Espresso Setup at Home: Making It Fit a Small Counter

A compact espresso machine with ThermoJet heating that Breville says is ready in 3 seconds, PID temperature control and a 15 bar pump. Its steam wand textures milk automatically, with adjustable temperature and texture. 54 mm portafilter; 64 fl oz water tank; 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in; 1560 W. In the box: a 54 mm tamper, the Razor dosing tool, a 16 fl oz milk jug, and single and dual wall filter baskets.

PID control is for temperature stability, and a heater that is ready in seconds means no long wait between the shot and the milk. Automatic milk texturing is the reason to pick the Plus: it removes the hardest skill in home espresso for anyone who mostly drinks lattes. At 7.4 inches wide it leaves room for a grinder and a landing spot.

Worth knowing: It is still espresso. You need a grinder that can grind for it, a scale, and patience through a run of sour or bitter shots while you dial in. It is 14.3 inches deep, which is more than it looks on a shallow counter, and accessories need to be 54 mm.

Skip it if: Skip it if you drink espresso straight and never steam milk, or if you want to learn milk texturing yourself. The Bambino does both for less counter width.

ThermoJet heating that Breville says is ready in 3 seconds, PID temperature control, a 15 bar pump and a 54 mm portafilter, with a manual steam wand. 47 fl oz water tank; 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 in; 1560 W. Includes single and dual wall filter baskets, a milk jug and a tamper.

It is the narrowest machine here at 6.1 inches, and on a small counter that inch and a bit over the Plus counts. The heating, temperature control and portafilter are the same as the Plus. If you drink straight espresso or americanos, the Plus's automatic milk system would sit unused.

Worth knowing: The steam wand is manual, so you learn to stretch and texture milk yourself, a second skill on top of pulling the shot. The tank is smaller, 47 fl oz against 64, so it needs refilling more often.

Skip it if: Skip it if lattes are the main drink and you want them consistent from the first week. The Plus textures the milk for you.

A burr grinder with 40 mm conical steel (M2) burrs on a quick-release burr mount, a 300 g (10.6 oz) bean hopper and a 120 g (4.2 oz) grounds bin. 70 W; 13 x 15 x 34 cm (W x D x H). A dosing cup is included.

This guide's buying order puts the grinder first, for the reasons below, and this is the grinder the setup is built around. At 13 cm wide it sits beside either Bambino without crowding it, and the dosing cup means grinding into a cup and tipping into the portafilter rather than scattering grounds across the counter.

Worth knowing: 34 cm tall, so check the clearance under your wall cabinets with the hopper lid lifted. It is a second appliance with its own cord and footprint, which on a small counter is the real trade-off of doing espresso properly.

Skip it if: Skip it if you are choosing the moka pot or AeroPress instead. A general-purpose burr grinder, like the one in the coffee bar guide, covers those.

A 6 lb scale that measures from 0.5 g in 0.1 g steps, in grams, ounces and pounds, with tare, a built-in timer, an auto shut-off that can be disabled while the timer runs, and a non-slip silicone mat. Four AAA batteries included.

Espresso is a ratio: a weight of dry coffee in, a weight of liquid out, in a time. Without a scale you are adjusting one unknown against another. Tenth-of-a-gram steps and a built-in timer cover both sides of that, and the shut-off can be switched off so it does not go dark mid-shot.

Worth knowing: It runs on batteries, and space between a compact machine's drip tray and spout is tight, so check the clearance before planning to brew with the cup on the scale.

Skip it if: Skip it if you already own a scale that reads to 0.1 g.