The main difference between an espresso machine and coffee maker is the brewing methods.
In an espresso machine, a little amount of hot water is forced through the precisely grounded coffee beans at high pressure for about 30 seconds. It results in a thick and flavorful drink.
Whereas, hot water is poured on the coarsely-ground coffee beans in a coffee maker to absorb the beans’ oil and flavors before getting down and out through the machine filter and into a collecting container.
This procedure is used for a small number of beans with a large amount of water and low pressure to extract a perfect coffee flavor.