Hi there, my sink has an extra sink hole where a faucet can be installed. I am wondering about just running the 3/8 line right up through the hole, with the braided hose exposed for a few feet on the cabinet to direct plumb my machine. (Drilling holes in this location or a dedicated 20amp circuit is unfortunately out, at least for the immediate term.)

1. Any reason this wouldn't work functionally?

2. Is there a sleeve type piece, like a slotted rubber passthrough, that I could put into the sink hole to fill in the small gaps (so it's not just a 3/8 hose with air space around it?). I know they have these for installing onto a drywall and passing speaker cable through, not sure what to search for.

3. I'd prefer to avoid the look of the rubber tubing if it was on the counter, can I extend and/or replace the included 3/8 braided hose with a longer 8' foot or so, so that the whole run is metal?

4. AESTHETIC - you've been waiting for this moment, I am sure. Yes, wife acceptance factor. Am I underestimating how bad this would look? basically, there's a corner nook where I'd want the machine (think a U shaped kitchen). A few feet away is the sink with the aforementioned sink hole. It's sort of a silver/black kitchen with granite counter and wood cabinets, and I was thinking the hose could lay along the back wall tucked down for a couple feet exposed. In that area then we'd put a produce basket, paper towel holder, niche zero grinder. So the hose would have a number of items sort of blocking it. But maybe this would look less discreet than I imagine, or tacky?

Would love thoughts advice.

My other thought was installing the water filtration system under the sink and then running it into a little water dispenser. Then I could use this to dispense properly filtered water to fill the machine reservoir with, with the bonus that I could use the fresh water here for americanos, or my drip coffees. This is probably more "practical" in some ways.

However, if I went for the ECM its a huge beast under a cabinet and accessing reservoir could be a PIA. I'd also like the line pressure so I could use the machine with a flow control valve for pre-infusion, ideally. If I went for the BDB, I'd just do the spiggot.

Sorry - lot of various questions to address there, I know.

If it's a standard 1-3/8" faucet hole then there are two options I can think of. Grangers sell rubber grommets that size. Or you could get something like this https://www.amazon.com/Xntun-Grommet-Pl ... B07JFB4S4B which is intended for desks, but shuoud work. Both the grommets and the busings probably come inother sizes if your sink has a non-standard hole size.

You might look at feeding your water line through an air gap cap for aesthetics.

The feed line will definitely work, functionally. I'm guessing you do not plan to run a drip tray drain line...which is (imho) of greater convenience, but much, much uglier and less likely to drain well over several feet of essentially zero decline.

My thought is run it, then figure out the aesthetics after you get a look at it in place. Perhaps it would be something you and your wife could work on together....sort of a project, if you will?

Yeah, I did too. I've got a flow meter running through mine as well. But he's talking about running it about 8 feet from his machine to the hole before it then drops below the counter. I just don't see how his would drain well enough like that.

Yeah I don't think I'd be able to drain until I move to a new house and could custom cut stuff in a few years. For now just the line in.

Has anyone else around here done this or do you think it would be too tacky?

As for the Air Gap Cap, apologies if I am missing something obvious. I don't understand what this suggestions means - how would I feed the espresso machine with this for aesthetics?

Notwithstanding my lack of understand there, it put forth a new thought/question: could I run a filtered water dispenser spigot in my spair sink hole, with a T off (above the sink, visible everyday) at the base of the dispenser, that runs over to the espresso machine?

I'm not sure how many T offs I can introduce but the thought here would be I'd get proper water for coffee both to the machine, and then accessible for brewing drip, hot and iced americano, etc. And it would make the most of the sink hole (and probably look cleaner, too).

As for the Air Gap Cap, apologies if I am missing something obvious. I don't understand what this suggestions means - how would I feed the espresso machine with this for aesthetics?

I imagine that it's just another way to cover the hole and make it look nicer. Something like this, where you feed the supply line through the hole.

I didn't realize the supply line would fit through that hole!

A big braided supply line won't with some surgery, but a 1/4" or 3/8" line would or could be made to. Depends on the connections involved.