Starbucks uses the Mastrena, a superautomatic espresso machine built exclusively for them by the Swiss manufacturer Thermoplan AG. You cannot buy one. Most locations now run the Mastrena II, and a faster Mastrena II Pro has been rolling out since 2024.
That's the answer. The more interesting question is what Starbucks uses when it actually cares about the espresso — because it isn't a Mastrena.
What the Mastrena actually is
Thermoplan AG is a family-run manufacturer in Weggis, Switzerland. In 2008 they signed an exclusive supply agreement with Starbucks, and the Mastrena has been the standard machine across the chain ever since.
It's a superautomatic, which is a fundamentally different animal to the machines most people picture when they think of espresso:
- A large hopper and built-in burr grinder — no separate grinder, no portafilter
- Automated dosing and tamping
- An automatic steam wand that froths milk to a programmed temperature
- Computerized control of every variable, so shot number 400 matches shot number one
A barista presses a button. The machine grinds, doses, tamps, extracts and stops. Reported cost is somewhere between $15,000 and $17,000 per unit.
The design brief was never "make the best possible espresso." It was "make acceptable espresso identically, ten thousand times, operated by someone hired last week." Judged against that brief, it's an extremely impressive machine.
Mastrena II and Mastrena II Pro
The original Mastrena was replaced by the Mastrena II, which is lower-profile — partly so customers can see over it and watch drinks being made. The Mastrena II Pro began testing in 2024 and adds the ability to pull up to six shots simultaneously and steam milk roughly 15–20% faster.
If you've noticed your local Starbucks moving faster in the last couple of years, that's why.
Why you can't buy one
The Thermoplan agreement is exclusive. Mastrenas are not sold to the public, not sold to other cafés, and not available secondhand through any legitimate channel. Occasionally one surfaces on a restaurant liquidation site; it arrives with no support, no parts pipeline and firmware built for a different company's workflow.
There's a better reason not to chase one. A Mastrena's entire purpose is removing the barista from the equation. At home you are the barista, and everything that makes the Mastrena good at its job — locked parameters, automated tamping, no control over dose or yield — is the opposite of what you'd want on a counter.
What Starbucks uses when it actually cares
This is the part most articles miss.
At the Starbucks Reserve Roasteries — the large flagship locations, including the one on Michigan Avenue here in Chicago — there are no Mastrenas on the espresso bar. Instead you'll find:
- Victoria Arduino Black Eagle espresso machines — traditional semi-automatics with real portafilters
- Nuova Simonelli Mythos One ClimaPro grinders, a competition-standard grinder
- Modbar under-counter tap systems for pour-over and steam
- Clover brewers, Ditting grinders and Acaia scales on the brew bar
Every one of those is a machine where a human controls dose, grind, extraction time and milk texture. When Starbucks builds a location meant to show off the coffee rather than move a queue, it buys the same category of equipment that sits in specialty cafés — and the same category, scaled down, that sits on enthusiasts' counters.
That's not us being partisan about it. It's Starbucks' own equipment budget telling you which approach makes better espresso.
So how do you get Starbucks espresso at home?
Here's the thing most people don't expect: the machine is not what makes Starbucks taste like Starbucks.
That flavor — deep, roasty, slightly smoky, a little bitter, and strong enough to cut through a lot of milk and syrup — comes almost entirely from the roast profile. Starbucks roasts dark. Darker than most specialty roasters, deliberately, because it gives a consistent flavor across wildly varying green coffee and survives being buried in caramel and steamed milk.
Put Starbucks beans through a $500 home machine and you'll get something very close to a Starbucks shot. Put a light Ethiopian through a Mastrena and you won't.
So if the goal is that specific taste: buy dark roast beans and grind them fresh. That's the lever. Our Velvet Amber Espresso Blend ($13.99) and Lunar Espresso Blend ($10.99) are both built for milk drinks in that vein, roasted for espresso and shipped fresh rather than sitting in a warehouse.
If the goal is better than Starbucks, that's a different and easier project — most home setups clear that bar quickly once the beans are fresh and the grinder is decent.
What to buy instead of chasing a Mastrena
You want the button-press experience. A superautomatic is the honest equivalent, just at household scale. It grinds, doses and brews automatically like a Mastrena does. You give up control in exchange for speed and simplicity, which is exactly the trade Starbucks made.
You want café-quality drinks with minimal fuss. The Breville Bambino Plus at $499.95 pulls proper 9-bar espresso, has automatic milk texturing that gets genuinely close to a trained barista's microfoam, and is ready in under a minute. For most people asking this question, this is the machine.
You want one appliance that does everything. The Barista Express Impress at $799.95 has the grinder built in and an assisted tamping system, which is about as close to the Mastrena concept as consumer equipment gets.
You want what the Roastery has. That's the traditional route — separate grinder, real portafilter, full control. Start with a Baratza Encore ESP ($199.95) and a single-boiler machine, and you're on the same path as the Black Eagle, just smaller.
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Frequently asked questions
What espresso machine does Starbucks use?
The Mastrena, a superautomatic espresso machine made exclusively for Starbucks by Thermoplan AG of Switzerland. Most stores now use the Mastrena II, with a faster Mastrena II Pro rolling out since 2024. Starbucks Reserve Roasteries use Victoria Arduino Black Eagle machines instead.
Can I buy a Starbucks Mastrena espresso machine?
No. Thermoplan's agreement with Starbucks is exclusive, so Mastrenas aren't sold to the public or to other cafés. Units that occasionally appear on liquidation sites come with no warranty, no parts support and software built for Starbucks' workflow.
How much does a Mastrena espresso machine cost?
Reported figures put the Mastrena between $15,000 and $17,000 per unit. That's the commercial cost to Starbucks — it isn't a price available to anyone else, since the machines aren't sold outside the contract.
Why does Starbucks espresso taste the way it does?
The roast, not the machine. Starbucks roasts noticeably darker than most specialty roasters, which produces the deep, smoky, slightly bitter profile that stands up to milk and syrup. Using dark roast beans in any decent home machine gets you far closer to that taste than any particular piece of equipment will.
Is the Mastrena a good espresso machine?
For what it's designed to do, yes — it produces consistent drinks at enormous volume with minimal training. It isn't designed to produce the best possible espresso, and Starbucks doesn't use one where quality is the priority. Their Reserve Roasteries run traditional semi-automatic machines instead.
What machine do Starbucks Reserve Roasteries use?
Victoria Arduino Black Eagle espresso machines with Nuova Simonelli Mythos One ClimaPro grinders, plus Modbar tap systems, Clover brewers and Acaia scales on the brew bar. These are traditional barista-operated machines, not superautomatics.
Can I make real espresso without an espresso machine?
Not really. Espresso is defined by roughly 9 bar of pressure, and a moka pot generates about 1–2 bar while a French press generates none. Both make strong, enjoyable coffee — neither makes espresso. We went through the details in French press vs. moka pot.
The short version
Starbucks uses Mastrena superautomatics from Thermoplan, they cost about $15,000, and no one outside Starbucks can buy one. When Starbucks wants good espresso rather than fast espresso, it buys Black Eagles and Mythos grinders — traditional machines with a person operating them.
And if you're chasing the taste rather than the hardware, it's the dark roast doing the work.
Want help picking a machine that gets you there? Call us at 800-410-8867. Tell us what you order at Starbucks and we'll tell you what makes it at home.
