Let’s be honest, espresso-based drinks such as cappuccinos, mochas and macchiatos that are sold at fancy coffee joints can be pricey. Thankfully, you can create your cup of espresso in the comfort of your kitchen using an espresso machine.
There are plenty of good espresso machines that come with an extensive range of features such as a built-in grinder and a milk frothing function. If you are looking for some recommendations, check out our list of the best espresso machines below.
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Top 10 Espresso Machines in Malaysia
Overview
Making a cup of café-quality espresso is no longer rocket science, thanks to Breville’s BES500 Bambino Plus. This espresso machine sports a classy stainless steel/sea salt design with plenty of features available including a quick 3-second heat-up time using the innovative ThermoJet heating system.
It has a 54mm portafilter that holds a 19g dose of dry ground coffee, which according to Breville, is the “key for full flavour and café-quality coffee”. Best of all, it comes with an automatic milk frothing system which not only allows you to adjust the milk temperature and texture but also automatically steam your milk to create silky microfoam on top.
Details
- An innovative ThermoJet heating system that minimises the wait for an ideal extraction temperature in just 3 seconds
- A 54mm portafilter that holds 19g dose of dry ground coffee for a rich and full-bodied espresso every time
- Automatic milk frothing system with adjustable milk temperature and texture that automatically steams the milk to create a velvety microfoam
Who is this for?
The sleek-looking Breville BES500 Bambino Plus is easy to operate. Its fast 3-second heat-up time, adjustable milk temperature & texture and equally fantastic automatic milk frothing system.
Those who want to recreate a café-quality espresso minus the steep learning curve might find Breville BES500 Bambino Plus a good buy. Based on most user reviews, this espresso machine is easy to use from its initial set-up to producing your first cup of espresso. Making perfectly frothed milk is just as easy with its automatic milk frother.
Overview
Searching for a quality espresso machine for your new small café without spending a fortune? Well, here’s one for you: Breville the Barista Express BES870, which features most of the essential bells and whistles of a prosumer-level espresso machine.
This includes an adjustable shot control, a Thermocoil heating system with PID temperature control and a powerful 266°F steam pressure for a speedy and velvety-smooth microfoam for your espresso.
The machine also includes a built-in conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings & dose control and a 54mm stainless steel portafilter that can hold 18g of freshly ground beans -- the ideal amount of how a full-bodied coffee should be.
Details
- Integrated conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings & dose control that can be operated with just a single touch
- 54mm stainless steel portafilter that can fill a recommended dose of 18g of freshly ground beans to achieve a full-bodied coffee flavour
- Thermocoil heating system with PID temperature control capable of reaching 200°F for well-balanced flavours
- 266°F steam pressure for quick, silky-smooth microfoam
- Streamlined interface with adjustable shot control for your espresso
Who is this for?
Aspiring or existing café owners will probably appreciate the Breville Barista Express’ all-in-one features (e.g. integrated grinder and steam wand), which can produce a quality shot of espresso.
Overview
Owning an espresso machine doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Well, as long as you don’t mind the lack of customisable bells and whistles. This brings us to the Nespresso Essenza Mini is a compact-sized striking red espresso machine.
It uses the Nespresso pod system, allowing you to blend a variety of espresso using coffee capsules. Feature-wise, it has two programmable buttons for coffee preparation (espresso & lungo) and a 25-second heat-up time. It also supports 19 bars of pressure and has a removable water tank at the back of the machine that can hold 0.6L.
Details
- Has two programmable buttons that allow you to prepare an espresso or a lungo
- It utilises the Nespresso pod system that supports different types of coffee capsules
- It has a removable water tank that can be filled up to 0.6 litre
Who is this for?
The Nespresso Essenza Mini is pretty much a fuss-free espresso machine for anyone who just wants to enjoy a cup of java. Most user reviews praised the compact design that doesn’t take up much space and best of all, it’s easy to use.
Overview
Here’s a beginner-friendly espresso machine from Lebensstil Kollektion for home use, which boasts a cool-looking black aesthetic. Highlights include a one-touch on/off and function buttons on the top front panel, an adjustable control knob, a built-in thermometer and a 15-bar pressure pump, where the latter comes in handy for brewing rich and creamy espressos.
The Lebensstil Kollektion LKCM-112X also comes with a high-pressure frothing system and a powerful steam wand, allowing you to create velvety-smooth milk-based coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos. It has a transparent water tank that holds a maximum capacity of 1.25L, which can be easily dismantled and cleaned afterwards.
Details
- Comes with a 15-bar pressure pump for creamy and robust espresso every time
- It has a high-pressure frothing function for creating silky microfoam on milk-based coffee
- A detachable transparent water tank with a capacity of 1.25L
- An easy one-touch on/off button & function controls
- A built-in thermometer that allows you to monitor the temperature
Who is this for?
This espresso machine is designed with the utmost convenience in mind and this is especially true with its easy-to-use operation via button controls and adjustable knobs. It has an overall good build quality while the essential features like the 15-bar pressure pump, a high-pressure frothing function and a transparent water tank allow you to brew a cuppa in no time at all.
Overview
Available in stainless steel and sea salt design, the Breville Barista Pro BES878 features a quick 3-second heat-up time using the proprietary ThermoJet heating system with PID temperature control. It has a powerful steam pressure at 266°F, allowing you to create silky-smooth microfoam.
Other highlights include an adjustable shot control, an intuitive LCD interface and a 15-bar Italian pump. Not to forget, it has a built-in conical burr grinder with dose control that can be adjusted according to your preference (up to 30 precision grind settings).
Details
- It uses the ThermoJet heating system with PID temperature control for a speedy heat-up time of just 3 seconds
- An increased 266°F steam pressure capable of producing quick and velvety-smooth microfoam
- An intuitive LCD interface that displays all the information, complete with an adjustable shot function
- An integrated conical burr grinder that can be adjusted up to 30 grind settings
Who is this for?
The Breville Barista Pro BES878 is suitable for those who prefer more flexibility in their espresso machines. User reviews are generally favourable, with most praising its overall durability, speedy heat-up time, easy-to-read LCD interface and effective steam pressure that takes around 45 seconds to froth.
Overview
Here’s a classy semi-automatic espresso machine from the DeLonghi La Specialista range with numerous features included, allowing you to create that perfect cup of barista-quality espresso. Its key features include a stainless steel steam wand for producing foamy and steamed milk, and a built-in grinder with the Sensor Grinding Technology for a consistent ground texture each time.
It also has an active temperature control that offers constant temperature results for optimal brewing at all times. Finally, the smart tamping station helps to tamp or compress the coffee dose/grounds evenly.
Details
- An integrated grinder with Sensor Grinding Technology to ensure a consistent ground texture
- Has a steam wand made from stainless steel that efficiently creates steamed milk and textures for microfoam
- Active temperature control maintains a consistent temperature
- It has a smart tamping station that evenly compresses and distributes the ground coffee without making a mess
Who is this for?
Ideal for coffee enthusiasts, the DeLonghi La Specialista Prestigio EC9355.M’s feature-packed machine is the main selling point here. The combination of the steam wand and the dual heating system operates efficiently when comes to steaming and frothing regardless of cappuccinos or lattes. The sensor grinder does come in handy as it works automatically once you put the portafilter in place.
Overview
Looking for an espresso machine with a touch display? You might want to consider Dinamica Plus ECAM370.95.T from DeLonghi. It sports a 3.5-inch touch display on the front panel with intuitive soft-touch buttons. The display allows you to pick your preferred brewing style up to 12 recipes ranging from cafe lattes to cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos.
Other highlights include a built-in conical steel grinder with an adjustable grinding level and a one-touch LatteCrema system capable of producing creamy and frothy milk frothing for cappuccinos or lattes.
Details
- A 3.5 TFT colour display with touch function and soft-touch buttons
- 12 brewing styles including coffee & milk recipes (e.g. cappuccino, espresso and flat white)
- An integrated conical steel grinder with adjustable grinding level for ground coffee
- An automatic milk frothing function with the LatteCrema system
Who is this for?
If you don’t mind dropping a few Gs, the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus ECAM370.95.T is a good investment for producing barista-style espressos with little fuss.
It garnered positive responses for its simple and intuitive interface, customisable coffee/milk settings and adjustable grinding level of beans. The LatteCrema system-integrated automatic milk frother produces velvety and frothy milk-based coffees effectively in just a minute.
Overview
Creating a cup of barista-style latte or Americano is easy peasy with Philips Series 3200 EP3246/70. It has five preset coffee choices, allowing you can to enjoy your favourite cuppa joe with the touch of a button. You can choose to top your espresso with velvety-smooth milk foam thanks to the brand’s LatteGo milk frothing system.
If that’s not enough, there are plenty of customisation options via My Coffee Choice that allows you to adjust your preferred aroma, strength and even the quantity of coffee and milk in every cup.
Details
- Five automatic coffee recipes (Latte Macchiato, Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino & Americano) using the intuitive touch-button display
- Comes with Philips’ automatic LatteGo milk frothing function for silky-smooth froth every time
- Adjustable settings include aroma, strength as well as quantity of coffee and milk via My Coffee Choice
Who is this for?
The Philips Series 3200 EP3246/70 is ideal for anyone who wants to make a latte or Americano without messing up the brewing process. It’s simple to use, thanks to its one-touch controls. The inclusion of the My Coffee Choice function is a nice addition for easy beverage adjustments.
Overview
If ease of use is your utmost priority, you might want to go for the capsule or pod-based espresso machines like the illy X7.1 iperEspresso. Available in three colours including Black, White and Red, it boasts a retro-cool design compatible with illy iperEspresso capsules.
It comes with a display panel that has soft-touch buttons for brewing and steaming. The illy espresso machine also has a Pannarello steam wand for milk frothing, a 1L removable water tank and a 15-bar pressure pump.
Details
- Vintage 1960s Italian design created by Luca Trazzi
- Compatible with illy iperEspresso capsules
- Modern display panel with soft-touch buttons
- Comes with a Pannarello steam wand function that allows you to froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes
Who is this for?
The illy X7.1 iperEspresso is designed with simplicity in mind and for that, it works well for office employees who simply want to brew a quick cuppa to beat the afternoon slump. You get responsive controls while it produces good-tasting espressos using the brand’s coffee capsule.
Overview
Yet another high-quality espresso machine from Breville, The Dual Boiler BES920 is A sleek-looking brushless stainless steel beauty that offers a wide range of prosumer-level features.
The features in question include the Dual Boiler heating system which not only simultaneously extracts and steams milk but is also capable of bringing the water to the exact temperature level.
The machine is also equipped with a 58mm stainless steel portafilter that can hold a 22g dose, a 266°F steam pressure for creating silky-smooth microfoam and adjustable shot control, complete with an intuitive LCD screen and a timer.
Details
- Stainless steel boilers (The Dual Boiler heating system) and a heated group head with PID temperature control
- Professional-grade 58mm stainless steel portafilter that can fill a 22g of freshly ground beans
- 266°F steam pressure for quick, silky-smooth microfoam
- Shot control with LCD screen and a time
Who is this for?
Those who want to own a prosumer-level/commercial espresso machine can look forward to Breville’s BES920 The Dual Boiler’s feature-rich performance. This includes everything from the exceptional dual-boiling system to efficient steam pressure and a timer-integrated LCD screen with an adjustable shot control.
FAQs
- What’s the difference between a coffee machine and an espresso machine?
Both coffee and espresso may fall under the same caffeinated-beverage category. However, when it comes to their respective machines, here are the major differences:
- Coffee machines use a thick coffee grind while the espresso varieties use a fine form
- It typically takes a coffee machine up to 10 minutes of brewing time while an espresso machine needs around 30 second
- Coffee machines depend heavily on the power of gravity to pull water through the coffee filters. By comparison, espresso machines rely on high pressure to blast water through coffee within seconds
- Coffee machines are generally cheaper since they only include basic functions.
Espresso machines, in the meantime, have various programmable features that allow you to create a café-style coffee/espresso.
- Do you need special beans for espresso?
The short answer would be “no”. You can use any dark roast beans to brew espresso.
Choose medium-dark roast beans if you prefer your cup of espresso with the right amount of full-bodied flavour.