Best espresso machines with a built-in grinder: manual, assisted and fully automatic picks

An espresso machine with a built-in grinder saves you from buying, matching and finding counter space for two separate appliances. Fresh beans go in the top and espresso comes out the front. The bigger question is how much of the work you want to do yourself.

Some machines on this list leave grinding adjustments, tamping and milk steaming to you. Others tamp for you. Two automate almost everything. We built these picks from maker specifications and our buying checklist. We did not use the machines ourselves.

If you're open to machines without a grinder, or you already own a good one, see our broader guide to the best espresso machines for home. It shares several picks with this page but covers more types of machine.

Manual all-in-ones: for people who want to learn the craft

These machines give you the full barista workflow. You set the grind, tamp the coffee into the portafilter, pull the shot and steam milk with a manual wand. That makes them the most involved choice. It also teaches you the most about how grind size and dose change the taste in your cup.

The Barista Express is the classic starting point. Its 16-setting conical burr grinder sits above a 54 mm portafilter. The shot runs through low-pressure pre-infusion and then 9-bar extraction, with PID-controlled water temperature (200°F). You get volumetric 1- and 2-shot buttons plus a manual mode, and the accessory kit includes a milk jug and tamper.

The Barista Pro keeps the same basic workflow but upgrades the two parts that matter most to tinkerers:

• A finer grinder. It has 30 settings with Baratza European Precision Burrs.
• Faster heating. Its ThermoJet system is ready in about 3 seconds, so there's little wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk.

Both machines are fully manual for tamping and milk. Skip them if you want one-touch drinks.

• Breville Barista Express — best for first-time home baristas who want the whole bean-to-cup process. It has 16 grind settings, a 15-bar pump with pre-infusion, PID control and a 54 mm portafilter, and measures 15.9 × 13.1 × 12.4 in.
• Breville Barista Pro — best for people who switch beans often and want precise grinding. It has 30 grind settings, ThermoJet heating ready in about 3 seconds, and comes with a 480 ml milk jug and cleaning kit.

Guided machines: for nervous beginners

Uneven tamping and the wrong dose are two of the most common reasons a home shot tastes sour or bitter. These two machines are built to reduce that guesswork, while still letting you steam milk yourself.

The Barista Express Impress uses the Impress Puck System:

• Assisted tamping. It applies 22 lb of pressure with a 7° twist, so you don't have to judge the pressure yourself.
• Self-correcting dosing. It adjusts toward an ideal 18 g dose automatically.
• More grind settings. It has 25 settings, compared with 16 on the regular Express.

The trade-off is that milk steaming is still fully manual. If you already tamp confidently, the regular Barista Express covers the same workflow with less automation.

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo takes a different angle. It offers guided tamping, three temperature profiles and a dial with Espresso, Americano, Cold Brew and Hot Water presets. Cold Brew takes under five minutes, which suits iced-coffee fans.

Its limits are worth knowing:

• A coarser grinder. It has 15 grind settings, fewer than the Breville models.
• No display or shot timer.
• Low clearance. The maximum cup height is just 4.45 in, so tall travel mugs may not fit.

On the plus side, it has a large 1.66 L tank. It also comes with a 2-year warranty, plus 1 year more when you register it.

• Breville Barista Express Impress — best for beginners who want manual espresso without tamping guesswork. It offers assisted 22 lb tamping, an auto-corrected 18 g dose, 25 grind settings and PID control.
• De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo — best for people who want hot espresso and fast cold brew from one machine. It has 15 grind settings, 3 temperature profiles, a Thermoblock heating system, a 1.66 L tank and 1600 W of power.

Automated machines: for daily milk drinks without the chores

If you want great coffee every morning but not the ritual, automation is worth paying attention to. These two machines automate in very different ways.

The Breville Oracle Jet keeps a real portafilter but handles the fiddly steps for you. It grinds, doses and tamps automatically, using 45 grind settings and a professional 58 mm portafilter with a 22 g dose. Its Auto MilQ wand textures milk hands-free:

• Temperature range: 104–167°F.
• Texture levels: 8.
• Plant milks: dedicated settings.

Auto Queue chains the milk and espresso steps together. The machine can also make Cold Brew in under 3 minutes or Cold Espresso in about 1 minute. It's a large machine (16.6 × 14.2 × 14.9 in) and a big investment, so it makes most sense for households making several milk drinks a day.

The De'Longhi Rivelia is fully automatic, meaning you choose a drink on the 3.5-inch color touch screen and it does the rest. It has a 19-bar pump and a 13-setting burr grinder. Its standout feature is Bean Switch: two swappable 8.8 oz hoppers, for example regular beans and decaf. It also offers 18+ recipes and four user profiles, and the LatteCrema Hot milk system cleans itself automatically. The design has won iF and Red Dot awards.

Cold-milk drinks need the LatteCrema Cool upgrade, which is sold separately. If only one person drinks coffee, a simpler fully automatic machine covers the basics.

• Breville Oracle Jet — best for espresso lovers who want café results without the learning curve. It offers automatic grind, dose and tamp, 45 settings, a 58 mm portafilter, Auto MilQ and a touch screen with favorites.
• De'Longhi Rivelia — best for couples and families with different coffee tastes. It has two bean hoppers, 18+ recipes, 4 user profiles, LatteCrema Hot with auto-clean and a 1.4 L tank.

How to choose

Grinder type and grind settings

The four Breville machines and the Rivelia list burr grinders, which give a more even grind than blade grinders. More settings let you fine-tune each shot more precisely, which helps when you switch beans. Here's how the picks compare:

If you plan to stick with one bean, fewer settings is less of a drawback.

Dosing and tamping help

There are three levels of help:

• Manual: the Barista Express and Barista Pro. You tamp yourself.
• Assisted: the Barista Express Impress, with its 22 lb tamp, and the Arte Evo, with guided tamping.
• Automatic: the Oracle Jet. It grinds, doses and tamps for you.

Beginners usually get consistent results sooner with assisted or automatic tamping.

Heat-up time

Breville lists the Barista Pro as ready in about 3 seconds. The Oracle Jet also uses ThermoJet heating, both Barista Express models use Thermocoil, and the Arte Evo uses a Thermoblock. If you make several milk drinks back to back, fast heating cuts the wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk.

Milk system

Four machines have manual steam wands: the Barista Express, Impress, Pro and Arte Evo. These are great if you want to learn latte art, but they take practice. The Oracle Jet's Auto MilQ textures milk hands-free. The Rivelia's LatteCrema Hot handles milk drinks automatically.

Semi-automatic vs fully automatic (Rivelia)

With a semi-automatic machine, you handle the portafilter: you lock it in, pull the shot and usually steam milk yourself. That covers the four manual and guided picks above. The Oracle Jet sits between the two types, automating most steps while keeping a portafilter.

A fully automatic machine like the Rivelia handles everything from beans to cup at the touch of a button. You give up manual control. In return you get speed, consistency, and separate profiles for each person.

Cleaning effort

Manual machines need you to:

• knock out the puck after each shot,
• wipe the steam wand straight after use,
• clean the grinder now and then.

The Barista Pro includes a cleaning kit, and the Rivelia's LatteCrema Hot cleans itself automatically. Whatever you buy, budget a few minutes a day for cleaning and follow the maker's descaling schedule.

FAQ

Is a built-in grinder as good as a separate one?

A separate grinder offers more flexibility, and you can keep it if you upgrade your machine. A built-in grinder saves counter space and means you only buy one appliance. For most home kitchens, a built-in burr grinder with plenty of settings is a practical choice.

Which machine is easiest for a total beginner?

The Barista Express Impress, because assisted tamping and auto-corrected dosing remove two common beginner problems. If you don't want to make any decisions at all, the fully automatic Rivelia is the simplest to run day to day.

Can these machines make iced coffee?

The Arte Evo has a Cold Brew preset that takes under 5 minutes. The Oracle Jet offers Cold Brew in under 3 minutes and Cold Espresso in about 1 minute. The Rivelia has cold coffee drinks on its menu, but cold-milk drinks need the separately sold LatteCrema Cool.

Should I buy now or wait for Black Friday?

Prices often change during Black Friday (27 November) and other holiday sales. Decide which features you need first, then check the current price on the store page.

Prices change often — especially around Black Friday and holiday sales — so we don't show them here. Follow the store links to see the current price and availability.