Ultra

My Casabrew Ultra can have a wet puck too. As long as it's not a big puddle of water, I wouldn't worry about it. Casabrews don't have that fancy solenoid to suck back the excess water at the end of the shot, so, yeah, the puck tends to look kind of muddy. Focus more on the taste of the espresso than

Grinder is doing most of the heavy lifting for espresso, the machine way less so. With your budget you can push the grinder higher and not worry too much on the machine side. A simple and sturdy machine that doesn't get in the way is enough. For me Casabrews Ultra is an easy partner. Basic 58 mm set

Casabrews works great. Throw in a J ultra hand grinder and you can make excellent espresso with fresh beans

I was in the same situation and ended up going with the Casabrews Ultra. I've been using it for a few years now, and I haven’t run into any quality issues. It has a great temperature control system and a powerful steam wand, making it perfect for both espresso and milk-based drinks. It’s user-friend