re: Espresso machine

I went down this rabbit hole last month and settled on an open box DF64 grinder from Turin/Espresso Outlet and pre ordered a Turin Legato machine. Got both for $600 as a Black Friday deal. The Legato is a private labeled machine from Asia that is loaded with features for the price, excited to get it.

My takeaways from searching: the grinder is most important, spend your money there. If convenience is your thing or not sure the hobby will stick, go to your local TJ Maxx or Homegoods and you can probably find a Breville with a built in grinder for $500. If you want a separate grinder, the Baratza Encore ESP is solid, the DF64 is best bang for the buck if you want to spend a little more. For machines, the Breville Barista is solid, get the Barista Plus if you intend to make a lot of milk drinks, get the Turin Legato if you want more premium features for a reasonable price, get a Gaggia Classic if you want old school (but it’s single boiler so it’s more involved to dial in the shot and steam milk).