I own 5. I have a. Vario W+. A Eureka ORO XL. 1Zpresso JX pro, Outin Fino and a Cera +. I do most things with the ORO which single doses and with the Argo wheel will move between Espresso and everything else very easily, reliably and accurately. I do hand grind for my flair FP3 with the JX pro because it’s set up for that. At work I use the Outin Fino for everything from Outin Nano to Aeropress, Clever and V60. I bought the ORO new and it has been bullet proof for almost 5 years. It replaced the Vario, which is in my basement. I have been drinking home espresso since 2003ish. I do upgrade but it’s pretty intentional and functionally driven. I’m on my 5th machine (Lelit Victoria bought new 5 years ago) and it is perfect for my use case. The ORO was some serious coin, but it is prettyamazing. Low retention (almost zero with rdt) and infinitely adjustable with the Argo wheel. I grind V60 at 60 and Yirgachaffe for espresso at 6. It returns to the setting. I am interested in the Mahlkoenig X64 SD. I love their grinders. If the ORO ever breaks, it’ll be on my short list.
Def. At this price point it’s never gonna be quiet. I remember my 17yo Baratza Vario well. The extra $ for the Mignon Silenzio is probably worth it but these well-made grinders just keep going and going. By the time I upgraded I just went up a step to the Eureka Oro XL which I don’t regret
The Flair workflow is a pain, especially when making multiple drinks. I have one and a La Pavoni and the Flair only gets travel use. (Edit: Didn’t realize the 58 has a more “normal” workflow than the classic Flair).
I bought my mom a Bambino Plus + Sette 5 years ago and she absolutely loves the setup. The machine hits a real sweet spot as a step up from a Nespresso, as the instant heat is EXTREMELY practical for exactly your use case (early morning pre-coffee caffeination), to the point where I’m shocked that nobody has really nailed that in the “step-up” machines. There are better grinder options today, and you have some choices with the machine (you can find a second-hand La Pavoni around that price range, or any of the options you listed). If I were to swap pieces of my setup for my mom’s, I’m fully confident I’d get a similar (or perhaps better) shot out of her machine with my grinder, but the gap between her Sette and my Mignon XL is serious (though the price sweet spot may be somewhere in the middle).
I just keep my old Baratza for brew and use a Mignon XL for espresso. The Eureka’s adjustment mechanism is great for small adjustments within espresso, less good for being able to make a major adjustment and get back to where you were. It’s generally nice having the espresso adjustment stay put — getting things dialed back often burns a shot or two of beans.
I think the Baratza Forte is basically designed for what you’re looking for, though I can’t speak for it personally.
Designer66
