Stilosa EC230.BK

It's so hard to give recomendation without knowing what features they value in a setup. But this is a very thoughtful gift. Even just a nice grinder would be an amazing gift on its own. DF54 and DF64 gen 2 are both great electric grinders. Stilosa EC230, Sage Bambino, Rancilio Silvia are all great entry level machines. And can all be acquired second hand/refurbed. I think Stilosa EC230 + DF64 Gen 2 is a great combo, as is Bambino + DF54.

Just in terms of espresso quality and nothing else, Delonghi EC230.  Grinder diminishing returns for med and dark roast is prob a well aligned DF64 gen 2 For light roast prob mazzer Philos with i200D burrs.

Between these two, the DeLonghi one is gonna have better rep than the Vantro; and possibly more parts and long term reliability/support. However, I'd say get the Delonghi Stilosa EC230 instead, it's 15999 INR currently. It's a boiler design vs the thermoblock EC685, (meaning it'll take longer to heat up, and will lose steam pressure over time unlike the Dedica); but it comes with a better steaming wand out of the box The EC685 comes with a pannarello steam wand; which is great if you want to create some milk foam without having to fuss around with technique, but it won't do great latte art or give you any real control over the process if that's what you want. A popular upgrade for the Dedica EC685 is swapping out the steam wand to a Rancilio Silvia wand, but that's another \~4k upgrade, with a possibility of voiding warranty. The Stilosa comes with a better wand as standard. Also the Stilosa EC230 is marketed towards home enthusiasts and baristas apparently, so it comes with an unpressurized basket and portafilter; so you can save some money on the upgrade there One thing to note though is the Stilosa doesn't have any way to time the shot; you need to manually turn the knob to stop the shot. I consider that a plus; as it can be less of a hassle than programming the times (as you can do with the Dedica EC685); but you might like it. [https://www.amazon.in/DeLonghi-Espresso-Machines-Cappuccino-Installation/dp/B085J8LV4F](https://www.amazon.in/DeLonghi-Espresso-Machines-Cappuccino-Installation/dp/B085J8LV4F) Watch some videos on it; Lance Hendrick made a Stilosa video talking about their incredible value; and Tom's Coffee Corner on YT has tons of videos on these Delonghi Dedica/Stilosa machines

This. Stilosa ec230 ( comes with unpressurised basket) and then kingrinder k2 or k6 is the ultimate budget setup. Ive been using mine for a year and pull almost as good shots as 4k€ setup.

Varies by region, the EC is still significantly cheaper than the ecp in Europe and there's also the option of the 230 which comes with a steel non panarello steam wand as standard. They're all basically the same machine underneath (as well as some other past and present delonghis) and will take the same aftermarket shower screens.

For the unpressurised route grinder wise I don't have much to add to recs below, baratza esp or df54 are common options. For machines, most of the ones below the Bambino in price (including eg the dedica) will be setup for pressurised baskets and many will have milk steaming with a frothing attachment that is intended to make production of an old fashioned cappochino foam easy but limits the potential for modern flat white/latte microfoam (and art) and so need aftermarket accessories and adjustments to adapt. The main notable exception is the Delonghi Stilosa EC230 (specifically the 230), can be found for £90 with discounts. This is a very good budget option but is probably a bit finicky for a novice. That it's a boiler machine which sits over and heats up the group along with a simple hardwired pump/steam mode controls gives it a lot potential for mimicking profiled shots and getting very good lighter roast shots but that same simplicity also makes it a bit more annoying for just getting a shot out. Procook in the UK do actually do one with unpressurised baskets and a good steam wand which is currently at £159 but no idea how well this does, might be worth a look though as on the face of it it does look quite decent.

Re the stilosa (and variants thereof) it actually has rather higher potential than most of the lower end thermoblock/coil machines since it has a boiler and heated group head but is considerably less beginner friendly due to its very basic nature. Like the gaggia classic etc it needs temp surfing to maximise it.  The steam is also only weak if you allow it to come fully to steam temp. The problem then is that the steam thermostat doesn't react to the now cooling boiler quickly enough so you get a quite violent initial burst of steam that quickly fizzles out. The trick is to start steaming a bit before that and the heating element will then stay on. Done like that it'll steam 250ml of milk to 65C in 10 to 15 seconds, considerably faster than any thermoblock machine will manage (though on the flip side that also makes it harder as a beginner to get good texture)

Regarding the link you've added, other than the stilosa, they're basically the same Chinese white label dedica knock off with a different brand name so its worth considering the dedica itself as well. It's often around for a similar price once discounts are considered. That said, the white label ones come with a steam wand and not a panarello style thing. They'll all be a bit iffy for temperature stability shot to shot as their control methods are fairly rudimentary. The stilosa is the unique exception in that list and in budget machines generally as it's actually a small boiler based model that directly heats the whole group head and with some techniques to bodge pressure profiling can actually pull some very good shots even with more challenging beans. However it's a more finicky machine for a total newbie to use, particularly the steaming. The dedica style thermoblock machines are a far more 'plug and play' option. All will likely be coming with pressurised baskets so intended for coarser pre ground coffee. You'll not really get a 'proper' shot from these so you will need a grinder, fresh coffee and aftermarket unpressurised basket/portafilter. 

A Delonghi EC230. I guess its a Fiat or a Dacia? I mean, it works to give me coffee without frills.