Aromaster AREM26 vs Breville Bambino

Fresh grinding right before brewing matters more for taste than almost anything else. A built-in grinder saves buying a separate one.

Dual boilers and heat exchangers can brew and steam at the same time with stable temperature. Thermoblocks heat fast but drift more.

A PID controller holds brew water within about one degree. Unstable temperature is the most common cause of sour or bitter shots.

Wetting the coffee puck at low pressure before full pressure evens out extraction and forgives small tamping mistakes.

58 mm is the café standard with the widest choice of baskets and tampers. Smaller sizes work, but accessories are scarcer.

Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar. Higher numbers on the box are maximum pump ratings and do not make better coffee, so we do not score them.

A manual steam wand gives the best microfoam for latte art but takes practice. Automatic systems are easier but less flexible.

How long you wait from switching on until the first shot. Under a minute feels instant, over 15 minutes means planning ahead.

For Americanos and tea without a kettle.

Measure the space under your kitchen cabinets. Many machines need a few extra inches on top to refill the water tank or bean hopper.

Width times depth, the area the machine takes up on your counter.

Heavier machines stay put when you lock in the portafilter. Lighter ones are easier to move and store.

Higher wattage usually means faster heating, but it says nothing about coffee quality.