Espresso Accessories for Your New Machine (and Gifts for New Espresso Owners)

A new espresso machine comes with more than most people expect. Before you buy accessories for yourself, or as a gift for someone who just got a machine, check what’s already in the box. Then match anything with a size (like a dosing ring) to the machine’s portafilter.

This is a spec-based guide built from the makers’ product pages. We haven’t used these accessories ourselves. Where a pick comes from Serious Eats, we say so and link to their article.

Check what’s already in the box

Per the “in the box” and accessories lists on Breville’s, CASABREWS’ and De’Longhi’s product pages, October 2026.

So a Barista Express owner doesn’t need another tamper, a dosing funnel or a trimming tool. A Bambino owner already has a tamper and a milk jug. The gaps are usually a scale, a puck knock box, and stirring or dosing tools.

1. A coffee scale with a timer

Breville lists an 18 g dose for the Bambino and the Barista Express Impress. A scale that reads in 0.1 g steps lets you check the dose in the basket and time the shot instead of guessing. A scale also works for pour-over.

Hario Polaris: Serious Eats’ best coffee scale

The Hario Polaris is Serious Eats’ pick for best coffee scale, and their review notes it’s slim enough to fit under an espresso portafilter. Per Hario, it has a ratio function (it shows the coffee-to-water ratio), a count-up timer to 9:59 and a 2,000 g capacity. It runs on 3 AA batteries and measures 127 × 165 × 28 mm.

Search Amazon for the Hario Polaris scale →

OXO Precision Scale with Timer: Serious Eats’ budget pick

It’s Serious Eats’ best budget coffee scale. Per OXO, the 6 lb Precision Scale with Timer reads in 0.1 g steps from 0.5 g, in grams, ounces or pounds. It has a built-in timer, which OXO says is optimized for pour-over, a non-slip silicone mat, and 4 AAA batteries included. Auto shut-off can be turned off while you use the timer.

Search Amazon for the OXO Precision Scale with Timer →

For a bigger budget: Serious Eats’ pick for best espresso scale with a timer is the Acaia Lunar.

2. A WDT tool

WDT stands for the Weiss Distribution Technique: you stir the grounds in the basket with very thin needles to break up clumps before you tamp. It’s a small gift, and even Serious Eats says it’s optional.

Normcore WDT Distribution Tool V3 with stand

Serious Eats’ coffee gift guide calls Normcore’s WDT tool “a great stocking stuffer for espresso drinkers” and adds that “it’s not a necessary tool”. Per Normcore, the V3 has 9 needles, ships with both 0.25 mm and 0.3 mm stainless steel needles so you can swap them, and comes with a stand.

Search Amazon for the Normcore WDT tool V3 →

3. A dosing ring (match the size)

A magnetic dosing ring sits on top of the basket so grounds don’t spill over the edge while you grind or stir. Normcore calls theirs a “dosing funnel”. The size has to match the portafilter:

• Breville Bambino, Bambino Plus, Barista Express and Barista Express Impress: 54 mm (Breville’s spec; Normcore’s size guide also lists 54 mm for Breville).
• CASABREWS CM5418: 51 mm (per CASABREWS).
• De’Longhi Stilosa: check the manual. The product page we read doesn’t list a portafilter size.

Before you buy one for a Barista Express: it already comes with Breville’s Dosing Funnel attachment. Normcore’s product page says its 54 mm funnel can’t be used while the portafilter sits in the built-in portafilter holder of machines such as the Barista Express, because the holder sits on top and blocks the funnel. It works with a separate grinder or when you dose separately. Normcore names only the Barista Express as an example, so for other machines with a built-in grinder, like the Barista Express Impress, check the fit before you buy.

Normcore Magnetic Dosing Funnel V2 (54 mm for Breville)

Serious Eats’ gift guide suggests Normcore’s magnetic dosing ring as another stocking stuffer to pair with the WDT tool. Per Normcore, the V2 comes in 54 mm (“for Breville / Sage”), 51 mm and 58 mm versions. It’s made of anodized aluminum with neodymium magnets.

Search Amazon for the Normcore 54 mm dosing funnel →

4. A knock box

Every shot leaves a used puck of grounds in the portafilter. A knock box gives you a padded bar to knock it out on and a bin to hold the pucks until you empty it.

Crema Coffee Products The Arc

Serious Eats’ gift guide calls The Arc “a longtime winner in our review of knockboxes”. Per Crema, it holds about 12 to 16 pucks, depending on portafilter size. It has a removable stainless steel cross bar lined with silicone, front and rear vents, and a non-slip rubber foot. Crema recommends hand-washing the body and cross bar.

Search Amazon for the Crema Coffee Products Arc knock box →

5. A milk frother for cold foam

Every machine in the table above has a steam wand, which makes hot milk. A wand doesn’t make cold foam for iced drinks, though. If the person you’re shopping for drinks iced lattes, a frother with a cold setting fills that gap.

Instant Pot MagicFroth 9-in-1: Serious Eats’ top frother pick

The MagicFroth is Serious Eats’ best milk frother. Per Instant, it has three temperatures (Cold, Warm, Hot) and three froth levels (Stir, Foam, Extra Foam), for up to nine combinations. It froths up to 8.5 oz or heats up to 17 oz. The pitcher, lid and whisk are dishwasher-safe.

Search Amazon for the Instant Pot MagicFroth 9-in-1 →

Breville Milk Café: Serious Eats’ splurge pick

It’s Serious Eats’ best splurge milk frother. Per Breville, the Milk Café heats by induction. You choose a latte or cappuccino frothing disc and select a temperature, and it turns itself off when it gets there. The jug is dishwasher-safe.

Search Amazon for the Breville Milk Café →

Quick gift matcher

These are our suggestions based on what’s in each box, not test results.

Don’t forget the grinder

The Bambino, Bambino Plus, CASABREWS CM5418 and Stilosa don’t grind beans. If they’re using pre-ground coffee, a burr grinder may be the bigger upgrade. See our grinder notes in the beginner guide. Shopping for the machine itself? Start with our beginner espresso machine guide or coffee gifts by budget.

FAQ

Do I need all of these? No. The machines above include the basics (see the table), and Serious Eats calls the WDT tool “not a necessary tool”. If you only add one thing, we’d start with a scale, because it works for espresso and pour-over alike.

What size dosing ring fits a Breville? 54 mm for the Bambino, Bambino Plus, Barista Express and Barista Express Impress, per Breville’s portafilter spec. Normcore’s size guide also lists 54 mm for Breville/Sage. On a Barista Express, Normcore says its funnel can’t be used with the portafilter in the built-in holder (details).

Why do the links open an Amazon search instead of a product? We haven’t yet confirmed the exact Amazon listing (model, size and color) for each accessory, so the links open a search for the model name. Check the model and size on the product page before you buy.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Specs per each manufacturer’s product page, checked October 2026; Serious Eats picks are theirs, linked above. Prices and availability change.