OPTION-O - Lagom P64

I have a J-max and upgraded to a Lagom P64. Nowadays I use only the P64 but still have my Jmax and use it rarely. That being said, the hand grinding works well with dark and medium roast. It is a huge chore with light roasts which is why I went electric. If you're sticking with dark roasts or medium roasts, then you should be fine. The J-max, J-ultra, and I assume K6 should beat an electric grinder of the same price range as far as taste and consistency go. Compared to the p64 with both SSP HU and mizen omni burrs, I do find more nuanced flavors with light roasts and even medium roasts, but this is unblinded. I think they should still produce great espresso regardless. If you see yourself wanting to go electric or go for light roasts or work flow reasons, I would consider saving for something like the Lagom casa, DF 54 or 64, Eureka line to buy once, cry once.

I have a P64 with SSP MP and I'm very happy with the result. I think it's my end game grinder and killed my desire to upgrade further. Might try another burr set in the future but that's way less costly than switching up grinders. 

Bite the bullet and get the Lagom P64

I think the tolerances and auger make the SSP MP burrs perform worse than they otherwise do in a grinder with better tolerances. 

That was my exact situation. Ended up with the P64 and haven’t regretted it at all.

I have two Odes--a gen 1 w/gen v2 burrs and gen 2 with SSP MPs. I wouldn't recommend the SSPs. The newer Fellow brew burrs are easier to dial in IMO. I have just replaced my SSP MPs with SSP Lab Sweets. They're better than the MPs for filter brew. But, I can't really say if they're worth the price for the upgrade. Obviously, this is a subjective opinion, so YMMV.

Some will push back against this but in General Electric is able to outperform hand grinding. The issue though is “for what price?” The get the same performance from an electric as a hand grinder, you pay more money. I have had an Ode Gen 2 ($350 electric), P64 ($1800 electric), Lagom 01 ($3000 electric) and a Pietro ($500 hand grinder) . It’s a lot of hassle to use the Pietro but it makes a great cup or pour over. The Lagom 01 is my “best” grinder by quality of the cup and experience using it. It has 102mm blind burrs in it that you could not have in a hand grinder. The cups it makes aren’t 6x the cups of a Pietro though. Hope that helps

It is the internet, with a global reach. Many of the subs and forums get dominated by people who need to tell why they are right and you are wrong. Having owned a DF64 and found it to be one of the loudest, most unreliable grinders backed with no customer service, I have had in 40 years, I would say well done you dodged a bullet. Anything by Option O gets my vote (I have a P64 now, owned a Mini and tested a Casa and P100). The cheaper Eurekas I like as hopper fed grinders, but not single dose (the adjustment is not consistent). Niche Zero (I have one) is bombproof, quiet and lovely adjustment. However, more of a traditional darker to medium roast grinder. A used Mazzer SJ or Mini would be bombproof and a good find.

I have a P64. When I first got into espresso, I remember seeing this and thinking it was ridiculously overpriced and people are dumb for spending that much. But I love this thing. Had a DF64 for a couple of years and it really started to bother me. The P64 isn't perfect, but it's close, and even with the upgraded 80mm version that just came out I have no desire to upgrade.

If you want an espresso machine that makes very good espresso and doesn’t look like a traditional espresso machine you will be slightly limited in your options, but as with a lot of things this can be surmounted by spending more money. Id suggest asking your wife whether she likes the [ModBar](https://modbar.com/). It makes good espresso and the business end of the machine is mounted under the counter, so will look nice in a minimalist kitchen. You’ll need good water as others have advised, and plumbing in a softener is essential in London. Hard water will destroy your machine very quickly. A good grinder is possibly the most important piece of the puzzle. You’ll want this to be as small and quiet as reasonably possible without sacrificing performance. You could start with something like the [Lagom p64](https://www.option-o.com/shop/p/lagom-p64) which is neat, quiet and relatively inexpensive given what you’re spending on the espresso machine, and switch to something else like a [Titus](https://www.titusgrinding.de/) when you have the experience to know what you actually want.