Silvia

I can buy specialty beans almost for the price of supermarket organic blabla beans. So I guess you have to find a better supplier. Also your grinder does the most important part. So I would go (went) for a Rancilio Silvia and then the most expensive grinder your budget allows. Eureka Mignon Libra to

No plastic is impossible. Way to good for some uses to skip on. I'd look for a used rancilio silvia. Built like tanks and easily servicable if something does break

Profitec GO is basically the updated Silvia Rancilio should have made years ago

Rancilio Silvia. Klassiker. Grym. Bäst av alla maskiner. Gaggia Classic. Också bra, men Rancilio är långt bättre, med större kokare dvs bättre, snabbare och stabilare ångtryck när du ångar mjölk. Men nästan än viktigare, är faktiskt kvarnen. En kvalitetskvarn gör ALLT. Om du har en billig kaffekvarn

Espresso machine tech here. Don't do that. Buy OEM gaskets https://www.espressoparts.com/products/rancilio-silvia-boiler-gasket https://www.espressoparts.com/products/rancilio-silvia-heating-element-gasket The corroded screws mean you'll need to drill out the busted screws to get the boiler apart. T

Ah, naturally, coffee only reaches its most nuanced, existential depths when brewed on a Rancilio Silvia with the reassuring presence of a titanium screen screw. Without it, you're not crafting espresso, you're just playing at it. /s

If you're gonna spend that much money, get a decent machine like the Rancilio Silvia. The thing is totally consumer friendly, you can take it apart, repair it, replace parts, etc. And it's almost totally mechanical, it keeps on going and never breaks down.

Rancilio Silvia Pro X + Niche Zero grinder have been making great coffee for me for years

Might be boring but a Rancilio Silvia Pro would be all I need. Especially considering that Silvias are built like tanks and can be easily repaired. I am sure there are plenty of fun machines with cool added functionalities out there, but in terms of one-and-done I would rather go for less features,

Might also be that your aftermarket PF is not a perfect fit for the machine, regardless of the gasket. I once got a PF that's designed for a generic E61 group head, and although I do use it with my Silvia, I sometimes notice slight leaks I don't get with the Rancilio PF, even with a fresh gasket ins