How Much Does a Commercial Espresso Machine Cost?

I spent hours researching how to open a coffee shop, which led me to sourcing business espresso machine prices. I posted my findings here.

I’ll first cover various machines under different price ranges. Afterward, I’ll explain each device’s pros and cons, who they’re best for, and a quick summary of its features.

Here is an overview:

Let’s dive in.

Key Takeaways

• Commercial espresso machines will cost between $1,000 and $13,000.
• Machines that cost more than $13,000 will typically have 3 or more group heads.
• Factors that contribute to machine price include features, materials used, and more.
• Commercial espresso machines require replacements every 6 to 15 years.

Overview – How Much a Commercial Espresso Machines Costs 

Under $1,000–$4,000

The following sections will go over the following examples of espresso machines between $100 and $4,000:

• Gaggia Cardona Prestige
• La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II

I’ll explain each device’s pros and cons, who they’re best for, and provide a brief summary of their features and other noteworthy features.

Read on to learn more.

1. Gaggia Cadorna Prestige

Pros:

• Wide variety of coffee drink types
• 14 pre-programmed beverages
• Intuitive user interface

Cons:

• Does not have a bypass doser for pre-ground coffee
• Uses a single boiler
• Housing is made of ABS plastic

This espresso maker works best for offices or for businesses (e.g., clinics) that want to offer their customers free coffee. This machine can probably serve, at most, 20 cups daily.

Boasting 14 preset coffee drinks and 4 customizable user profiles, this fully-automatic machine suits diverse preferences. Its ample water reservoir and bean hopper cater to high-volume usage, ideal for busy offices.

While it simplifies espresso-making, the thermoblock limits simultaneous frothing and brewing, affecting efficiency for larger groups.

2. La Spaziale S1 Mini Vivaldi II

Pros:

• Highly consistent
• Powerful steam function
• Good-sized water tank

Cons:

• Bulky & not ideal for small countertops
• No pre-infusion
• Uses a lot of plastic

The Mini Vivaldi II, a semi-automatic espresso machine, is ideal for small coffee shops due to its dual boilers that allow for quick drink output and warm-up time.

Despite being budget-friendly, it offers robust steaming capabilities, a large water tank, and a built-in filter. Making it a cost-effective choice for businesses. However, it lacks a pre-infusion feature, which could have improved your espresso’s taste.

Let’s move into a higher price range.

$4,000–$7,000

I’ll talk about these machine within the $4,000 and $7,000 price range:

• Bezzera OTTO-DE Automic

I’ll talk about each device’s advantages and disadvantages, who should get them, and provide additional information that could prove relevant to leading to a buying decision.

Here’s the first model.

1. Bezzera OTTO-DE Automtic

Pros

• Automatically froths milk
• Compact in size

Cons

• Uses a single boiler
• Lacks features like pre-infusion

The Bezzera OTTO-DE Automatic works best for coffee shops and cafés that need to serve 50–300 drinks daily.

The OTTO-DE Automatic is a fantastic machine for shops that don’t have much available counter space. And the automatic milk frother can help speed up the process of frothing milk. However, it uses a single boiler.

Unlike double boilers, single boilers can’t heat steam and water simultaneously, which doesn’t make it ideal for fast-paced environments. The lack of features like pre-infusion of a PID controller also are a bummer, since they’d make your drinks taste better.

$7,000–$10,000

I’ll cover the pros and cons, an explanation of who should get, and a summary of the following espresso machines:

• La Marzocco GS/3 1
• JURA GIGA X8

First, let’s talk about La Marzocco’s device.

1. La Marzocco GS/3 1

Pros:

• Offers pre-infusion
• Has a dual boiler system
• Compact & suitable for home use

Cons:

• Expensive
• Requires regular maintenance
• Complex interface

Despite its feature-rich design, it’s compact for its caliber, making it suitable for smaller workspaces, but may require some learning for beginners.

This semi-automatic machine offers control and consistency in espresso-making, with dual boilers for efficient simultaneous drink and milk steaming. Known as a top Italian commercial espresso machine, it provides superior temperature stability and precise pressure control.

2. JURA GIGA X8

• Wide variety of coffee drink types
• Uses 2 thermoblock boilers
• 2 coffee bean hoppers

Cons:

• Can’t adjust cup height
• Requires a lot of space

The JURA GIGA X8 is best suited for those seeking a machine that offers a variety of drink options, but has ample space for installation and does not require flexibility with cup size.

The JURA GIGA X8 features 2 thermoblocks for quick heating, simultaneous frothing and brewing, and reduced electricity consumption. Despite being a significant investment, its advanced features, durable construction, and variety of drink options offer long-term value.

However:

It has limitations with cup size due to a non-adjustable milk frother and requires ample space for installation.

Now we’re getting into the tens of thousands.

$10,000–$13,000

There’s one machine worth mentioning in this price range. I’ll cover its pros, cons, who it’s best for, and a summary on whether it’s worth getting.

Keep reading to learn what you can get for around $10,000.

1. La Marzocco Linea 2 Group

Pros:

• Dual boiler allows for maximum barista workflow
• Auto-volumetric features & digital display
• ECO mode helps in lowering electricity costs

Cons:

• High-learning curve
• Expensive
• Group head may require frequent maintenance

The La Marzocco Linea 2 Group works best for businesses serving 50–300 cups of coffee daily.

The 3 group semi-automatic machine, with dual boilers for quick water boiling and simultaneous brewing and milk frothing, is ideal for high-traffic coffee shops seeking tailored brews.

Despite a steep learning curve, its digital display and auto-volumetric feature enhance barista productivity and shot consistency.

Here are the priciest machines.

$13,000+

I’ll cover the following machines throughout the $13,000 and above price point:

• Rancilio Egro One Top Milk XP
• Dalla Corte Evo 2

We’ll look into each of their pros and cons, who they’re best for, and a summary for each model.

Here’s the Rancilio.

1. Rancilio Egro One Top Milk XP

Pros

• Includes a refrigerator for milk.
• x2 hoppers.

Cons

• Huge learning curve
• Heavy

The Rancilio Egro One Top Milk XP works best for restaurants, bars, bakeries, and buffets.

Setting everything up will require a lot of time and resources, which could prove counterproductive to your business. But once you learn it, the machine will do all the work. It includes a milk fridge to prevent you from having to manually deal with milk all the time.

And the 2 hoppers allow you to use more than 1 type of coffee bean. Hence, why this machine’s pricey.

2. Dalla Corte Evo 2

Pros

• Multi-boiler system
• Automatically froths milk

Cons

• Doesn’t have raised group heads.
• Heavy

The Dalla Corte Evolution 2 is the best machine for businesses serving 50–300 drinks a day that strive for quality.

The multi-boiler system allows for precise temperatures in each of the machine’s boilers and steam wands. Ensuring there’s no temperature fluctuations.

I’m glad I couldn’t find many cons in a machine with such a high price tag. I found a couple, though.

The un-raised group heads make it hard to add drinks to tall cups. And since it weighs more than 148 pounds, your team probably couldn’t move this machine without assistance.

That’s all for machine prices. Let’s see what factors contribute to these costs.

Factors That Contribute to Commercial Espresso Machine Costs

The following factors will likely impact your commercial espresso machine’s price:

I’ll provide more depth into each of these features and explain what businesses should spend more or less on a specific factor.

Actually, wait.

You’ll need to know more about factors to consider when shopping for a commercial espresso machine. This guide will cover some points, but not all. Check out an in-depth guide we wrote covering this topic.

Let’s dive in.

1. Machine Type

The type of espresso machine you get will impact its price and automation. Here are the different types of commercial machines you can choose from:

Super-automatic machines will sacrifice control and taste for automation. That makes it ideal for businesses where having great-tasting coffee isn’t a part of what makes them great.

For instance, if a restaurant serves a latte, a super-automatic machine allows them to make drinks quickly by pressing a button or 2.

Automatic machines will balance automation and control but won’t allow as much control as semi-automatic machines offer. These machines will enable you to control every aspect of espresso-making to give your customers the best-tasting drink possible.

Let’s talk about features.

Summary: Semi-automatic machines cost the least and the most—depending on other factors. Businesses where coffee isn’t their specialty should get super-automatic machines.

2. Extra Features

Some features will make your espresso or user experience better, but at a higher cost.

Here are examples of features that will increase your machine’s price:

Many machines with these features will cost more than machines that don’t.

Here’s another factor that’ll impact your machine’s price.

Summary: Features like PID controllers and pre-infusion will increase a machine’s price, but will improve your espresso’s quality.

3. Capacity & Size

Larger machines typically cost more and will meet higher demand. Making them ideal for coffee shops that serve many customers daily.

Smaller shops that don’t serve as many people can get a smaller machine instead, saving them money.

There’s not much else to cover in this area, let’s move onto the next aspect.

Summary: Businesses with more foot traffic will need to get a larger machine and must pay more.

4. Brand

Machines from some brands will cost more because they’ll put more effort into quality assurance, have higher wages, and better after-sales support.

By after-sales support, I refer to warranties. Many commercial espresso machines will have warranties lasting from 1 to 3 years. Such a warranty will usually cover defects in workmanship or material.

Companies with longer warranties typically have more confidence in their product being well-built. Meaning, you won’t need to replace your device as often, resulting in a higher cost.

Here’s another factor that could save you money in the long run.

5. Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient commercial espresso makers—such as those qualified by ENERGY STAR—tend to cost more upfront. But they’ll save money over time because of having features such as ECO mode.

This feature could cut down on idle power consumption.

However, these machines may have power requirements that your real estate isn’t meant to handle, requiring you to hire an electrician. This will add another cost.

Speaking of additional costs.

Summary: Opt for more expensive brands for higher-quality, longer-lasting machines and better after-sales support.

6. Number of Group Heads

The more group heads, the higher the machine cost. A higher number of group heads will increase the machine’s complexity and manufacturing costs, but will accommodate more guests per hour.

Use this chart for reference to determine how many group heads you’ll need:

* Don’t take these numbers too seriously. Because you’ll need to consider your shop’s peak hours. For instance, if you have over 200 guests during lunch or breakfast, you’ll need a 3-group machine instead of a 2-group.

A single group head would work best for bars, restaurants, and bakeries. 2–3 group heads work well for most coffee shops and should handle most rushes. And 4 group heads are for coffee shops in busy areas that have a lot of foot traffic.

A statistic from a coffee rental company suggested that over 70% of their outgoing rentals were 2-group units [1].

Consider renting a machine if you have no idea how much traffic you’ll estimate. From there, you can better gauge how many group heads you’ll need.

Let’s check out additional costs outside what I mentioned.

Summary: The more group heads you have, the more you’ll pay. And the more customers you can support.

Additional Costs for Commercial Espresso Machines

Here are additional costs you’ll need to consider when buying a commercial espresso machine:

• Installation: Professional setup and plumbing costs.
• Accessories: Purchase of portafilters, tampers, and frothing pitchers.
• Water Filtration: Required water treatment systems.
• Maintenance: Routine cleaning and replacement parts.
• Training: Barista training for optimal machine operation.
• Warranty Extensions: Optional for added protection.

On top of what’s in the list, you’ll need a coffee grinder, a high-quality tamper, cleaning supplies, portafilter upgrade (maybe), and possibly a better portafilter basket. All these could cost you $250–$2,000.

Opting for a higher-quality grinder—which I recommend—could land you in the thousands or tens of thousands. It depends on how high of quality you want your bean grind and how many folks you’ll serve.

Here’s another cost to consider.

How Often to Replace Your Commercial Espresso Machine

Commercial espresso machines generally require replacement every 6 to 15 years [2].

The frequency depends on usage, maintenance, and technology advancements. Regular maintenance can extend their lifespan. However, outdated models may benefit from earlier replacement.

Sometimes, you may need to replace a faulty part instead of the entire machine (e.g., pump).

None of the above matters if you rent or lease an espresso maker. Because you could swap it out for a newer machine whenever (when renting). Or you could upgrade after a certain amount of time (when leasing).

Check out a comparison of buying versus leasing and renting to see what option is best for your business.

Otherwise, that’s all for this guide.

Conclusion

You could end up spending less than $1,000 on a commercial espresso machine, so long as you’re not serving many customers. Otherwise, you’re likely going to spend more than $5,000. You’ll need to know your business’ needs before getting a machine.

Learn what else you’ll need for a coffee business by checking out our other commercial device guides.