I don’t disagree with you on the need to spend that much money, but I sincerely doubt that you couldn’t tell the difference between a Nespresso and a freshly ground espresso shot (Unless the beans are old or horribly cheap or you haven’t honed your technique). My wife had the same view when I replaced the Nespresso with a Jura (super automatic, but the same principles apply) and whilst we still use a Nespresso in a hotel room or when there isn’t choice, we would never go back.