Dose Control Pro

Original Encore is not suitable for espresso. Only the more expensive ESP version is. K6 will be **much** better than any electric at your price range, including the Dose Control. If you don't mind a bit of a workout, go for it!

OP literally just has two requirements - budget and electric. Having said that OP if you like the Breville grinder then I got my new dose control for £110

I felt a bigger jump going from Breville grinder to a K6 grinder, than I did going from a £70 machine to a Breville machine

Breville Grinder Pro. Hands down the best, and most cozy conscious buy for better espresso.

You *need* a Weber Workshop EG-1 or bust. JK - I would start with a used / refurbished one or possible and see what you think. I have a Breville Pro and it's been great.

Can confirm. I have had both of these for a couple of years. I mostly do Americano's and lattes. I wanted to experiment with "dialing in", but even at the finest setting, the Breville is too coarse, IMO. I just got the Fellows Opus and used it for the first time this morning. It can get much finer than the Breville and is more convenient to use for dialing in if you primarily fill the hopper in the Breville. The Bambino Plus makes really awesome steamed milk completely automatically. I bought it because of that feature. If you won't be making steamed milk, get the non-Plus version and put the money into a better grinder or other accessories, like a scale with 0.1g resolution or a bottomless portafilter. If I eventually decide to get a different machine, I will probably keep the Bambino Plus because of how easy it is to make steamed milk. The Bambino Plus is good enough for dialing in, and is I think better suited to "setting and forgetting" over something like the Gaggia Classic. Once you dial in a new bag, and have your puck prep consistent, you are done experimenting for that bag.

Breville burr grinder is the way to go! Have had ours for about 15 years now.

My Breville is 6+ years old and still kickin'...well grindin'!

I have the Breville and the OK Mokkom. The Breville I use for other grinds; the OK I use for espresso. The OK Mokkom is a flat burr grinder vs. conical, which is what the Breville has. I think the OK Mokkom was the cheapest flat burr I could find (lowest that I've seen it on sale is $161.99.)

I have had the breville going on 4 years! It’s been awesome for everything including espresso! And can’t beat how long it’s lasted, use it every day!

Whole beans, usually purchased locally, grind my own at time of use. I used a $20 hand grinder for years and years before I finally pulled the trigger on a basic Breville electric grinder, but honestly that's just so I can get down to espresso ground fineness easier, it's not necessary for most applications. I tend to try random beans from roasters all over the area or when I travel. If you're not picky or adventurous, Costco often has very paletable Lavaza beans in bulk that you can always freeze to make them last.