Where Espresso is Headed: 2026 and Beyond
The world of espresso is constantly in flux. Whether it's evolving for the better or spiraling into chaos depends entirely on who you ask, but there are a few trends we're keeping a keen eye on that might actually stick around. Some of them are already happening; others are just starting to bubble up, and a few are things we're personally rooting for—even if they make absolutely no sense to anyone else.
Soup Shots at the Café
If you've been following coffee discourse, you may have noticed that the dynamics have shifted more toward home consumer-based preferences. This topic alone is worthy of more pointed attention, so more on that another time. James Hoffmann shone a light on this in a video last year, and he's right: home baristas are driving trends now, not cafés. Importantly, this doesn't and shouldn't make cafés change for the worse; it simply illustrates that the relationship between café and coffee enthusiast is much closer than ever. Which is why soup shots are about to make the jump from your kitchen to the menu board, and rightfully so. They're delicious!
We know, a 1:4 ratio espresso shot served in a café? It sounds absurd until you realize it's an easy way for shops to offer something genuinely different. No new equipment, no additional labor, just a willingness to let people order a 4-oz single-origin as the barista gods intended. Simple and fun, right?
The Shrinking Milk Drink
Here's the thing about big espresso shots: if those are getting bigger, it's no coincidence that milk drinks are getting smaller. Coffee lovers not only want to taste the espresso but also to pick out intricate flavor notes and have a full sensory experience.
We predict that oat milk will be dethroned. It's had its moment in the sun, deservedly so, yet there's been a quiet return to dairy among people who want that creaminess but don't need a full glass of it. Please leave the raw milk on the shelf. We like to enjoy our Gibraltars without a trip to the emergency room.
A couple of ounces of milk is more than plenty. Cortados have been legit for a while now, but we'll see macchiatos and their smaller cousins rise to "performative matcha" levels of prominence. A local spot in Portland, OR, Hypnos, has a "café noisette" on its menu. It's charming, and we hope it spreads like wildfire. Noisette. It's phonetically delicious as well. We love a return to more boutique, specialized milk drinks that focus on how the espresso works with milk rather than against it.
The Case for Chaotic Cup Collections
We're constantly thinking about our personal coffee setups, how they reflect the energy in our space, and how they work for us aesthetically, which is why we naturally gravitate towards cups lately. Specifically, the kind of cups you see at a vintage shop or farmers market and think, "I love this, but what am I supposed to do with it?" We are on a mean maximalist streak lately, and we're so sick of the millennial grey aesthetic.
Don't overthink this part. Put Grandma's mug on top of your espresso machine. Say no to matching sets! There are a few home baristas we love who have genuinely impressive setups—people like TJ's Coffee Adventures and Eric Luis on Instagram have grids that look like they belong in a design magazine, and not one of their cups matches. We have also been inspired by Bastion, a Portland shop where your drink comes in a different cup every time, charming in a way that a uniform set just isn't. Mixing and matching your mugs is a great way to breathe new life into your home setup.
Step-Down Baskets Are Having a Moment
Puck prep has always been a rabbit hole, and in 2025, it was all about shakers, specifically the Weber Workshops' Blind Shaker. Yet, the step-down basket is about to take over.
The appeal of step-down baskets is straightforward: greater puck depth without needing a massive dose. Better depth usually means less channeling, and if you're someone who pulls 22g shots mostly for the depth rather than the caffeine, we are simpatico! There's also the shallow benefit of vanity: a step-down basket brings the bottom of the portafilter into better view, and if you're going to argue that espresso isn't at least half about the visuals, we're going to need you to stop pouring latte art immediately and hang up your pitchers for good.
Machines That Hide Their Tech
There's been a push toward high-tech espresso machines, and the Decent is the best example. It's capable of incredible things, and it's genuinely innovative. But here's what we keep coming back to: most people get into espresso because they want the tactile experience. The dials, the gauges, the clicky switches, the burst of steam. It's not nostalgia, exactly. It's 100% about the ritual.
The problem is that we also want the benefits of modern tech: automated flow profiles, precise temperature control, all of it. What we don't want is an iPad glued to the front of our machine.
The Linea Mini gets this right. It has all the tech you'd want, but it's tucked into an app you can use when you need it and ignore when you don't. Once it's dialed in, the machine itself is just a machine: analog, tactile, and distraction-free. Fellow's Series 1 takes a similar approach with a small screen and a focus on physical interaction. We're going to see much more of this, and we're desperate for it.
Grinders That Just Grind
The Mazzer Philos has exposed something interesting: there's a real appetite for a grinder that's just a grinder—a no-frills grinding experience with no screens, no apps, and no assistant features. To have an exceptional grinder, all you need is a well-built machine with great burrs, an on/off switch, and a workflow that makes single-dosing (or a bean hopper) feel effortless.
We've spent an exhaustive amount of time over the last decade watching every company make its version of the D64. We're about to see the same thing happen with the Philos and Zerno conc pt. We've been obsessed with the Philos since day one, and we're curious to see who tries to top it.
Final Thoughts
These aren't predictions in the fortune-telling sense; they're simply patterns we've been noticing, trends that feel like they have some momentum, and a few things we're hoping will happen because they make espresso much more interesting. Whether any of them actually pan out is anyone's guess, but that's all part of the fun.