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The Best Italian Coffee Maker Brands In 2024

If you are fascinated with making coffee the way Italians do, you’re not alone. 

Just like with Italian cuisine and Italian fashion, coffee from Italy is known around the world and adored by many.

The Italian experience starts with a dark, intense shot of espresso coffee with a layer of crema, that creamy top. Then, depending on the time of day and the desires of the coffee lover, frothed milk gets added.

If you want a truly Italian experience at home, you need to know the Italian brands and what they offer for both coffee aficionados and professionals. 

Then you’ll be able to choose the best Italian coffee maker for your kitchen and feel connected to decades of Italian culture, coffee, and history.

Italy Coffee Maker Brands

1. Bialetti

When it comes to value-driven Italian coffee maker brands, nothing comes close to Bialetti.

Back in the 1930s, Alfonso Bialetti invented the Moka Pot, a quick and convenient Italian coffee maker, in an effort to create the best Italian espresso at home.

Sometimes called a stovetop espresso maker, Bialetti coffee makers were originally made of aluminum, which was a nationally available metal. Now you can get a Bialetti Moka Express in aluminum or stainless steel.

Stovetop espresso makers like the Bialetti Moka Express are beloved because they’re inexpensive, they brew strong coffee fast, and you don’t even need electricity. 

The Bialetti Moka Express makes coffee on a regular stove, an induction stove, or even a campfire.

The ergonomic handle makes it easy to pick up and pour, and the patented safety valve keeps you safe. 

If you prefer the taste of drip coffee, you can brew coffee in a Moka Pot and add hot water. If you want to add milk to your drink, simply froth it separately and then add it to your beverage.

There are plenty of options in stovetop coffee machines, from the inexpensive yet classic design of the Moka Express to luxury designs. 

You can choose from a rainbow of colors. Bialetti even has a Moka Express with a cow pattern that adds a whimsical touch to your kitchen. 

Not to mention the fact you can make coffee in the classic square, masculine design of the Moka Express or the Venus Moka Pot with smooth, feminine curved edges.

Bialetti doesn’t just make stovetop espresso makers, though. From this Italian brand, you can also find a French Press, hand grinders, milk pitchers, and a manual Cappuccino frother for frothing milk. Of course, you can also buy coffee cups, espresso cups, and ground coffee too.

Budget-conscious people love Moka Pots, but also anyone who wants a well-made stovetop coffee maker that’s easy to use and will stand the test of time.

2. Rancilio 

Professional baristas know the name Rancilio well. You’ll see it written across espresso machines in cafes around the world. Roberto Rancilio established the company in Parabiago, Italy, in 1927.

While Rancilio focuses more on professional machines, they do have a line of espresso machines for home use. So if you’re looking for a professional quality Italian espresso machine for a home espresso set up, take a closer look at the Rancilio Silvia.

A top choice for experienced baristas, Rancilio machines produce some of the richest espresso and coffee shop quality drinks. These Italian espresso machines allow you to customize every aspect of the espresso-making process.

Durable commercial components make for a true coffee shop experience in your kitchen. The Rancilio Silvia has a standard portafilter and a single boiler set up. 

The steam wand is a high quality, professional-grade so you can create steamed or frothed milk for lattes, cappuccinos, or macchiatos. 

These sturdy, reliable, and completely manual machines let you have control over making espresso as few other machines allow you. But there is a learning curve. If you’re not used to pulling shots, you’re going to need to ride that curve to acquire the skills to use this machine.

The Rancilio Silvia is good for coffee lovers who are experienced at making espressos or those who are willing to put in the time to learn. 

The machine lets you control the length of your shot and the pump pressure. If you’re asking yourself what those things are, you might want to go for a simpler machine before tackling the world of professional-quality machines.

With a high price tag, Rancilio Silvia is not considered the ideal machine for a total beginner in the coffee world. If you’re a total beginner looking for something cheap, check out our guide to budget espresso makers.

3. Gaggia

In the 1930s, Achille Gaggia in Milan could see that times were changing. People were tired of the intensely bitter espressos they were drinking.

He researched extraction and ways to create a coffee maker that would produce a smoother coffee drink. In 1938 he filed for a patent for his Lampo mechanism. It used hot water pressure rather than steam to create that smooth shot and a unique layer of crema.

By 1948 he was creating his own line of Italian espresso machines. His unique lever machines created more pressure, a standard shot size, and that prized crema. 

We owe the phrase “pull a shot” to these innovative lever machines. The modern espresso machine was born.

The company started off making professional machines for restaurants and cafes, but in the 1950s they started to produce a coffee machine for home use. 

In 2009 the company was sold to a Dutch company, Royal Philips Electronics, and started to become a popular name in the coffee world.

Their manual machines for home use give you full control over your shot. You can also get a line of completely automatic espresso machines so that you can brew your coffee with a touch of a button.

If you are just starting out in the world of making espresso shots, you can find completely automatic machines that get you your shot with a minimum of fuss. They also have machines that would satisfy baristas.

Starting at over $250 and going up to almost $2,000, the machines are for coffee lovers who are willing to invest in their Italian coffee machines.

4. Delonghi

Delonghi was founded in 1902 in Treviso, Italy, where they still have their headquarters. They didn’t start out making coffee machines, but perfecting the shot is what they’re known for.

This well-known name in coffee makers didn’t start creating coffee machines until 1993. But nowadays they have affordable machines for home use that comfortably fit on any kitchen counter.

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More recently, they launched their first completely automatic coffee machine in 2003. The following year Delonghi partnered with Nespresso to create automatic capsule coffee machines too. That doesn’t mean that they are locked into the one-button wonders, though. 

Related Read: Nespresso Coffee Machines

Delonghi has an impressive range of models and a wide price range. If you’re interested in learning the art of pulling the perfect shot, Delonghi has easy-to-use coffee makers with an elegant design that you can personalize to get the drink you want. 

If you prefer a machine that does it all for you, check out their automatic machines. From bean to cup, the coffee machine grinds the beans and creates a creamy shot.

They make more than just sophisticated machines. They also have cappuccino and espresso cups, filter coffee machines, and a drip coffee maker.

Whether you’re a beginner at making espressos and want something completely automatic, or if you want to delve into a professional coffee machine, Delonghi has a model for you.

5. Alessi

A list of Italian coffee maker brands wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Alessi brand.

In 1921 Giovanni Alessi set up a foundry in Italy and started producing kitchenware. Their beautiful stovetop coffee makers aren’t just functional; they’re a fashion statement. 

Alessi is still family-owned and they still create durable, iconic coffee makers. From the beginning, they were design-oriented, and over the years, Alessi partnered with top designers to create their coffee pots.

In the beginning, they used the readily available aluminum to make their stovetop coffee maker, but they’ve used stainless steel since the 1950s.

With Alessi, you can find models and designs of coffee pots that are unlike any others on the market. 

The range consists of a square retro-design coffee maker, tower-shaped pots, or classic stovetop coffee machines. And you also pick up kettles, mugs, and espresso cups.

Alessi isn’t for the budget-conscious since even the simplest of designs can run a bit expensive. 

But if you’re a coffee lover who wants a piece from iconic Italian coffee maker brands in their kitchen, you’ll find the perfect coffee equipment or coffee accessory with Alessi.

Wrapping Up: Italian Coffee Makers

The Italian coffee maker brands I’ve listed offer you a range of coffee equipment. 

From a simple stovetop coffee maker like the Bialetti Moka Express all the way to professional-quality setups for your kitchen, you have many choices in setting up your coffee station at home.

If you want a simple, functional, budget-friendly coffee maker, take a look at the Bialetti Moka Express. If you want a design piece for your kitchen, the Alessi lines of coffee fashion give you a way to enjoy a delicious beverage while making a statement.

However, If you want your morning cappuccino to reflect the art of a barista, take a look at Rancilio Silvia, an investment that will help you produce coffee shop-quality drinks at home.

And lastly, If you would prefer a simple coffee setup, Delonghi has one-button machines that are easy to use. Delonghi also has full espresso machines to get you started as a home barista.