Reddit mentions of Bialetti venus Stovetop espresso coffee maker, 6 -Cup, Stainless Steel

Or try a nice stovetop set for that price? They're a nice upgrade from the humble classic stovetop espresso maker

This gives you some leftover budget to get some beans and a milk frother

I can’t refrain from commenting on this since I’ve been having the exact same thought process. As of now I cannot afford an actual espresso machine and other proper gear, and since I only have a French press, I’m considering the Moka pot. Here’s my take on this:

I’m very much a coffee nerd and I love espresso-based drinks, particularly a latte or a cappuccino. To make a good espresso shot with lovely ‘crema’ on top, you’d need around 9 bars of pressure, which can only be supplied by a proper espresso machine. Even certain ones (worth, say, $100) advertised with more than 10 bars of pressure are not very good because they lack the pressure regulation to maintain 9 bars throughout the whole 20ish second shot. The Moka pot, of course, cannot supply such pressure either. Most Moka pots gravitate around 1.5 to 2 bars of pressure, which is significantly lower than what you need. That being said, I do recommend getting one until you can have a professional setup because:

• Moka pot coffee is still delicious and much richer/stronger than other types of homemade coffee;
  
• You can make your coffee slightly stronger (to get closer to a proper espresso shot) by changing the coffee - water ratio in favour of the coffee;
  
• You can buy an inexpensive ($10-15) milk frother or use a French press to froth the milk for your tasty lattes (to use the French press to froth, pour warm milk inside and pump the plunger up and down rapidly);
  
• The pot itself isn’t too expensive and can be maintained easily.
  Without doubt, I would recommend to go for a Bialetti such as these:
  
  Bialetti 6-cup stove pot espresso maker
  
  Bialetti Venus Induction coffee maker
  
  Happy coffee making!