I wouldn’t ever advocate spending beyond one’s means but for me, upgraditis stopped when I bought my ‘end-game’ machine (Lelit Bianca). I had a Gaggia Classic, then a Silvia, and I was very close to buying a middle-range heat exchange machine but ultimately I would’ve just still wanted a dual-boiler with flow control.
On the single dosing side, it’s a battle I have often. On the one hand, I really love the convenience of sticking 100g of beans I like in the hopper and knowing the grinder is dialled in and I haven’t had to pre-portion doses, freeze anything or reset the grinder. On the other hand, I’m not getting the option to switch beans on a per-coffee basis with guaranteed ultra-freshness.
For espresso, my palate isn’t developed enough to identify the nuances of beans that have been in the hopper for 24h versus a single dose. I also predominantly drink flat-whites and chocolate noted roasts, so convenience wins.
For brew, I’m keen to switch to single dosing but I can’t afford a Niche in addition to the x54 (which is great when it behaves…) so I’m waiting for the updated Ode. Or considering a hand-grinder for brew.
