DF83 Gen 1

I have a DF83 and it works well for both!

DF83 on the grinder. (that's a full stop, IMHO, it'll do espresso and everything else that you ever get into) I'm partial to the AscasoDream because I have one, but anything that's a heat exchanger/thermoblock (instead of single boiler) is great for the home barista and the use-case you describe. Open-box and refurb machines will absolutely stretch your dollar. But, unless you are a tinkerer, I'd suggest sticking to reliable sellers (SGC, WLL, etc.) and not Craigslist or eBay. Might consider a Bambino Plus and with the little bit of money left over, get all of the accoutrement that you'll invariably find are necessary - some more than others - (e.g., scales, WDTs, towels, cups, brushes, pitchers, extra portafilters, upgraded baskets, etc.), The Profitec (as many others have suggested) would be a good choice too, I just personally dislike the aesthetic. Since you have a little wiggle room in your budget to get, consider style some...you and your partner are going to have to look at this thing everyday. I assure you that if I had a massive science-experiment looking Lelit Bianca sitting out on the counter instead of my sleek "space-age" looking Ascaso, my wife and I would have different conversations about the "coffee bar".

DF83 that probably cost me too much by the time I added SSP burrs 🤣 I chose it because there was a lot of hype around them at the time as a good flat burr grinder for the price. I probably could have gone with 64 and saved some money, in retrospect. I don't know what benefit I'm getting from the larger burrs. And my stock burrs were either defective or just super out of whack and I could never align them. I didn't have that problem once I bought some SSP burrs, but, of course, that was another few hundred dollars. I've also added a Cremaloop slow feeder and that drastically improved consistency. I'm pretty happy with it at this point, but I've spent around $1,100 total and that feels like so much when I could have gotten a Niche zero or something similar that other people recommend for like half the cost.

Opus and DF83 The Opus is okay, but so slow. I got the Df83 cheap and I don't feel feel the need for anything more.

For a single grinder, df83 or time more 078 with multipurpose ssp burr might be the best bet.

Ive had maybe 10 filter grinders in the last 5 years. No hand grinders . With about a half dozen sets of SSP burrs. That being said. I want total clarity . Very pronounced fruit tones etc. I still have a 078 and it’s a great grinder. However I have had my best cups from a DF83 with SSP MPV2 silver knight burrs. I’ve had SSP brew burrs, SSP MPV1 red coated, and SSP Lab Sweet burrs in the DF83 for filter. But the DF83 with SSP MPV2. This combination for me is stellar. I prefer it over the 078. Or any of my others. I just seen one for sale on the home-barista.com forum. Might be able to snatch it for a bargain. Throw whatever filter burrs you want in it. Hope this helps.

There is almost no reason to go above a df83