Sanremo is renowned as one of the leading espresso machine manufacturers in the world of third-wave specialty coffee. Their commercial espresso machines are designed to meet the demands of modern cafés, restaurants, and hospitality businesses, offering a range of models to suit different needs and budgets. But with such a diverse lineup, how can you decide which Sanremo machine is the right fit for your business?
To help, we recently visited the Sanremo Showroom in South Kensington, London, for an exclusive look at their latest range. We created the Buyer’s Guide video below to show off Sanremo’s top selling commercial espresso machines going into 2025, including their brand new D8 and D8 Pro models.
In this article, we’ll break down the key features, use cases, and pricing of Sanremo’s commercial espresso machines, with a special focus on their newest addition—the D8. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current setup or are investing in your first commercial espresso machine, we’re here to provide all the information you need. And if you’re still undecided, feel free to get in touch with our team for tailored advice.
What is Sanremo’s Best Espresso Machine?
1 . The Best Sanremo Espresso Machine: Sanremo Opera (RRP £17,500)
Designed for the specialty coffee market pros, the Opera is Sanremo’s flagship commercial espresso machine offering with innovation reflected in its brewing features, speed, reliability, design & build, and price tag.
Providing complete control over the machine for the user, the most experienced barista can have a field day with the brewing capabilities of the Opera, including the not yet fully understood practice of pressure profiling.
The Opera was designed to push the boundaries of the commercial espresso machine category and has the price to show for it. Are these innovations necessary to brew delicious coffee? Absolutely not. But for those hoping to experiment and push the industry forward, with the extra money to spend, the Opera is the most premium choice from Sanremo.
2 . Best for the Specialty Coffee Shop: Sanremo Café Racer (RRP £14,000)
Designed with the modern specialty café in mind, the Café Racer offers fantastic coffee brewing performance, reliability and features for the professional barista team. Designed to mimic the sleek design of a motorcycle, the Café Racer offers intuitive brewing and customisation options to suit any coffee shop.
While lacking in the advanced pressure profiling of the Opera, the Café Racer is ideal for high-volume coffee shops where consistently high-quality coffees are central to work. Being on the more premium end of pricing for Sanremo machines, you’re paying for a sleek design aesthetic and the functionality of a highly capable espresso machine.
3. The Best Capacity for the Price: Sanremo F18 Multi Boiler (RRP £11,200)
The Sanremo F18 is a multi-boiler commercial espresso machine inspired by Jet Fighters. It’s a mid-range option offering a great balance in performance, reliability and affordability for high-volume café settings.
With intuitive controls, temperature precision and customisable shot settings targeted towards supporting the skilled barista. User experience is optimised by user-friendly cool-touch steam wands and quarter-turn steam knobs. Build quality is solid and Sanremo offers a number of different colour options, with tall and standard height versions.
4 . Sanremo’s Best Single Boiler: Sanremo F18 SB (RRP £8,100)
The SB, or single-boiler, version of the F18 provides similar performance, reliability, design and build quality at a significantly lower price point. At roughly 70% the price of the F18, the SB version takes a small hit to speed and temperature consistency to significantly reduce the price.
But don’t assume worse performance, the F18SB is still incredibly capable of creating delicious coffee, which is why we’ve labelled it as Sanremo’s best value for money espresso machine.
Read more: The Sanremo F18 SB Reviewed, Quality Espresso on a Budget?
We have written a deep-dive comparison of the F18 and F18 SB. If you’re looking to compare these two machines in greater detail, read: Sanremo F18 vs F18 SB Espresso Machines Compared.
5. Best Value for Money – Sanremo D8 (RRP £4,950)
The D8 is Sanremo’s latest entry into the single boiler market, featuring a refreshed design and significant improvements in temperature stability and performance. The stainless steel boiler allows for higher temperatures, combined with an updated heat exchanger and elements behind each group head. This setup ensures impressive temperature stability for up to 200 to 300 cups per day.
The D8 offers adjustable temperatures between 91 and 98 degrees Celsius and electronically controlled steam pressures. Single turn steam arms and new non-stick steam wand tips enhance the barista’s workflow. Brew recipes can be programmed by volumetrics and copied across all group heads, with additional buttons for quick purges and manual brewing. The D8 is available in both two and three group options, and features like cool touch steam wands and workspace lighting can be added as optional extras.
The D8 Pro includes all the optional extras of the D8, plus a mixed hot water valve, improved energy-saving features, boiler insulation, and the ability to set each group head at different temperatures. This makes the D8 a fantastic option for low and medium volume cafes seeking an affordable and precise espresso machine with industry-leading performance on a single boiler setup.
6 . Sanremo’s Original Specialty Machine: Sanremo Zoe (RRP £4,500)
The ZOE is the entry point for many of our wholesale customers into the world of incredible, specialty coffee. At a comparatively low price point, the ZOE offers great performance and repeatability.
Offering the user less control over the coffee brewing parameters, the Sanremo ZOE removes any complication from making great coffee and is well suited to high volume cafes.
Though featuring slightly less premium build materials and a less satisfying user experience, the ZOE still creates great coffee making it the perfect budget friendly option in the Sanremo lineup.
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