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Before You Buy a Home Espresso Machine

by Sean Paajanen
for About.com

Having your own espresso machine at home may seem like a luxury to some people, but it just might be a necessary piece of equipment for someone who truly enjoys an espresso on a regular basis.

What's Your Budget?

How much money do you want to spend on an espresso machine? While the higher-end models do offer more features and possibly better espresso, that doesn't mean a budget model won't suit your needs. Check out each of the price ranges to see the features available.

What Kind of Machine?

Unlike drip coffee makers, there are actually different kinds of espresso machines. They all extract espresso from coffee grounds under pressure, but how that pressure is created can vary with the style of machine. Know what your options are before deciding.

What Features do You Need?

Now, these are all the bells and whistles that you may find on some models of espresso machine. If you've never owned an espresso machine before, you might not even know what features you could be looking for.

What About Making Coffee too?

One particular feature that you might find appealing, is a machine that makes espresso and regular coffee, all in one. These combo machines saves space in the kitchen and are easier on the pocketbook than buying 2 separate machines.

Check Out Some Models

You've read all the information, and have made some decisions on what kind of espresso machine you'd like. Now, you can browse through some profiles of various makes and models of both steam and pump espresso machines.

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