The Superautomatic machines offer you the coffe drink of your desire by the touch of a button. All you need to do is add whole beans to the bean hopper and fill the water tank. The Super Automatic machines grind, tamp, brew, and disponse of the used grounds in one cycle, some models even add the desired amount of milk frothing.

The Semi-Automatic or Traditional machines still make you work just a little bit more. You need to put the coffee powder into the filter basket and tamper it down, affix the filter to the brewing unit and start brewing. After that, the filter needs to be emptied and cleaned. For those who enjoy the procedure of espresso making the old fashioned style, the semi-automatic it is. If you can't decide between a super automatic and a traditional espresso machine, think about how frequently you are going to use the machine. If you enjoy the occasional espresso after a good meal or a cappuccino in the afternoon, the smaller and often cheaper semi-automatic machines might be the way to go.

And last but not least, for those of you, who just can't live without a good cup of espresso or if you just started to get to enjoy espresso, there is the Stovetop Espresso Maker, invented in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti. The famous eight-sided shape of the aluminum pot was inspires by an early washing machine that consisted of a boiler and a tub for collecting hot water. The unit is simple to use. Fill the lower chamber with water and the filter with ground espresso, place on the stove top and let the water come to a boil. Enjoy! Today, there is even a Stovetop Cappuccino maker which creates a creamy cappuccino using the same technology as the Stovetop Espressomaker.