Gaggia Syncrony Compact, $649
If you're willing to spend $500 for the Nespresso D290, you might want to spring for this midpriced superautomatic, which combines the Nespresso's excellent shot quality with the freedom to grind your own beans (and is just as easy to use). But keep in mind that like all superautomatics, the Compact contains its own coffee grinder, and so it actually takes up a good bit of countertop space. (Its dimensions are 15.25 inches [h] x 11 inches [w] x 15.5 inches [d]. By way of comparison, the Nespresso is 12 inches [h] x 8 inches [w] x 14 inches [d] and weighs 8 pounds less than this 18-pound monster.) Unlike many superautomatics, the Compact has a cup warmer and bypass chute, allowing you to use pre-ground coffee beans without clearing out the beans you've already poured into its coffee grinder. But well-made as the Compact is, its plastic exterior doesn't feel sturdy enough for a model this expensive—I never cracked it, but since I was already hypercaffeinated, I always expected to, and I didn't enjoy using the machine as much as I'd hoped I would.

Grades:
Looks: 8 points
Quality: 8 points
Convenience/usability: 9 points
Value: 4 points
Total: 29 points

Starbucks Barista Digital Italia, $995
Paying $350 more for an espresso machine sounds a bit crazy. But a thousand bucks will buy you this heavy-duty, stainless steel model, which is much sturdier than other superautomatics I've seen. While it's only slightly more compact than the Gaggia, it features a larger cup warmer, digital display, and the best steam wand of any machine I tested—mounted on a ball-joint pivot, it's remarkably powerful in addition to being easier to use, remove, clean, and reattach. The shot quality is as good as that of the Gaggia, so if you're willing to wait a few months to catch the Digital Italia on sale at your local Starbucks (according to the consumer reviews I read, the price comes down by about a hundred dollars once every six months or so), you'll end up with a sturdy, fine-looking, and extraordinarily convenient machine.

Grades:
Looks: 8 points
Quality: 9 points
Convenience/usability: 10 points
Value: 3 points
Total: 30 points