Machine feature is the name of the game for coffee machines under the $1,000 range.
There isn’t a need to break the bank to get coffee shop-quality drinks. The coffee machine market is filled with products under $1,000 that will brew your morning coffee according to your liking.
Short Answer: I’ve selected 2 espresso machines under $1,000 that I believe you’ll love and they are the Rancilio Silvia, and Breville BES870XL. But if you’re not against a machine that’s a little over $1,000, the DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Cappuccino and Espresso Machine is great too.
Keep reading this article as I reveal ways to find the perfect coffee machine within your budget and what differences you can expect on your coffee machine according to its price range.
How to find the best coffee machines under $1000?
If you’re looking for an espresso machine to enhance your coffee-making skills at home, I suggest you take into account a few key factors before making your decision like the cost, size, cleaning, number of users, and machine functions.
I recommend an espresso machine because it is a coffee variant with a robust flavor that you can rely on for a caffeine boost, and it is also customizable. For a more in-depth look at espresso, you can read my other post here.
Now, let’s go back to those key factors we were talking about.
Cost
It goes without saying that you want good value for your money and that’s why you think of buying a coffee machine as a long-term investment.
You can compare the amount you usually spend on coffee shops for your cup of joe for let’s say a year to the price of a coffee machine and you’ll see how much you’ll be able to save. This too can help you settle on a budget.
Size
Coffee machines vary in size, even compact ones.
Check your kitchen and designate an area for your new espresso machine. It’s best that you measure the area first.
Once you’ve determined how much space is available, consider whether the machine loads beans and water from the top, the back, or the front.
Cleaning
Nobody wants to spend an excessive amount of time cleaning anything and that also goes for your coffee machine. Some machines require more thorough cleaning depending on their design and the materials used for their parts.
While some machines have a self-cleaning option, they will cost you extra bucks.
Number of users
There are compact machines that are ideal if you leave alone or have a visitor every now and then.
However, if you have a family, you should consider how frequently your coffee machine will be used and if you will use it mainly in the morning or at other times throughout the day.
Machine Features
There are many features available concerning water temperature, indicator light alerts, bean grind, and programming. There are also semi-automatic and super-automatic machines that involve extraction control.
If you want a fancy one that does everything by itself, you’ll require the budget to match. However, if you prefer a quick and straightforward choice with only a few controls, those are available as well.
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Which coffee machines are best under $1000?
Though there are many espresso machine options that you can buy for under $1000, I’ve come up with the 3 best ones that give the most value for your money.
Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine – Best Overall
The Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine is a semi-automatic machine with a commercial-grade interior and a sophisticated appearance. The steaming wand that comes with it is flexible and helps you control the steam pressure. You can also create latte art with it.
This compact machine though has drawbacks like its small drip tray. Although it has a detachable water reservoir, there is no low water indicator.
It doesn’t come with a built-in grinder so if you don’t already have one, you will need to purchase one separately.
However, I still think this is the best espresso machine under $1000 overall.
Pros
- Commercial grade interior
- Quick recovery
- Flexible steaming wand
- Stable temperature
- Large water reservoir
- Single or double shot
- Pod/capsule adaptor kit available
- Mid-range price
Cons
- Small drip tray
- No built-in grinder
Price: $830
Breville BES870XL Espresso Machine – Best Value
The Breville the Barista Express is a semi-automatic machine with a conical burr grinder and a sizing dial that allows you to customize the grind. Its PID technology ensures that there are no temperature swings.
It also has options for single-shot or double shots plus micro-foam milk texturing.
It comes with interchangeable filters, allowing you to choose between manual and automatic usage. It has a water filter but replacing filters are expensive in the long run so utilizing pre-filtered water is a preferable alternative.
This machine is my top pick for the best overall value.
Its price is on the lower end of the price spectrum yet it comes with a multitude of advanced features. However, I don’t recommend it if you’re a newbie to espresso machines because this one needs a lot of patience to operate.
Pros
- Integrated conical burr grinder
- Auto or manual operation
- Temperature stability
- Grind control
- Manual steam wand
- Single or double shot
- Easy to clean
- Mid-range price
Cons
- Requires practice to operate
- Small drip tray
- Top loading
Price: $593
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Coffee Machine over $1,000
If you’re not against spending a couple more bucks over a thousand dollars for a good coffee machine, then you should take a look at the DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Cappuccino & Espresso Machine.
DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Cappuccino & Espresso Machine
The DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Compact Automatic Cappuccino, Latte, and Espresso Machine is known for its ease of use.
It’s compact, practical, and super-automatic. It’s considered a gem because it has a built-in grinder with 13 grind variations. It also has a bypass doser for pre-ground coffee and a quick heat-up time.
On the flip side, numerous users have reported that the steam wand is difficult to clean.
Furthermore, the grinder is made of stainless steel rather than ceramic, as is common in super-automatics. When the machine heats up, the grinder heats up too which may impact the taste of the coffee.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
- Fast heat-up
- Single and double shot
- No recovery time to brew
- Adjustable cup height
- 13-setting grinder
- Manual steamer
Cons
- Pricey
- Top loading
- Steam wand is difficult to clean
- Loud
- Stainless steel grinder
- Nonflowing beans
Price: $1050
Differences between a cheap coffee machine vs an expensive one
Price
Of course, the most obvious distinction between a cheap and an expensive coffee machine is the price. The cost of a coffee machine can vary greatly depending on the brand and model.
The following table compares the price range of coffee makers:
| Coffee Maker Type | Average Price Range |
| Drip | $40 – $220 |
| French Press | $20 – $150 |
| Siphon | $65 – $200 |
| Single-Serve | $65 – $200 |
| Espresso | $250 – $4,000 |
| Super Automatic Epresso | $900 – $2,200 |
Quality of materials and parts
It’s normal to expect a sturdier built from more expensive machines, but premium coffee makers go beyond that.
Plastic is the most common material used in low-cost coffee makers. The more plastic elements there are in the machine, the more likely something will go wrong.
The higher the quality of the parts used in your coffee maker, the more reliable it is, especially over time with wear and tear.
The quality of the material used to make the grinder matters a lot. Cheap coffee machines use blades to grind the coffee beans while premium machines often contain burrs. With burrs, the grind is much finer than one done by blades.
Plastic is also known to have some long-term negative effects on coffee machines, which make the material even less desirable. Some products even claim that they’re BPA-Free (plastic-free) due to the potential health risks.
Maintenance and serviceability
When the materials used in a coffee machine aren’t all plastic, chances are it’ll last longer.
It’s also normal to use your budget coffee maker until it stops working. It’s not worth the trouble of repairing it because the parts are of poor quality. This is why you’ll see a lot of used coffee machines being thrown out.
Though with an expensive coffee maker, service providers keep parts of it in stock in case a customer will need a replacement part. This gives them a level of serviceability that cheaper machines do not have.
Watch this video to find out how an expensive coffee machine differs from a low-cost one.
Does the quality of a coffee machine change the taste of the coffee?
The quality of a coffee machine does have an effect on the coffee’s taste. As I previously stated, the grind quality of a burr grinder is far superior to that of a blade grinder.
A finer grind can make a significant difference in the taste of your coffee and has a richer flavor because it brings out more of the flavor profile of the coffee beans.
Even the most expensive machine, however, cannot make cheap coffee taste good. A machine is only as good as the beans that go into it.
You can check out another post of mine about how coffee quality matters by clicking here.
To sum it all up
To summarize, my top recommendation is the Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine because of its streamlined look and commercial-grade interior with a price below $1,000.
The Breville the Barista Express Espresso Machine on the other hand offers a wide range of control at a mid-range price which gives the best value for your money if you don’t mind putting in a lot of patience to learn to operate it.
It’s wise to look for a coffee machine that can be serviced or repaired. The less expensive ones aren’t built to last, but rather to be replaced.
Appliances are always an excellent investment. More expensive models not only have more advanced features, but they are also more durable.
However, I highly suggest that you do your research before making a purchasing decision based solely on price tags. There are a lot of online reviews done by actual customers who are generous enough to share their experiences. You can also ask your friends who are coffeeholics for their recommendations.
I hope my picks of espresso machines under $1,000 helps you find the perfect one for you. Have fun and keep on brewing!
Other Articles
- Best Coffee Machines for your Office (Worthwhile Picks)
- Best Coffee Machines for Pods (Best Single-Serve)
- Best Value for Money Bean to Cup Coffee Machines
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