For me 2025 was the year of the Espressif ESP32 - well it extended back into 2024. By the end of the year I was convinced that for the sort of IoT projects that I want to do around my own home the ESP32 S3 is the single board microcontroller of choice and I heartily recommend it to any programmer wanting to get into the IoT scene.  

Disclosure: If you make a purchase at Amazon by clicking on the product images in this article we may earn an affiliate commission. 

The reason I place the ESP ahead of the comparable devices is because of its support for software - I'm impressed by how much effort the Espressif development team have put into the SDK - the IDF - and into integration with third party libraries such as mbedTLS, lwIP and even the Arduino Library.

So if you've been wanting to get into IoT, either professionaly or for fun, the ESP32 is a low-cost, low-risk entry point and with Christmas just a week away here's a buyer's guide to what you need to get started.

While buying direct from China may be the cheapest option, when you take into account the lead time and the cost of shipping, Amazon can be a quick and cost-effective option. The ESP32 and ESP32-S3 chips can be bought mounted on development boards and ready to use:

ESP32 Development Board 

 Click in image for Amazon details 

ESP32 S3 Development Board 

Click in image for Amazon details

There's another choice of micro-controller that will be of particular interest to Arduino aficionados: 

Arduino Nano ESP32 with headers

Click in image for Amazon details

To get started you'll need a few other items - such as a breakout board:

Click in image for Amazon details

If you are a complete beginner then opting for a kit save you having to buy iems such as wires,  electronic components, modules and sensors, separately.

LAVIN ESP32 Starter Kit 

Click in image for Amazon details

This kit is suitable for both the ESP32 and the ESP32 S3 and  includes the ESP32 and a useful collection of basic components, a bagain at less than $20.

FREENOVE Ultimate Starter Kit for ESP32 WROVER  

FREENOVE Ultimate Starter Kit for ESP32 S3 WROOM 

 Click in image for Amazon details

These more expensive kits ($59.95 for the S3 version) come with extras including a  USB code uploader, camera, memory card slot, a 1GB memory card and card reader.

As well as using ESP32s for my own purposes I've also written books about them. The first was an introduction to what you could do with the ESP32's GPIO lines together with widely used sensors, servos, motors and ADCs using MicroPython. Then Espressif brought out the dual core ESP32 S3 which made it a good candidate for more complex projects, and I revised and updated the book to a second edition.

 There are two versions of my book on using the ESP 32 in C - one using the Espressif IDF, the other using the Arduino Library.

 This month has seen the publication of a second-level book. Master the ESP32 In C: WiFi with the ESP-IDF, FreeRTOS, LwIP &MbedTLS which looks at using the ESP32's WiFi for IoT projects in which data needs to be shared:

Click in image for Amazon details

This book starts out with an examination of using FreeRTOS beyond the simple single-task program: using cores, scheduling, locks, synchronization and interrupts. This is followed up by looking at the different data structures that FreeRTOS provides for inter-task communication, and basic WiFi in station mode. 

Next we cover the use of lwIP to implement TCP/IP and DHCP, sockets for implementing network communications, and the HTTP client component provided by the IDF are also covered, along with how to implement a server and the methods that can be used to make a client stand in for a server. Later chapters cover practical cryptography, encryption suites and certificates, UDP, SNTP, SMTP and MQTT in turn. The final chapter deals with some advanced topics: an AP that can be used to configure hardware; an AP that can connect its clients to the Internet; promiscuous mode packet sniffing; long range mode; ESP Now and ESP Mesh.

 Click in image for Amazon details

Related Articles

Programming the ESP32 in MicroPython (I/O Press)

Programming The ESP32 In C Using The Espressif IDF (I/O Press)

Programming the ESP32 In C Using the Arduino Library (I/O Press)

Master The ESP32 In C (I/O Press)

A Pico For the Holidays

Programmer Gifts - Pi For Xmas