OT: Espresso machines

Depends on your expectations and budget of course. More serious espresso nerds move on from Baratza due to the loud noise and the plastic gearbox that can fail

The noise is how the cats know when food is served.  Also, there is a nylon gear in there that is deliberately meant to break in case of a stone.  It’s like a fuse.  It blows to prevent the rest of the parts from breaking. Cheap to replace. There was also a significant upgrade several years ago, so not sure how "plastic" these models  really are but after 12 years the only thing I ever had to replace was the rotary switch which was $5.

Honestly though, if they make a slightly less noisy version I’d probably consider it.  

The noise and nylon gear parts are one thing. But doubling your budget gets you into the arena of reduced ground retention. The legion of modern single dose grinders are just better. Period! 

They cost more and you should measure your grams in and grams out with an accurate scale. 

This sounds like a lot of faff and it is. But if you enjoy switching between dark roasts and light roasts and want to avoid a lot of frustration with messy bad shots this is the way to go.

A bottomless portafilter will make you scream for mercy until you get your whole system dialed in and then the performance, shot constancy and taste satisfaction will reveal itself. Just like the oft said “the veil was lifted” in the audiophile world. 

A good bag of fresh beans will come in a 12oz bag. Freshness is key as beans age very quickly. Age is a major variable. Your taste preference might range from dark roast to light roasts. The lighter the roast the more demanding it becomes on your grinder, in terms of of pulling a great shot. Darker roasts create more oily residue in your grinder.

I like medium roasts with smaller beans. 

I weigh my beans in a dish with a performance espresso scale. 18 grams in with almost no headroom in a bottomless portafilter. The “God shot“ should take about 27 seconds with no fines or spritzing with great crema. The fine control of your grinder setting becomes the all important variable in a system of many variables. 

Pulling a bad shot and instantly knowing which way to to go with your grinder setting becomes the proven path to espresso happiness…

Ok, now I'm dying for a God Shot from photomax's gear and Eriksquire's beans!  If I head down this path as much as audio my wife will definitely take notice.  Tea drinker.  I'll have to live vicariously for now.  But yeah,  grind is most important.  Erik I know you're a DIY guy... about what does it take in cost to dabble in roasting?  Maybe after I get rid of my beer-making gear.  I laterally mentioned this to her today.

I have & enjoy the Rancillio Silvia Pro X. It’s the real deal, made in Italy, about $2000. High quality single head machine w/ two boilers like all quality machines have. It’s simple, works very well, not too big but pretty heavy. Definitely worth a consideration in the price range.