I’ve messed around with making some ginger based syrups, but those were for hot lattes

Manual grinders are a great option for the budget conscious, but they are more work and they add a decent amount of time to the overall workflow

Either the DF54 or the Fellow Opus. I highly recommend watching James Hoffman’s recent video on budget espresso grinders.

Haha no

Only been to Seven Seas once, but I was very impressed with their coffee!

Awesome, thank you!

Personal preference and budget will play a large part in this decision, but I would go the semi-auto route with something like the Bambino Plus and the DF54. I think manual brewers look fun and I want one someday, but they also add an extra variable.

I didn’t buy a kit, but I roughly followed the parts list from gaggiaupgrade.com. I’m using the XMT7100 PID, which came from AliExpress. I used this video as my guide: youtu.be/ZAtsuS6B6xg. I’d recommend watching the video and then figuring out which parts from the list you actually need

I think it’s a recognition that not everyone needs that and leaving it out keeps the price down. These machines are easy to mod so those who want it can add it. All in all, I like the machine and I’m very happy with it! It’s simple and makes great espresso

I will stay for up to about 2 hours or for as long as I am actively eating/drinking. As others have pointed out, if I’m taking up a large amount of real estate, then I’ll try and stay for a shorter amount of time

Correct. The Gaggia Classic line of machines lacks an internal PID temp control, which means two things: (1) you can’t change the brew temp, its set of a specific temp. (2) the boiler temp fluctuates between above and below that set temp, so you never quite know what temp you’re brewing with.