There comes a time in every man’s life when he realizes that he’s spending fifteen bucks a day at the local indie coffee shop, but there’s no way he’s going to ameliorate that cost with his run-of-the-mill drip brewer at home. After all, once you start drinking cappuccino, it’s tough to go back to the drip.
So, if you’re buying your first espresso machine, you need it to be three things: inexpensive, not too complicated, and good at making espresso. You can find that in the Saeco Poemia Top SS Espresso Machine ($200). I’ve been using it to make my morning espresso for the past two weeks. And my afternoon one. And sometimes my second afternoon one. It’s becoming a habit.
Anyway, the Poemia is fairly small and uncomplicated for an espresso machine. It has a fifteen bar pump and the pressurized portafilter produces fairly frothy crema. It takes ground coffee or those easy serving espresso pod dealies, but I’d go with the ground; whats the point of getting an espresso machine if you’re going to half-ass it? Anyway, once you’ve got your shot of espresso, you can play with your uncomplicated steam wand for your lattes, cappuccinos, and whatnot.
