Top Espresso Machines Worth the Bucks

I took a trip to Italy and quickly fell in love with espresso. The tour guide told us the first thing that someone asks when looking for an apartment in Florence (also known as Firenze) is: where is closest espresso bar? Apparently the requirement is a maximum of a two block radius! So, after returning home, I wanted to authentically replicate the espresso experience. I purchased an inexpensive steam-driven espresso machine. When it worked, it made, at best, instant dark Italian coffee. When it didn’t, it literally blew the coffee grounds all over the walls in my kitchen! After speaking to some espresso aficionados, I learned that one needs to have a pump-driven machine. Well, that was ten years and three espresso machines ago — now I get it! The better machine will, time-in and time-out, make great espresso with thick crema. When it comes to espresso, you do get what you pay for.