I agree with you. You can more than likely use your grinder for a long time.
Maybe in time you will outgrow your setup and will start thinking about other areas of espresso making and taste that you are not thinking right now.
There is absolutely no reason to get a whole $4k espresso setup unless your heart is really into it…
This is just another hobby like cycling. It happens to be very expensive as well…
For what it’s worth, my super basic Saeco Aroma got a whole new life once I got a proper grinder (Sette 270). Knowing that, I’d approach the budget-friendly espresso setup the same way today - decent grinder with a good-enough machine. The Aroma leaked and had to be repaired 2 or 3 times over the course of the first two years. After the tech explained that the plumbing was the weak point of those cheaper models, I got a separate milk foamer and never opened the foaming valve on the Aroma again - it’s been flawless since.
Also for what it’s worth, I bought the Sette off FB Marketplace. The gearbox failed not too long after and Baratza’s customer service promptly shipped a replacement free of charge, no proof of purchase required.
@Cleanneon98 I’ve had my Zero for ~15 months now. No problems to report at all, it’s working exactly the same today as when I first received it. Will it still be the same in another 5-10 years? Who knows, I hope so and think it’s entirely probable. I’ve had a few semicommercial/commercial grinders and a titan conical before and I don’t think it has the build quality/longevity you get when paying $2-3k for a grinder but it’s designed to run 50kg/year, not 50kg/week.
For usability at home it’s in a totally different class to the traditional cafe style grinders. No waste, neglible mess, quick enough, super easy to dial in quickly. Apart from cost, I can’t think of any negatives to purchasing.
@Joelrivera Funnily enough, I’d disagree on this 100%. If you only make espresso, there are multiple alternatives that can do a consistent espresso grind that would cost less than the NZ, the NZ is still good value and worth considering but there are legit alternatives. Where the NZ really shines for me is in it’s ability to quickly and seamlessly switch from espresso to aeropress to pourover to decaf espresso back to regular espresso without any waste, loss of quality or time/hassle. This is where I am most impressed with mine.
Yeah… I forgot the NZ was not just micro adjustable…
My current grinder only has micro adjuster so i can’t easily go from espresso to dripper like NZ.
In that case, i think if anyone can get their hands on a NZ is probably the best bang for the buck when it comes to single dosage all purpose grinder… It’s should last longer than the barazta anything…
Aside from the Baratza what are some other decent inexpensive starter grinders for espresso? I’ve given up on the single dose idea as most seem to be a bit more expensive, could always just use one bean for espresso at a time, or single dose and stuff a paper towel or something into the hopper on top of the beans to keep them from popcorning towards the end as much.
Eureka Mignon Facile? It’s the most basic in the lineup
check this one out…
might work for you
A Nespresso would be so much easier 
If it wasn’t for the excessive waste they produce (although I have heard you can send the pods to recycle), I would say that a good nespresso is not horrible.
I was considering one for work actually…
If space is a problem I would consider one… They can produce very decent coffee.
We had one in the hotel on the honeymoon 3 years ago, let me tell you I did not let a single pod go to waste lol they were tasty. I really wish the Sette was decent for a few years because I like the speed and frankly design too. The very boxy grinders like the Bezerra or Eureka look commercial but in kind of an ugly way IMO
The Sette will work well…
If you can get your hands on one, I would get one.
Even tho I had issues with my old Barazta grinder, I was looking to get a Sette, but couldn’t find a new one in stock…
Sette 30 are $250. Sette 270 is $399. I’ve given up on a single dose grinder because if I do espresso I’ll probably want to do a bunch of batches with the same brand anyway for consistency
I did single dosage on my Preciso. I never put more than the 18.5g I would use on it. And i didnt know what was single dosage until recently (12 months?)
You can do single dosage on the 270…
I single dose my encore, I just know for my first 30g batch I grind 30.5, then 30.25 the next time, and usually after that 30 in is 30 out just exchanging a little old residual for some new. If I grind finer with it for the Moka I just take the burr out and knock the leftovers out of it into a trash can cause the fines clog the chute more
the problem i find with single dosing most of the baratza grinders is that you get popcorning going on in the hopper due to it not originally being intended for it, and designed with the weight of other beans in mind to stop that form occurring.
i’ve seen some interesting solutions (weighted beads in shaped bags) to stop this, but it all seems a little bit of a hassle.
FWIW my E37 has the same issue, so its not just baratza.
It’s painfully frustrating trying to find a decent grinder for a decent price. I like the Sette but it’s loud and sounds kinda cheap. The Eureka Mignon has no timer. The Breville doesn’t inspire long term confidence. I don’t even really care about single dosing at this point but could grind into a cup and just weigh it before transferring to a portafilter.
I’ve thought about buying used but seems like I could get something worn out and not really know any better
Just how bad would it be to use my Encore for the time being
Quality might also be an issue. Many reports of them braking quick.
If you want to single dose, this is probably for the best. Believe me… it much much worse when you ONLY have a timer.
Probably will work well until you get a high end machine.
It’s disappointing that pretty much every grinder under 500 seems to have some pretty significant drawback, not like 500 is exactly pocket change
Tell me about it…
I was really avoiding spending a lot on a grinder…
Now I have mine…
Not expensive, but even my wife told me to get a new grinder. So i will end up spending more money now…
So getting the best you can afford is important
I’ve been considering this one…
I’m actually wondering how sensitive a rather entry level machine would be to grinds anyway, in the sense that of course a better grinder is better, but I may not be able to take advantage of a lot of the benefits with a lower end machine, any rationale to this theory?
Kind of like putting GP5000 tires on a 25lb road bike with Sora, sure they are better, but aren’t going to make up for other limitations of the platform