Cheapest here with a grinder
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
- Tamping guide and mat
- Steams dairy and plant milk
Cheaper alternatives to the Sage Barista Express
Three cheaper espresso machines: a grinder, guided shots, or hands-free milk.
Updated 10 November 2026
Also makes filter coffee and cold brew
Ninja Luxe Café
- Recommends the grind
- Frothing done for you
Cheapest, with hands-free milk
Sage Bambino Plus
- Heats in seconds
- Quiet automatic frothing
The original
Sage Barista Express
Worth it if: You want full control of every step
- More grind settings than the De'Longhi
- A hot water outlet the Ninja lacks
Not worth it if: You want the machine to guide the grind
Top of the range, and worth it
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What are you actually paying extra for with the Barista Express?
What the extra money buys
- More grind settings than the De'Longhi
- A hot water outlet the Ninja lacks
- A long track record and parts everywhere
Worth it if
- You want full control of every step
- A sale closes most of the gap
Not worth it if
- You want the machine to guide the grind
- Your kitchen is short on space
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
TechRadar liked the dosing guide and tamping mat that keep grounds off the worktop, but found it heavy and not all parts go in the dishwasher. Its grinder has eight settings, fewer than the Sage. Les Numériques calls it the most affordable semi-automatic in De'Longhi's range.
Ninja Luxe Café
Ideal Home's tester loved being told the right grind for each new bag, though you still tamp by hand. It looked even bigger in the kitchen than in photos. TechRadar found the auto frother great with dairy and weaker with oat milk.
Sage Bambino Plus
TechRadar measured quiet frothing and a heat-up of about three seconds, with velvety milk that lasted the whole cup. Tom's Guide rates it the entry-level machine to beat, but its static wand and tiny drip tray need patience. Without a grinder, add one to the budget.
Final recommendation: The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155.MB is the closest like-for-like, grinder included, for less. Pick the Ninja Luxe Café ES601UK if you want guidance and filter coffee too, or the Sage Bambino Plus SES500 for milk drinks in a small space. The Sage SES875 still makes sense for full manual control.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Top of the range | Premium | Premium | Premium |
| Type | Manual espresso with grinder | Manual espresso with grinder | Manual espresso with grinder and scale | Manual espresso, no grinder |
| Milk | Steam wand | Steam wand | Automatic frother with whisk | Automatic steam wand |
| Drinks | – | – | Espresso, drip coffee, cold brew | Espresso, milk drinks |
| Grinder | 16 settings | – | Conical burr, 25 settings | None: needs a separate grinder |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water tank | 2 L | 1.7 L | – | 1.9 L |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Is the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte as good as the Sage Barista Express?
It does the same job with a built-in grinder and better tamping tools. The Sage has more grind settings, which helps when dialling in lighter roasts.
Does the Ninja Luxe Café ES601UK have a hot water spout?
No. TechRadar missed it for americanos and tea. You can still make long coffees with its filter setting.
Is the Sage Bambino Plus good for beginners?
Yes for milk drinks: it froths milk on its own. You'll need a grinder, and Tom's Guide found a basic one may not grind fine enough.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Sage Barista Express with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Sage: Sage the Barista Express, TechRadar: Sage the Barista Express espresso coffee maker review, Tom's Guide: Breville Barista Express review, Homes & Gardens: Breville Barista Express review: prepare for impressive espressos, De'Longhi: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte, Les Numériques: Test Specialista Arte : la plus accessible des cafetières semi-automatiques de Delonghi, TechRadar: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB review, Trusted Reviews: DeLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo Review, Tom's Guide: De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: The best-value bean-to-cup on the market, Ninja: Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine, TechRadar: Ninja Luxe Café review, Ideal Home: Ninja Luxe Café Premier ES601UK review, Sage: the Bambino Plus, TechRadar: Breville Bambino Plus review, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino Plus review.