First home espresso setup under $300

Three picks

Illustrated. Not a product photo.

Start here

$249.95

Automatic steam wand: milk drinks with less skill, at the same price as the Bambino.

Not if: You want a manual wand and a 3-second heat-up instead. That is the Bambino, still under $300.

Checked 3 Oct 2026 (ET).

Also under $300

$249.95

Manual steam wand and a 3-second heat-up, at the same $249.95 as the Maestro Plus.

Not if: You want automatic milk and do not want to learn to steam. Take the Maestro Plus.

Amazon price $249.95 checked 2 Oct 2026 (ET). A Best Buy listing also showed $249.95.

Cheaper pick

$149.95

Cheaper, with a basic manual steam wand. You steam the milk yourself.

Not if: You want the automatic steam wand. That is the Maestro Plus.

Amazon price $149.95, checked 4 Oct 2026 (ET).

Buy the Maestro Plus. The $300 limit is the machine only. A burr grinder, beans, and a scale are extra.

Prices checked 3–4 Oct 2026 (ET). They can change.

The next machine up is about $549, which is over $300.

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026 (ET) for the Dedica and Bambino, and 4 Oct 2026 (ET) for the Stilosa.

	De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus EC950M	Breville Bambino BES450BSS	De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK
Price	$249.95	$249.95	$149.95
Milk system	Automatic steam wand	Manual steam wand	Basic manual steam wand
Footprint	8.15 in W × 13.62 in D × 12.9 in H	11.9 in W × 6.1 in D × 13.5 in H	8.07 in W × 13.5 in D × 11.22 in H
Grinder included	No	No	No

Beans and a scale are extra, and their prices are not listed here. The machine alone is not a complete setup.

Bambino vs Dedica Maestro Same $249.95. Manual wand, or automatic milk on the Maestro Plus. Compact machine Check width and depth before it goes on the counter. First espresso machine Start with the Maestro Plus. Add a grinder, beans, and a scale after. Machine for lattes Automatic wand on the Maestro Plus. Manual wand on the Bambino and the Stilosa.

We have not tasted these, and we are not ranking the shots.
Do not expect a cafe espresso.
No grinder in the box. A "15 bar" claim is not the pressure in the puck.
This is a first machine under $300, not a best-of list. The $300 limit is the machine only.