In any equation designed to justify home espresso (or conversely, justify going out for espresso) the issues of convenience, time, cost of transport etc all need to be factored in. If your barista is on your way to somewhere you go anyway, that's one thing. But if you're having dinner, then getting in the car and traveling fifteen minutes to go get a latte, the costs quickly add up.

Of course, if cost is a concern for home espresso there are ways to truly mitigate that. I'm about to PID a Saeco ViaVenezia. Machine acquired at a thrift, PID via used market. The setup when complete, with all necessities (machine, unpressurized portafilter, PID, tamper, flow control, grinder) will total $300. I've added some niceties, such as a better portafilter. But for baseline operation, $300 is my equipment cost.

I consume roughly $30 in beans monthly. So to answer one question posed in this thread, my equipment cost vs ongoing supply cost is @ one year.

To answer another question in this thread, if I had a $3 double shot out nightly after dinner I'd be spending $1100 annually on espresso. That's before factoring in gasoline, time etc.

In either case, I'm way ahead of the game the way I'm doing it.

espressoren wrote:I kind of got the feeling that the question is the opposite - how much can they get away with spending on equipment and reasonably justify it

I think you got my point .
Honestly there are many factors that can be considered. You can buy a watch worth $15K or more just for the pleasure of owning it, if you can afford it, nothing wrong with it. So why not spending the same amount of money for a grinder and an espresso machine, even if you are going to make only one espresso and one cappuccino daily? What about more? The limit is your wallet. But what if instead you want to set a limit to that budget? Something that, as you say, you can get away with and that at the same time you can afford (in this case you can probably afford it, you are already spending the same amount of money in coffee beans).
Personally I am not in a position to consider any kind of financial ROI, payback period, or in shorth anything related to how much I am saving Vs ordering espresso at a coffee shop. That is because in no way we would order 6 to 10 espresso's, each day, simply logistically impossible. We were not doing it before and we would not do it even if we did not have equipment for espresso at home and at the office. Plus, before buying our first espresso machine we were making "espresso" with the Bialetti Moka, at home. No way to outperform that, from the financial point of view.

espressoren wrote:I kind of got the feeling that the question is the opposite - how much can they get away with spending on equipment and reasonably justify it

Since I'm no longer married I don't have to justify what I spend at all.

baldheadracing wrote:Right now I have to go out and shovel that white sh*t. Just had a triple ristretto to get me going.

If I didn't have my home setup, this would be me going to Starbucks...

Nobody can answer your question for you, only for themselves.

I personally would feel uncomfortable spending $10,000 on coffee equipment but I had no problem spending that much and more on rock climbing, backpacking, and skiing gear. It's just about what feels right to put on and wear.

JB90068 wrote:Since I'm no longer married I don't have to justify what I spend at all.

someone I used to work with was a three time divorcee, as I learned....and his words were 'do you know wy getting a divorce is so expensive?....because it's worth it'

that was well before my divorce, and you know what...it's true

justifying what you spend what amount on gets old so fast...when you cannot spend the amount don't, if you can , do...

We can out-do most coffee shops with maybe a $2-4k cost. Anything above that could be justified with ease of use, looks, etc.
I feel coffee is a hobby. Hobbies are an expense, not a cost savings/ROI. If we want it, and can afford it, we spend what we want.
Sure, some number crunching makes us feel good about what we're spending.
What's the break even timeframe for $1000 golf clubs? Probably not one.
Season tickets to your favorite college sports game -- all pleasure and memories, and nothing else.
So feel free to crunch some numbers. Then blend together your savings, the value of better at-home espresso, etc, and spend what you feel is smart for your bank account and retirement account.

This message string just made me realize that I am in the over $10K club also. Didn't realize it because I have made multiple purchases over a period of time, the lever machine and three higher end grinders sitting on my coffee bar, but not all at once. This doesn't even count the grinder and E61 I gave to my daughter when I upgraded to new equipment. Still cheaper than any of my divorces, and I am not drinking Charbucks hog slop at $5 a cup.

Can't say the numbers haven't ever crossed my mind, but in the end I don't really think of it as an investment or saving money by not buying from cafes. For me, it's purely for the enjoyment. It sure can be an expensive hobby though