The Niche Zero, direct, is around US$700 delivered.

As availability isn't great (monthly "drops", historically), there's an active secondary market with inflated prices.

Niche Zero is £549 ~ $760 with current exchange rates. If you want one, get on their mailing list, and they'll notify you when new machines are available for pre-order.

[Edit] £499 + £50 for shipping.

Oh! That's a much different price than what I saw on the Niche Zero. I'll definitely sign up on their site. Thanks for letting me know.

The Lelit MaraX and Elizabeth seem to be relatively close in price, yet many seem to favor the MaraX or Breville Dual Boiler. Is the MaraX just more straightforward?

I also had a Classic for just over 20 years.
Rebuilt and pimped with everything but a pressure gauge.
I finally decided to upgrade last year.

I went with a Lelit Bianca for the following reasons.
Duel boiler; I don't do a lot of milk drinks but after 20 years I was tired of faffing about waiting for steam.
Rotary pump; If I was upgrading then lets go quiet mode.
Plumbable; sick of emptying drip tray and filling water tanks plus set up a good filtered water supply.
The Bianca had all this and was cheaper than any comparable machines on the market at the time in Australia.

On top of that is has built in flow control, I didn't need/want it but I find I use it for every shot apart from when dialling in grind setting on a new bean.
It has timber handles that I am ambivalent about but all my friends/partner like.

If you have enjoyed your Classic for twenty years then check out the DB, rotary, plumbable machines, work out which one you like the most and buy it.
You wont be disappointed by any of the main contenders.

The Mara X is an E61 heat exchanger machine that has some additional technology that Lelit added so that you can run it in two modes, brew and steam. When running in steam mode, it acts like a normal HX E61 and you have to flush the group head before brewing to get it ready to pull a shot if the machine has been idle for a while. In brew mode, the group head temp is prioritized, so you can just pull a shot without flushing.

I bought a Lelit Bianca. It's my first machine, but I bought it for several of the same reasons as Amberale. The first reason is that it's a beautiful machine. I wanted something that I wouldn't have to upgrade from. I'm eventually going to plumb it in my kitchen and the movable water reservoir is great, since I wouldn't be able to fill a rear reservoir with my kitchen cabinets. I'm planning on getting a smart espresso profiler at some point to use with the flow paddle. I'm really happy with it, and don't have to worry about outgrowing the machine.

My only possible complaint is that the Bianca can be purchased for more than $1000 less than the US price in Europe. The markup is pretty ridiculous.

Any thoughts on the Profitec 300 vs the MaraX?

The Mara X is prettier? Look at the HB review if you haven't already. I think the decision between the two is entirely which one you like better. They both should be substantial upgrades.

If you go for a small, saturated group head dual boiler, you'll probably want to compare the Profitec to similar models like the Rancilio Silvia Pro or Lelit Elizabeth.

I agree with others. Buy a new grinder - but keep the Baratza because it's perfect for French press and pour-over style coffee, but it does not have the precision needed for serious espresso.

I used to have that same Gaggia. I'm big on latte art, and for that the Gaggia wasn't ideal. But if you're basically happy with the Gaggia, keep it for now and look at dedicated espresso grinders, which have very precise stepless adjustment, large diameter burrs, and low-RPM high-power motor.

If you upgrade your espresso machine, you're going to have to upgrade your grinder anyway. There's no avoiding it