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''get moving quicker and faster in the morning.

Worried that your first cup of coffee for the day is starting to lose its edge?

Then fear no more. These days' manufacturers are making the espresso machine available to just about anyone who wants one. Creating the perfect caf' style shot of this black aromatic brew first thing in the morning has never been easier.

And these new fangled machines are nothing like your Dad's old style Coffee Maker either.

The older generation just don't seem to understand our modern day fascination with drinking a good espresso. The social forces underlying life today are bringing household accessories like espresso machines to the forefront of our collective minds.

Almost daily there seems to be new international influences popping up in the coffee scene and this, coupled with the widespread acceptance of the local specialty coffee shop have all helped people from America, Australia, the UK, Asia and many other countries around the world to totally embrace the idea of owning an espresso machine.

Life today is all about the quick fix ' it is our need for instant gratification.

What else is there that provides a quicker fix than the punch delivered by a shot of good steaming espresso?

It makes perfect sense that coffee drinkers want to add an espresso coffee maker to their list of kitchen gadgets all in the name of getting that instant morning heart starter - you can also justify your thoughts by saying that there is the superior flavor too!

Then make mine a double please!

Is that a double shot you mean? Well some mornings ' yes!

Now days the espresso coffee maker is available in just about any style or configuration you could possibly imagine. You can start with the small, single-cup models and go right on up to the top end of the range to the more expensive imports better suited to busy coffee shops than a home kitchen. Really it is only a matter of how deep your pockets are and how much spare space you have on your kitchen bench.

Technically espresso machines range from piston operated models that offer a 'throw-back' feel of old world coffee houses all the way up to the super dooper automatic models that do everything apart from drink the coffee for you ' they are even self cleaning ' all at the touch of a button. For our time-starved generation, it's little wonder that the fastest growing category amongst the espresso coffee maker offerings is the fully automatic machine.

Can you just imagine'..at the touch of a button this machine grinds the beans, tamps them, brews the coffee, dumps the leftover grinds and even froths the milk. All that's left for you to do is drink it ' and enjoy that full fresh flavor!

As far as the espresso coffee maker goes, the super-automatic model is the pinnacle of innovation and is gaining wide acceptance all over the world for its ease of use and product quality. However, this amount of innovation does not come cheaply. To own one of these 'super' machines you could have to shell out a few thousand dollars.

But when you think about it, why worry about price when your espresso machine can make so many variations of top quality brew based on espresso - all at the mere touch of a little black button?

Are you convinced yet? In the end I suppose it really depends on how much you love your coffee.

Fortunately you don't need to go out and mortgage the family home just to own a good quality espresso maker. There's a good selection of models across the whole spectrum of prices that are more than capable of making a good quality espresso, cappuccino, latte or flat white in the comfort of your own home.

But for the really serious coffee connoisseurs ' a good quality espresso maker is the perfect appliance to provide you with many years of coffee brewing pleasure.

Enjoy!