You know I lived in Europe for quite a while and well spend a huge amount of time trying to get the balance right to brew my own espresso. It is really hard to get the balance right and consistent. having a great cup one day and an average one the next with a poor cup mixed in was making me nuts. I will tell you my solution... sadly it is not what you are looking for.
two things, I use a nespresso it isn't the best espresso I have had but it is better than the average american speciality coffee places. Not better than mine an a good day but as better than my average with super consistent results. My purest friends poopoo me but hey I make good espresso every time and less cost than a good machine costs. The machine pressure and temp is all part but I found that there is something else and you have it or you don't. I can follow a great chefs recipe exactly using the same ingredients and still not get it that same there is variations that just need to be adjusted for each time and that is where I fail.
I also use an aeropress at work. It isn't espresso (I use lazatta espresso in it) but it isn't quite coffee. It is a fab thing I follow the instructions and jump my weigh on the plunger (220lbs) and done. (be careful it sucks when the cup slides out and you slam on the floor with coffee all over you...) Great coffee something between espresso and french press. Hard to describe it is good...
http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm
http://www.nespresso.com
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