A few months ago, our Francis Francis espresso machine conked out. We returned it to Williams Sonoma and received $530 in store credit. For the last few months, we’ve been looking for a good espresso machine (and subsisting on drip coffee).

On the advice of our favorite Tuck professor, we visited the restaurant supply shops on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. If you’re curious about the types of machines we saw, check out our slideshow here.

Shopping for an Espresso Machine

In the end, we decided to purchase the Nespresso system from Nestle. You have to buy the pods from Nestle, so you’re a bit limited by their offerings. But the machines offer consistently good shots with lots of crema, and a simple push-button solution for steaming milk.

Sure, there’s a certain magic in the ritual preparing a latte with a real espresso machine. But it’s simply impractical to place a giant whirring box on the countertop and hook it into our water system. And if it breaks, we’re SOL.

We simply don’t use the machine enough to justify the expense. So we made YET ANOTHER responsible adult yuppie decision, and purchased a corporate solution that makes our lives easier and more convenient.

4 months and 1.4 kids to go!

(Incidentally, if anyone has any coupons for Nespresso, we’ll make good use of ‘em! I received a $100 coupon in the spring, when a Nespresso manager visited my Growth class, but I didn’t keep it because I thought hell would freeze over before I purchased an all-in-one solution from Nestle. I guess suburbia changes a person…)