Finding the best espresso maker

The machines are pricey, but will save you money in the end

JOE YONAN

Boston Globe

Especially when compared with drip coffee makers, real espresso machines seem so expensive, starting at more than $150 and running upward of 10 times that much.

But people who hand $4 a day to their friendly neighborhood Starbucks barista for a latte should probably do the math, because that's almost $1,500 a year, which makes any home machine seem like a wise investment.

It's true, you can buy a $50 stovetop maker or even an electric one, and those make a decent cup of super-strong coffee, but it's not espresso. The real stuff -- the deep, rich brew that comes topped with a layer of "crema" even before any steamed milk is added -- requires pump-driven pressure. It also requires practice.

Consumers who want to pull their shots at home have several options from machines that offer various levels of convenience.

In fact, the choices are so vast and confusing that I needed expert help in even picking which machines to test.

I found it in Mark Prince, senior editor of the Vancouver-based Web site www.coffeegeek.com, who has written reviews of espresso makers that are so detailed they are divided into as many as nine sections.

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