Last Updated on March 16, 2024 by brewthatcoffee
Are you tired of grinding your coffee beans separately and then using an espresso machine to make your favorite coffee? It’s time to upgrade to an all-in-one solution with an espresso machine with a grinder built-in.
Not only does this save you valuable counter space, but it also ensures that your coffee beans are freshly ground every time you brew.
In this article, we’ll be discussing the 6 best espresso machines with a grinder on the market today. From sleek designs to customizable options, these machines offer everything you need to make cafe-quality espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos in the comfort of your own home.
Whether you’re a seasoned barista or just starting out, one of these machines is sure to meet all your coffee needs. So let’s dive in and find your perfect match!
The 6 best espresso machines with a grinder are:
1. Best Budget-Friendly: Gaggio Brera
2. Best Semi-Automatic: De’Longhi La Specialista Arte
3. Best Automatic: De’Longhi Dinamica Plus
4. Best Super-Automatic: Breville Barista Express
5. Best Commercial: Nuova Simonelli Talento
6. Best With Milk Frother: Calphalon Temp IQ
Espresso Machine With Built-In Grinder Vs. Standalone Grinder
The grind is one of the biggest influences on the quality of your home-brewed espresso. A coffee made with freshly ground beans is always superior in taste and aroma to one made with preground coffee, as you can adjust for over or under-extracting. Purchasing a grinder for home use is a wise option.
One choice is whether you want an espresso machine with an integrated grinder or a standalone grinder. Let’s look at each option.
Reasons To Get A Built-In Grinder Machine
There are three main reasons to buy a machine with a built-in grinder:
- Convenience: The same device will grind the beans and brew them for you, so making an espresso is an easy, time-saving process. Some machines will even determine the ideal amount of beans and water and the perfect grind consistency.
- Size: Because the grinder is part of the espresso machine, you don’t need to sacrifice counter space for two devices.
Reasons To Get A Standalone Grinder
There are equally good reasons to get a separate grinder:
- Control: Home baristas tend to choose a standalone grinder – or even grind beans by hand –to have more control over the grind size and texture. Most espresso machines with built-in grinders are semi-automatic, giving you limited options.
- Cost: Espresso machines with integrated grinders are luxury items and can cost more than an espresso machine and separate grinder.
Best Espresso Machines With A Grinder By Category
There is an espresso machine for every coffee lover, whether a novice, professional barista, family, or restaurant owner.
These are the top 6 machines available, listed by category, and selected using the following criteria: budget, build quality, accessories, ease of use, grinder quality, and quality of coffee.
Best Budget-Friendly Espresso Machine: Gaggio Brera
Budget-friendly is a relative term for high-end espresso machines. Still, the Gaggio Brera is a fantastic entry-level machine produced by a world-renowned brand.
At first glance, you can’t help but admire the shiny stainless steel Italian coffee bar aesthetic, albeit in a compact size and with plastic elements. It only comes in black and silver and does have more limited options than pricier machines.
With Gaggia’s innovative espresso technology, this model has a user-friendly digital display. It has two cup sizes, three dosing options, standard pre-infusion, and a double boiler that heats up quickly.
The ceramic burr grinder has five adjustable settings, but you can bypass the grinder and use pre-ground coffee.
The integrated Panarello steam wand can be used automatically or manually, producing foam of excellent quality. However, you can’t pre-program milky drinks.
The Brera has an automatic descaling cycle for cleaning and maintenance. The water and dregs drawers and brew group are easily removable, and the device will alert you when cleaning is required.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
If you’re a coffee novice who enjoys espresso and milky coffees, then the Gaggia Brera is an ideal starting point.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Ceramic burr with 5 settings
- Stainless steel outer
- User-friendly
- Good quality coffee
Cons
- Limited options
- Only five grind settings
- Plastic components
Best Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine: De’Longhi EC9155MB La Specialista Arte
Made by the legendary De-Longhi brand, this machine comes under $1000, and you get decent value for your money.
The machine produces rich, intense espresso with a beautiful crema. It can also make milky drinks, with a built-in steam wand that you can use to make latte art.
Solid and dependable, this device offers the user considerable control. The integrated grinder holds 0.55lb (250g), with eight precise grind levels and volume control for dispensing the ground coffee. You can also set the temperature level for water infusion to gain optimal extraction.
There is a convenient, dedicated hot water spout and valuable tools for filling and tamping the coffee.
However, the ease of cleaning is let down because not all parts are dishwasher safe.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
The De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is ideal for anyone who enjoys playing barista at home and wants high-quality coffee.
Pros
- Mess-free tamping and filling
- Stainless steel parts
- Steam wand
- Ceramic burr
- Good quality coffee
Cons
- Dripping
- Not all parts are dishwasher safe
- Pricey for limited drink options
- Limited grinder settings
Best Automatic Espresso Machine: De’Longhi Dinamica Plus
A gorgeous bean-to-coffee machine, the Dinamica Plus will provide barista-style espresso with the minimum intervention – it even has an app.
The machine only requires you to add coffee beans, milk, and water, with 12 pre-programmed beverages available at the press of a button. Want a strong morning espresso? It’ll grind the perfect number of beans per shot. Want a Starbucks-worthy iced coffee? Done in 40 seconds.
You can fully customize and save your settings, such as drink size, temperature, and amount of froth, to get your preferred coffee each time.
An attractive advantage is that the milk steamer is adapted to froth plant-based milk, producing a long-lasting foam.
The cleaning cycle is fully automated.
Any negatives? The amount of plastic at a price.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
This high-end device is for vegan coffee connoisseurs who want perfect home-brewed espresso but don’t have the time to make it manually.
Pros
- Customizable drinks settings
- Automatic milk frothing
- User-friendly interface with an app
- Can use beans or ground coffee
- Good-quality coffee
Cons
- Requires experimentation to get the perfect setting
- Expensive
- Bulky and large
- Plastic parts
Best Super-Automatic Espresso Machine: Breville Barista Express
Breville’s espresso machines regularly win accolades for their excellence. This super-automatic version doesn’t disappoint. Third-wave specialty coffee can be made at home.
Bean-to-coffee technology doesn’t get better: there’s an integrated grinder and an automated tamping system to streamline processing. Most invitingly, an intelligent dosing system delivers a precise amount of coffee every time. The standard Breville temperature stability is also evident.
While pre-programmed beverages are available, you can customize the perfect beverage, including various milky coffees. However, this perfection means you can make only one cup at a time.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
This excellent espresso machine is for single coffee purists who aren’t willing to sacrifice quality and consistency for convenience and are willing to pay for that luxury.
Pros
- Ceramic burr
- Intelligent dosing system
- Automated tamping
- Low-pressure pre-infusion
- Good-quality coffee
Cons
- No milk frothing temperature control
- Cannot make iced coffee
- Expensive
Best Commercial Espresso Machine: Nuova Simonelli Talento
This super-automatic commercial machine is attractive, durable, and easy to use for an office or coffee shop. Called the “Holy Grail” of commercial espresso machines, the Talento is every barista’s dream.
Made entirely of stainless steel, the Talento’s slender design means the machine doesn’t occupy much space in a busy kitchen or drinks station.
This workhorse has two integrated burr grinders, dual boilers, and a hot water spout. With 10 programmable drinks buttons, you can program 10 more customized drinks into the machine. This is the ideal commercial machine at a rate of 150 espresso shots per hour.
One of the machine’s best features is its built-in diagnostic system, which alerts you when maintenance is required. Another is the time-saving automated cleaning cycle, so employees don’t need to spend time on the machine at the end of a shift.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
This is the ultimate espresso maker for owners of busy coffee shops and restaurants who want an attractive, reliable machine that can produce a variety of quality beverages quickly.
Pros
- Ceramic burr
- Compact and attractive
- 20 programmable drinks
- 150 espresso per hour
- Self-diagnostic system
- Automated cleaning system
- Good-quality coffee
Cons
- Requires external milk cooler for advanced features
- Expensive
Best Espresso Machine With Milk Frother: Calphalon Temp IQ
For home baristas who want restaurant-quality coffee with exquisite microfoam, this Calphalon machine is a serious contender.
Being semi-automatic, the machine requires some skill from the user. However, the intuitive, user-friendly interface makes learning a breeze, and you can soon move on to advanced barista skills.
The integrated conical burr grinder has 30 settings, allowing you control over the grind size. The machine also features shot strength adjustment, temperature control, and thermoblock heating technology.
The stand-out feature of this machine is its ability to make the perfect froth and microfoam.
Clean-up is painless, with a removable water reservoir as well.
Who Should Buy This Machine?
This machine is a solid choice for novices who are serious about learning barista skills, especially latte art.
Pros
- Perfect microfoam
- 30 grind settings
- Good-quality coffee
Cons
- Plastic components
- Fewer features than similarly priced competitors
- Requires skill to pull shots
How To Choose An Espresso Machine With A Grinder
Choosing an espresso machine is essentially a matter of finding an affordable machine you can use easily that makes a great cup of joe.
These are the main criteria we looked at when rating espresso machines with built-in grinders.
Budget
There is an espresso machine for every budget, whether looking at an entry-level device or a no-holds-barred luxury machine.
Either way, an espresso machine with an integrated grinder is a high-end appliance. A quality machine will cost you at least $500, with $1000-$2000 more typical prices.
You must also budget for good-quality coffee beans and the time and energy needed to produce espresso at home.
However, brewing your espresso at home instead of buying it from coffee shops will quickly indicate how much you’re saving. Your machine will soon pay for itself.
There is also the priceless experience of becoming a home barista and enjoying your coffee-making and drinking experience.
Build-Quality And Materials
Purchase the best quality machine you can. Stainless steel espresso machines are always the better choice, as they are durable, last longer, and maintain heat levels.
Machines with plastic parts break more quickly and have a shorter appliance life.
Semi-Automatic, Automatic, Or Super-Automatic
Espresso machines with integrated grinders are usually automatic, meaning that they are programmable and can control the coffee-making process. How much control you want will determine the level of programmability you choose.
Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines
Semi-automatic devices allow you the greatest amount of control while enjoying the convenience and speed of an electric water pump.
Automatic Espresso Machines
Choose an automatic device if you want your machine to automate water delivery. The machine determines how much water is needed and when to dispense it.
Super-Automatic Espresso Machines
These machines are the ultimate bean-to-cup appliances, with your input remaining minimal. They decide on grind consistency, water temperature, pre-infusion, shot strength, and extraction time.
Many super-automatic espresso machines come loaded with pre-programmed settings which you select. At the press of a button, “order” an espresso, a latte, or a cappuccino.
Some machines allow you to enter details of your preferences to customize and consistently produce your favorite beverage.
Accessories (Steam Wand/Milk Frothers)
Espresso machines come standard with various accessories, such as cleaning brushes, additional filters, and tampers.
One of the most desirable accessories is an integrated steam wand or milk frother with a pitcher. If you plan to make milk-based coffees, like lattes, cappuccinos, or macchiatos, you’ll want one of these. If you only drink your coffee black, there’s no need for this accessory.
How Easy It Is To Use (Beginner-Friendly Or Experts)
Whether you’re a novice or an experienced barista, an espresso machine must be user-friendly and intuitive.
While you won’t be pulling shots, investigate the effort required to tamp, level, and insert the portafilter. Is it easy to remove the drip dray and portafilter basket? Can you remove a cup of coffee without burning your hand or spilling it?
You shouldn’t have to brace, sprain your wrist, or curse the machine while making your morning espresso.
Don’t forget that part of using an espresso machine is cleaning it. Machines with self-cleaning functions are a bonus, but you will still have to empty the drip tray, purge the steam wand, and decalcify the boiler. Does the machine communicate when cleaning is necessary?
Decide how much cleaning and maintenance you want to do, or the espresso machine will become an expensive kitchen ornament taking up valuable counter space.
Grinder Quality
The grinders integrated into espresso machines are almost always “top-down” hopper designs, where gravity pulls the beans down to maintain the supply. Grinders are not all the same, so consider these points:
- Opt for a ceramic grinder rather than a metal one to avoid overheating and burnt beans.
- Choose a burr grinder that cuts rather than crushes the beans. Blade grinders lack precision, crushing the beans.
- Find the best quality ceramic burr grinder possible to retain its sharp edges and durability.
- There should be several grind settings ranging from coarse to fine (cold brew to Turkish).
Most Important: Do You Enjoy The Espresso It Makes?
The quality of the coffee is the highest priority when choosing an espresso machine. Ideally, try the coffee each machine produces to that you can experience the temperature of the espresso, for instance. Do you prefer a cooler or hotter cup of coffee?
If possible, try the coffee the different machines make, or at least the various brands. And be honest. If you like milky coffees more than pure espresso, pick a device that does perfect microfoam.
Espresso Machine With Grinder FAQs
Conclusion
With the continuing Renaissance in home coffee brewing, espresso machines are a popular luxury purchase. Depending on your budget, skills, and needs, there is a machine to suit you. One of these six will be ideal whether you want one perfect espresso in the morning, a tall milky iced coffee, or to deliver 100 coffees at lunchtime.