OT: Espresso machines

I have used several "prosumer" machines over the last 25 years, a Rancilio Miss Sylvia HX to a Quick Mill Andreja Premium HX to an Olympia Maximatic (HX) to a LaMarzocco Linea Micra. The most compact with the best performance was the Olympia, it fits nicely on the counter beneath a normal kitchen cabinet with room enough to reach the top of the machine. The LaMarzocco has a similar height but is wider, but it also is a dual boiler and is self-filling from a tank. I can endorse the Olympia both for compactness and build quality. I have had mine 13 years and they are extremely reliable and also easily serviced with simple tools.

Espresso is definitely the cheaper hobby. A TOTL "home" machine, a LaMarzocco GS3 as an example, is far from cheap and takes up some kitchen counter real estate, but as a daily-use device costs less than an average home 2-channel system. Of course you don’t have to spend that to get a consistently excellent cup, one better than most coffee shops will pour. It just takes a good selection of beans, a good grinder and a machine that heats well and consistently. Some swear by lever machines. I have had one, and it was OK, but I prefer a quiet electric pump and to not mix the brewing water with the steaming water. PID controls are great, but there are very good machines that do just fine without them. For a grinder,  I have been using a Mazzer Mini E (Typ 2) for over a decade and it has been excellent. (I had a Mazzer Major for a short while, massive for home use, but total industrial overkill and I sold it.) One of the requirements I have is a water reservoir (no plumb-in, please) and it has to fit on a normal depth counter-top under a normal height kitchen cabinet. I am not interested in a machine that requires a 20A 240V supply or an open area due to device height, so my dream of having a near-vintage  Elektra Semiautomatica Murano, a lovely machine I must admit, will have to wait.