Espresso Machine Finder: Which Machine Suits You?
Not by spec sheet, but by feel: with photos of real kitchen setups, honest facts and – if you’re unsure – a live comparison in our showroom. The advisor itself is currently in German.
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How the machine advisor works
The questions: Eight to nine questions about your coffee moment, your taste, the look, the place in your kitchen, milk, budget and grinder. You tap one answer each. If you’re only looking for a grinder, there’s a separate, shorter path.
How it’s weighted: Each answer gives the machines points. Taste, look and your coffee moment count just as much as technology. The budget is a limit with a little tolerance: we recommend nothing above it – except as a clearly marked «step further». We show at most one machine per brand, so you see real alternatives.
To be open about it: If two machines fit similarly well, we show La Marzocco first. The reason is the cup: its saturated group convinces us most in terms of taste. Our view, one of many – you decide.
EstimateThe points are our advisory experience from the roastery and showroom, translated into numbers – not a measurement and not a test result. Prices and availability come live from the shop.
Terms briefly explained
- Single boiler
- One boiler for everything. It is set either to brew temperature or to steam temperature – between espresso and steaming milk you wait until the machine has changed temperature.
- Heat exchanger machine
- One hot steam boiler with a heat exchanger: a water pipe that runs through the boiler and heats the brew water on its way to the group. This lets the machine brew and steam at the same time.
- Dual boiler
- Two separate boilers, one for brewing, one for steam – each holds its own temperature.
- E61 group
- The classic chrome head with a lever. Hot water circulates through the group and keeps it warm. Our taste impression: lots of body, full mouthfeel. (E61 explained)
- Saturated group
- The whole group is permanently surrounded by hot water, so the temperature stays stable even over several shots – as with La Marzocco and Arkel. Our taste impression: additionally more aroma, more balanced and more elegant. (Saturated groups)
- Lever machine
- You push the water through the coffee by hand with a lever – you create the pressure.
Dig deeper: Heating systems explained · E61, saturated groups and hybrids compared · Ring group · Hybrid systems
This is a simulator. It calculates with a simplified model and shows you how things relate — no measured values and no promises. What ends up in your cup depends on your machine, your water, your beans and the way you work.
Our recommendations reflect experience from advice, courses and the showroom. They are non-binding and come with no guarantee. We accept no liability for any damage resulting from their use. If in doubt, what your manufacturer says in the user manual takes precedence.
Frequently asked questions
Which espresso machine is good for beginners?
For us, there is no such thing as a beginner machine. An espresso machine isn’t a first car, where a dent from parking or hail damage hurts less. Our experience from courses, the showroom and the roastery: the more precise a machine, the more forgiving it is – even for people without practice. The exact temperature at the group 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’s why WPM, Arkel, La Marzocco, Sanremo or Slayer are often more forgiving than a so-called beginner machine. The same applies to grinders.
E61 or saturated group – can you taste the difference?
Our experience from the roastery and showroom: an E61 brings more body and a full mouthfeel. A saturated group, as built by La Marzocco and Arkel, additionally brings aroma and tastes more balanced and elegant. We don’t know of any peer-reviewed study that compares the two directly – so it’s best to taste them side by side yourself.
How important is precise temperature control?
Our experience from the roastery and showroom: temperature makes a huge difference in the cup. Studies show that it shapes above all the aroma (Andueza et al. 2003) and that a targeted temperature profile can emphasise or tone down taste attributes (Salamanca et al. 2017). The more precisely the temperature can be controlled, the more precisely you can fine-tune – together with the grinder, which also has a strong say (Severini et al. 2016). You’ll find the sources in the advisor under «Die Fakten dahinter».
Which grinder suits my machine?
Burr sets are like car engines: each has its own character, and which one you like best is subjective. Flat burrs often emphasize clarity and separation of aromas, conical burrs tend to produce more body and a rounder cup – tendencies, not laws. Then there are the fine nuances: how precisely the burrs are aligned with each other, the motor, their size and the speed. The advisor suggests suitable grinders, and the grinder simulator shows what they bring to the cup.
Can I test machines side by side before buying?
Yes. In the espresso machine and grinder comparison in the showroom you taste machines and grinders side by side for an hour, with an introduction to the machine classes – in Bern on Mondays, in Zurich Tuesday to Saturday, from CHF 150 for 1–2 people. The consultation is free, in the showroom, by phone or virtually. You’ll find all interactive tools under coffee tools.
