We have a sage duo temp pro. Got it for £270 on a deal when it was £480. It's now £400. We also bought a separate grinder, delonghi. I would advise any sage machine, it's been fantastic.
I used the duo temp for the last 9 years and loved every second of it before upgrading. It’s a great machine and super reliable. Definitely use a puck screen. The shower screen is notorious for getting gunked up. It looks to me like you have really everything you can “need” to make some great espresso. The only thing I did that I found helpful for some more clearance under the group head and for knowing how my shots are pulling was swapping the spouted portafilter for a naked one.
Awesome setup! Enjoy the coffee!
I love my Breville Duo Temp Plus, a discontinued model that was just above the Bambino before the Bambino was upgraded to the rock star it is today. $300 on sale in 2000, still going strong, makes a delicious cappuccino or latte and a decent Americano which is saying something because I usually hate Americanos. If I liked drinking espresso, and was really into it, I’d go more expensive, but for people like me I think a Breville and some Monin coffee syrup saves me a fortune in Pistachio Lattes from the McDonald’s of coffee.
This might not be helpful, but I think a LELIT Bianca with the light wood handles would look great on that counter. Maybe you could get a Bambino, put it off to the side on the counter, and start saving the $3,000 for that or whatever it is you really want.
I got the Duotemp pro in 2020 when my 3rd hand drip machine died. I already had a standalone delonghi grinder that's still going strong. The espresso machines take little practice to master if you're not trained, but a few youtube tutorials on your beverage of choice, plus the expectation that you'll have shit coffee for a few days, is usually enough to get you over the line.
Having said that, I do know some coffee drinkers who've used a machine daily for 7-8 years and still pull the most sour shots every time without fail. So ymmv.
Top Espresso Machines on Reddit
1
Breville
Bambino Plus
77% positive of 1,081 users
Fast heat-up, easy for beginners; inconsistent shots, annoying cleaning.
3a5ty
