What's the optimal prosumer config?
It's best to start with need/desire and work backwards to feature to attain that goal. That said the needs are as follows:

Need to create an excellent espresso shot repeatedly.
Need to froth milk to proper temp & texture.
Need to make tea or americanos.
Need the process to be pleasurable and fast.

That could be then distilled into more detailed requirements. Then that could be mapped to specific features of a machine. I'm not going to work that out to its logical end but it would be a great process to walk through.

If I find myself with some... maybe I'll consider this.

zaphod wrote:What's the optimal prosumer config?
It's best to start with need/desire and work backwards to feature to attain that goal. That said the needs are as follows:

Need to create an excellent espresso shot repeatedly.
Need to froth milk to proper temp & texture.
Need to make tea or americanos.
Need the process to be pleasurable and fast.

I couldn't have said it better! I personally need my "optimal" to not only make great espresso, but also perform effortlessly like a monster on a regular basis. That pretty much leaves most of the mini-boiler machines out, regardless of how well they can bang out a single god shot.

I frequently have 4-6 or more friends over for food which invariably includes espresso or espresso-based drinks. It's also never going to be guaranteed that any of my guests will have any sort of barista or chef skills, for that matter. I absolutely MUST have a machine that can turn out drinks not only fast but effortlessly enough that I can still pay attention to what's being prepared elsewhere in the kitchen, AND yet will also perform at a high enough level to make me grin like a madman when I have the time to savor every drop in my cup.

It seems my own "optimal" setup based upon my rather conflicted and thoroughly philistine needs will likely be either an Elekra A3 or Astra Gourmet GS paired with a Mazzer Super Jolly grinder.

Not all about the optimum setup is about the equipment, at least for me. After three years of planning and a LOT of sweat and elbow grease, the new machine and grinder will have it's own space with a bar sink, thru-counter waste, thru-counter drain & water supply hookups, dedicated 30 amp electrical service, space below for water filters/softener AND with no stinkin' wall cabinets above it! The counters are four feet deep with counter-height seating opposite the machine. At least I can distract guests with conversation as I perfect my barista skills...

BTW, for those with direct drain hookups, a buddy of mine who's a plumber fitted my drip tray's drain connection with an empty water filter housing before it empties into the drain line/p-trap. The coffee grounds from flushes and wiggle rinses settle to the bottom of the empty filter housing letting just the water pass through to the drain line itself. The filter housing is clear so I can easily see when it needs to be emptied. Best of all, I'll never have a problem with coffee grounds settling in and clogging my drain lines.