I will echo what maxbmello said. I have the e37s, and it couldn't be simpler for my wife to use. It automatically dispenses the right amount of grounds into the portafilter, and she doesn't have to do anything but smooth it out and tamp afterward. The other grinders that he mentioned should be similar. My wife would definitely not be a fan of weighing the grounds out for single dosing or anything like that. As for the machine, I unfortunately have an HX machine, so even though she has no problems preparing a puck, she will only pull a shot if I am there to do the flush routine for her... So I agree with the others that have suggested a good dual boiler, possibly with volumetric capabilities...

All good comments and thank you for the input. I have reached out to pretty much all the large online vendors and have received responses to varying degrees. So I think I am between the Vetrano with the Compak E5 or the Bianca with the Atom. Perhaps the DE+ but idk if I can go that far with tech and early adopter (nice small form factor though) and the there is definitely a curb appeal factor given that this is a brand new relatively high end kitchen. Wife is pretty protective about keeping things clean and orderly. So I tend to lean towards the vetrano, the blue dial and the Compak is also small form factor. I still have some time to figure things out though.

Get her to look at it and make sure it's pretty.

My wife wouldn't touch a Gaggia Classic or an e61. But I got a La Pavonia Mil with a single hole steam tip, and viola. She likes it because it's straightforward fill up basket and pull down. The newer versions are nice too because they don't over heat.

Consider the Sette Wi for a grinder. While it might not be the shiniest kid on the block, it would make for great usability for your wife. All she needs to know is how many grams to put in the porta filter. Hell you can have a preset dose button dedicated to her. Press and go. The Sette delivers a clump free grind with little fuss before distributing/levelling etc. The Wi has undergone improvements for weighing accuracy since the initial release of the W weighing version. It now learns and compensates to get the dosing very accurate.

Someone on HB has an almost new one for sale.

[FS] Baratza Sette 270Wi

I second the 270wi - two things to note -

1. It is pretty loud compared to others and 2. It can get a bit messy (my wife is not to thrilled about that).

Besides those 2 things, presetting the weight is really simple and the grinds are really fluffy. Coming from the built-in grinder on the Barista Express I can tell you that the difference is immediate.

I was surprised, but my wife liked the DE1 esthetically more than the e61 alternatives. Not that that was a deciding factor, but it doesn't hurt. It does fit well into a normal kitchen (unlike my K10 Fresh grinder ).


Regarding complexity, the DE1 can go from push-button to techy. I use my wife's favorite screen in the morning. But this does show how simple you could make the interface.


Later, when I start playing around, it's this screen:

babalu120483 wrote:I second the 270wi - two things to note -

1. It is pretty loud compared to others and 2. It can get a bit messy (my wife is not to thrilled about that).

Besides those 2 things, presetting the weight is really simple and the grinds are really fluffy. Coming from the built-in grinder on the Barista Express I can tell you that the difference is immediate.

I'm curious to know what differences you noticed.

I suggest taking one step back to ask a question: "does your wife actually want to make espresso?" My experience is the machinery won't fix a lack of desire to make a cup.

I've owned seven different machines from a DE1+ to a Silvia, to an e61 machine to the Club. I currently use a Mazzer Major E, which means you just push the button. No WDT, RDT, swishing or whatever. Tamp it and go. To run the Club consists of "turn it on. Let it heat up. Put the basket in the portafilter, pull the lever down with a cup in place. Drink. Pulling the Lever down or pushing one button hasn't made a difference. This is no different than making a cup of noodles.

Equipment hasn't made any difference. No desire to make it.

My wife''s pal can't understand it either. She says Jack has made this so simple, why don't you make a cup when he's gone? Nope, I'll wait until he gets home, which has been a week at times. This same pal let me set her up and she has a really happy family.

Good question. My wife has zero desire to make espresso. She will have some when I make it, but never on her own.

Stanford55 wrote:I'm curious to know what differences you noticed.

I went from a Breville Smart Grinder Pro to the Sette 270. I imagine the built in grinder on Breville's upper level machines is somewhere close to their best grinder offering.The difference was night and day. With the 270 there is zero clumping (very fluffy), reasonably consistent dosing weight by timer and much faster. The 270s grind retention is also very low due to the straight through design.