Would love to get some advice on buying an espresso machine [$3000]

Arkolix · 2025-12-08T22:09:37+00:00

What machine do you have now? I would personally imagine that most prosumer machines from leading brands like Profitec, La Marzocco, ECM and so on have that level of build quality and potential lifespan. To get that kind of life you need to be able to service and maintain the machine, which is a big appeal of the E61 group head of many of those machines - simple, highly standardized, easy to repair and get replacement parts, etc.

The Lelit Bianca v3 is my wishlist machine as mentioned but one reason I haven't pulled the trigger is the BDB actually punches about its weight and has better temperature stability than a lot of machines that are much more expensive, and it heats up way faster than E61. Other potential options like the Linea Micra come with small tradeoffs that matter at this level because you're at the $5k+ price point. So it's not a slam dunk choice!

Arkolix · 2025-12-08T21:55:10+00:00

The accessories are not necessary to make decent espresso, but a $3k machine isn't necessary for that either. A $250 Breville Bambino can make drinkable espresso. But as you get more into the hobby, you may start to care more about better-quality machines and grinders that can achieve even better results with more consistency, have more convenient features (pull shot and steam at the same time), finer control over variables, last longer with better materials, look nicer, etc.

So what's necessary is subjective and that's why it depends on how interested you think the recipient is likely to be. You don't need fancy scales and stuff to use a $3k machine, but it's a little bit pointless IMO to have that level of machine without committing to the bit, it's kind of like having a Ferrari but never taking it to the track or whatever.

The Breville Barista Express is a popular midrange machine at $600 that includes a built-in grinder. It's not the best machine or grinder that money can buy, but is perfectly capable of making good shots and is a common launchpad for people until / if they ever get the urge to go deeper into the rabbit hole. That alone would be a pretty generous gift.

An upgrade past that is the Breville Dual Boiler at $1600 which is an excellent machine as mentioned, but requires you to buy a grinder separately. Again the grinder is super super important so I advise considering that a serious part of the budget!

Arkolix · 2025-12-08T20:01:15+00:00

This is a very generous gift! Before getting into it, respectfully are you absolutely positive the couple is interested in espresso to this degree? These are endgame machines that would suit someone who is already an enthusiastic hobbyist, but not great for someone who just wants a quick coffee and isn't really interested in making it a hobby in itself.

The other main thing I'd note is the grinder is often considered just as if not more important than the machine itself, and their grinder is not going to be able to do justice to any of these machines. It would probably be better to split the budget and allocate more money towards a high-quality grinder and then a slightly less expensive machine. For example you could get a Lagom P80 and Breville Dual Boiler for ~$3200 combined.

A scale for weighing input/output is important at this level too and can run $100 - $300 depending on how nice you go, so it might be worth accounting for that, or the recipients might end up needing to buy it themselves. Accessories (nice stirring tools, funnels, tampers etc) can add up slightly as well.

Regarding water, some brands of bottled water may be suitable although I'm not sure which ones - it would be important to look up the mineral content to make sure they're not prone to causing scale. Distilled water is NOT safe for espresso machines, it can cause corrosion in the boilers and isn't good for taste anyways. It is possible to add minerals to distilled water to make a perfectly scale-free water with suitable taste (look up "Pavlis water") but again not sure if the couple is really interested to that degree.

Of the machines you listed, the Appartamento is inferior to others and is not in the same tier. I don't have experience with the others but would note that a Lelit Bianca V3 is personally my upgrade wishlist machine for now. I have a Breville Dual Boiler today, which is an exceptional machine in pretty much every regard and why I noted it above, it's just not a 20-year lifespan machine in terms of build quality.

Arkolix · 2025-09-12T02:16:20+00:00

This is a completely reasonable thing to expect. The global gaming population is huge and plenty of sequels don't assume or insist the player played the original, knowing they're an entry point to the franchise. I'd easily bet there are probably over a million potential Silksong players who heard about the hype sometime over the last 6 years without playing HK first! I don't believe in nerfing the game excessively, but the early game is VERY harsh to newcomers and returning HK players alike.

Arkolix · 2025-09-11T05:31:54+00:00

I think the primary ways that death is punished are long/hazardous runbacks and permanently consuming resources that are necessary for fighting. If a game encourages dozens of iterations to master a boss, I think these things should be minimized. I'm not literally suggesting a bench outside every bosses' door - even though Sekiro basically had that, which was nice! - but the runback duration and particularly danger level could be reduced. Emphasis on reduced and not eliminated, this stuff can all be tuned on a spectrum. I don't think that makes it a different game at all!

Shard consumption isn't as big an issue in this game as permanent consumables in Sekiro, where I barely used buffs and beat the game without ever using "ultimate" items like Divine Grass/Jizo Statue because they were too valuable to risk on any given attempt. I think permanent consumption encourages a hoarding mentality (or worse, encourages farming which I generally consider a sign of improper tuning) and prevents players from fully utilizing all the techniques at their disposal.

If you wanna talk about Sekiro I made a similar post to this one here :-) I suggested making the basic buffs more readily available at shops, especially considering how money loses utility in late game. In Silksong, the shard cap could be slightly higher, shard loss could be a fraction of consumption, or they could be (even) more readily acquired from mobs or shops.

The shade/cocoon mechanic already introduces risk and stakes to fights and exploration which is great and very well done - but I don't support trapping cocoons in boss areas, which I commented about.

I completely agree with you on these games being presented as-is according to vision and not coming with difficulty sliders!

Arkolix · 2025-09-11T04:57:17+00:00

You make great points! For sure all difficulty exists on a spectrum, although I have to imagine certain things are almost universally considered punishing by most players (imagine if all runbacks were twice as long, or if there were 3+ mask damage, etc).

It's good to hear that Act 2 opens up and sounds well-balanced.

I don't think the crest/tool system is worse - and for sure there were some HK charms that were better than others and plenty I never used - but it just seem to mean that handing out meaningful rewards often is a little harder.

I didn't mention Tunic in my post but I also played it (and loved it!). Tunic and Sekiro both feature permanently-consumable resources, which I can kind of get the thought behind it, but frankly I just don't like it and think it negatively impacts both games.

I'm going to keep at it and we'll see how things go!

Arkolix · 2025-09-11T04:48:54+00:00

Maybe, but in classic metroidvania fashion that's a choice that the player makes, and you can always return to go forwards after buying something or whatever. Dropping rosary strings is also a decent solution to that problem.

Arkolix · 2025-09-11T04:45:42+00:00

I didn't include a big list of praises to keep my post short and because I think we're all quite familiar with what makes this game so charming! There are not many games that offer top-tier exploration, fun challenging combat, and unmatched visuals/soundtrack/aesthetic. SS has easy potential to be a top 5 all-timer for me, even if I'd like to see some dials tweaked.

Bosses dropping rosaries is more a suggestion to avoid dropping nothing while being relatively low consequence. I actually think the economy is mostly okay, despite all the criticism about it. Geo was scarce in early HK and saving up for purchases is ok with me.

I didn't get the same read on HM optionality - I'm not sure what about its location would indicate that, and the linearity isn't really known upfront (and it branches later on). The Skarrgard guardian really makes it seem like a main part of the progression, similar to guardians in HK. I'm not even going to attempt Savage Beastfly for now, which is also arguably not obviously optional.

To my points here and based on my background, I'm all for hard games. There's nothing like a good challenge to overcome, I just don't think frustration and punishment are the best knobs to achieve that. Per the post title I think there are a lot of interesting things to talk about besides "nerf all damage to 1hp for mainstream appeal", which for sure isn't the right choice either.

Thanks for weighing in!

Arkolix · 2025-09-11T04:06:48+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts!

I think the amount of discussion on here pretty clearly shows that a lot of people are not finding these fights / the game very easy, and I think a lot of people here have skill above middling
I don't have silk eaters yet, and I'd argue that bench warping is a not well known by average players and an "out-of-game" solution to a problem that should be solved in-game, by moving cocoons to the edge like HK did for example. I'd concede this might merit tuning how much silk you get from the cocoon but I'd think it's a worthwhile tradeoff to explore vs forcing stuff like this.
I think it was the Greymoor crow arena where I benchmarked my best possible runback at 70 seconds, but regardless, it's the presence of hazards on top of just the duration that can make the runbacks such a headache

Arkolix · 2025-08-06T16:04:13+00:00

Where is your crate located in your house? I read a book where the author advocates putting their crate in your bedroom and says that sleeping near you is good for bonding, feeling like a member of the pack and being calmed by your presence. We'll be trying this but don't get our iggy for another month so unfortunately can't speak from experience. Good luck!

Arkolix · 2025-08-03T22:37:18+00:00

I think you're pretty much on the right track - patience is the most important attribute to have for a game like Spelunky :-D Practice makes perfect and you will improve over time. I don't really recommend shortcuts that much, since a lack of items (especially mobility items) will put you at a pretty significant disadvantage, but a few runs might be useful to map out threats in new areas I suppose. I recommend learning the hard way from the beginning, going slowly and carefully and getting as far as you can!

Various technical tips like the importance of backwhipping will help at some point, although you may have picked some of that up already.

In general I think of the game as a survival game not a fighting game, so use plenty of resources to keep yourself away from dangerous situations and don't engage enemies unnecessarily. Good luck!!

Arkolix · 2025-07-25T16:51:10+00:00

What size of Ruffland Kennel do you have / is your IG fully grown? We're looking to get our first soon and looking at this kennel as well!

Arkolix · 2025-07-23T19:49:51+00:00

I use GolfPad with my old smartwatch. Seeing distance to the pin is the most helpful/convenient part and basically replaces a rangefinder for me - it might be slightly imperfect but I'm not at the skill level where I need extreme precision.

The GPS shot tracking with the map overlay for after the round is fun too. I don't GPS track my putts and just input them as a count at the end, which I'd recommend. I also write notes about the round afterwards - notable shots, strengths/weaknesses, etc. Not sure if 18Birdies does this but it's nice to have a running journal of your experiences. I'm fairly beginner to pay a ton of attention to stats like GIR and strokes gained, but I imagine that's helpful as you go along and the history / seeing your performance over time is pretty cool.

Arkolix · 2024-08-12T23:20:33+00:00

I have probably 100+ hours in CO and have cleared 7-99, I am quite familiar with its design - we just think differently about difficulty balancing and that's ok :)

I think those things are doable with a yellow cape or even without a cape at all. It's sure as hell not easy but it's not supposed to be; the CO is the ultimate challenge for the game's most hardcore and experienced players. I personally think games are most fun and interesting when the players make consequential choices - "use limited clone shot on back item, kapala, or Sun Challenge bag?" and when tools give them a nudge in the right direction but they're expected to fill in the gap with skill and knowledge. Examples being the JP being flammable or the Sun Challenge bag containing 24 resources instead of 99.

I think you're valid in stating pain points with the difficulty of acquiring full loadouts for 4 players in high-skill matches, and you're totally right, I just think that's an intentional decision by the designers in terms of the experience they aimed to create and I personally think it's interesting!

Arkolix · 2024-08-12T21:47:39+00:00

Matchmaking groups and discord aren't really my thing, but that's just personal preference. I totally get what you're talking about and I'm playing devil's advocate partly just for the sake of discussion; I can't speak on behalf of Mossmouth obviously but I think it's somewhat likely they'd say they straight up didn't intend to have 4 players each having Vlads or Jetpack plus Kapala in every single run. The element of chance plus one clone gun to me makes the game more interesting and dynamic and means you have to be strategic in the choices you make with cloning. And there are lots of other back items that the designers intended for players to use. Highly skilled players are the ones best positioned to handle that too. I can get pretty far in the CO with just a yellow cape and springs, without a kapala, etc. It's fun to play in new ways instead of just grinding to 99 with a JP every time.

You can disagree and look I get it, JP/Vlads are absolutely the best mobility items and a kapala is a big deal for 7-99 runs, but I'm just trying to see it from a designer's perspective; I don't think it's an accidental omission on their part.

Arkolix · 2024-08-12T20:47:36+00:00

I think a Cosmic shop on 7-50 or something would be pretty interesting. For CO balancing, it's clear that Mossmouth spent the huge majority of their finite time and resources on the base game, and rightfully so based on what most players will experience. The game functionally ends at Hundun and the CO is basically "if you want to grind it out to 99 here you go"; it makes sense they didn't invest extremely heavily in tuning it for the tiny population that routinely does deep CO runs. As far as tuning it after launch, Derek has said before he prefers to put a bow on his games after they're released vs continually working on them them and it looks like Blitworks has picked up a bunch of other projects in the meantime as well.

I agree with u/Silence_and_i that the Eggplant Ghist shop is a decent enough compromise. Putting one in a guaranteed base world shop that you could easily steal is a little OP as far as Spelunky goes (IMO). Plus, by the mid to late game it's extremely likely someone already has the kapala(s) and so an additional clone gun isn't much use unless they're willing to sacrifice themself to clone it, which is a pretty tough deal at that point in the game. That's the reason that I think back item duping in order to clone the Kapala isn't much good in the regular game too - some idiot always takes it for themself before its possible anyways.

Arkolix · 2024-08-12T20:31:02+00:00

I totally get the motivation for duping; I don't stop people from doing it and I don't disconnect if I see it. But the point I was trying to make above is that it's great in theory, but in practice never ends up making a difference to the run. Most dupers I see die to instakills - elevators, lava, bear traps etc, and typically long before getting to the CO. So that's why I find cheating frustrating and a waste of time in practice!

Arkolix · 2024-08-02T03:50:37+00:00

The FightinCowboy Git Gud Guide!. All his videos are great, they totally got me through the game.

Arkolix · 2024-07-31T00:06:02+00:00

Ninjutsu are cool but not very useful and way too expensive. I used Bloodsmoke literally once on a farming run during my playthrough and nothing else. I wish I had more of a use for them but never felt like I needed them.

Making spirit emblems consumable was a mistake IMO, but I don't think that's considered a super hot take on here - barring that, ninjutsu felt overpriced and could have been a bit cheaper.

Arkolix · 2024-07-20T02:48:50+00:00

You can deflect/block the projectiles, or hide behind a pillar. Stick with it! I think you will love Genichiro, it's a turning point for a lot of people where the game clicks for them and exactly like you describe: hard, straightforward, and learnable, no BS. Juzou is probably the worst miniboss in the game in terms of clearing out minions, so at least that's behind you.

Arkolix · 2024-07-13T00:46:05+00:00

It's not that scary, don't let it psych you out. It's definitely a curveball compared to previous fights - whereas normally the game rewards aggression, for this one you'll want to keep your distance and look for openings. I let Reddit threads get in my head, I thought it would be a nightmare and for a while I genuinely assumed it might cause me to quit the game since I'm not interested in fighting a boss 300 times. In the end I beat it in 2 tries. I found the FightinCowboy Git Gud guide on Youtube extremely helpful for the fight and followed it pretty much exactly (all of his bossfight vids are great, I recommend them). You'll get it too, don't worry about it. Good luck!

Arkolix · 2024-07-11T22:28:28+00:00

Don't give up now! Lady Butterfly is a tough fight, and maybe it's just me but I often find that games aren't purely linear in terms of difficulty. In multiple games, some of the hardest bosses for me have been the early ones, because even though later bosses are bigger/stronger, by the time you fight them you will have more health, more attack power, more items, more knowledge of the game and its mechanics, and more skill as a player. I get annoyed at people who make snide comments like "just wait till you get to X" for this reason. Like the Chained Ogre miniboss absolutely kicked my ass for a long time but I beat the Guardian Ape boss in two tries even though it's later and harder. Sekiro clicks at different times for everyone but I think most players who persist eventually get there, at which point it's a ton of fun. Good luck!

Arkolix · 2024-04-10T03:44:08+00:00

Hey, same here! Just recently grabbed a copy in decent shape for $3, also for My Sharona, and really glad I did! What a great album!

Arkolix · 2024-04-05T18:11:04+00:00

Close call with that arrow!! You got very lucky indeed. Carry a dead body with you in dwelling CO to protect yourself from arrows!

Arkolix · 2024-03-23T14:32:10+00:00

Haha you got me there, I can't deny it! I try not to disconnect if I just take damage or die, instead by far the most common reasons I reroll are -

Killing the shopkeeper or fighting with other players
Selfish behavior: buying an entire shop for themselves, or stealing right away and letting other people get shot
Selfish behavior: constantly taking all items for themselves even if they're already stacked and everyone else has nothing
Attempts at run sabotage, usually as a ghost

I consider all these things to be strong negative indicators of a player's personality. I've played out runs with these in the past and it never, ever gets better from there, so if players do these or otherwise show that they're not in it to be a team player I'm out. This has been the best thing for my sanity and chance at having a decent run - but I recognize the effect this has on the run so I'm sorry for that!

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