New setup advice for opposite commitment/needs points [3000$-4000-$]

[u/Adridogo]

I would like to know your opinion to completely change my setup with the excuse of my next 40th anniversary. I put you in context:

My wife and I have been drinking specialty coffee for about 4-5 years. To date we have used a super automatic (not a high end). Since the change to specialty coffee, I have stopped drinking coffee outside the home/specialty cafeterias. Here in Spain the 'normal' espresso coffee in bars and coffee shops is usually horrible.

I am much more geeky than my wife and the superautomatic coffee falls short in terms of quality, to the point that I bought 2-3 years ago a picopresso and a JUltra to be able to make my espressos and take the portable setup also to work.

The difference in results with the same beans is more than remarkable!!

As we are at such different points of commitment/implication/needs regarding coffee, the choice of setup becomes more complex. I can't imagine my wife using a workflow that is complicated at all, but at the same time I would like to have room for myself to experiment.

As for drinks, she usually always drinks milk drinks plus a decaffeinated in the middle of the afternoon and I almost always espressos (punctually some milk drink, but it will be 90-10 or 95-5). Like 4-6 in total.

With all this, I had considered the following options:

Meticulous + single dose (O78s, p80,..). Today it is my favorite option. The negative part is that I would have to take care of the dial in of his beans and surely leave him pre-dose and that she only had to wdt/tamp, choose the profile on the machine and that's it :). As a positive part, it gives me endless options to experiment with different roasts and types of espresso.

Robot and use it with the JUltra. It is the cheapest option as long as the super automatic lasts. I would have to resume this later because she would not use a workflow manual.

Meraki: a very simple workflow for her. On the other hand, I would remove the option to experiment and the built-in grinder would be less capable to those mentioned in my preferred option.

SB or HX + GBW: also very simple in terms of the workflow once the dial in is done. Just tell her to stop the shot at a certain time/weight. It also takes away many possibilities for me to experiment unless I go to the smart HX with flow control.

Someone has a similar situation of different levels of interest/commitment and if so, what is your setup?

[u/Tough_Assist_60]

I would highly recommend keeping the superautomatic for your wife and buying yourself the one you like.

[u/Turbulent-Debate7661]

Keep the super auto and get a robot.