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The best espresso machine for a small kitchen
Updated
For a small kitchen we would pick the Breville Bambino. It is 6.3 inches wide, it comes with both basket types, and the maker claims it is ready to brew in 3 seconds, so it does not need to sit out warming up. The CASABREWS CM5418 is even narrower at 5.47 inches. Neither has a grinder, so plan where that goes too.
- CASABREWS CM54185.47 inches
- Breville Bambino6.3 inches
- Breville Barista Express12.5 inches
- Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier13.4 inches
The De'Longhi Stilosa is not in the chart. Its listing gives 8.07 by 13.5 inches for the footprint and 11.22 inches for the height, but the way the two footprint numbers are labeled looked swapped to us. Plan for 13.5 inches in one direction either way.
Measure three things
- Width of the free counter, plus a few inches on the wand side to swing a milk jug.
- Depth. Narrow machines are deep. The Bambino is 13.7 inches deep and the CASABREWS is 12.28.
- Height under the cabinets. The Bambino is 12 inches tall and the CASABREWS 11.97. Check how the water tank comes out. If it lifts up, you need space above it or you will slide the machine forward for every refill.
The small picks
- Breville Bambino: narrow, fast to heat, single and dual wall baskets in the box. Caveat: some owners report early failures, and it needs a grinder to get past the dual wall baskets.
- CASABREWS CM5418: the narrowest and lightest at 8.59 pounds, with a pressure gauge. Caveat: the listing says it must cool down after steaming before it brews again, and it uses a less common 51mm handle.
Where does the grinder go?
A machine with a grinder inside sounds like the space saver, but the Barista Express is 12.5 inches wide. A Bambino next to a Baratza Encore ESP, which is listed at 5.91 by 5.12 inches, takes about the same width, and you can store the grinder in a cabinet between uses. The smallest setup is a hand grinder. The 1Zpresso J-Ultra is listed at 7.5 inches tall and fits in a drawer. Caveat: you crank every dose by hand.
See all three in our espresso grinder picks.
What to skip in a small kitchen
The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier is 13.4 inches wide and weighs 31.9 pounds. It is a fine pick if it replaces a drip brewer too. It is not a machine you will want to lift in and out of a cabinet.
Compare all five on the machine roundup, and run your numbers in the cost calculator.