The Best Espresso Machines for Lattes and Milk Drinks

The picks at a glance

For milk drinks, the milk system is the decision

Buyers shopping for a latte machine tend to focus on the espresso, then discover that texturing milk is the part that takes weeks to learn. There are two ways a machine can make milk.

• Automatic. The machine froths the milk and pours it. Consistent, and no skill needed.
• A steam wand. You texture the milk yourself. More control and better foam once you can do it, with a real learning curve. See how to froth milk.

Ease of use is what owners of the automatic machines here praise most. Whichever you choose, reliability is what decides long-term satisfaction; see the Espresso Machine Complaint Report.

Top pick

Philips 2300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo

Noolaguide says

The easiest route to a daily latte. A fully automatic machine that grinds, brews, and froths and pours the milk at one touch, with presets for espresso, coffee, latte and hot water. Praise outweighs complaints more than five to one, the best record in the Philips range, led by ease of use and easy cleaning. The complaints are mostly missing instructions and cleaning. It is a newer model, so its owners have had it for months, not years.

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What buyers praise

• Grinds, brews and froths with no skill
• LatteGo milk system: no internal tubes, quick to rinse
• Owners praise ease of use and easy cleaning

What buyers flag

• Newer model: a shorter ownership record
• Four presets; no iced coffee
• Less control than a machine you operate by hand

More drinks, saved recipes

De'Longhi Magnifica Evo Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Frother

Noolaguide says

The alternative with a milk carafe. A fully automatic machine with a 15-bar pump, an automatic milk system with a carafe, and memory for your own recipes. It has the largest owner sample of the automatic De'Longhi machines we analyzed, and praise outweighs complaints a little under two to one, led by ease of use, easy cleaning and simple setup. The complaints are value, cleaning the milk container, and a few early faults.

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What buyers praise

• Automatic milk system with a carafe
• Owners praise ease of use, cleaning and setup
• 2 years' warranty, plus 1 with registration

What buyers flag

• Value is the most common complaint
• Some owners find the milk container hard to clean
• Large: about 12 by 20 inches and 21 pounds

Steam wand on a budget

CASABREWS CM5418 Compact Espresso Machine

Noolaguide says

For learning to steam milk yourself. It has a deep owner record and the most favorable feedback of the manual machines we analyzed: praise outweighs complaints more than two and a half to one, led by ease of use, quality and value. It is a compact semi-automatic machine with a steam wand and no grinder. The complaints are units that did not work, durability, and some leaks. You must let it cool after frothing milk before brewing again.

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What buyers praise

• Most favorable owner feedback of the manual machines
• Owners praise ease of use, quality and value
• Compact, with a steam wand for milk

What buyers flag

• No built-in grinder
• Some units did not work, or failed; a few leaks
• Must cool after frothing before the next shot

Compact, fast heat-up

Breville Bambino Espresso Machine (BES450)

Noolaguide says

For steaming milk yourself on a small counter. A compact machine that reaches brewing temperature in three seconds and regulates temperature digitally, with a steam wand and no grinder. Praise is modestly ahead of complaints, led by ease of use, quality and its small size. The complaints are build quality and durability, including units that stopped heating.

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What buyers praise

• Heats in three seconds
• Compact; owners praise the small footprint
• Owners praise ease of use

What buyers flag

• No built-in grinder
• Durability and heating failures are the main complaints
• Praise only modestly ahead of complaints

Popular models we did not pick

• Philips 3300 LatteGo. Our previous pick here, and still a good machine, with six presets including iced coffee and praise about two to one ahead of complaints. The newer 2300 makes the same core drinks with a stronger owner record; choose the 3300 only if you want iced coffee or more presets. Which Philips espresso machine to buy compares the range.
• Breville Barista Touch. We previously made it the top pick here for its automatic steam wand and touchscreen. In the owner reviews we analyzed, praise is only narrowly ahead of complaints, with durability, the grinder jamming and value the complaints. Our Breville guide covers it in full.
• Gaggia Classic. Owner feedback was close to even on a small sample.
• Breville Bambino Plus. Complaints outnumber praise, led by units that did not work properly.
• Philips 3200 LatteGo. The older model. Complaints outnumber praise nearly two to one.

How to choose

1. Automatic milk or a steam wand? Automatic for consistency, a wand if you want to learn.
2. Mostly milk drinks, every day? A fully automatic machine saves the most effort. See super-automatic espresso machines compared.
3. Clean the milk system on schedule. A neglected frother is a common way a latte machine disappoints. See how to clean an espresso machine.
4. Already own an espresso machine? A separate frother may be all you need; see the best milk frothers.

Methodology

We rank espresso machines for milk drinks, by how each makes the milk and then on verified owner reviews across 40 espresso machines: how each one’s praise balances against its complaints, what specifically goes wrong, and how deep its owner record is, with reliability weighted most heavily. Where a pick’s owner sample is small, we say so. No sponsored reviews, no manufacturer units, and no invented reviewers. Noolaguide does not claim hands-on testing.