I just found something great -
automatic milk frothers!
I remember using a manual Bodum milk foamer some 20 years ago and that it did not do a very great job - so I gave it to a friend.
So, so far, I had been relying on top-of-the-line espresso machines that have strong enough steam to be able to foam milk nicely. This is especially important as it is not so easy to foam soy milk as it is to foam dairy milk.
If you simply want good espresso, it is very easy to get a capable machine for as little as 100-200 $ (but you need to calculate another 100$ for a good grinder, which is arguably more important for espresso quality than the espresso machine).
Examples:
If you want to also have milk-foam-based drinks, then things get more demanding (and expensive) as you need to either get a very good single boiler machine that can quickly generate the steam, or go for an (even more expensive) double boiler machine that can provide both espresso and steam at the same time.
Now, with the milk frothing device (which set me back only 80$), I am suddenly able to get a good soya cappuccino or latte at the office with the "standard" espresso machine that is there. Quite an improvement!!!