For what it's worth I would ask the question at what point would you give up on espresso before moving to a different brew method. Obviously expensive equipment can make great espresso and cheaper equipment less good. Below a (subjective) point that espresso is pretty rubbish, yet it's also true that a very good quality coffee made with a different brew method can be had for under £100.
I have decent espresso machine and grinder at home. At work I had a nespresso machine. I decided after a while that I just couldn't get anything I really enjoyed out of the nespresso machine, wasn't going to fund a gaggia/similar and grinder, but I could take to a hand ground filter coffee made with nice quality fresh beans instead - fiver or so for the v60, hand grinders out there variously £20-£100. I spent towards the top end of that on the grinder but I almost certainly didn't need to. It's not an espresso, or even close, but it is definitely a nice coffee.
If cost is a major issue then that's running costs too, and nespresso is as bad as the really expensive stuff on that front, and environmentally terrible. Even if the pods are biodegradable or recyclable, they still have to be made, shipped (at least twice?) and recycled, with all the various impacts of those operations.
Your mileage may vary of course. And some would call me a coffee snob!
Unless you’re living in Scotland, water from the tap is not going to make great coffee.
FTFY
Now we’re talking. Are you a milk in first or last kinda tea drinker? This is important
Definately milk last, i heard it can clog the holes in a tea bag.
My issue with the little Bialetti isn't that it won't stand on the hob, it's that the smallest ring is basically the same diameter as the base. I've got one the same size as the one on the brake disc and that works fine but this one is just too small, the flame isn't heating the base so it takes ages to heat up and doesn't push all the water up. I've wondered about trying sitting it inside a small frying pan but I think really it needs an electric hob
Moka pot wise - my coffee never looks great and is not overly pleasant.
What grind size for the moka pot, espresso?
do i fill with boiling water to speed up/prevent the coffee tasting burnt?
smallest gas ring on highest setting?