I recommend the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker.Very simple: due to the hermetically sealed little alu pods, it delivers the same quality as a real cappuccino machine (I think it's better than most coffeehouse coffee actually), but it's super-compact, and there's much, much less mess to deal with. And it's fast. If you just want an expresso, it's less than a minute from turning it on til you have your coffee!
Couldn't be simpler and quicker.
If you want milk, there's a few more steps. A steamer is pretty ridic for a home, so I just heat the milk in the microwave, and then froth it with a simple little frother.
It's recommended to pre-heat the cup also, with hot water.
I'f you're used to "a cup of coffee" being like half a liter, maybe this machine is not for you, it makes pretty small cups. But there are two sizes, and I guess one could use two capsules in one go for a double cup.
The capsules by the way, are expensive many places, 70 pence (a buck) per shot. But I buy directly from Nespresso.com, that's half price, much more in line of what home-brewing oughta cost.
