This is our review of the best commercial espresso machines. Check out our recommendations.

I once had an idea to open up a café, which I realized was difficult because I couldn’t find a good machine. To help bring your idea to life, I’ve covered a bunch of commercial espresso machines.

I chose the La Marzocco Linea 2 as the best option due to its eco-friendly settings that’ll cut costs in addition to its direct plumbing connection. Making it an ideal solution for large and small coffee shops.

La Marzocco Linea 2: Best Overall

• Price: $$
• Type: Semi-automatic
• Dimensions: 21 × 28 × 23 in (D, W, H)
• Warranty: 1-2 years
• Boiler Type: Dual boilers
• Milk Frother: Yes
• Water capacity: Direct water connection
• Material: Stainless steel

Check Current Price

However, it comes with many cons, like frequent maintenance. Explore our other recommendations. You may appreciate them more.

Let’s begin.

Top 7 Espresso Machines for Offices & Small Coffee Shops

1. La Marzocco Linea 2 Group: Best Overall
2. La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II: Best for Budget 
3. La Marzocco GS/3 1: Best Italian Machine
4. JURA GIGA X8: Best Self-service Machine
5. Gaggia Cadorna Prestige: Best Machine for Office
6. Rocket Espresso Appartamento: Best Professional Machine for Home
7. Bezzera Magica PID: Best Machine UK

What are Commercial Espresso Machines?

A commercial espresso machine is a high-capacity coffee maker designed for use in businesses like cafés, restaurants, and coffee shops.

They can quickly produce many espresso shots, often simultaneously, using multiple group heads. It also features robust build quality and advanced temperature controls for consistent results.

In contrast:

A home espresso machine is smaller and simpler. Designed for personal use. It usually has a single group head and lacks the advanced features of commercial models.

The main difference between the 2 lies in their intended use. Commercial machines do best in high-volume, professional settings. Home machines work for casual, personal use.

7 Best Commercial Espresso Makers 

The following sections will expand upon the above recommendations. We’ll explore each machine’s specs, pros and cons, who they’re best for, and whether they’re a worthy commercial machine.

Here’s some information to potentially clear confusion:

• Dimensions:
  • D: depth
  • W: width
  • H: height

Later in this guide, I’ll provide a buyer’s guide. Use that criteria to help you determine what machine will best fit your needs.

1. La Marzocco Linea 2 Group: Best Overall Commercial Espresso Machine

Price	$$$
Dimensions	21 × 28 × 23 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	15
Machine Type	Semi-automatic
Boiler Type	Dual boilers
Warranty	1–2 years
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity	Direct water connection
Material	Stainless steel

The La Marzocco Linea 2 Group espresso machine is an excellent choice for specialty coffee shops aiming for high-volume service. Without compromising on the quality of their beverages.

If you need to handle more volume, upgrade to a 3 group (3 group heads) counterpart.

It’s a semi-automatic machine, which will brew slower than super-automatic machines. That’s because it requires manual input in almost every step. Except for applying pressure and boiling water.

It’ll boil water with dual boilers. The quickest of boiler types, and allows for simultaneous brewing and milk frothing. It’s exceptional for low-traffic coffee shops since you can brew drinks tailored to your café’s taste, but won’t wait too long.

These enhance barista productivity, maintain consistency in espresso shots, and reduce energy consumption, offering a high return on investment.

It uses a digital display and auto-volumetric feature to streamline baristas’ workflow and ensure consistent shot quality. They’ll need to learn to master the machine first, though. Since it’s a semi-automatic machine, it’ll have a steep learning curve.

If your water quality isn’t the best, that could negatively impact the group head’s rotor disks due to mineral buildup. Causing it not to perform optimally and creating weird-tasting drinks. That means this machine may require frequent group head maintenance.

La Marzocco’s ECO mode will also help lower electricity costs, which will save you money. I’ll provide examples of how much eco-friendly machines can save later.

Let’s move on to something that doesn’t require as big of a budget.

2. La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II: Best Budget Commercial Espresso Machine

Price	$
Dimensions	16.26 × 62 × 15.25 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	9 bars
Machine Type	Semi-automatic
Boiler Type	Dual boiler
Warranty	1 year
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	101 fl oz = 101 solo shots
Material	Stainless steel & plastic

The La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II is an excellent choice for coffee enthusiasts seeking a machine that offers consistent performance and ease of use. Making it ideal for both home and office settings, along with small coffee shops.

It’s a semi-automatic machine, so you only automate water boiling and applying pressure. However, the required manual input allows you total control over your drink’s flavor. Great for small coffee shops.

The dual boilers speed up your drink output by allowing simultaneous frothing and brewing. And it’ll increase the speed at which your machine warms up.

As the best budget commercial espresso machine, the Mini Vivaldi II stands out due to its robust steaming capabilities, large water tank, and built-in filter, providing convenience and efficiency that rivals more expensive models.

Its solid build quality and feature-rich design make it a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to serve excellent coffee without breaking the bank.

It has 9 bars of pressure, optimal for balancing sour versus bitter. But not ideal for serving bitter drinks. For more bitter-tasting drinks, you’ll want up to 15 bars. While that sounds weird, some people love bitter coffee (me).

While it provides consistent results, it lacks pre-infusion. A feature that gently wets beans before use and can help with flavor extraction. However, you could increase your investment and get a pre-infusion add-on. I recommend doing so.

It has a large cupholder, which could accommodate cups that customers bring in. Then, it includes a built-in filter, which reduces mineral buildup that could damage your machine.

However, it uses a lot of plastic in its housing. Not a great sign of a long-lasting machine. Since plastic can’t withstand wear and tear well.

You might find this next machine more durable.

3. La Marzocco GS/3 1: Best Italian Commercial Espresso Machine

Price	$$
Dimensions	21 × 16 × 14 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	9 bars
Machine Type	Semi-automatic
Boiler Type	Dual boiler
Warranty	1 year
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	Direct connection
Material	Stainless steel

The La Marzocco GS/3 is ideal for coffee enthusiasts and small businesses seeking a high-quality, professional-grade espresso machine. That delivers exceptional performance in a compact design.

The semi-automatic nature of this machine requires manual input at almost every espresso-making step. Except with applying pressure and managing temperature. This provides absolute control and drink consistency.

Dual boilers increase the GS/3’s efficiency by allowing you to make drinks and steam milk simultaneously. Great for making drinks quicker.

Its reputation as the best Italian commercial espresso machine stems from its superior temperature stability, precise pressure control, and ability to produce consistently excellent espresso shots, making it a benchmark in the industry.

Pre-infusion further adds value since it’ll increase each drink’s flavor. How? It’ll slowly apply pressure to help with bean extraction. However, it doesn’t exceed 15 bars max, which isn’t ideal for creating bitter-tasting drinks.

Considering it’s a feature-filled machine, it doesn’t take up too much space. It won’t fit on tiny countertops, but it’s smaller than many machines in its caliber. Great for smaller work areas.

But it’s not excellent for beginners. It’ll require some learning to master timing your shots and understanding the machine’s buttons and maters.

Do you need something where people could make coffee themselves? Here’s an option.

4. JURA GIGA X8: Best Self-service Commercial Espresso Machine

Price	$$$
Dimensions	19.6 × 14.6 × 22.2 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	15 bars
Machine Type	Super-automatic
Boiler Type	2 thermoblocks
Warranty	1 year
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	169 fl oz = 160 solo shots
Material	Stainless steel

The JURA GIGA X8 is an ideal choice for businesses or large offices that require a machine capable of producing a wide variety of coffee drinks. It’s for self-service environments due to its dual boiler system, two coffee bean hoppers for faster brewing

It’s super-automatic, which means it’ll do all the brewing for you. No need to wait for team members or coworkers to time their shots and tamp the coffee grounds.

A single thermoblock heats quicker than a regular boiler. 2 thermoblocks heat quicker than dual boilers while allowing you to froth milk and brew drinks at the same time. All while reducing electricity consumption.

As for the cost, the JURA GIGA X8 is a significant investment. However, its advanced features and durable construction ensure long-term use, providing long-term value.

The GIGA X8 serves as an excellent office addition due to its dual hoppers, which allow you to have a couple of different bean blends. Great for giving folks more coffee variety.

Speaking of, here are all the drinks you can select from its touchscreen UI:

Despite the drink choice, it doesn’t offer the most freedom with cup size. Because the milk frother isn’t adjustable, it’s not advised to promote using larger cups with the GIGA X8.

And it’ll require a lot of space. Ensure you have a serving station dedicated to this massive beast.

Here’s a great machine for offices.

5. Gaggia Cadorna Prestige: Best Commercial Espresso Machine for Offices

Price	$
Dimensions	17.3 × 10.2 × 15 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	15
Machine Type	Super-automatic
Boiler Type	Thermoblock
Warranty	2 years
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	50.7 fl oz = 50 solo shots
Material	Plastic

The Gaggia Cadorna Prestige is an excellent choice for coffee enthusiasts who crave a variety of specialty beverages and appreciate the convenience of fully automatic brewing.

With 14 pre-programmed coffee drinks and 4 user profiles for customization, it’s a versatile machine that caters to diverse taste preferences. Moreover, thanks to its large water reservoir and bean hopper, it can handle high-volume usage without frequent refills.

A crucial factor in a busy office environment.

Being a fully-automatic machine, it’ll fully automate espresso making. It only requires you to place beans in the grinder, tamp your coffee grounds, press what drink you want, and wait.

Since it uses a single thermoblock, you can’t froth milk and brew simultaneously. Not ideal for large amounts of people wanting to make drinks quickly. But versus single boilers, thermoblocks heat quicker.

It’s a big investment—but. The convenience of having a variety of coffee-shop-grade beverages at your fingertips, coupled with the savings from not having to buy these drinks from a café, can offset the cost over time.

Be careful, though. It’s made of Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, making it more susceptible to wear and tear. But the touchscreen UI makes it easy for team members to use.

They could pick from one of these pre-programmed drinks:

Or managers could set 4 user profiles based on popular drinks in the office. These will tailor specific temperature, pressure, and grind settings to whatever profile you chose.

What’s a bypass dosser? It allows you to quickly switch coffee beans, which is something this machine can’t do. And would be great, since it could allow you to switch flavors without having to remove every last bean.

This next pick works better for those working from home.

6. Rocket Espresso Appartamento: Best Professional Espresso Machine for Home

Price	$
Type	Semi-automatic
Dimensions	17 × 10 × 14 in (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	13–14 bars
Boiler Type	Single
Warranty	3 years
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	101 fl oz = 101 solo shots

The Rocket Espresso Appartamento’s commercial-grade components and intricate shot pulling make it the best professional machine for home use. Especially for those seeking to recreate a café experience.

Beginners may not like this machine so much since it’s semi-automatic. It’ll require manual input in every area except for boiling water and applying pressure. Making it a better choice for intermediate baristas.

That prefer brewing at home. Because the single boiler takes a long time to heat and prevents you from frothing milk and brewing drinks at the same time. A horrible “feature” for buildings with a decent amount of traffic.

Considering its high-quality build, longevity, low maintenance, and the ability to produce café-quality brews, it is worth the price. If properly maintained, this machine can last for more than 15 years. Making it a long-term investment for coffee lovers.

However, it requires a fair amount of maintenance since you can’t connect it directly to your plumbing. Then the drip tray will fill quickly, which will require frequent emptying.

Another perk that makes this machine prosumer(ish) is the E61 group head. This lasts longer than other group head types and manages temperatures better. Ideal for making a better-tasting drink.

On to our last machine.

7. Bezzera Magica PID: Best Commercial Espresso Machine UK

Price	£
Dimensions	29 × 42.4 × 41 cm (D, W, H)
Bars of Pressure	10–12
Machine Type	Semi-automatic
Boiler Type	Single
Warranty	2 years
Milk Frother	Yes
Water Capacity / Enough for	4 l = 135 solo shots
Material	Stainless steel

The Bezzera Magica is perfect for small cafés, which the UK has plenty of. And the Philippines, if you’re there and looking for a commercial machine.

It combines time-saving features like joystick-style levers for easy, consistent brewing. And dual boilers for simultaneous brewing and milk steaming. 

It’s a semi-automatic machine, which means you’ll work slower since you must perform manual input on almost every step of espresso making. Except for boiling the water and applying the pressure to the group head.

And you’ll find the espresso-making process slower due to including a single boiler. It’s slower than thermoblock and dual boilers. It also can’t froth milk and brew coffee simultaneously. Don’t use this machine for a high-traffic café.

Regardless, the boiler uses a heat exchanger, which DOES allow it to froth and brew at the same time. Making it acceptable to use in small coffee shops.

The initial cost might seem high, but considering the machine’s durability and performance, it can pay for itself in the long run by minimizing maintenance costs and maximizing productivity in a café setting.

This machine isn’t ideal for bitter drink lovers since it doesn’t go up to 15 bars. However, it’ll use 9 bars, excellent for balancing sour and bitter drinks [1].

Bezzera doesn’t have the largest water reservoir, so baristas must frequently refill the machine. Not ideal if your shop’s hit with an influx of impatient people.

Learn whether you’re buying the right machine.

How to Choose the Best Commercial Espresso Machine (Buying Guide)

Here’s criteria to consider when shopping for a professional espresso machine:

The following sections will cover critical factors to consider when searching for a commercial or professional espresso machine. I’ll talk about how commercial machines accommodate each factor and why it’s beneficial.

1. Group Heads

The group head’s purpose is to evenly distribute hot water through the coffee grounds, allowing for optimal extraction. It holds the portafilter in place and provides the necessary pressure for brewing espresso.

It determines the coffee’s extraction quality. 

Here are main types:

• E61 group heads: Maintain a consistent temperature, crucial for a balanced espresso.
  • They work best in medium-volume cafés, where they can handle moderate demand without overheating.
• Saturated group heads: Directly connect to the boiler, offering superior temperature stability and quicker recovery times.
  • They excel in high-volume settings, ensuring consistent, high-quality espresso even under heavy use.

The lifespan of a group head depends on factors like usage, cleaning practices, and the quality of the water used. Regularly descaling and using filtered water can prolong its life.

Consider your commercial espresso machine based on the type of group head used. Refer to the list above and see which heads will satisfy the checklist for your ideal machine.

2. Boiler Type

The water boiler is key to commercial espresso machines. It heats water for espresso extraction and steam for milk frothing. You’ll find 3 main types: single, heat exchange, and double boiler.

Single boiler machines heat water for both espresso and steam. They’re simple and affordable but require time to switch between brewing and steaming.

Heat exchange machines feature one boiler for steaming and a heat exchanger for brewing. This design lets you brew and steam simultaneously. It’s ideal for medium-volume cafés.

Double boiler machines contain separate boilers for brewing and steaming. They offer precise temperature control, allowing simultaneous brewing and steaming. They suit high-volume settings and offer the best quality shots.

Choose based on your needs:

• Single boilers: Suit small cafés or home use.
• Heat exchange: Offers efficiency for medium volume.
• Double boilers: Provide the best performance for high demand situations.

You’ll sometimes find thermoblock heats. These heat faster than single boilers and can save you a bit of money. But they don’t heat as well as double boilers.

3. Grinder Compatibility

The right grinder ensures that coffee grounds are the ideal size for your machine, maximizing flavor extraction. If you use an incompatible grinder, you might get grounds that are too coarse or fine, leading to weak or bitter espresso.

For instance:

The La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine pairs well with the Mazzer Mini Electronic Type A grinder. They’re compatible because the Mazzer grinder can consistently produce the fine, uniform grounds that the Linea Mini needs for optimal espresso extraction.

The grinder’s electronic dosing allows for precise amounts of coffee, further enhancing the Linea Mini’s performance. 

4. Machine Size & Capacity

Larger machines can brew more espresso shots simultaneously, meeting high demand quickly. Commercial machines typically stand around 20 inches tall, 30 inches wide, and possess water reservoirs holding 2–3 liters.

Some models even connect directly to plumbing, eliminating manual refilling. By adding water filters to these plumbed machines, you can also prevent scale build-up, saving time on maintenance.

5. Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for commercial espresso machines because it reduces electricity consumption, leading to lower operational costs and a smaller carbon footprint.

Choosing a less efficient machine can lead to higher electricity costs due to greater power consumption.

A non-energy-efficient espresso machine, such as the Profitec Pro 700, used 550 watt-hours of energy in 2 hours. Equating to 6.6 cents for the 2 hours at an energy rate of 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.

When left idle for 24 hours, it consumed 2.88-kilowatt hours, costing 1.44 cents per hour​ [2].

Energy-efficient commercial espresso machines, such as those qualified by ENERGY STAR, have an energy saving mode that uses less power when not in active use. Cutting down on idle power consumption and cost​.

An espresso machine with lower wattage, like the Bella Pro Series Espresso Machine, uses 750 watts, less than half of the average wattage of 1,402 watts for an average espresso machine.

Depending on the specific model and energy rates, the running cost of such a machine could be as low as 10 cents per hour. Compare that to an average of 20 cents per hour for regular espresso machines​ [3].

When buying any machine, ensure your building’s electrical wiring can handle the machine’s voltage. I recommend hiring an electrician to help you with this spot.

6. After-Sales Support & Warranty

After-sales support and warranty protect your investment, ensuring that if something goes wrong, the manufacturer will rectify the issue. Furthermore, good after-sales service can provide maintenance advice, prolonging the machine’s lifespan.

Commercial espresso machine warranties vary, often ranging from 1 to 3 years. They typically cover parts and labor for repairs due to manufacturing defects.

Here’s an example of a warranty:

La Marzocco, a reputable manufacturer, offers a 13-month parts and labor warranty for new commercial machines. This warranty covers defects in material or workmanship.

Yet excludes the following:

1. Normal-wear parts like gaskets and filters.
2. Problems due to poor water quality or misuse.
3. Damages outside the machine’s intended operation parameters.
4. Shipping costs for returns, exchanges, or services.
5. Expedited shipping for parts for self-repair.

Read through the manufacturer’s warranty policy before buying. Plan ahead for when something goes wrong with your machine.

3 Types of Commercial Espresso Machines Compared

Here are all the different types of espresso machines available:

The following sections will cover important information regarding the various types of commercial espresso machines available. We’ll explore their pricing, what they automate, and advantages.

1. Super-automatic / Fully-automatic Machines

• Average price: $2,000–$30,000 (varies by model).
• Automation: Grinding, brewing, water flow, & pressure.
• Advantages: Top-notch convenience, consistency, & variety.

Super-automatic machines automate every step of espresso making. It’s ideal for businesses or waiting rooms with high foot traffic and need drinks made quickly. These machines are also suitable for these circumstances due to producing consistent-tasting drinks.

You’re not trying to brew drinks specific to a café with this espresso machine. You need drinks made quickly to accommodate team members while they’re on lunch or need a quick caffeine fix.

2. Semi-automatic Machines

• Average price: $2,000–$50,000 (varies by model).
• Automation: Pressure & water flow.
• Advantages: Control, consistency, & user-friendliness.

Semi-automatic espresso machines will give you control of espresso making in every step except for with boiling water and applying pressure. Fantastic for having consistency in the automated areas, and drinks tailored to preferences in the manual spots.

These machines are great for all types of businesses due to their ability to brew drinks unique from competitors. Unlike with fully-automatic machines, which all have similar-tasting drinks.

3. Automatic Machines

• Average price: $2,000–$5,000 (varies by model).
• Automation: Pressure, water flow, & shot timing.
• Advantages: Consistency, time-saving, & ease of use.

Automatic espresso machines will automate a bit more than semi-automatic machines, but are often more difficult to find as commercial/professional variations.

FAQs for Commercial Espresso Machines

Keep reading to find commonly asked questions about commercial espresso machines.

Our Verdict

Here are our top 3 picks for commercial machines:

• La Marzocco Linea 2: Lowers electricity costs while delivering great drinks.
• La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II: Doesn’t cost much & provides consistent results.
• La Marzocco GS/3 1: Includes pre-infusion, which is great for flavor extraction.

Overall, the La Marzocco Linea 2 won due to its direct water line connection and higher-quality parts.

Many of the machines used plastic, which I didn’t like. Since they tend to not last as long as steel.

If you’re brewing at home, you may want a high-end machine instead of a commercial one. Check out our recommendations.

La Marzocco Linea 2: Best Overall

• Price: $$
• Type: Semi-automatic
• Dimensions: 21 × 28 × 23 in (D, W, H)
• Warranty: 1-2 years
• Boiler Type: Dual boilers
• Milk Frother: Yes
• Water capacity: Direct water connection
• Material: Stainless steel

Check Current Price