It's always about the barista. The machine must be good. But there is no machine that doesn't make lousy shots if the barista doesn't do her or his job. And a great barista can make magic with a basic machine. I see people upgrading to $5,000+ machines and still having trouble with their shots. Speaking of which, you do know that the Linea Mini is a $5,000+ machine and the Gaggia Classic is an under $500 machine, right? If you can even speak of the two in the same sentence, it says a lot...

I don't know that if I had $5,000 to spend, that would be my choice. But, I don't have $5,000 so I don't have to make that decision. You do whatever pleases you.