Hot espresso machines

You can actually make a coffee that’s as good as you’d get in a cafe. All you need is the right tools and a bit of know-how.Commercial machines cost about A$6000 and are plumbed in. Don’t stress, you can pick-up home machines a for a lot less. Lavazza also runs an intense three-hour class that’ll teach you how to tweak all the various knobs properly. A final word of advice too: either buy a good grinder with steel burrs or have the java ground at your local store.BREVILLE ESP8 A$194It’s cheap, stainless steel and the taste of the coffee produced is not bad at all. If you want to spend under $200 this is your machine.SAECO MAGIC EXPRESS A$349Came up trumps last year in Choice Magazine’s 2004 Espresso machines test. Not only is it easy to use, you’ll get top tasting coffee as well. If you’re a bit superficial you might be turned off by the plastic casing.KRUPS NESPRESSO 893 A$399This machine is fast and easy to operate. Produces excellent tasting coffee although the temperature of it could be higher. The main drawback is you can only use Nespresso coffee cartridges which will cramp your style a bit.SAECO VIA VENEZIA ESPRESO SIN 006X A$549Holds loads of water so you don’t have to keep refilling. The coffee temperature is hotter than most in this price bracket. Milk frothing is easy. Stainless steel casing… nice.RANCILLO SILVIA A$740Okay we’re getting a bit more serious now. This is a beast at 14kg and solid stainless steel. You’re paying for the quality. A damned fine machine.SOLIS PALAZZO $1385Yep, a bit of a price jump but worth the extra dollars. Pours two espressos at the same time, has a self-cleaning function and looks like a miniature Masonic temple. Does everything – cappuccinos, latte