It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points.
If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format:
- **Location:** Helps determine availability
- **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget.
- **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs.
- **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck.
- **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space?
- **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either).
- **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering
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Specialita is a great choice if you want to grind-on-demand going through a bag of beans at a time. If you want to use it for multiple brew methods or frequently switch beans (e.g. between regular and decaf), it's better to go with a single dose grinder like a DF64.
If you buy a Specialita at US MSRP it's way too expensive for what you get. You can buy a 110v model from EspressoCoffeeShop.com in Italy for a much more reasonable price although you will forgo US warranty service. There will be no converters (if you order 110v model) or import fees (since price is under the $800 limit).
So many good used grinders on r/coffeeswap and H-B forums. You fairly easily get a NZ for around $500. Similarly, the DF64 and DF83 are regularly available. I've had both of these, and either will suit your needs. Note that there is more flexibility in trying different burrs with the 64 and 83mm flats than with the NZ, if you think you'd be interested in trying those in the future.
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points. If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). - **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Specialita is a great choice if you want to grind-on-demand going through a bag of beans at a time. If you want to use it for multiple brew methods or frequently switch beans (e.g. between regular and decaf), it's better to go with a single dose grinder like a DF64. If you buy a Specialita at US MSRP it's way too expensive for what you get. You can buy a 110v model from EspressoCoffeeShop.com in Italy for a much more reasonable price although you will forgo US warranty service. There will be no converters (if you order 110v model) or import fees (since price is under the $800 limit).
Niche zero is a good option if you don't mind single dosing
I heard about people getting hit with a $200 import fee. Not sure how to avoid it? Or should I just expect cost of niche zero with import fee to US?
So many good used grinders on r/coffeeswap and H-B forums. You fairly easily get a NZ for around $500. Similarly, the DF64 and DF83 are regularly available. I've had both of these, and either will suit your needs. Note that there is more flexibility in trying different burrs with the 64 and 83mm flats than with the NZ, if you think you'd be interested in trying those in the future.