I have been using a Gaggia Synchrony - see below - and we're drinking less coffee and need the space that the Gaggia takes. These are fully automatic semi-catering machines. We only drink expresso but like good expresso - I use to even roast and blend my own beans from green. I'm thinking of getting a pod / Nespresso machine - not bothered about the pod cost - just taste and space. Basically if the coffee isn't as good as my current machine I won't bother.

The feedback and stuff I read is really polarised people either say the coffee is really good (but are these people who have never owned a proper machine and have no common point of comparison with me except comparing it to instant or other forms of coffee abuse?) or they say that pod coffee tastes really poor (are these people that have owned a proper machine?) and I'm unable to visit anywhere that has one I can try. And are these machines full pressure machines or do they simply force overheated water through the pods?

So I'm relying on fellow FT'ers!

Can anyone who really, really, really understands their expresso give me some feedback purely on comparing the taste with reall expresso and if I don't need anything done with milk what would be the best small machines to consider.

This is my current machine(s).