How the scores work
WhichCrema does not cup coffee and does not run durability tests. Every 0–100 score is a formula over published specifications. If a spec is missing, that factor is skipped and the score is marked partial or left blank. If a spec was not checked against a manufacturer page, the product page says unverified. The numbers below are the ones in the code.
What a score is not
- Not a taste score. A higher espresso number means more of the hardware associated with shot control, not a better-tasting coffee.
- Not a durability score. Build is a class proxy from boiler type, portafilter size, and a few published parts.
- Not a paid ranking. No brand or shop can buy a position. The footer says 0 paid placements because that is the rule.
- Release year is shown when known and is not part of any score. Most years in this catalog are unknown, so a “newer is better” boost would be a guess.
Espresso quality potential
Machines only. Starts from the machine type, then adds boiler, PID, gauge, and portafilter points. Capped at 100.
| Manual lever | 62 |
|---|---|
| Semi-automatic | 48 |
| Super-automatic | 40 |
| Pod | 18 |
| Dual boiler | +28 |
| Heat exchanger | +22 |
| Single boiler | +16 |
| Thermoblock / ThermoJet / thermocoil | +8 |
| No boiler | +0 |
| Manual preheat control | +8 |
| PID | +10 |
| Pressure gauge | +4 |
| 58 mm portafilter | +8 |
| 54 mm portafilter | +5 |
| 51 mm or smaller | +2 |
Flat burrs are not treated as better than conical burrs on grinders, and a thermoblock is not treated as a dual boiler. A super-automatic with an unnamed heater does not receive thermoblock points.
Milk drinks
| Automatic milk texturing | 90 |
|---|---|
| No milk system | 12 |
| Steam wand + dual boiler or heat exchanger | 84 |
| Steam wand + thermoblock | 70 |
| Steam wand + single boiler | 58 |
| Steam wand, boiler unknown | 64 |
Beginner friendly
Higher means fewer steps between unboxing and a drink. It is not a recommendation to skip learning espresso.
| Pod | 92 |
|---|---|
| Super-automatic | 86 |
| Semi-automatic | 50 |
| Manual lever | 24 |
| Automatic milk | +8 |
| Built-in grinder | +10 |
| PID on a semi-automatic | +6 |
| Warm-up of 30 seconds or less | +8 |
| Warm-up under 3 minutes | +4 |
| Single boiler without PID | -6 |
| Heat exchanger | -4 |
| Dual boiler | -2 |
| Pressure gauge | +3 |
| 58 mm portafilter | -2 |
| 51 mm or smaller portafilter | +6 |
Pod machines score very high here and are kept off the Best for beginners and Best value lists. A capsule machine wins “easy,” not “best espresso hardware per dollar,” and mixing them hides the machines people compare.
Build
A construction-class proxy. It does not predict how many years a machine lasts.
| Dual boiler | 82 |
|---|---|
| Heat exchanger | 76 |
| Single boiler | 68 |
| Thermoblock | 54 |
| Super-automatic | 58 |
| Pod | 40 |
| Manual lever, 58 mm | 70 |
| Other manual lever | 60 |
| 58 mm portafilter, if not already a manual 58 | +6 |
| 54 mm portafilter | +2 |
| Pressure gauge | +3 |
| PID | +3 |
| Brass or stainless boiler, when the material is published | +4 |
Grinders
Espresso grind potential starts at 55 for an espresso-focused grinder, 48 for an all-rounder, and 22 for filter-only. Burr size then adds 18 at 64 mm, 14 at 55 mm, 10 at 48 mm, 6 at 40 mm, and 2 below that. Stepless adjustment adds 12 on the espresso score. A published step count of 30 or more adds 6; fewer or unknown steps add 3. Single dose adds 6 as a workflow proxy. Retention grams are never invented.
The filter score uses 60 / 52 / 30 for filter, both, and espresso-only, the same size points, then 8 for stepped and 4 for stepless. Beginner friendly starts at 70 for stepped and 48 for stepless, then -12 for a hand grinder. Build starts from burr size (78 at 64 mm, 58 at 40 mm) and is not a lifespan test.
Value
Machine quality is 0.5 × espresso + 0.2 × milk + 0.15 × build + 0.15 × beginner. Grinder quality is 0.55 × espresso + 0.15 × filter + 0.15 × build + 0.15 × beginner. Divide by the lowest price on file. The best raw result in that category becomes 100, and the rest are scaled to it. If any ingredient score or the price is missing, Value is blank.
Sample prices make Value provisional. The product page says so. A verified manufacturer snapshot is preferred when it is the lowest price, and sample prices in this dataset are not allowed to undercut a verified price on the same product.
Prices
A price is either a sample, which means it was typed in so the pages render, or a verified snapshot with a source URL and a “price as of” time. The refresh job can replace an Amazon price only when the Creators API returns one for a real ASIN. PA-API 5 was deprecated in May 2026 and is not called. Keepa and Rainforest are not used for a price this site shows. Sample Amazon amounts are left blank. Price-drop emails send only for a verified live price below the price you saved.