Eight years back, my Aunt Reneé gave me a [Nespresso machine](http://www.nespresso.com) as a housewarming gift for my then-new apartment. Nespresso had just hit the US at the time, well before coffee pods were to become a thing. And, in short, it remains one of the best gifts I’ve ever received; I’ve used it heavily, almost daily, since.

Unlike the Keurig and similar machines that showed up in the years after, the Nespresso makes espresso, not coffee. Also unlike the others, it does so very, very well; better even than most manual espresso machines. By now, [even a slew of Michelin-starred restaurants have been using Nespresso machines](http://www.aeonmagazine.com/being-human/julian-baggini-coffee-artisans/), given their reliably superior results.

As an espresso machine, the Nespresso primarily makes espresso (along with espresso-based drinks, like lattes and cappucinos.) Nespresso also sells capsules designed to pull a [‘lungo’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungo), which Jess drinks every morning. But I tend to prefer either straight espresso or American coffee. And while the Nespresso is aces at the first, the second, not so much.

Still, I’d also never really made much American coffee at home. Home percolators tend to make fairly terrible coffee, and in larger quantity than I could justify for just myself. And French Press coffee is too thick and gritty for my liking, as well as a total mess.

On the recommendation of a friend, however, I recently picked up an [AeroPress](http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359490266&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress), a coffee-maker dreamed up by the inventor of the [Aerobie](http://www.amazon.com/AEROBIE-PRO-RING-Colors-Vary/dp/B0000789T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359490317&sr=8-1&keywords=aerobie) (yes, that Aerobie). It’s small, cheap, and deceptively simple.

A weird hybrid of a French Press (you press it), filter coffee (it uses paper micro-filters) and an espresso machine (it pressurizes the beans), it seems like it should be a total disaster. But, in fact, it makes excellent coffee, a cup at a time, with almost zero mess. In fact, it makes some of the best coffee I’ve ever had.

If space or dollars are at a premium, a single AeroPress is all you need. If you have the room, and you’re willing to spend a bit more (though certainly far less than you’ll rack up by buying espresso drinks daily at your local coffee shop for even half a year), it’s worth picking up a Nespresso machine, too.