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Breville Bambino BES450BSS
Manual steam wand and a 3-second heat-up, under our $300 limit.
Size (per Breville): 11.9 × 6.1 × 13.5 in, W × D × H
Choose another if: You want automatic milk. That’s the Dedica Maestro Plus.
Espresso machines under $300
Barista-style lattes at home, under $300
Three machines worth owning, and the one we’d start with.
Picked from maker specs · Specs checked · How we pick · We may earn a commission (disclosure)
Our picks at a glance
Start here: Bambino ↑
Stretch pick · often over $300
De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus
Automatic milk steaming
Illustrations shown. Prices change; check the current price on Amazon.
The three picks
One to start with, one to spend less, one if you want the milk done for you.
Spend less
De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK
A basic manual steam wand for less. You steam the milk yourself.
Size (per De'Longhi): 13.5 × 8.07 × 11.22 in, L × W × H
Choose another if: You want the automatic steam wand. That’s the Maestro Plus.
Stretch pick · often over $300
De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus EC950M
Automatic steam wand that steams the milk for you.
Width (per De'Longhi): 8.15 in
Choose another if: You want to stay under $300 today. That’s the Bambino.
Compare the three
| Spec | Bambino | Stilosa | Maestro Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | Manual wand | Basic manual wand | Automatic wand |
| Grinder | No | No | No |
| Budget | Under $300 | Under $300 | Often over $300 |
| Buy | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
How we pick
We chose these from the Breville and De'Longhi product pages, on specs and features, so we don't rank the shots. It's a short list of machines worth owning under $300, not a best-of list.
Grinder & extras
The $300 limit is the machine only. You'll also want a burr grinder (or pre-ground coffee to start), fresh beans, and a small scale. We don't pick those yet.
Get the most from it
- Fresh grind is the biggest upgrade. Beans ground right before you brew do more for your shot than any spec on the box.
- Budget for a grinder. None of our picks comes with one, and our $300 limit covers the machine only.
- Read "15 bar" as a pump rating. It tells you how strong the pump is, not the pressure your coffee actually brews at, so don't choose on that number alone.