A fantastic value

Making a good cup of espresso is delicate. You have to start with good coffee properly roasted, of course.
Grind the coffee at the last minute, in a burr grinder (mills heat the coffee and ruin the aroma, and produce an irregular grind unsuitable for espresso)
Fill the filter with the right amount of coffee, and tamp it. This usually involves getting coffee grounds all over the place.
Insert the filter holder into the machine. Start the pump; fill the cup, stop the pump.
Drink the coffee; remove the filter holder; tap against wood bar to get rid of grounds (this is another messy step where the coffee remaining in the filter holder will get projected onto your walls, clothing, etc...).
Sounds messy? It is. Or, you could let Saeco's wonderful machine do the job for you.
All you need to do is put water in the water tank and good espresso roast coffee beans in the coffee holder. And once in a while empty out the used coffee bin. When you want a perfect cup of espresso, put a hot cup under the spout and press the button. The right amount of coffee gets ground, stuffed into the filter, the espresso is made, and the used grounds are neatly spilled into a bin.
If you love espresso but would like to take the guesswork and mess out of it, this machine is the ticket.

Saeco has several superautomatica models, from $450 to over $1000, but they all use the same sturdy patented removable mechanism. The better models feature a cup warmer, microchip control, better frother, etc...

Cappucino amateurs may be disappointed by its frother and should look at Saeco's more expensive models. To replace the function of the cup warmer, you can simply rinse your cups with the boiling water dispenser before making coffee.

If all you're after is a great cup of espresso, their least expensive machine will perform perfectly and reliably for many years (my first Saeco superautomatica is going on 14 years of performing flawlessly everyday). This machine is probably the best value on the market today.