[djmcmath]

I just lost an Isomac Relax that I've had for ... 8 years? I've had that machine forever, and I've made a LOT of coffee with it. If you can get used to the heat exchanger, it's worth spending just a little more than your $500 budget.

Under that line, there's not a lot that's real good. The features that matter are the ability to precisely control shot temperature (either a PID-controlled boiler or a way to monitor/control shot temperature), an E61 grouphead, and, if you're into milk-espresso drinks, the ability to froth and pull shots simultaneously.

Sure -- a cheap machine may pull better shots than the kid at *$, but when you get a good shot from a well-built machine, even the non-snobs can tell the difference.

Just my $0.02.

Dan