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5 Best Espresso Machines Under $100 (Beans on a Budget) [2021 Revision]

Last updated: 6/3/21

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Love your morning coffee breaks? Who doesn’t, right?

Well, you won’t have to stand in line at the local café if you have a great coffee maker or an espresso machine at home or workplace.

You can buy a cheap coffee maker for less than $20. But these machines will not make the perfect velvety espresso you like.

If you want a good-quality espresso maker that will last years, you should up your budget to about $100.

If you’re willing to shell out a little more than $100 on a coffee machine, you should check out our top picks under $200 as well.

You will be able to get a high-quality budget product. So, here is a list of best espresso machines under $100 to consider:

5 Best Espresso Machines Under $100 – 2024

1. Cuisinart DCC-1150BKP1 Classic

It’s an energy efficient espresso machine. The moment you’re done with it, it shuts off. This isn’t the case with other espresso machines out there, which is why we appreciate the Cuisinart so much.

Not only is it easy on your electricity bill, it’s easy to maintain as it cleans itself. And of course, it’s a dream to use as the machine is entirely automated.

You’ll get some quality espressos from the Cuisinart as it utilizes a charcoal water and gold tone filter.

In terms of its design, you’ll appreciate how it was built.

It’s completely classic, like most of the espresso machines you see in your favorite coffee shops. Personally, we’re a huge fan of this.

We’re also fans of how chic the device is. It’s one of the chicest espresso machines we’ve seen as many are bulky and heavy.

Now:

It’s handy and smart as it ‘remembers’ things. If you leave it be and come back, it will pick up where it was 60 seconds ago and start brewing.

What’s more is, the Cuisinart has 24 hour programmability.

Although you can serve up to 10 pots with it, it allows you to reduce this to 4 if you want.

2. BUNN GRB Velocity Brew

Okay, this is one of the fastest espresso machines out there. You can expect a cup of coffee in 3 minutes. This makes it a perfect addition to your home if you’re a busy individual. One of the ways it does this is through its internal hot water system that’s always working.

Although it produces cups of coffee really fast, you shouldn’t be afraid. The cups it produces are very flavorful due to specific technology used in the machine.

Obviously, you may be wondering what these are:

It has a multi stream spray head that waters the coffee grounds evenly.

Also:

When it comes to making coffee, the filter used is important. This is why the espresso machine has a flat bottom filter and funnel that allows the coffee to permeate through the water very well, making each cup flavorful.

Not only does it get you a delicious cup of coffee fast, this will be hassle free process. It has a one of a kind drip carafe that slides the coffee directly into the mouth of your cup. Such a thing is appreciated as many espresso machines are bad at this.

With it by your side, you can make a decent amount of coffee as according to BUNN, 10 cups can be made.

3. Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Brewer

It’s called the ’12-cup’ as it lets you make a small batch of coffee (4 cups) with as much flavor as a full carafe.

Of course, each cup will taste amazing as there are brew strengths you can choose from: rich and classic.

You coffee will always be warm with the Ninja by your side. It has a heating plate (that can be removed) which keeps coffee warm for up to 4 hours.

What’s so best about this is, you can adjust the intensity of heat coming off the plate.

What makes its coffee so flavourful is its flavor straw. It circulates the coffee as it brews, letting the flavor stay put hours after a batch was made.

You don’t have to wait for the entire thing to brew as you can pull out its carafe and pour a delicious cup of coffee whenever you want.

Although its carafe can be messy, its removable water filter makes filling the machine up very easy.

4. Keurig K55 Single Serve Programmable K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Black

This is a classic style espresso machine that is really well designed with coffee drinkers’ needs in mind.

Using this machine is really easy. The brewer turns on with a push of the power button. Then it will take a minute or so to heat up.

There is an LCD light display that indicates everything from the heating to the brewing. The lights turn blue when it’s ready to brew.

There are three cup sizes to choose from—small (5.25 ounces), medium (7.25 ounces) and large (9.25 ounces).

Once the setting is chosen, just add water and the machine will brew the coffee.

The water reservoir can hold 48 ounces of water so it’s generously large. There’s no need to add water every time you need a refill.

We found this espresso machine really easy to clean as well. The drip tray is removable and can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

You can clean everything with some vinegar too. This machine also uses K-cup pods, which are commonly available.

But we had success with similarly sized non-K Cup pods as well.

This brewer is great for making flavored coffee as well. We didn’t notice any flavor differences between sessions.

The only complaint is that it’s a bit bulky, so it will take up some space on a countertop.

5. The Original Bialetti Moka Express Made in Italy 12-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker with Patented Valve

This is an original espresso maker made in Italy. So you know you are getting a good product.

This machine can make 2 ounces of espresso per cup in less than 5 minutes.

And it’s not just any espresso either. You can get really rich and dense velvety espresso with this machine.

The boiler has a generously large capacity of 775 ml (25 ounces) too.

It has a patented safety valve. It can be removed for cleaning, which we thought was impressive.

This espresso machine is made from high quality, polished aluminum.

It’s not stainless steel, so with prolonged heavy use, the machine will experience some corrosion.

Brewing the perfect cup of espresso is relatively easy.

Use cold water for velvety texture, not warm water. Don’t put this on a big flame, use a small flame and let it work. It won’t take longer than 5 minutes.

Make sure the coffee grounds are not too coarse so the water can pass through quickly.

Freshly ground beans are the best.

This has to be manually tamped, and it will take some time for a user to learn how to tamp property so the coffee oozes out from the top, and doesn’t gush out.

How to Buy an Espresso Machine on a $100 Budget

You’ve got only $100 in hand. So here are some tips for making sure you end up with the right espresso machine that suits your needs:

Decide whether you want a classic espresso machine, like the Bialetti Moka mentioned above, or automated one.

Classic espresso makers require a stove and some manual work. Auto machines can be plugged in and don’t require manual input.

Auto machines are surely more convenient, but classic machines are better at making espresso.

You can also pick a semi-automatic espresso machine, like the De’Longhi BAR32 mentioned above.

If you prefer simplicity, you can choose an automatic coffeemaker that can also make espresso, like the Cuisineart mentioned above.

These machines are multipurpose and can even make lattes. It’s the most convenient option for offices.

No matter how good the espresso machine is, the espresso it can produce will depend on the quality of the beans you choose too.

Do your research and learn what type of grounds are the best to use with the machine to make the best coffee.

Pump driven espresso machines are superior to electronic steam ones.

A true cup of espresso needs at least 5 bars of pressure. Steam never reaches that level of pressure, and is usually limited to about 1.5 bars.

So, if you are a true espresso enthusiast, choose a pump machine.

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