The best Italian espresso machine on the market currently is the La Pavoni EPBB-8 Europiccola 8 cup. This is an unusual espresso maker in that it requires a hand pull using a lever rather than a pumped shot of water through the coffee holder to produce the shot.

I wouldn’t say I am a nerd when it comes to making espresso, but I would go as far as to admit to being a purist. If you use the best available beans, roast and grind them yourself; use distilled water, and keep your machine clean, this will, without a doubt, produce the finest espresso known to man. There are a few comparable machines, but this one is for those of us who derive pleasure from the simple act of actually making the shot from the ground up. If you are not really interested in the actual process of making the coffee, this machine is not for you because it requires substantial amounts of effort on your part to get the best from it.

Having said that, it is definitely worth the effort to get into the nuts and bolts of espresso making. There are so many variables to consider and so many different ways of making the shot that you will experience all of them as you progress to finding the perfect shot for you. And that is what this machine is all about – finding the perfect shot for you. Just changing the coarseness of the grind (and with this baby it is vital to grind the coffee yourself) or the water you are using, or the beans, or the pressure applied to the level provides a new coffee experience every time.

But once you have found the perfect shot, you will wonder why you never bought your own espresso machine before. I would not part with mine for love nor money. I do own a couple of other ways of making coffee, including a stovetop espresso maker and a single cup drip filter for days when I want a change. This is the ultimate though. And although you are making the perfect shot for you, you will also discover that your friends happen to like it the way you do and will be pestering you to make them coffee every time they visit.

It is also a work of art in it’s own right and well worth the money. Amazon sell these espresso machines for less than $700. A total bargain as far as I am concerned.