Some people may consider the moment that you plunk down nearly $2k on an espresso machine a moment of personal reflection: Is excellent espresso so important to you that you can justify this expenditure? We consider it simply a moment of truth -- while others may end up spending over $2k on their coffee throughout the year, they'd prefer to do it in $4 increments that seem like a negligible investment. You, on the other hand, have vision. If you're serious enough to get into the 'prosumer' class of home espresso machines, we can't recommend the Rocket Giotto Premium Plus highly enough. It could be our favorite machine...and while we do try to remain machine-agnostic in our quest to ply you with the best coffee gear to suit your needs, our own moment of truth tells us that the espresso machine waiting on the other side of nirvana must certainly be the Giotto Premium Plus. With its excellent temperature control, powerful steaming functionality and extremely functional design, the Giotto Premium Plus makes amazing espresso and silky foamed milk every time you go toe to toe. We love the separate water tank lid and its molded design -- although we do wish that the drip tray was a bit bigger and we think the hot water nozzle sometimes gets in the way. The Rocket stars in many of our YouTube videos, so check them out to see it in action -- and then maybe it will be time for your own moment of truth: Yes, excellent espresso is that important.