You want to make good espresso at home. You've never owned an espresso machine. The internet has given you analysis paralysis with 47 options and a glossary of terms you don't understand yet. Here's the shortcut.
Before you think about machines, answer this: do you want a project, or do you want coffee?
If you want coffee — fast, consistent, good, with minimal learning curve — buy the Sage Barista Express Impress (~£630). Built-in grinder, intelligent dosing, assisted tamping. It makes excellent espresso and it will not frustrate you. You will be drinking better coffee than your local Costa within a week. Done.
If you want a project — if the idea of learning to dial in, experimenting with grind settings, and slowly improving your technique sounds remarkably appealing rather than exhausting — keep reading.
Sage Bambino Plus (~£400) + 1Zpresso JX-S (~£130) = ~£530 total.
This setup teaches you proper espresso technique without punishing your mistakes. The Bambino Plus's auto steam wand handles milk drinks while you focus on learning the espresso side. The 1Zpresso JX-S produces excellent grinds with a satisfying manual workflow. PID temperature control means the machine is consistent even while you're learning. And at £530, you haven't bet the mortgage on a hobby you might not stick with.
Sage Bambino (~£300) + Timemore C3 ESP PRO (~£80) = ~£380 total.
This is the price floor for real espresso. Below this, you're making compromises that will frustrate you. The Bambino's manual steam wand means you'll need to learn milk steaming, and the hand grinder takes 30 seconds of effort per dose, but the coffee quality is genuinely excellent for the money. If £380 is your absolute maximum, this setup will serve you well.
The DeLonghi Dedica (~£230) exists and it's fine. It makes acceptable espresso. But "acceptable" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. If you can stretch to £300 for the Bambino, the difference in your cup is significant enough that we'd always recommend finding the extra £70.
The machine is half the equation. The grinder is the other half. A £300 machine with a £130 grinder will produce better espresso than a £500 machine with a £30 blade grinder. If your budget forces a choice, put more money into the grinder. Always.