Years ago, the one thing I learned about making coffee while working at an espresso bar was that the espresso machine matters. My boss spent thousands of dollars on his espresso machines that only created the finest European coffee. It took me about a month to master the art of espresso. With so much competition on where people get their coffee, quality is often a factor that puts everyone else out of the water.

Espresso is a high pressure extraction of coffee from espresso coffee machines. Commercial espresso machines are different from automatic espresso machines in that they have several high powered features that accommodate businesses, such as minute temperature control and the ability to create multiple shots at one time. Automatic espresso machines accommodate the home.

If you want to save your money, look into steam-driven espresso coffee machines. However, they make the lowest quality espresso. This is the lowest grade of automatic espresso machines.

If you have the money, look into pump espresso coffee machines. These make a decent cup of espresso with less effort than a piston by pushing the water out of the espresso.

If you are an espresso connoisseur, purchase a piston espresso machine. These are the most expensive, and the most difficult to master, but they make the best espresso once you understand the art of creating espresso.