I'm riding the brown serpent. I'm a Jura junkie, crema fanatic and overall caffeine addict. So naturally I had to try out an espresso machine.

Truth is, Starbucks is a painfully expensive habit for me. So I thought, 'why not make this stuff at home myself and save the 3 bucks?'

After some research, I settled on the choice of most Italian homes, Gaggia. Being lazy, I wanted a super-automatic - something that does everything for you expect wash the dishes. Their Platinum line is a slew of such machines, made for home use, and the Vision is their top model, with an easy to use touchscreen interface.

Let me keep this simple. This thing makes AWESOME espresso. You don't have to know what espresso even is. Just pour the beans into the hopper on top, press your cup size, and within 45 seconds you get a gorgeous, hot, perfectly made cup, better than any Starbucks creation.

Of course, most of us (myself included) don't drink espresso straight, so its easy to use these beautiful shots to make lattes (iced or hot), cappuccinos, and cafe cremas/americanos.

Some highlights:
- AMAZING espresso shots, with crema, heart, and body.
- Easy to use and program touchscreen interface lets you vary size, strength, and temperature of your drinks and save them for one button brewing
- Included Milk Island makes it a cinch to froth and steam milk
- Removable brew group means no need to send it in for pricey cleaning. Just take it out, rinse it, and put it back in.
- Super sharp, quite ceramic burr grinder delivers perfect grounds without waking up the neighbors
- Long, flexible steam wand for perfectly frothed milk
- Slim profile, with easy to remove water reservoir and grounds drawer
-Bypass doser window lets you brew with pre-ground coffee, if you want a little decaf at night, for example
- 'OptiDose' dial on the front lets you change the extraction time for a weaker or stronger shot with a simple twist
- Electrically powered drip tray raises and lowers with up and down buttons. Gimmicky, but cool.

Some Cons:
-Manual. It's not great. You will still need to refer to it to understand some things though. For example, they call Strength 'Aroma'. It's somewhat sparsely written; you will need to experiment to figure out some stuff.
- No scientific, actual amounts given. You can't choose exactly how many grams of coffee are used in each shot, or the volume of coffee dispensed. You either get mild, medium, or strong, and the volume is set by a bar with + and - buttons. Be ready with a measuring cup and multiple tastings to get your drinks set up the way you want them.
-The Bypass doser window is kinda small.

Overall, this is probably the best Super Automatic espresso machine on the market right now, certainly in its price range, and possibly even surpassing some pricier models. It goes for $1800, but you may find it as low as $1400. If you buy a latte every day, you'll make up the purchase price in a year. Highly recommend.

The 'Buy It' company is awesome as well, with a 30 day return policy, generous gifts included (lots of beans, the Milk island, etc.), and knowledgeable, friendly sales staff ready to answer even the most obscure question.