If you are trying to find the expresso machine that is best for you, you will first have to decide which are the features that are the most important to you. With all of the expresso models out there, even many models from the same manufacturer, it will be hard to choose among all of them. Even for the experts who own fancy coffee houses, with all of their knowledge about what should be the best expresso machine and the ability to compare notes with others in the field, it is difficult to have to understand what they want since so many new models come out all the time. If they have a hard time, what about us poor ordinary consumers?
One of the most important things you want to consider in an expresso machine is the built in grinder. Freshly ground coffee is important to good expresso. Many of these machines will have a grind dial that will allow you to fine-tune the density of the grind. If you machine does not have a built in grinder, you will have to make sure you grind your coffee to match the expresso machine. If your machine is set too low, for a mocha or drip brewing grind, you will have to keep experimenting until you find the right consistency for your expresso...