Welcome to the world of espresso where you generally get what you pay for only if you know what it is you are paying for.

Your taste will be a lot more than "subtle" across a wide variety of coffees when you have a top quality grinder that is well aligned. Dialing in will be much more easier and forgiving as well and even screwed up shots will often taste better than those made using an economy grinder when you use a high quality grinder. I find better grinders whether flat conical or hypbrid make my coffee a lot better.

The difference in flavor between my brewtus and maximatic is NOT subtle in any way, both are good, but very different. Try before you buy unless you already know what you want.

Do plan on getting the highest quality is my advice if you decide to go all the way. Avoiding multiple upgrades will save you lots of money in the long run. Take it for what it's worth.

There are a quite few good choices these days and maybe more to come but I can't solve the problem of high costs for them except to say careful planning and just saving up for stuff you will not need to upgrade ever or in a very long time will not only save you lots of money but also lots of difficulties.

I would get the economy stuff first just to see if it's your cup of tea or as a temporary stopgap, but thats where it ends after that; take your time research and save.

Take Your Time.

ytm wrote:2. Accessories - I know I need a good tamper and a scale, but what about portafilter, baskets (other than the ones that come with it), steam tip*?

I bought a 4 hole LM tip from Espressoparts (thanks to Luke Flynn for this idea! it's a direct fit on the Oscar 1 - same thread and threaded length). Oscar has the steam power to rival much larger machines, and the LM tip really foams well. Once you learn to submerge the tip completely before opening the steam valve and drop the pitcher very slowly to the proper level for aeration, you (or, at least, I) never blow milk out of pitchers of any size (and mine start with a 150 ml).

The stock tip on my original Oscar is a strangely complex design inside - there's a central hole into the tip that's much smaller than the main bore, with separate angled connecting channels to each steam hole. So the total cross sectional area through which steam passes is narrow, which limits steam volume flow. The holes in the LM tip (which, I believe, is intended to be an OEM GS3 replacement) are drilled right through the bottom and open directly into the main bore. They never clog and the volume of steam is much greater than through the stock tip. If it fits Oscar Jr, I'd get one - they're only $17.

Nick Name wrote:You get slightly better tasting coffee with them. Especially if you like lighter espresso roasts. If you prefer dark roasts you might not get the full benefit from them. I prefer light-medium/medium roasts for espresso/cappuccino so they work very well for me. There's been a lot of talk about VST and IMS baskets here, so if you're interested in more specific info you'll find it with the search function. Especially VST should be covered very well.

The (awesome) roaster I buy from only roasts light, so I suppose I'll go for it.

Nick Name wrote:You might want to check Bezzera BB005, especially if you're ordering from Elektros. It might be the best bang for the buck grinder under 500€. It's a 48mm conical, so it should be roughly in the same ballpark as 64mm flats. It does look a bit more like toy than the K3, but the price is very nice.

The K3T is priced quite fairly where I live (~400€) if I buy it directly from the importer, adding the import taxes and VAT to the Bezzera's price, it would be much more expensive.

Nick Name wrote:One thing I didn't like about my previous machine was that it wasn't adjustable. If you get serious with espresso/cappuccino, then you'll be happy that you can at least adjust the boiler temp/pressure easily. I think they also add to the resale value.

Time will tell if I'll use these any time soon, but I guess you're right, it's a definite nice-to-have.

opother wrote:Do plan on getting the highest quality is my advice if you decide to go all the way. Avoiding multiple upgrades will save you lots of money in the long run. Take it for what it's worth.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable making a bigger investment than the present one, and I probably won't be able to tell the difference yet.

bluesman wrote:The K3T has been wonderful - I get great mouth feel and richness from Redbird, Hairbender, and a few locally roasted coffees like La Colombe Nizza. It's light years ahead of my son's MDF and any of the under-$300 grinders I've had over the last 20+ years, and I don't think it yields a better shot than any of the "lesser" Mazzers etc. The Compak is a solid, very well built machine with consistent output and very little retention (which I sweep down the chute with a chop stick after each dose). I have no experience with the Atom, which looks like a great grinder. And although I've never used one myself there are several Settes in top local shops for single origins and other one-off doses, and I've heard nothing but raves about them.

Good to know!

bluesman wrote:I bought a 4 hole LM tip from Espressoparts (thanks to Luke Flynn for this idea! it's a direct fit on the Oscar 1 - same thread and threaded length). Oscar has the steam power to rival much larger machines, and the LM tip really foams well. Once you learn to submerge the tip completely before opening the steam valve and drop the pitcher very slowly to the proper level for aeration, you (or, at least, I) never blow milk out of pitchers of any size (and mine start with a 150 ml).

Thanks for the tip. =P