I like the Italian stovetop type. I got mine at a kitchen store clearance sale for $10--don't know the brand. They pretty much work the same, though, so pick one up wherever. (Water goes in the bottom, grounds tamped into a thing in the middle, boils up to the top--presto.)

breville barista express. works great, almost automatic.

Nespresso (pod machine, but cured my starbucks addiction)

What is your budget?
DH is a complete coffee geek and we are happy with the Rancilio Silvia, bought 10 years ago. He also has a special grinder for the beans. If you want one of the fully automatic machines then it gets even more expensive. We have probably recouped the cost of the machine over time by not having coffee outside.

Gaggia baby. Totally worth it. If I had more money I would buy a better one.

It is a fair amount of work (descaling etc) to keep it going, as opposed to the Mr. Coffee. (and regarding 13:22 - our coffee is hot. Either your husband is a lousy barista, or the machine is not as good as he thinks).

wholelattelove.com is another good source.

Stovetop Bialetti, it's $30 and delicious. Get the espresso ground coffee.

I would go spend some time at seattlecoffeegear.com-- they have tons of helpful reviews, videos, etc., plus you can ask questions about specific models (via the internet, or even on the phone). If you decide to buy they often have the best prices (which is how I originally found them).

A lot depends on how picky you are (i.e, whether convenience is more important to you, or whether the perfect espresso is), whether you want mostly milk drinks, and whether you want a "self-cleaning" super-automatic milk frother (aka "one touch cappucino).

You can get a decent machine for a few hundred, but depending on what you want you could also spend $1500 or more.

DH bought a reconditioned one online somewhere. It still was in the $500 range. Frankly, I don't get it. The coffee is good and you can steam the milk. But it's not very hot, which I think is not normal. They break frequently from what I hear, so maybe keep going to the coffee shop.

Oops inches should be invest. Sorry!

I really love espresso drinks. I telecommute and often instead of making coffee at home, I'll go out and grab a latte or mocha.

This is seriously bad for our budget. After having a homemade mocha at a friend's brunch, I was just thinking maybe it would make more sense to buy an espresso maker. Are they any good? Our friend had a commercial one that he bought off a coffee shop that was going out of business - and even then I think it was pretty pricey. Just wondering if people like them? And if so, how much do you have to inches to get a good drink.

Thanks!