I second the robot. It’s great. Though the wait times people are experiencing now must be frustrating. Guess I got in before the rush. Given the wait, a La Pavoni could be a fun option. Get one used and buy a gasket kit (sold all over the place online) and you’d also have a winner setup
La pavoni for sure as it is manual with integrated boiler so can use for steaming milk and no need kettle for espresso. But it has smaller puck is I am not mistaken. I own 58+2, you will need goose neck kettle and has to refill the chamber for easchh shot but this far far btter than robot. And I love making espresso every morning on my 58+2, the workflow is a bit longer, but it is more manual and enjoyable.
You need to budget for the grinder too. That would be more important. Assuming a hand grinder similar to the KINGrinder k6 ($100$), that leaves enough for a second hand la pavoni. It’s tiny and as retro as they come. That said, it is jumping off into the deep deep end of espresso with a steep learning curve.
It won’t be very reproducible to start with (shots will vary from sour to bitter). But if a super auto will suit you, you should be able fine with the less than stellar shots while you learn.
Accurate_Possible539
