I've been using my new La Specialista Arte Evo machine for a couple of months now and have been extremely happy with it. It looks very stylish on our countertop (my friends comment on it all the time) and, most importantly, produces great tasting espresso drinks.  I think people are often intimidated by working their own espresso machine (me included) so I was really blown away by how simple this machine was to use.  From the self contained grinding system to the attachment on the espresso handle to the easy to use buttons and knobs make it a snap.  There's also not much of a mess (another problem with many other machines) and the coffee comes out tasting great.