The two oldest machines here have been on sale longer than most owners have been drinking espresso. The Rancilio Silvia dates from 1997 and the original Gaggia Classic from 1991, and both product lines are still current — coffee machines are one of the few hardware categories where not redesigning is a selling point, because the core parts (pump, boiler, 58mm portafilter) have barely changed in decades and parts compatibility is worth more than new features.

The price spread is extreme: a Nespresso Vertuo body starts around US$150 while a La Marzocco Linea Mini runs past US$6,000 — roughly forty times more — yet both make something called espresso. What the extra money buys is not a higher flavour ceiling but thermal stability and the ability to pull shot after shot. Five of the ten are Italian brands; the rest come from Switzerland (two), Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States.