Fresh roasted beans are a prerequisite for quality espresso.

The espresso grinder is the key to making quality espresso and there is no way to achieve satisfactory results without a good one. It's impossible to make quality espresso with preground coffee.

The espresso machine is the least important part of the equation. I suggest the purchase of a basic Gaggia model, either an Espresso, Coffee, Evolution, or Carezza. These are ideal for the home where they'll be used once or twice daily, and only occasionally used to pull consecutive shots.

These consumer machines aren't equipped with a 3-way solenoid valve that relieves pressure in the brew group immediately after a shot. For most people this valve is unnecessary because they won't use the machine more than a few times a day. If your plan is to use the machine more frequently, say for entertaining, then I'd advise upgrading to a 3-way solenoid equipped machine such as the Classic or Baby.

Technique is mastered by experimenting and repetition. Sit at a table with a half pound of beans, your grinder, the machine and the necessary accessories. Adjust the grinder until you've choked the filter (nothing passes when you pull a shot). Making minute changes, grind progressively coarser until you get 1 ounce in the cup in 25 seconds using the single filter (double filter = 2 ozs in 25 - 30 seconds).

For dosing of the filter I use this technique;
* Using a bottomless yogurt cup, overfill the filter
* Use a skinny probe/pick to stir the grounds
* Remove the cup and level the grounds with the top of the filter
* Tamp - light or heavy (consistency is the key)