How Much Should I Spend When Investing In An At-Home Espresso Machine? I remember discussing the merits of different espresso machines a while back at my local coffee shop with a seasoned barista. His advice was that anything priced below $1000 would produce sub-par espresso.

Is this a good rule of thumb? In other words...

What is the minimum amount of money one should spend when investing in a at-home espresso machine?

For the purposes of this question, I'm interested in semi-automatic espresso machines. It would be used to make straight espresso and espresso beverages.
It's important to note that you should be thinking of your entire espresso budget (i.e. Machine, Grinder, and Accessories) when trying to find the "right" price. If you were to buy a $1000 machine, you'd want to spend minimally $300 on an espresso grinder. If you're looking at spending a $1000 total and go with something that requires a little more technique, maybe the popular Rancilio Silvia / Rocky combination is right for you. Also, some say that the grinder is actually the most important component to consider when trying to make amazing coffee on a budget. It might be worth shorting yourself a bit on the machine to afford yourself a better grinder in the long run. I'd recommend the Baratza Vario as a starting point. It's pricier, but it does a fantastic job for both drip and espresso. Also, Baratza has amazing support/service and a history of quality. That can be worth quite a bit in the long run.