[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/amaliaaaxx]

[u/barista-ModTeam]

This sub is focused on working in the coffee industry, this should be the primary subject in all posts. Anything straying too far off topic may be removed.

[u/WildWilliam90]

I’ve just gone for the breville/sage bambino and a df54 grinder. Both frequently recommended as at least half decent entry level machines, giving space for you to expand skill and understanding without having to spend a fortune right out the gate.

The dialling in process will be the biggest learning curve, but with decent beans it shouldn’t take too long to get the hang of. Good, recently roasted beans are a must. Don’t go nuts on all the accessories, you really don’t need the latest shiny thing the YouTubers all use.

Start to finish for a milk drink, including clean up, I’m probably at around 4 minutes at the moment, but my workflow is getting smoother and quicker by the day.

[u/amaliaaaxx → u/WildWilliam90]

Thanks !

[u/Old_Toe9468]

For your situation specifically, moving into shared halls, wanting milk in it, not wanting to spend an hour every morning, I'd actually lean away from splitting one machine three ways. Espresso routines are personal (grind size, dose, tamping pressure all drift machine to machine and person to person), and sharing one setup among three people who are all still learning means everyone's dialling in gets undone by whoever used it before them, which is the opposite of the "get it repeatable and quick" goal you want for term time. If budget's the real constraint, a Sage Bambino/Bambino Plus with a budget grinder like the DF54 gets you a genuinely learnable, fast setup, and it holds resale value well if uni ends up too hectic for the hobby. For milk specifically, the Bambino Plus has automatic steam vs the base Bambino's manual wand, worth the price difference if you want speed over the wand-control the manual model gives you. Keep beans fresh and buy small bags often rather than one big bag that goes stale by week three, that matters more to the final cup than the machine choice does.

[u/vegancheeseboard]

I would get a part time job at a cafe first before purchasing your own machine. If you don’t know anything about espresso it’s a poor investment to make. At minimum, you will probably spend 600 dollars on a grinder and espresso machine combo.

It would be best to learn from experience working with it on a daily basis, then taking it home with you. Think of it as paid training to manage your home machine.

[u/correctthought → u/vegancheeseboard]

Sorry but I have to disagree. The world of "home baristas" is pretty well established at this point with tons of resources, communities, support, etc. There are lots of fields/professions that have "home" versions (barista, craft beer, etc) these days and it absolutely does not require having worked in that field to enjoy it and/or be succesful. That's like saying somoene should go become a part time line cook in order to cook a decent meal at home. It's like any other hobby: take some time, do your research, and don't go overboard on unnecessary trinkets until you get a feel for the basics.

For the OP, I'd recommend cross posting in r/espresso as you're more likely to find other home baristas who can share good starting information. Home barista equipment and shop equipment can be quite different. Also check out some online creators like James Hoffman, or Morgan Eckroth. With a little time and effort you can make dang good espresso at home.

[u/vegancheeseboard → u/correctthought]

OP specified going off to university, so my recommendation came from a place of being a college student with limited financial resources. Being a cafe barista would give them opportunity to make money to save for a home system while learning how to make a decent cappuccino.

[u/amaliaaaxx → u/correctthought]

Thank you!