Coffee Appreciation

I'm currently using the Sette 270 and Europiccola and am very happy with my setup. Would likely be perfectly happy with the Robot if it weren't for others wanting milk-based drinks.

I think @withered_preacher can probably give some good insight as they're (I believe) a Robot & Mignon owner, and previously a 9Barista owner.

I'm happy to reiterate my enjoyment of the Mignon (Silenzio) and Robot combo.
The Mignon probably retains more than the Sette, but in reading about it's robustness, quiet operation and of course it's grind consistency I was convinced. Haven't been sorry, and it has a nice small footprint too.
The Robot didn't come up on my radar until a couple of days after I got the 9Barista. Mr Hoffmann's review of the Robot got me very interested and in diving into Home-Barista.com became convinced that I'd bought the wrong maker for me.
9Barista is a beautifully made, but fairly complex beast of nickel-plated brass. It's quite heavy and mine was a pain to take apart post coffee as it was pressure sealed. This has apparently been rectified in recent models.
The main 2 problems I see with it though are that you're kind of locked in to doses/amounts and that there was (for me) a significant temp drop down to the fact that the coffee dispenses first into the top of the pot which you then pour into your cup. As I learned later, the name of the thing plays on a bit of a myth when it comes to making espresso, that is that 9 bars of pressure is required. From what I've read, most lever machines will operate properly at 5-8 bar.
The Robot is not only an easy machine to use and clean, it can make great espresso even when a plebe like myself is at the controls. The aesthetic is more 50s small appliance than steam punk like the 9Barista. I love how deceptively simple it is, how water does NOT flow through the machine, how you can dispense the coffee straight into the cup and how you're free to mess with grind, dose and water temperature.

Any corrections to the above missive welcome

PS - I have the one with the pro basket (naked) and without gauge, don't need it imo.
PPS - prep time is faster too as you have to wait 6 minutes or so for the 9Barista to do it's thing. For the Robot, if you have an electric grinder it's basically the time it takes to boil water plus a minute for the preinfusion/pull.

I have the Robot & and a ten year old Vario and reckon you can't get better espresso combo without spending serious money. If I was to do over I would get a Niche Zero and the Robot again.