There is a great deal of information on brands at Coffee Geek and Whole Latte Love.

I have a Rancilio Sylvia and Rocky. They're eight or nine years old now -have replaced a couple of parts, and they're still going strong. Very basic and sturdy, a little big and bulky, totally manual. They suit me well but not to everyone's taste.

When I bought my Gaggia, they had a semi-auto model or two for about that price. I'm sure they are more now. Look for refurbished models at Whole Latte Love and Aabree. Mine was significantly cheaper and has worked perfectly for almost five years. I've read others here who have bought refurb models too with no problems.

Actually, I think mine came from Aabree but I bought it through their Ebay stow which made it even cheaper. It was almost $500.

Go to Seattle Coffee Gear's website and watch their many videos which demonstrate and review machines. They carry them all and have some good deals on refurbished models as well. The videos are entertaining as well as informative.

We just got a Nespresso Pixie for lattes and are really enjoying it. We use the Breville milk frother with it. I don't think it would satisfy as much for straight espresso shots, though but you can taste for yourself at any Williams-Sonoma.

I use my old skool range top Bialetti. Hard to beat as far as I'm concerned and doesn't take up counter space.

I'm in the market as well for a machine and have been to the sites Sayde suggested. Home-barista.com is another one to visit. This is a synopsis of their response to you: Do you have a good grinder? Spend the $500 on a grinder and then buy an espresso machine down the road. You can't make good espresso without a good grinder. The Baratza Vario will be recommended.
The Sylvia that Sayde has is the go-to "entry level" (about $700) espresso machine but its critics argue that it is one of the more finicky machines out there. Some will say that you can make great espresso with the Sylvia and others, who have upgraded from it, will say that the next level up from the Sylvia--E-61 HX or double boiler machines--is well worth the entry fee (they start at $1,500). In other words, your budget will grow when you read these forums. Lastly, if your goal is a super automatic machine, you will not get much help on the forums as those push button do it for you machines are widely panned for the cost and quality of espresso.

Bought this Lello 1375 Ariete Cafe from Amazon a couple year ago and have totally enjoyed it...less than $100 then but still a good deal now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lello 1375 Ariete Cafe Prestige Coffee Maker

A superautomatic machine will be the easiest maker to use on a daily basis. We had exceptional luck with our Dilonghi Magnifica (still have it, actually) and if you bargain hunt you can find one in the 500 buck range.

If you are intent upon pursuit of the art of espresso using the best gear, then a twin boiler machine, like the Pasquini Livia 90 (or the Livietta, a smaller derivative) or the Expobar Brewtus from Whole Latte Love might be worth saving for. The twin boilers keep steaming water and brewing water heated separately, so that you do not have to flush the boiler whenever you switch from steaming milk to brewing espresso. Of course, you still have to have a high quality burr grinder and maybe a doser on the counter, too.

For 95% of the coffee drinkers on earth, the superautomatic machines make a delicious cup of espresso or latte without having to get coffee grounds all over the kitchen. They are easy to care for and far more convenient, particularly the ones you can program to turn on automatically in the morning for you. You just walk up with your cup, hit the button, and coffee comes out. That is the way I like things to work, personally, so I lean towards that answer. If you are a purist, or feel an attack of "purism" may be in your future, then look for a twin boiler model semi or automatic.

It's funny, the actual Italian Italians I know look at me like I'm nuts when I say that these coffee sites tell me to buy a grinder.

In fact, one couple swears by their Lavazza Espresso Point, an all-automatic that uses--gasp--pods. The folks on Coffeegeek would have the vapors over that.

ESPRESSO TRUTH #1: The espresso made by a trained barista on a well-maintained, high quality (and unavoidably expensive) machine, using high-quality recently roasted beans ground with a quality burr grinder, can't really be duplicated any other way.

ESPRESSO TRUTH #2: 99% of the espresso sold in this country at coffeeshops, caffes and restaurants comes no where near meeting this standard. It is (usually) not bad, but it certainly isn't the best possible...at best a B+, rather than an A+. The vast majority of it is produced (a) on a superautomatic machine, (b) using pre-ground beans from a can, (c) on a machine that hasn't been properly cleaned or maintained, and/or (d) by someone who really doesn't know what they are doing.

ESPRESSO TRUTH #3: The huge majority of the people in the world don't even notice the difference. If this wasn't true, every Starbucks (and most other coffeeshops) in the country would shut down tomorrow for lack of business.

I am a heretic about this. I love coffee, including espresso, but if I want a really, really great espresso I go to one of the few places around I really trust and pay an expert to make it. At home, I use a Nespresso capsule machine. Super-easy and quick to use, affordable (machines starting at around $250, pods at 55 cents a shot), no mess cleanup and no messy grinding, better quality result than any cheap "real" espresso maker I have ever used, and at least equal to the espresso served at any chain coffee place.

If you live near a Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma, I encourage you to go try a sample - I suggest the "Arpeggio" pods (purple) in particular. As a bonus, you can also use the same machine with "Lungo" pods to make a very decent cup of "regular" coffee, and you can also easily make single servings of decaf when the need arises.

How does the espresso from a machine compare with the espresso from a stovetop device like a Bialetti?

A Moka or Napoletano is what actual Italians use to make coffee at home. Remember in Italy there are multiple bars on every corner, and it would be considered insane to spend thousands on equipment for your home. Stovetop coffee can be very good, but it is not as concentrated or crema-y as barrista-made espresso. As with anything, you do have to get the hang of it.

There is no one machine that actual Italians use. Many use a Moka, but Nespresso machines are very popular in Italian and French kitchens. I bought one after a European trip in which every home I was in had the same Nespresso setup. It was almost weird.

Point holds that better coffee is easily available for them, so convenience at home is valued.

Following up on how the coffee from a Moka pot differs from espresso...they are both very good, but very different. In a Moka pot like a Bialetti, the water boils, steam is created, and the steam pushes the hot water up through the grounds into a reservoir above. Very old and a lot of modern cheap espresso machines also utilized steam pressure, but high quality modern espresso machines instead use a piston or pump to push heated water through the grounds. They may have a steam boiler too, but that is basically for frothing milk only - the steam doesn't push the piston/pump. It may be cooled down to liquid and then used as the brewing water, but not to run the pump.

The end result, and the key difference, is that espresso machines operate at a much higher pressure. To quote wikipedia on this: "... the maximum pressure for coffee extraction which can be achieved with a Moka pot is 1.5 bar...According to the Italian Espresso National Institute and the Specialty Coffee Association of America, an espresso must be made using a precise extraction pressure of 9 bar. So, while a Moka coffee pot can produce a crema similar to espresso's, different equipment is required to make a true espresso."

FYI, the Nespresso pod machines force water through the pod at 19 Bar...the extra high pressure is needed to puncture the aluminum capsule and force water through the tiny apertures. The result *is* espresso by any usual definition, but the crema is not quite up to par with that on a great hand-pulled shot...

The first espresso machine I ever had was a Krups steam vessel model that was given to me as a gift. I did not use it very much or for very long because I discovered that

1. The steam pressure was very dangerous and that there was a pressure head behind the basket that would spray you with superheated grounds and steam if you were too quick to remove it from the machine after a brew.

2. The espresso reeked. The super high temp of the water was too much for the coffee and, in effect, cooked it in the basket. PEE-YOOO.

I put the maker on a shelf and let it collect dust for a few years before discretely throwing it out.

I have never tried coffee out of a Moka or similar but am guessing that the lower operating pressure of the system doesn't superheat the grounds as badly as a steam vessel maker?? But I am not sure. But there is no way I want to be around that funk smell ever again. Pump-style machines for me from now on.

Krups are notoriously bad at actually making good espresso, or even good drip coffee*. For espresso, its not just that the water is too hot...its that the machines design allows actual steam to hit the grounds, as opposed to hot water being pushed by steam. Combined with the still too-low pressure, the gounds end up being cooked rather than extracted. I agree it is a truly disgusting smell, best avoided.

One other really good option for a home espresso-like beverage is the Aeropress, which uses manual air pressure to push water through the grounds. Oddly enough, made by the same people who manufacture Aerobie flying discs. Cheap, and really great results.

* the one exception to this is the "Mokabrew" machine, which Krups has made continuously since essentially the dark ages...it is kind of a hybrid between a drip coffee maker and a mokapot, where water heated at the bottom turns into steam that pushes hot water up and then through a wide basket of grounds under (relatively low) pressure. Great and unique coffee results, but the brewers are very slow, dangerous if anyone opens them before brewing is complete, and they do produce a small but noticeable whiff of the nasty steamed grounds smell towards the end of the brewing period.

Yes, I am somewhat obsessed with coffee, and own way too many coffee makers. I keep buying new ones, looking for the perfect cup of drip coffee.

Jsceva, I agree with everything but Truth #1. I know plenty of self-trained home baristas that can pull better shots on a cheap espresso machine paired with a good grinder than 90% of the "baristas" in coffee shops. A whole LOT of getting a good shot is in the quality of the beans, the grind, and the technique. The updgraded machine just makes it easier to get excellent results on a consistent basis. I'd get a decent, non fussy machine and pair it with the best grinder you can afford, then read up on technique on the above mentioned sites. You'll be pulling better shots than most coffee shops in just a few days.

Have fun,
Cj

CJ47 - My language in point#1 was a little sloppy, and I think I inadvertently overstated my case...by "trained" I really just meant "someone who has put in the practice time to know what they are doing and have consistent results." I don't disagree that many home baristas can pull an excellent shot on relatively inexpensive machines.

I think we probably agree, but we are using slightly different referents for what constitutes a "cheap" machine. It's kind of like any appliance...it all depends on what you are comparing to. A GE Monogram oven is cheap compared to a Gaggenau, but its expensive compared to a Frigidaire or Maytag. Similarly, a Rancilio Silvia at @$700 is cheap compared to, say, the Rancilio Epoca ST at @$2000, but it is expensive compared to a $150 Krups. When I said you can't duplicate the espresso made on a "high quality (and unavoidably expensive) machine" any other way, I was only thinking of something at least equivalent to a Silvia in quality and cost.

Jsceva, you're right in that we probably agree about machines. I stand by my point about getting the best grinder you can afford right off the bat, though. In my early days, I had a really cheap pump machine, and when I upgraded the grinder I was amazed at how much better the espresso became. Eventually, I upgraded the machine, too. You can skimp a little on your machine if you need to--but really, get a good burr grinder. It makes a huge difference. I haven't researched espresso machines in years, and things have changed since I bought my Expobar about 8 years ago, so I'll stay quiet about those.

Good luck, and enjoy the coffee!
Cj