Budget Espresso Machines: What This Price Class Can and Cannot Do

This is the bottom of the real espresso machine market, and it's crowded. The listings look nearly identical: steel body, steam wand, and a large bar number. We can't test them and we won't pretend we did, so this page does something else. It sorts out what the class can do from what the listings claim, using the two maker documents we could read.

These machines carry our “Seller data only” label, so they are options and not picks, even where we read a maker document on the side. How we compare explains that label. For a wider look at spending less, including cheaper grinders, go to our budget overview.

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CASABREWS

CASABREWS CM5418

A compact budget machine with a steam wand.

Seller data only: We only have the Amazon listing for this product. We list it as an option, not as a recommendation.

Why here: We read its maker's manual, which tells you the portafilter size, the basket doses and the wait after steaming.

Best for: A first try at espresso on a tight budget

• +Compact, with a steam wand, per listing title

• –We only have the listing, so no specs are stated here
• –Bar numbers in this class are pump ratings, not brew pressure

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Built-in grinder

No

Milk

Steam wand, per listing

Price class

Budget

What this class can do

• Pull a shot with a pump. Check the listing says “pump”. Sellers advertise 15 or 20 bar on nearly all of them, which at least points to a pump machine.
• Steam milk. The machines here all list a wand or frother. On the CM5418 Basic, you release steam for 10 seconds first and use about 4 oz of cold milk.
• Forgive pre-ground coffee. CASABREWS says dual wall filters regulate the pressure and help the extraction regardless of the grind, dose or freshness. Breville says the same of its dual wall baskets.
• Stop by itself. The CM5418 Basic has 1 and 2 cup buttons, and each one can be reprogrammed.

What it can't do, or what we can't confirm

• Give you an honest bar number. The 15 or 20 bar on the box is what the pump can reach. Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar. Italy's standard gives 9 bar give or take 1, so the number on the box doesn't separate these machines.
• Take a full 18 g recipe. The CM5418 Basic's two cup basket is designed for about 13 to 15 g. Breville's 18 to 22 g starting point won't fit, so keep the ratio and shrink the dose.
• Brew straight after steaming. On the CM5418 Basic, the boiler can run too hot right after milk. You run hot water from the wand for 8 seconds, then brew.
• Let you tune with single wall baskets out of the box. The CM5418 Basic manual lists two dual wall filters. Breville says single wall baskets are the ones that let you experiment with grind, dose and tamp.
• Show you a data sheet. For most machines here we have only the title. Most of this class is described as thermoblock, a flow heater that warms water as it passes, but we have not confirmed that per model, and De'Longhi lists a stainless steel boiler for the Stilosa. So check the heating type on the machine you pick. Our thermoblock page explains the design.

A pump, a wand, and a label that promises more. Read past the number.

Which option for whom

Your order

• If you want the portafilter size and basket doses in writing → CASABREWS CM5418 · Seller data only

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• If you want the smallest budget that still buys a pump machine → CASABREWS 3700 · Seller data only

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• If a brand you already know matters most → De'Longhi Stilosa

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• If you want digital controls → Chefman CraftBrew · Seller data only

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• If you already know you want to weigh and adjust every shot

  See the mid-range class

The machines side by side

Comparison: CASABREWS CM5418, CASABREWS 3700, De'Longhi Stilosa, Chefman CraftBrew, Gevi 20 bar compact

Comparison	Seller data onlyCASABREWS CM5418	Seller data onlyCASABREWS 3700	Budget first tryDe'Longhi Stilosa	Seller data onlyChefman CraftBrew	Seller data onlyGevi 20 bar compact
Type	–	–	Pump machine	–	–
Heating	–	–	Stainless steel boiler	–	–
Pump, as stated	–	–	15 bar	15 bar, per listing	20 bar, per listing
Built-in grinder	No	No	No	No	No
Milk	Steam wand, per listing	Steam wand, per listing	Manual frother	Steam wand, per listing	–
Price class	Budget	Budget	Budget	Budget	Budget
Best for	A first try at espresso on a tight budget	The smallest budget that still buys a pump machine	Budget first machines from a brand you already know	Budget buyers who want digital controls, after checking the manual	Budget buyers comparing listings, after checking the manual
	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

Empty rows are empty because the listing doesn't say. We don't fill those gaps with guesses.

The machines one by one

CASABREWS CM5418: the manual we could read

The CASABREWS CM5418^* is listed as a compact machine with a steam wand. We read CASABREWS' manual for the CM5418 Basic, so check that it matches the listing you buy, because several models share the number. It gives a 51 mm portafilter and two dual wall filters, for about 7 to 9 g and 13 to 15 g. The accessories list a coffee spoon, with no separate tamper, so plan to add one in 51 mm if you want a level press.

It suits a first try at espresso and at milk drinks. Its limits are the small baskets and the pause after steaming. It also fits a tight counter: our compact comparison has the size.

CASABREWS 3700: the lowest step

The CASABREWS 3700^* is listed in stainless steel with a steam wand. It's the lowest step in our list that still buys a pump machine. We have no manual for it, and the CM5418's values shouldn't be assumed to carry over. Check the portafilter size in the 3700's own manual before you buy tools.

De'Longhi Stilosa: the known brand

The De'Longhi Stilosa^* is compact, with a manual milk frother, per the listing. The title says “manual”, which is misleading: it is a pump machine. De'Longhi's page lists a 15 bar pump, a stainless steel boiler, a 33.81 oz tank, a spoon and tamper, and a maximum cup height of 4.29 in. It gives no portafilter size, so measure the basket before you buy tools. If you want a name you already know, start here.

Chefman CraftBrew: digital controls

The Chefman CraftBrew^* is listed with a 15 bar pump, digital controls and a steam wand. We could not read Chefman's own page, so we state nothing beyond the title. Read the manual for the portafilter size and the heating type.

Gevi and atatix: the crowded end

The Gevi 20 Bar Compact^* and the atatix 20 Bar^* are two of many similar listings. We can't tell you how they differ from the others, and the listing titles don't either. Ask the seller for the manual before you buy. If you can't get one, that tells you something too.

Your first recipe on a small basket

The 1:2 ratio still works on a smaller basket. It's a good first recipe, not a standard. Start from what your basket is made for, and read the yield here:

So 14 g in means 28 g out. Breville's 25 to 30 seconds comes from a guide built around freshly ground coffee. A dual wall basket regulates the pressure for you, so treat the time as a rough guide and let the taste decide. How to make espresso walks through the whole routine.

Where your next dollar goes

Not to a machine with a higher bar number. Buy a scale first, then a grinder. Breville's guide starts at about the texture of fine table salt, and that takes a burr grinder, whether electric or by hand. On a budget, look at the SHARDOR conical^* or the TIMEMORE C3S^*. Both are listing data only. Our grinder guide sets out the rest.

Read the grinder guide

A scale such as the Maestri House S2^*, listed with a timer and 0.1 g steps, sits in the same budget class. It tells you more about your shot than any number on the box.

Buying criteria

Common mistakes

• Choosing by bar number. It describes the pump and not the shot.
• Buying a steam machine by accident. Check for the word pump.
• Using an 18 g recipe in a 14 g basket. Weigh what the basket is made for.
• Skipping the wait after steaming. Follow your manual, and take care with the hot water and steam.
• Buying “dual boiler” because it's in a low-priced title. It may mean two heating units, and we have not checked that per model. Our dual boiler page explains how to read those titles.
• Spending everything on the machine. Keep money back for a scale and, later, a grinder.

Let four questions decide

Not sure this class is right for you? These questions end in one machine, with the reason next to it.

Our recommendation

If you want to try espresso for the lowest stake, start with the CASABREWS CM5418^* or the Stilosa, a scale, and pre-ground coffee in the dual wall basket. Expect to want more control if you stick with it. If you already know you will, skip this class and read our guide for beginners or the mid-range class, since a machine like the Bambino is documented by its maker. The start page sorts every option by what you drink.