Go to wholelattelove.com

The Silvia is a great machine. I had one for years, now with an ECM one. Any Barista grinder also. The grinder is paramount. No Nespresso, not ever. Get your green beans from sweetmarias.com. Not sweetmaria (porn site).

Some laughs.  Just for my morning cup of coffee;  here's what I use.  Going on 6 years now.  And yes, I know it doesn't make espresso, but as drip coffee makers go, worth every penny of the $20 I spent on it.

Do you just want a machine, or do you want something that will last forever? What is your budget? 

IMHO, get a Rocket, it does everything, will last forever, and is beautiful.

I roast my own beans too and have been using a manual La Pavoni machine for years, it takes a bit of practice but well worth the effort. I have a few friends with the automated machines and they think mine tastes best. No one ever asks for sugar.

it becomes an enjoyable ritual like spinning vinyl.

We had bought a Breville for around $500 a few years back.  We could never get the foam part right and lost interest.  We gave it to one of my sons whose gf used to be a Starbucks Barista.  They couldn’t get it right either.

  Back to Hills Brothers for us, I guess 

Not surprised to see espresso machine topic. They have a lot in common with audio equipment. Prices range from cheap to the stratosphere. The best espresso machines are Italian made. They are heavy duty and last forever. They pull consistently good espresso shots. At 65 yrs old, I am on my fourth machine. Increasing quality with each purchase (sound familiar?). I currently have a Bezzera BZ10. Great machine. I enjoy two cups every morning.  https://www.myespressoshop.com/products/bezzera-bz10-commercial-espresso-machine-pm-semi-automatic-tank-v2?srsltid=AfmBOorVI6-Esk3SgHVVJjifXmofQLfsw2q41zclG6K1eC9roob6x_qb

My favorite is the Olympia Cremina not inexpensive but they have been making since the 1960s and can be found refurbished under $2k. It is one of the smallest top tier machines available.

https://www.cerinicoffee.com/products/olympia-express-cremina-espresso-machine-made-in-switzerland

or for something completely different the 9barista 

https://9barista.com/products/9barista-espresso-machine-mk2

Rancilio Silvia Pro X.  Dual boiler machine.  Easy to use.

It doesn't get any simpler than this:

GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker Moka Pot 3 espresso Cup - 5 oz, Blue -Moka Espresso Coffee Maker Stove top coffee maker Moka Italian espresso greca coffee maker brewer percolator

Visit the GROSCHE Store

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars   (23,989)

Amazon'sChoice

50+ bought in past month

$39.99$39.99

Another Rancilio Silvia and Rocky grinder owner here. Great machines. Totally hands-on espresso maker. Kind of like spinning vinyl with a completely manual turntable. You gotta love it.

I am sure you know this but those Nespressos are not espresso machines at all. Basically they are a nicer k cup setup. 
 

I have been roasting beans for many years so if you are that geeked out already a Gaggia is pretty much a great starting point. The rancio Silvia being another good line to look at. 

You also need an excellent grinder and the sky is the limit. The “least” grinder that will do the proper job is a Baratza Virtuosa. I own 2 Virtuosas, both purchased used. Great mid level grinder and Baratza is a fantastic company on the support side as well.

@2005 I’d had enough of terrible expensive espresso. Sprung for a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky grinder.  Brass boiler commercial parts in a consumer machine.  Like our audio equipment, stretch the budget just a little, and you’ll never be disappointed.  Google it.  Legendary machine.  Don’t go short on the grinder as it’s pivotal.   Double shot mocha every morning.  Tube rolling = playing with different beans.  

I posted a link https://flairespresso.com/product/neo-flex/ and https://us.rok.coffee/

but oh well, ignore me

@Erik_squires- Yes, I’ll try to find a photo. They are referred to as "manual" machines. There's a whole bunch on the Net about them. You have to boil the water, grind the beans, etc. The machine is just used to 'pull' the shot into a cup. 

But, no vacuum tube! :)

@rhg3  Those look very nice, I will look for one without a grinder though since I already have one.  The Bambino has been recommended to me as well and looks like a solid contender, especially for size.

Nice to know affordable replacement parts are available.

AHhh, ok so I don't want LED/LCD diplsays but I was thinking of something with a built in water tank, milk frother.  Not thinking about the mechanical types, but if others want to discuss sure. 

@whart by hand pulled, you mean the one's that literally have a lever on them you pull to push the water through?

One of the best espressos I ever had was on an old simple hand pulled machine. I can't imagine those cost much. The other great one I distinctly remember was a glitzy coffee bar in Palermo, near the docks, that had Illy branded all over the shop-- assume the macchina was also Illy but don't remember. We have a quality burr grinder here but do pour overs- that's how I've been making coffee for 50 years at home. I think our current bean comes from Costa Rica- lots of flavor but not super high caffeine. 

Gaggia seems to be the gold standard for value and quality without whistles and bells.

It does not get simpler and narrower than this:  https://flairespresso.com/product/neo-flex which I have, as well as a DeLonghi. La Pavoni is also narrow. I tried fancy espresso machines, they were not reliable and insignificant quality differences. 

As a first espresso machine, I recommend the semi-automatic Breville Barrista Express BES870XL. I use it daily and have found it to be a solid machine. After 20 years, I’ve only had to replace the pump for $24 and a few hours of my time. 
It has an integrated grinder which is pretty good. I weigh out the beans and fill the hopper for each serving.

These machines require a little practice to dial in the espresso shot. That’s a bit of an art unto itself.  There are better machines and better grinders, however, that’s a very slippery slope.
 

I have no doubt these machines appeal to a large segment of gear heads in this forum so you are likely to get some great advice.

Good luck in your search and please keep us posted as to your progress.