Before you look for a model, another question comes first: which type suits you at all? A portafilter machine demands a grinder and practice, a bean-to-cup machine a maintenance programme, a stovetop moka pot a suitable hob. Here, for each of our twelve categories, you will find the product that leads it and the reason for that from its review. You can reach the full lists via the category names in the table further down.
Where the twelve names come from
Our catalogue holds 167 reviews in twelve categories. The most densely populated is coffee beans with 23 varieties, followed by bean-to-cup machines with 18, and portafilter machines and moka pots with 17 each. The thinnest is cleaning and care with eight products. Exactly one from each category appears on this page: the one with the highest overall score, which therefore also carries the Comparison Winner 2026 badge.
We scored from manufacturer pages, instruction manuals and Amazon catalogue data. We have not had any of the twelve products in our hands, no bean has run through either of the two grinders, and we have not drunk a cup from any of the machines. What is written here is an evaluation of data sheets: dimensions, capacities, maintenance intervals, prices. Whether you like an espresso is not stated in any of them.
All prices are the guide values from the reviews, as of September 2026, each for an offer on Amazon.de. Leading does not mean being expensive. In four categories the winner is also the most expensive product in the catalogue: the Jura E8, the Comandante C40 MK4, the Moccamaster KBG Select and the Sage Creatista Plus. In the other eight categories there is at least one product that costs more than the winner. For portafilter machines, for example, our range goes up to €1,187.29, while the winner there costs €499.52.
Before the model: drink, handling, space, money
The first question is the drink. Espresso in the narrow sense is made under pressure, usually around 9 bar at the grounds. Three devices among the twelve winners work with a pressure pump: the portafilter machine, the bean-to-cup machine and the capsule machine. The Bialetti Moka Express pushes the water through the grounds with steam pressure; according to its review this type does not build up a layer of crema. According to the manufacturer, the AeroPress delivers up to three shots of espresso-style coffee per press, but it is still not an espresso machine. Anyone who drinks filter coffee by the pot needs no pressure but a water temperature that holds; Moccamaster gives a window of 92 to 96 degrees for the KBG Select.
For milk there are four routes among the winners. The Jura E8 draws it through a tube from a container beside the machine, and the manual wants it at 4 to 8 degrees. The Sage Creatista Plus froths in its own container at a nozzle that a sensor switches off. The Gaggia has a classic steam wand which, according to Gaggia’s specification, should run for one minute at a time at most, otherwise the boiler empties. The fourth route is a separate frother such as the Severin SM 3587, intended for preparations without their own milk system, and here that means the filter machine, the stovetop pot and the press.
Then the effort per cup. The bean-to-cup machine needs the fewest manual steps, but works through a maintenance programme in the background. According to the manual, the capsule machine heats up in about 3 seconds. At the other end stands the portafilter machine. According to its manual, the Gaggia wants a run-through of around 150 millilitres before the first brew, and until the machine has reached its temperature, the portafilter has to heat along in the group for a few minutes. After that, grinding, dosing and tamping are done by hand. The AeroPress sits in between: its review lists under its features less than two minutes for brewing including cleaning, and that applies every single morning. The Moccamaster needs around six minutes for a full pot, during which you have nothing to do.
Where a machine can stand is decided first by height. Of the machines for which dimensions are available, the Sage Creatista Plus is the tallest at 40.9 centimetres, the Gaggia measures around 38, the Moccamaster 36 and the Jura E8 34.8. These are pure machine dimensions. On the Jura the lids of the water tank and bean hopper must be able to open, on the Moccamaster the water tank lid, the Gaggia according to its review needs room for the tank lid and cup tray, and on the Sage you lift the steam wand to insert the milk container. Under a wall cabinet you therefore need more space than the figure says. In depth the Jura E8 is the largest at 44.6 centimetres, and its power cable measures only approx. 1.1 metres. Narrow are the grinder and the capsule machine, the Eureka at 12 centimetres, the Creatista at 17.
For the budget, the ranges of the categories help more than the winners’ prices. Every stovetop moka pot in our catalogue costs between €11.37 and €64.46, every French press or AeroPress between €11.54 and €50.00. Capsule and pod machines start at €34.99, portafilter machines at €123.99, bean-to-cup machines at €229.00. With a portafilter machine, however, the machine price is only part of the bill as soon as there is no built-in grinder.
Espresso with a pump: portafilter, bean-to-cup, capsule
The Gaggia Classic Evo Pro works with a 58-millimetre portafilter, the size of commercial machines, boiler and brew group are made of lead-free brass, and between pump and group sits a 3-way solenoid valve. These three points are exactly what its review gives as the reason why it stands at the top among the portafilter machines. After the brew the valve dries the coffee puck, which according to Gaggia makes removal and cleaning easier. A thermostat holds the temperature instead of PID control, and after frothing the manual requires you to cool the boiler by dispensing water before the next espresso runs. Four milk drinks in a row are therefore a matter of patience with this single-boiler machine.
The Jura E8 contains a grinder and a milk system, and the brew unit stays fixed in the housing. Instead of taking it out, the E8 requests a cleaning as soon as 180 preparations or 80 switch-on rinses are reached. You insert the tablet, and the programme runs for around 20 minutes. In the current ED variant, 27 specialities are in the menu. If you want to hold the brew group under the tap yourself, the review names the Nivona NICR 790 and the Siemens EQ600 for that; more machines are shown in the best-of list for bean-to-cup machines.
The Sage Creatista Plus takes capsules in the Nespresso Original system. Among the ten capsule and pod machines in our catalogue, only it has a steam wand mounted on the machine. You choose one of eleven temperature levels between 56 and 76 degrees and one of eight foam heights, and a sensor on the drip tray does the rest. Guiding a jug by hand as on a portafilter machine is not intended; the manual permits only the supplied milk container. For black espresso without milk, the best-of list for capsule machines is worth a look.
Without a pump: stovetop moka pot, press, filter machine
For the 6-cup size of the Bialetti Moka Express, Bialetti offers its own set of seal and filter rather than pointing to universal parts, and the pot has been built in the same form since 1933. It is filled up to the lower edge of the safety valve; running a large pot half full is not provided for by the design. You therefore choose the size by the number of cups, and the 6-cup version holds 250 millilitres according to the catalogue text, six espresso cups and not six mugs. Care includes one step that the manual requires with every rinse: you move the pin protruding from the safety valve along its axis so that no limescale settles there.
The AeroPress Original is not much of a device. Three load-bearing parts made of polypropylene, weighing around 220 grams and, nested together, about 13.4 by 10.7 centimetres, and it needs no electricity. The chamber holds around 296 millilitres, which is enough for one to two cups. If three or more sit at the table, it runs several times in a row, each time with a new filter. Anyone who wants pot quantities will find, for example, the Espro P5 with 950 millilitres in the best-of list for French press and AeroPress.
What puts the Moccamaster KBG Select ahead among the filter machines, according to its review, only counts after years: according to the manufacturer, the machine can be repaired, and every part is also available individually, the glass jug for example for €26.50. It has a 1,450-watt copper heating element, which is meant to keep the temperature within the window even when cold water keeps flowing in during the run, but neither a grinder nor a timer. The jug holds 1.25 litres, four to ten cups according to Moccamaster. At ten cups that is 125 millilitres per cup by the review’s calculation. For half a pot you switch the Select switch, and the water then runs through more slowly according to the manual, in order to extend the extraction time.
Grinding: motor or crank
Two of the twelve categories are grinders, and which one suits you is decided above all by quantity. On the Eureka Mignon Specialità you adjust the lower of the two 55 mm burrs steplessly, and so a found espresso setting stays put when you open the upper burr carrier for cleaning. At approx. €431.90 it is high up; among the 14 electric grinders in our catalogue, only the Eureka Libra 16CR costs more. You determine the dose by the grinding time in seconds rather than by a weight, and the bean hopper holds 300 grams.
The hand grinder Comandante C40 MK4 grinds with a cone made of Nitro Rex steel, manufactured according to the manufacturer near Munich. Anyone who buys once and then repairs will find 49 items in the manufacturer’s spare parts shop, as of 6 September 2026. Instead of a scale, you set it by counted clicks: from the factory it is set to 24, and according to the manufacturer’s FAQ the zero point is the first detent in which the crank no longer falls through by itself.
The boundary between the two is drawn by the Comandante’s own review. Four cups for a family are work at the crank, and the finer the setting, the higher the torque. The Eureka has its limit elsewhere: at most 160 grams of coffee per activation, a duty cycle of 60 seconds, then a pause of 120 or 600 seconds. Two or three doubles in the morning are far below that. Anyone who grinds only for filter or French press is, according to the Eureka review, better served by a stepped grinder.
Milk, tools, beans, descaler
The Severin SM 3587 is an induction milk frother and costs approx. €114.00. It has 13 programmes, including cold foam and one each for lactose-free milk, cashew and soy; there is no programme for oat drink. You can froth 120 to 350 millilitres, and for pure heating the jug may be filled to 700. Between two runs, the manual says the machine should cool down and be cleaned. If you pull the mains plug, the SM 3587 resets to factory settings.
The Normcore WDT Tool V2.1 has the narrowest field of use on this page. It loosens the espresso grounds in the basket before tamping, and that exists only on a portafilter machine. On a bean-to-cup machine you cannot get at the grounds, and with filter, press and stovetop pot nothing is compacted. Normcore states a needle thickness of 0.25 millimetres, the German Amazon title 0.23. The tool is not tied to a basket size, since it only dips in from above. Its review concludes from this that it survives a switch from 51 to 58 millimetres, unlike the dosing ring and puck screen of a 51 mm set.
Among the 23 beans in our catalogue, only the seller of the 360° Rundum Ehrlich Bio Honduras discloses growing altitude, processing, roasting location and batch size together. The coffee was grown above 1,300 metres and processed washed, and it is roasted in Hagenow, in the local Lebenshilfewerk (a workshop run by a disability support charity), in batches of 15 kilos each. As the organic control body, the product page names DE-ÖKO-005, the imprint of the same website DE-ÖKO 009, so which body inspects the kilo pack remains open. When it was roasted is stated neither on the product page nor in the Amazon catalogue.
In the durgol swiss espresso, amidosulfonic acid is the active ingredient; it is sold as a four-pack, each bottle with 125 millilitres, about €13.80 in total. According to durgol you do not have to wait, and one bottle is enough for one descaling as long as the machine’s tank holds at most one litre. For filter machines and kettles durgol refers to another product from its own range. According to the manual, descaling is due as soon as the machine’s display lights up, and as a guide at least every three months.
The twelve winners in one table
| Category | Winner | The difference | Price | Our score | Choose this category if |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso machines (portafilter) | Gaggia Classic Evo Pro | Single-boiler machine with 58 mm portafilter, thermostat instead of PID, no grinder | approx. €499.52 | 9.4 | you want to control grind size and brew yourself and plan for a grinder |
| Bean-to-cup machines | Jura E8 | Grinder and milk system in the machine, brew unit permanently installed | approx. €1,049 | 9.4 | nobody should have to grind or tamp in the morning and milk drinks are part of it |
| Electric grinders | Eureka Mignon Specialità | Stepless adjustment, dosing by seconds | approx. €431.90 | 9.4 | you grind for espresso every day and fine-tune the grind size |
| Hand grinders | Comandante C40 MK4 | Clicks instead of a scale, spare parts individually in the shop | approx. €236.90 | 9.4 | you grind two cups at most in one go and want to manage without a socket |
| Filter coffee | Moccamaster KBG Select | Copper heating element, 1.25 l glass jug, no grinder | approx. €259.00 | 9.5 | half a pot to a full pot is drunk every day |
| Moka pots | Bialetti Moka Express | Aluminium pot for the hob, steam pressure instead of a pump | approx. €28.87 | 9.4 | you cook on gas or electric and fill the pot full every time |
| French press & AeroPress | AeroPress Original | Plunger with paper filter, no electricity | approx. €41.08 | 9.3 | you drink alone or as a pair and brew by hand |
| Capsule & pod machines | Sage Creatista Plus | Nespresso capsule, steam wand with temperature sensor | approx. €489.99 | 9.3 | you want milk drinks without grinding beans |
| Milk frothers | Severin SM 3587 | 13 programmes, induction heating, foam up to 350 ml | approx. €114.00 | 9.4 | your brewing method has no milk system of its own |
| Barista accessories | Normcore WDT Tool V2.1 | Needles loosen the grounds before tamping | approx. €25.99 | 9.4 | a portafilter machine stands in the kitchen |
| Coffee beans | 360° Rundum Ehrlich Bio Honduras | Whole bean, 1 kg, organic according to the seller (DE-ÖKO-005), origin disclosed | approx. €35.59 | 9.3 | you have a grinder or a bean-to-cup machine |
| Cleaning & care | durgol swiss espresso | Liquid descaler for machines of several brands | approx. €13.80 | 9.3 | your machine does not prescribe its own care product |
The prices are guide values as of September 2026 and change. Read the score column only within its own row; the last section explains why.
What belongs together
The Gaggia has no grinder, and its manual requires freshly ground coffee from a burr grinder, expressly not from a blade grinder. The grinder is therefore part of the purchase. With the Comandante as partner, machine and grinder together come to €736.42, with the Eureka to €931.42. The Jura E8 with its built-in grinder stands at €1,049. If the WDT tool is added, that is €25.99 more, and unlike beans, frother and descaler it fits only this one type.
The machine manufacturers’ specifications take priority for descaling, and that narrows the descaler among the winners considerably. For the Classic Evo Pro, Gaggia permits only its own product. In the E8 manual, Jura requires original JURA care products and ties the warranty to them, although durgol lists Jura among its examples of suitable machines. If a CLARIS Smart+ cartridge is fitted in the E8, descaling is dropped entirely according to its manual. For the Creatista Plus, Sage recommends the Nespresso descaling kit, which according to Sage’s reasoning was developed specifically for this machine. Even where durgol comes into question, one bottle is not enough: the tanks of the three machines hold 2.1, 1.9 and 1.5 litres, and above one litre the durgol instructions prescribe two bottles per run, approx. €6.90 per use. For the Moccamaster the descaler is not intended, for the aluminium Bialetti the durgol review considers it the wrong choice, and the AeroPress never needs descaling because no water is heated in it. In our assessment, durgol therefore fits best in households with machines of different brands, as its review describes.
Every preparation on this page except the capsule machine needs beans, and the 360° Rundum Ehrlich is available only whole; the manufacturer’s shop does not carry it ground either. Without a grinder or bean-to-cup machine you cannot get to the powder. What a kilo means depends on the machine. The bean hopper of the Jura E8 holds 280 grams, so the kilo fills it about three and a half times. For a full pot, Moccamaster allots 75 grams; by our calculation the kilo is enough for a good 13 pots. The Eureka takes 300 grams, the two Bean Jars of the Comandante 40 each. As preparations, the bean’s seller names bean-to-cup machine, portafilter machine, pour-over and French press; stovetop moka pot and AeroPress are not on its list.
Grind size is where the categories overlap most clearly. Comandante gives 7 to 13 clicks for espresso, 14 to 20 for the stovetop moka pot, 18 to 35 for pour-over and 25 to 35 for French press. A single hand grinder thus serves portafilter, stovetop pot, filter and French press; for the AeroPress Comandante gives no range of its own. Bialetti requires powder for moka, expressly not finely ground. The AeroPress wants it medium-fine, and on the Moccamaster an espresso grind is too fine; according to the troubleshooting table the filter holder then overflows. The Eureka’s data sheet lists Turkish, espresso, moka, drip and French press as uses.
That leaves the question of how to make two milk drinks at once. On the Severin, according to its review, you get both from one run, because the foam limit is 350 millilitres; for four cups it takes two runs with a pause. On the Gaggia the order from its review applies: both espressos first, then the milk in one go. The Sage manages two cappuccinos one after the other without a pause, and the manual has its own instructions for it.
Five households and their category
According to its review, the Jura E8 is built for a household that draws two to six drinks a day, some of them with milk. In addition, someone there actually uses Hot Brew, Light Brew and Sweet Foam in turn. That goes with a budget of a good €1,000 and a worktop that is at least 45 centimetres deep.
Anyone who lives alone, drinks one cup in the morning and wants to spend €50 at most ends up with French press and AeroPress. For the AeroPress the mug must have an inner diameter between 67 and 95 millimetres, otherwise it does not sit securely on the rim.
If it is to stay under €30 and there is a gas or electric hob in the kitchen, the stovetop moka pot is enough. If you have an induction hob, a steel plate for €19.90 is added for the Bialetti, and with the pot you end up at around €49 according to its review.
A whole pot for several people, a grinder or filter grounds in the cupboard and 32 by 17 centimetres of free counter space speak for the filter machine. For the office the Moccamaster is not suitable according to its review, since it switches off 40 minutes after brewing starts, and in a tea kitchen the coffee is usually meant to stand ready all morning.
At least one milk drink a day, no desire to grind, 17 centimetres of width free: that is the case for the capsule machine with a steam wand. If you froth milk only two or three times a week, the Creatista review itself advises the model with a separate frother, the Nespresso CitiZ with Aeroccino. It takes the same capsule, and the gap to the Creatista is around €322.
What this page does not do
It sets up no ranking across the categories. A hand grinder and a descaler solve different tasks, and no number can say which of the two is the better purchase. Each overall score was awarded within its category, alongside the four individual grades for build quality, performance, handling and value for money. A 9.4 for a grinder and a 9.4 for a portafilter machine therefore say nothing about a ratio between the two.
Even within a category, the overall grade is an editorial rating and not an average. For the Jura E8, 9.6, 9.6, 9.2 and 8.0 would average 9.1; the awarded grade is 9.4, and no review records a formula for it.
This page also shows only first place. Each category best-of list holds eight products, and second place may be the right one for you. Anyone who never goes into the menu on the E8 buys the same brew system with the Jura E6 for approx. €699, according to its review.
All products on the list side by side
| Product | Type | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KBG Select | Filter coffee and pour-over | ★★★★★ 4.8 | approx. €259.00 | View on Amazon → |
| Classic Evo Pro | Espresso machines | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €499.52 | View on Amazon → |
| E8 | Bean-to-cup machines | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €1,049.00 | View on Amazon → |
| Mignon Specialita | Electric grinders | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €431.90 | View on Amazon → |
| C40 MK4 Nitro Blade | Hand grinders | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €236.90 | View on Amazon → |
| Moka Express | Moka pots | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €28.87 | View on Amazon → |
| SM 3587 Induktion | Milk frothers | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €114.00 | View on Amazon → |
| WDT-Werkzeug V2.1 mit Ständer | Barista accessories | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €25.99 | View on Amazon → |
| Original | French press and AeroPress | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €41.08 | View on Amazon → |
| Creatista Plus | Capsule and pod machines | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €489.99 | View on Amazon → |
| Bio Honduras Säurearm | Coffee beans and roasters | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €35.59 | View on Amazon → |
| Swiss Espresso Entkalker 4x125 ml | Cleaning and care | ★★★★★ 4.7 | approx. €13.80 | View on Amazon → |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change with the retailer. Prices are in euros from Amazon.de and may differ in your country. You will find the current status for each product on the linked product pages, and all products side by side in the comparison table.