There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Back in the 80s I had an old Bialetti stovetop pot I paid something like $20 for. It wouldn't steam milk, but it made a good cup of espresso. I've got a nicer one now, an Imusa (hey, stainless!) Still makes good coffee.
Plug-in machines come in a couple of varieties. In the 90s I picked up a Krupps steam-operated machine for about $100. It would also steam milk if you opened a valve at the end of the cycle. Bit of a pain to use, but it did a decent job. The tank finally corroded through and blew up, though. (Don't ask... Corrosion is not your friend on any kind of steam boiler.)
More recently I went through a series of DeLonghi pump operated machines, but they all died after about a year of service. The thermistors tended to go. I still have one I Frankensteined together out of parts from the others, but it's not my first choice. I don't think I'll ever get one from them again.
The best machine I've used so far is (no surprise) the most expensive. It's a Breville Barista Express I paid about $650 for. It's down to about $530 on Amazon now. Funny thing is, the espresso is only slightly better than what I can make with my Imusa stovetop pot, but it's a heckuvalot easier to use, clean, etc. And the Imusa doesn't steam milk.
I've never used a lever machine, but I've been told they can make an even better cup than my Breville. They start around $1000 and keep going.
At the other end of the convenience spectrum, fully automated machines with milk fridges and collection systems for the used coffee grounds also start around $1000 and go up from there.
This goes back to why I asked what you consider affordable. When I got it, I didn't consider the Breville to be affordable. I just didn't want another DeLonghi. But I've watched people here drop more than the cost of my Breville on a pair of headphones. In any case, now that I've used it I know that when it dies I'll save every penny so I can buy another one. I guess that means my views have changed.