CM5418 Pro

Here's some options *besides* the standard Bambino & Encore ESP that might help fit things into your budget better. (And you *absolutely* need a grinder BTW, unless you're OK with pressurized basket espresso.) I'm also not going to get into used/second hand pricing. Very often the cheaper you go, you also need to get accessories, which I have not really considered or factored in here. Cheaper machines tend to only come with pressurized baskets. * Casabrews 5418 Pro ($200). Most similar to Bambino but less $. * Delonghi ECP/Stilosa ($150). Save some money, but definitely need baskets (& willingness to hack to really unlock) * Flair Neo Flex ($100). Totally manual, but saves some more money. No milk frothing. For grinders - this is more complex. The best way to save money is to get a manual hand grinder. A Kin K6 is about $100, for example, which leaves you room to get an even better one. If you want to stick to electric, Encore ESP is unfortunately tough to beat. The DF54 is also widely recommended, but lately people have been commenting about clogging. Mine doesn't do that, but perhaps something in the manufacturing changed. It's unclear. The other newcomer (and less proven) at this point is Shardor's 64mm "professional" grinder, at about $150. The Turin SD40S at closer to $200 is another consistent recommendation from a lot of folks around here. "Why not just get a cheaper grinder" well... your ability to have repeated, consistent success; the quality (or lack thereof) of your workflow; and the espresso you get in the cup is determined more by the grinder than the machine. I didn't want to believe it either when I started many years ago, and wasted a lot of coffee, time, money, and hair. Don't be me. I assume you can also source freshly roasted beans - that will be important too!

Casabrews 5418 pro.  Strong stream wand from what a lot of reviews say. Fast heat up. Will feel similar to a bambino at a way lower price point. Just have to get a grinder.  I'm gonna give a tip as someone who has been a commercial barista for the last 13 years (also an unpopular opinion): If you're adding milk to espresso (which 90 percent+ of people at cafes do), you can fix a lot of mediocre coffee by knowing how to steam milk and integrate it properly. This is especially true if you also plan to sweeten your drink.  I've had plenty of acceptable drinks made with subpar ingredients from giant commercial chains as long as they're steaming and integrating the milk/espresso properly. With that said, if you're drinking espresso straight, you'll definitely notice a huge difference using subpar ingredients. You'll also notice it a lot more in drinks like americanos or long blacks or traditional macchiatos

I have the Casabrew CM5418 Pro, it appears to have the ultra fast heating element that the Bambino has. There isn’t a ton of research or videos on the CM5418 Pro but I think it’s been a great machine and appears to be worth the upgrade from the non pro version. It heats up in literally three seconds.

I'm a coffee newbie and haven't used Jura, so I can't really recommend any model. Just speaking from my own experience,I'm using the casabrews because it's easy to use and saves time. To make coffee fast, you need quick heat-up and good crema. So if you just want something quick that makes decent coffee, you don't need to spend $2k. My 5418 pro would probably work just fine for you.

i’m on the 5418 too, one thing i’d add is grabbing a decent tamper and a simple WDT tool. the stock stuff works, but these two make the puck spreads more evenly without spending much.

My first machine was Casabrews CM5418 and it's still on my counter. Pretty beginner friendly tbh. The pressurized basket makes the early learning phase way less frustrating, so you will not pulling sour or choking shots all the time. And after pairing it with a decent grinder the shots got super good. ice crema, chocolatey body, and a little nutty sweetness depending on the beans. I mostly do cappuccinos and it’s been very easy to live with day to day.

I have a Bambino plus and a casabrews cm5418, they make comparable espresso, but the BBP is a bit nicer to use, has a few extra features, has better steam wand and better build quality, but if money is an issue, the CB will still make a decent espresso