First off, I'm a newbie. I have no idea what I'm talking about whatsoever.
I mainly want to make espresso for lattes, and occasional shots for when I need something quick. I'm not much of a plain "black" coffee drinker, as I prefer lattes. Needless to say that I have a tight budget. $200 is even pushing it.

Question is, I need to find a espresso machine, grinder, frother, one of those jugs to heat and froth milk in, (or a steam wand) or whatever I need, for that price.
I'm not asking for "perfect" espresso, I just want good tasting espresso if that makes sense.

I was wondering if I even needed a grinder? Can't I just buy like the bags of coffee that places like starbucks labels as "espresso"? I would imagine that its just finely ground coffee? I'm not exactly sure on how much the home ground coffee has an impact on the actual flavor of the espresso, or latte.

I've seen that aeropress thing and I'm not really into the labor process that has to be put in to pull some shots, but then again what do I know.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

That's asking a lot! The mypressi TWIST + Hario Mini Mill + Bellman Steamer meet your criteria (barely). Don't waste your time with preground coffee. If you're thinking preground, you're better off with a manual grinder + French press + freshly roasted coffee. If this sounds like too much work, the only other option that comes to mind is capsules (e.g., Nespresso/illy iperEspresso).

Tip #1: "I have no idea what I'm talking about whatsoever." Read around the forum a bit before posting, this is what it feels like to answer the same question all the time: What to do about newbie noise

Tip #2: This forum is targeted as the "guide to exceptional espresso" not cheap espresso, so you're probably not going to find a lot of recommendations in your price range. Searching this forum for "budget" shows a bunch of threads started by people with budgets in the $500-$2,000 range which is probably pretty typical. Besides being messy, espresso can also be expensive.

Tip #3: If after reading around you decide that you would like to try to make some good espresso on a budget of $200, I'm sure it's possible, but it will probably involve lots of craigslisting.

Tip #4: Or you could try going the MyPressi Twist + hand grinder route. It's not going to look like the espresso machine you're imagining, but at least there's a grinder involved which makes it a huge step up from anything using pre-ground beans. And you can certainly get some good espresso out of it.

Tip #5: If you'd rather get a cheap and easy machine to make some strong espresso like beverages, try searching Amazon for "nespresso" and see if anything looks promising.

I use the MyPressi TWIST espresso machine paired with a Kyocera CM-45 CF hand grinder as my work / travel espresso machine. It works very well and was put to the test last week when I visited my parents and used it to make double espressos and Americanos.

I also have the Bellman Steamer that Dan references, but I'm still working on getting good microfoam from it. From what I've heard it's about as hard to steam with as a La Pavoni manual and I've made some progress but have a problem keeping the whirlpool going. I've ordered a new frothing pitcher and am curious to see what difference it makes. I don't get as much practice as I might as I prefer straight espresso and it's the Wife who likes milk or more properly soy based drinks.

I've been recently playing with a Bialetti Mukka Express combination moka pot and milk frother that I got for $20 as-is from Whole Foods. They had a dozen or so Bialetti moka pots on display and the one Mukka Express, I've always been curious about this, but my initial trials so far have confirmed that it's not a great solution. The Wife thinks it makes a palatable milk-based drink so I may keep it as a backup.

JayMeezy wrote:I was wondering if I even needed a grinder?

I'd use more, but the allowed max is 3

For $25 you can buy a new AeroPress and for $15 a Milk Frother. This is a hand pressed "espresso" through a very fine paper filter. I received both of these for Christmas a couple of years ago, and for the money, it cannot be beat for making cheap lattes. I wouldn't recommend it at all for true espresso, but you with a good fine ground coffee and near boiling water, you can make a half-decent Latte. (I'm a newbie, by the way, but I think this would fit your bill and you can save your money for an entry level SB like a Gaggia).

Hey, it's ghetto, but it works for lattes (plus you can take it camping

AeroPress on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31KKAWZd1N8

Milk Frother at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aerolatte-Milk-Fr...0002KZUNK/

AeroPress at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-80R08-Aer...000GXZ2GS/

does this look promising?
http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC702-15...001CNG7RY/

You can find more information on the DeLonghi EC702 which has already been discussed on the forums here.

To be serious (yes, it happens occasionally..).. You can throw $200 of your money at a setup to make espresso, but you will spend a lot of time wondering why the coffee tastes like... uhhhh.. let's just say not a food product.

Are you interested in making espresso or just the best possible coffee you can with $200? For the best possible, full-bodied coffee for the money, I would recommend the Espro Press. It looks expensive for what it is, but the coffee it produces is exceptional when fed quality coffee, and it is exceptionally well built. For around $85 you can pick up a refurbished Baratza grinder. Add a milk frother if you like, and you come in under budget.

Is it espresso? No. But it just might make some of the best coffee you have ever dranken.

The next step up is the Mypressi Twist. That costs about $150 without the grinder. It can use preground coffee as well as ESE pods, but I would never recommend using preground for espresso and the pods are not economical in the long run.

All IMO, of course.

"If you think it's a good thing to be drunk, ask a glass of water its opinion."

Read through my website and you will get a feel for where you are and where you may end up. Most of us started where you are now and ended up here. Hand-basket central. May not be a destination you wish to aim for.. In 2000 I started out thinking that $125 should be plenty for a machine to make espresso coffee. Ya.. Right!

To paraphrase The Dead: "I might be going to Hell with an Espresso, but at least I'm enjoying the ride."

If you want quick and easy, the Gagga for Illy is not too bad. We got one for the board room at work. The Illy iperEspresso Capsules are not the best in the world but when adding milk, they make a passable drink. No worse than big green produces. That is not saying a lot, but it is an option.