Gaggia Evolution

Pros: Excellent value for the money, made in Italy, makes heavenly espresso, cappuccino, and lattes.

Cons: Plastic housing and water tank scratch easily, cup warmer is ineffective, included tamp is cheap

The Bottom Line: Excellent for the espresso novice or connoisseur, easy to use and clean, and it makes better espresso than most coffee chains I frequent.

Review: After many happy (and dare I say, naive) years with our DeLonghi Caffe Espresso, it was time to replace our old workhorse. Having just spent the summer in Spain, where no bar is complete without the standard superautomatic Gaggia espresso maker, I ...

Pros: Elegant looking machine

Cons: Complex and time-consuming to clean, frequent breakdowns

Review: We've had two Franke Evolution machines in our office for 12 months. The machines produce about 100 cups of coffee each per day. They are elegant looking machines but we've found they're a headache to maintain. It takes a good hour every day to ...