There is a compulsion, when one discovers the concept of "making espresso drinks at home", that drives people to super-automatic machines. Having been there, I remember that compulsion well. It happened at the outset of my specialty coffee life, and only lasted two weeks. I returned the machine, got a full refund, and bought my first heat exchanger machine, the Expobar.
My purchase of the Gaggia Synchrony, I believe that was the model, was driven by the thought that I could get a machine that would "do it all for me." I'd have real espresso at home, and I'd be able to make cappuccinos and lattes, as good as the coffee shop. (which was true if compared to the horrible product I'd purchased over the years.) As I experienced it, I was merely avoiding all of the information that was given to me about coffee beans, roasting, grinders, and proper brewing. I figured that if I paid over $1k, certainly the machine would make a great espresso extraction; done deal. And the machine came with a "magic wand" that would steam and froth my milk to perfection. That avoided learning about steaming and frothing. But as anyone who's been there will tell you, this is just not so.
Home machines can be purchased refurbished as low as $600, and new as high as $3k. Neither machine comes even close to expectations. Many suffer mechanical issues and are abandoned by the buyer. They sit for years, sometimes with the last spent coffee puck still in the machine. Commercial super-auto's run around $6k and up. And trust us all, you would still not be satisfied with their product... the machine nor the coffee. Go to a new car dealership, a hospital cafeteria, or any other location where you can put money into a machine and "order up a cappuccino." It's more like poorly flavored coffee-milk. I'd rather see a beginner buy a Rancilia Silvia single boiler machine and a Rocky grinder, than pay as much for a machine from William Sonoma or a department store.
If I had the opportunity to help someone contemplating this purchase, it would be to take them to a few great espresso bars, and let them taste their favorite drinks as done by certified baristas, on good equipment. After establishing a "baseline" for properly brewed coffee, we could hit a few places that have super-auto's set up and try their output. You'll sometimes find the specialty stores offer that, but it's rare, as the machines require both knowledgable operators "and" monitoring. They really aren't as "super-auto" as you might think. And that's the reason the output tastes so commercial and cheap. In summary, you'll spend as much time maintaining and monitoring a super-auto as you will your single-boiler system. There are no shortcuts.
