
- Heat exchanger (HX)
- A hot steam boiler with a heat exchanger: a water line that runs through the boiler and heats the brew water on its way to the group head. So the machine can brew and steam at the same time – with a short flush before the shot.
- Dual boiler
- Two separate boilers, one for brewing, one for steam – each holds its own temperature.
- E61 group head
- The classic chrome head with the lever. Hot water circulates through the group and keeps it warm. In the cup, the E61 is known for its full body, with the aromas stepping a little into the background. (E61 explained – with animation)
- Saturated group head
- The whole group head is permanently surrounded by hot water, so the temperature stays stable even over several shots – as with La Marzocco and Arkel. In the cup, it delivers the most balanced interplay of aroma and body. (Saturated group heads)
- Lever machine
- You push the water through the coffee by hand with a lever – you make the pressure.
- Flow profiling / pressure profiling
- You control how much water flows through the coffee and how fast (flow) or at what pressure – via paddle, lever or display. For everyone who experiments shot by shot.
Dive deeper: Heating systems explained – with animation · E61, saturated groups and hybrids compared · Ring group head · Hybrid systems
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This is an advisor with a simplified points model. It shows you which machines fit your answers – no measured values and no assurance. What ends up in your cup depends on your machine, your water, your beans and the way you work.
Our recommendations are based on experience from consultations, courses and the showroom. They are non-binding and come with no guarantee. We accept no liability for damage arising from their use. When in doubt, what your manufacturer writes in the user manual applies. Prices and availability: as of page load; the product page is what counts.
Frequently asked questions
Which espresso machine is good for beginners?
For us, there is no such thing as a beginner's machine in the true sense. An espresso machine is not a first car, where a dent while parking or some hail damage hurts less. Our experience from courses, showroom and roastery: the more precise a machine, the more forgiving it is – for the inexperienced too. The exact temperature at the group head and how dry or wet the steam comes out of the wand clearly shape espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato: more fine nuances, finer milk foam. That is why WPM, Arkel, La Marzocco, Sanremo or Slayer are often more forgiving than a so-called beginner's machine. The same goes for grinders.
E61 or saturated group head – can you taste the difference?
Our experience from roastery and showroom: the E61 is known for its full body, with the aromas stepping a little into the background. Saturated group heads, as La Marzocco and Arkel build them, deliver the most balanced interplay of aroma and body. We know of no peer-reviewed study comparing the two directly – it remains our taste impression, one view of many. How both groups work is shown in the E61 animation.
How important is precise temperature control?
Our experience from roastery and showroom: temperature makes a huge difference in the cup. Studies show that it shapes aroma above all (Andueza et al. 2003) and that a deliberate temperature profile can emphasise or tone down flavour characteristics (Salamanca et al. 2017). The more precisely the temperature can be controlled, the more precisely you fine-tune – together with the grinder, which also has a strong say (Severini et al. 2016). You will find the sources in the finder under «The facts behind it».
Which grinder suits my machine?
Burr sets are like engines in cars: each has its own character, and which one you like best is subjective. Conical burrs bring more aroma, and more body as they get larger; flat burrs bring more clarity to the aromas, which grows more distinct with larger burrs – tendencies, not laws. Then come the fine nuances: how precisely the burrs are aligned to each other, the motor, their size and the speed. The finder suggests suitable grinders, the grinder simulator shows what they bring to the cup.
I'm not sure – who do I ask?
First Jackson, our AI advisor: he asks about look, kitchen and moment, then about technology – around the clock. If you would like to take your time with a human, book a free consultation, in the showroom, by phone or virtually. You will find all our interactive tools in the Coffee Tools.
Can I see machines live before buying?
Have a look and get a demonstration: yes. In Bern many of these machines stand in the café set up and running – the coffee for our guests runs through them all day; in Zurich Oerlikon we show them in the showroom next to the roastery. Everything here you can order online; the showroom is the reason you can do that without a knot in your stomach. An extended self-test with several machines is something we cannot sensibly offer in a working café – that is what the consultation is for. If you would like a guided comparison of several machines and grinders, book the machine and grinder comparison in the showroom (Bern on Mondays, Zurich Tuesday to Saturday, from CHF 150 for 1–2 people).
