James Hoffmann is a great resource for anything coffee and was going to recommend him as well.

I think this, from his book, The World Atlas of Coffee, is very telling:

> "Making espresso is both incredibly frustrating and also very rewarding. I must offer a word of caution here: don't invest in an espresso machine unless you want a new hobby. The fantasy of whipping up a couple of delicious cappuccinos...is a very long way away from the work involved in preparing the drinks."