Tempo Espresso Machine

I already have the Baratza Forte with the steel brew burrs (made by ditting). It has a bit of retention <0.5g, but not a lot. You can get the vario+ (not the base vario) the same quality of grind. ($550) Personally, I’m saving up for the lagom casa as my single dosing absolutely zero retention grinder. ($600-ish) IMO, both would be a better buy than the eureka mignon grinders. As for single boiler, if the wait time between brew and steam isn’t a huge deal, it’s fine. Just pull all shots before doing all the steaming, to avoid temp fluctuations. Tbh, maintenance (especially any descaling) is a lot easier on a single boiler. IIRC, another single boiler to look into is the lucca tempo , which allows manual flow profiling and has a fast steam heat up time. It has a slightly larger boiler, which in theory helps with temp stability.

Dual boilers mean having no need to wait between steaming and brewing. That’s the most significant difference. But there are a few single boiler machines which tout a <30 second wait time, which is pretty cool: https://clivecoffee.com/products/lucca-tempo-espresso-machine Whatever machine you get, do check one more spec — steam temp (ie pressure). You want something that goes up to 130C (1.7 bar): it makes steaming a lot better. Some expensive older dual boilers don’t get this hot and have steam that does not match the price point. A single boiler is design-wise, a lot simpler and will be easier to user service and maintain. It also usually heats up faster. Skip HX machines. IMO, the form factor plays a part: a dual boiler with the e61 group is just sexy. If the $1,000 and increased cost of upkeep is not a concern, get a dual boiler and don’t look back. If you’re looking for something that will get you your morning latte reliably albeit taking a few more button presses and an extra 3-4 minutes, get a good single boiler.

If you only do espresso and not milk drinks, consider the flair 58. It heats up fast, uses a standard 58mm portafilter, and is a fully manual lever (complete control, quiet). It is slower to use than most— at around 3-4 minutes more per shot, and does not come with steam capability. That said, the flair 58 gives you all the room you need to grow as you learn to pull shots, since you control all the factors involved— 2 bars, low pressure experimental shot? pull slowly and pull gently. Going for a vintage spring lever profile? Pull hard, then ease off slowly. Low pressure, long preinfusion? Pull gently, keep the pressure, then pull hard all the way down. Pair it with a nicer grinder: lagom casa, baratza forte/ Vario plus, zerno, timemore 064s. If not the flair 58, the Profitec Go is probably the best in that price range. If you like to tinker, a gaggia classic pro + gagguino upgrade/DIY mod for more capability at the same price. Slightly stretching the budget, lucca tempo, for quick and strong steaming (if that matters for entertaining). But focus on the grinder— that’s the key

I’m a little late to this but I purchased the [LUCCA Tempo](https://clivecoffee.com/products/lucca-tempo-espresso-machine?_pos=5&_fid=8705941ca&_ss=c?ref=espresso-machines) about 6 months ago and it’s a tank. It’s a rebranded QuickMill Popup by Clive Coffee. Highly recommend. Heats up in about 5 mins and switches gears to steam in <1 min.

Perspective of someone in a very similar position. The combo I'm looking at: \* Quick Mill Pop Up (might be sold as a Lucca Tempo if you're US based) particularly for the pressure profiling. \* DF54 or DF64. 54 for cost/space considerations, 64 if you want to play with burrs. While I did go through reviews about espresso performance for various Baratza/Eureka models that made it seem like they wouldn't be best bang for the buck, I also generally dislike how they look with plastic hoppers on top. J-Ultra was tempting but I'm interested in a less manual experience. The Bambino is everyone's go to starter machine, and while I have no doubt it would be plenty for me to start on, I tend to drink lighter roasts and want the ability to play with pre-infusion/profiling and don't really want to upgrade in a year or two. The Apex doesn't and likely won't have highly available parts for repair, and the fact that its electronics have are exposed without waterproofing feels like a ticking time bomb to me despite the great price. For the rest, some mix of missing PID/Profiling/Pressure gauge eliminated them in my eyes. If profiling is not important to you and the Victoria is interesting, the Profitec Go could be an alternative in the same price bracket (easier pressure adjustment, among some other small differences). For me the access to the pressure profiling is kind of leading the charge to make my decision easier. I started with looking at a Flair 58, and getting a nanofoamer or Morning Dream (which I still might do). If I wasn't interested in pressure profiling, I would save the money and get a Bambino.

HX machines like Appartamento prioritize steam power over the precise temperature control needed to get the best taste from straight shots. Mara X tries to improve that temperature control but still has lots of compromises. I suggest you consider a single boiler machine such as Profitec GO or Quick Mill Pop Up (aka Lucca Tempo). It will be cheaper, and give you better temperature control than your other choices. If you have been seduced by the look of E61 machines and absolutely have to own one, then consider ECM Classika.

Lots of different ways you can go. For a traditional flat pressure shot, no milk drinks, I would go with a Rancilio Silvia and find one with a PID already installed to avoid temp surfing. If you want a little more room for experimentation, Quick Mill Pop Up or Lucca Tempo (same thing) offers flow control on a similar chassis. I do think you seem an excellent candidate for a lever machine with an integrated boiler like the Odyssey Argos, if you’re open to it. Grinders are very much a personal preference. Two considerations would be preferred roast level, and preferred hopper design. If you want a single doser for light roasts, I would point you to the Lagom P80. A good single doser for dark roasts might be the Niche Zero. If you’re not sure which you’d prefer, or you know you like both, I’d get a Mazzer Philos and experiment with different burr sets. Large hopper grinders tend to lean towards darker roasts, as they tend to perform well even when exposed to air and light, while light roasts lose flavor fast. A grind by weight option is ideal, the Ceado E37S is my pick in your price range, although you could consider the E37J if you want to experiment with easily accessible 64mm burrs. Edit: I should also throw out the the Fellow ES1. It’s a super new machine so not a lot of info on reliability, and I haven’t personally used it, but theoretically it’s the dream single-boiler machine.