Portafilter machines · review
A compact semi-automatic with an automatic steam wand, a three-second heat-up and a 54 mm (2.13 in) portafilter taking 19 grams.
Where we land on it A three-second heat-up, an automatic steam wand and a published 54 mm (2.13 in) portafilter, with no grinder and no pretense of one. It is the cheapest way on this shelf to get the milk done for you.
Four machines here texture milk without your hand on the wand. The others sit near the top of this shelf by price. This is the exception.
If the reason you want an espresso machine is a flat white on a weekday, that single line is worth more than any other specification on this page — and it is the one thing the two De’Longhis below it do not offer at any price.
a 54mm portafilter with 19 grams for full flavor.
Eight other listings on this shelf describe baskets by wall type and cup count. This is the only one that names the dose it was designed around.
For anyone weighing coffee, that is the number you start from, and it saves a week of guessing.
A grinder. Three machines on this shelf have none — the two cheaper De’Longhis and this one — and five of the remaining six build one in.
No water tank capacity, where three Brevilles on this shelf publish 67 oz. One year of warranty, where the two above it publish two.
Read on the day this page was built: $300 at the American Amazon shop.
Read from Keepa on the day this page was last revised; stock and price both move without notice.
At $300, it is the 3 cheapest of the 7 models in this category published here.
| Type | Semi-automatic, no integrated grinder |
|---|---|
| Portafilter | 54 mm (2.13 in), 19 g (0.7 oz) dose as stated by the maker |
| Milk | Automatic steam wand; adjustable temperature and texture |
| Heat-up | ThermoJet, optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds |
| Temperature control | Digital PID regulation |
| Settings | 1 or 2 cups; hot water and steam button |
| Water tank | Not stated by the maker |
| Power | 1,560 W at 110–120 V |
| Warranty | 1-year limited |
| Weight (as listed) | 4,944 g (174.4 oz) |
| Amazon reference | B0B1JPPG2L |
| EAN | 0021614803214 |
Yes. This is one of three machines on this shelf without one, and the only one of those three with an automatic steam wand. The grinder shelf on this site starts at a third of this machine’s price.
It is the dose the maker builds the 54 mm (2.13 in) basket around: *a 54mm (2.13 in) portafilter with 19 grams for full flavor*. No other listing on this shelf names a dose weight at all, which makes it the only published starting point here for someone with a scale.
It is the maker’s published figure for reaching extraction temperature with the ThermoJet system, and it is stated identically on the Barista Pro and Barista Touch. What it does not cover is the steam side; only the Barista Pro publishes an instantaneous transition from espresso to steam.
On published figures they barely overlap. This one gives a wattage, a portafilter size, a dose, a heat-up time and a warranty; the Classic gives a pump pressure of 15 bar and names Thermoblock. The real difference you will feel is the wand: automatic here, manual there.
These coffee machines share the category and the price bracket. Only what each one states is shown; an incomplete column would mislead.
| Model | Price | Type | Milk | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Bambino | $300 | Semi-automatic, no integrated grinder | Automatic steam wand; adjustable temperature and texture | 1,560 W at 110–120 V |
| De'Longhi Classic EM450M | $226 | Semi-automatic, no integrated grinder | Steam wand, adjustable, for steamed or frothed milk | Not stated by the maker |
| De'Longhi Stilosa EC260 | $150 | Manual, no integrated grinder | Manual steam wand | Not stated by the maker |
| Ninja Luxe Café Premier ES601 | $500 | 3-in-1: espresso, drip coffee, cold brew | Dual Froth: spinning whisk plus automatic steamer, 4 presets plus manual | Not stated by the maker |
Details checked on October 30, 2026.
A small kitchen that already owns a grinder and wants microfoam without working the wand
Amazon reports what buyers took in the month before this page was last checked: at least 4,000.
The figure is a floor, rounded by Amazon, and read through Keepa — it says what buyers picked, not what a maker claims.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for coffee equipment and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
54 mm (2.13 in) · automatic milk texturing · 3 s heat-up
Ready in three seconds, 7.5 inches wide, and it textures milk automatically to a temperature you choose. The one espresso machine that suits a small kitchen without pretending grind does not matter.
Best for: Someone who already owns a grinder, or is buying one, and has no space.
54 mm (2.13 in) portafilter · built-in conical burr · 2 L tank
Machine and grinder in one box, at a price that undercuts buying them separately. The compromises are real — 54 mm (2.13 in) basket, single boiler, a grinder you will outgrow — but nothing else takes a beginner this far this cheaply.
Best for: Your first portafilter machine, if you want one purchase rather than a project.
51 mm (2.01 in) portafilter · 15 cm (5.9 in) wide · pressurized baskets
About six inches wide, heats in forty seconds, and makes a decent drink at an entry price. It ships with pressurized baskets that fake crema from any grind — which is exactly why it works for beginners and why it stalls after a year.
Best for: A tiny kitchen, a first espresso machine, or a second machine for an office.
