Think about it. Every time you waltz into your local chain coffee shop and order up that espresso-based frothy beverage it sets you back, what, five bucks? Even if you only do this on workdays, you’re still talking something like $1,200 a year to support your habit. It’s time to take matters into your own hands.

There’s a reason why you’ll only find Americans in the Starbucks in Italy. Europeans have been making quality brew in their own homes for years, and you can, too. And whether you want to spend $20 or $2,000, there’s a machine out there to suit your needs. There are many types of machines to make espresso with in the home, as The Espresso Guy illustrates. But in the home most people will use either a stovetop or pumpless electronic model.

Stovetop models all work in the same way. Water is placed in the lower chamber, with coffee grounds in a cage in the middle; as the water heats and creates steam, it is forced through the coffee which drips into the top chamber, ready to serve. You’ll get a strong, flavorful brew, still superior to what you’ll get in a certain nameless coffee chain, but lacking that ephemeral crema, the caramel-colored froth that signals a serious Italian-style espresso.

Bialetti is the unqualified champion in the stovetop category. Their octagonal aluminum Moka Express pot is the classic home brew device, and at about $15 pays itself off in just a few uses. Davidliebovitz stands by his: “There are similar looking coffee pots, but only the Bialetti are truly the best.” “Take the time and enjoy the process,” advises goeranjerstroem on the perfect stovetop cappuccino, “and then whisk some warm milk in a pot.” San Francisco coffee purveyor jamesfreeman – and yours truly – prefers a stainless steel model, and technique is everything: “The important thing is a slow brew cycle with low low heat.”

Bialetti has also come out with models that do produce crema, and stephaniedavispotter doesn’t leave home without her Bialetti Brikka, Taking it to the next level yet, ohmtastic went for the Bialetti Mukka, which simultaneously brews espresso and foams milk for an all-in-one cappuccino maker. “From my experience, it makes a nice thick foam with organic 2% milk, and a decent one with soy milk as well,” she effuses.

But if you’re a gadget hound – and aren’t we all? – then you might want to invest in a real machine. Not only will it produce a superior cup with the all-important crema, it will also impress your friends. And isn’t that what matters most?

Gaggia ranks high among our users for its style and durability. Lucky learned from his father, whose Gaggia machine lasted 20 years, so he endorses the Gaggia Classic. Geoffkabush goes for the higher-end Syncrony. “With the touch of a button it does all the dirty work and spits out great shots with super crema.” And if you’ve ever wondered how blogging ninja Kristopher Dukes keeps up with her relentless soy latte habit, wonder no more. Her Gaggia Carezza is “the only appliance in my kitchen, besides my fridge. And my fridge just has soy milk in it. Questionable eating habits aside, I love the clean lines of this machine.”

Going toe-to-toe in the form-meets-function category are the various FrancisFrancis models, in particular the space-age retro styling of the X1. “Consistent, reliable, easy to use and to clean,” says darrensiegfried, who uses it to make Americanos and cappuccinos as well as just straight shots. Blondie digs the look of the X1, and marlenesalcido depends on hers to keep the migraines at bay. 

Yet other makes and models rise to the top in the blogosphere. Both Slashfood and Single Serve Coffee dig on the sleek styling (designed by Porsche, no less) of the Nespresso Siemens model, supported by ThisNexter Jessica45730, though gibbymiller is somewhat more ecumenical to the Nespresso products: “Any one will do. Get one, and get into it.” Some of the more serious beanheads go even more upscale. Coffee Geek heaps praise (with some reservations) on the Jura Capresso S9, which at over $2,000 is maybe a little rich for some. The Espresso Guy goes for the Rancilio Silvia, a relative bargain at around $400 and change.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a passion for all things Italian, and espresso is certainly in that list. Like most Italians, including my family in Rome, I have a stovetop model, a stainless steel Stella similar to jamesfreeman’s Bialetti. Mostly, I use this when traveling – yes, I travel with my own coffee pot. But for the day-to-day, I use the FrancisFrancis X5. The styling is slightly chunkier and less sexy than the X1, but it turns out cup after cup of delicious black love every morning.