You don’t need to spend big money to get a good coffee machine. Strictly speaking, you don’t need a coffee machine at all – a nice cafetière will do just fine. If you do crave a lower-effort solution that doesn’t cost a fortune, then a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine, such as the De’Longhi Magnifica Start ECAM220.60, is a good place to, um, start.
It makes espresso. It makes black coffee. It makes cappuccino. It produces hot water on demand. Fill the hopper with good coffee beans, top up the water and fill the little milk carafe (if you want milk, that is), and all you need to do is plonk a cup on the drip tray and prod the corresponding button. Whirr, hum, splutter. Your cup is now full of coffee. Nice coffee, too.
