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It’s tricky tbh. £300 just about gets you an entry level electric grinder for espresso or a moderate espresso grinder second hand.
Or a very good hand grinder (for espresso and pour over), scales, and some equipment for making a nice pour over brew.
You may find that the advantages of a better grinder are slightly wasted on a cheaper espresso machine as it may struggle to make enough pressure, and grinding yourself may be more trouble than it’s worth.
As James Hoffmann said - making good espresso at home is a time consuming hobby as it takes quite a lot of effort to get right (or words to that effect).
You might see the best benefits from buying a newer machine second hand (like a Gaggia classic) as you’ll see lots of improvement over the Dualit which is about as cheap as espresso machines come.
Nef-
Useful response thanks.
Throwing a curveball in there… I have the potential of getting a la pavoni classic, free, it’s pretty old but it’s never been used much and from what I can tell a full new set of gaskets and a descale and it’s unlikely to be too much different from a new one.
Grinder I was thinking something like this…
Sage BCG820BSSUK the Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Grinder - Silver https://amzn.eu/d/1mxT7vr
Then as it’s the big 40 next year perhaps slash a bit more on something like a rocket apartmentto…
Or for £300 there is this option..
Breville Barista Max Espresso Machine | Latte & Cappuccino Coffee Maker with Integrated Bean Grinder & Steam Wand | 2.8 L Water Tank | 15 Bar Italian Pump | Stainless Steel https://amzn.eu/d/2URYIO2
Sainsburys_Ed
I currently have a dualit coffee machine that I’ve had since I got married, and I was thinking of replacing it, it makes an ok flat white but it’s not great, is there anything that’s going to rock my socks in the £300 range or would I be better getting a bean grinder, nice beans and scales for that kind of money?