De'Longhi EC155M

The EC155 (and the EC155M metal-accent version) is De'Longhi's rock-bottom-priced 15-bar pump machine — often the cheapest 'real' espresso machine people consider. It has a pressurized portafilter, a panarello-style steam frother, and a tiny thermoblock. It exists as the absolute entry point: a way to dip a toe into home espresso for the price of a few weeks of cafe drinks.

The community is honest about it: at this price you get a functional but very basic machine. The stock pressurized baskets and panarello frother make it forgiving but limit quality, and there's a known (if fiddly) hobby of modding it with non-pressurized baskets. Temperature stability is mediocre, steam is weak, and it's clearly a budget appliance. But people genuinely use it to learn whether they like making espresso before committing more money, and for that purpose it does the job.

It's best for the truly budget-capped buyer or someone testing the hobby before investing. At around $130 it's far cheaper than the Dedica, Bambino, or Gaggia, and the community's usual advice is blunt: if you can stretch the budget, the Gaggia Classic Pro or Bambino are a different league, but if $130 is the ceiling, the EC155 is a legitimate way to start. Pair it with the best grinder you can afford and the cheap non-pressurized basket mod to get the most out of it.