8- Throughout this hobby and journey of coffee and espresso, I’ve tried to learn as much as possible, and not merely upgrade just because I wanted something newer or shinier. It is well known in the espresso world, much like other hobbies, (golf comes to mind for me) that oftentimes more expensive equipment doesn’t make one a better barista. In addition to a pretty significant jump in cost when you go from single boiler machines to dual boiler or heat exchanger, the counter space footprint also increases significantly! As I have already mentioned, our kitchen is not spacious, and counter space is limited. So I have to be creative with space, and also convincing when I ask my wife and CFO to upgrade the espresso machine. It helps that she loves breve lattes! For a long time I thought the Rocket Appartamento would be my big upgrade, and I nearly took the plunge several times. It wasn’t until I saved for nearly a year, using my side hustle as an IT consultant, that I began learning the nuances between dual boilers vs. heat exchangers. I fell asleep regularly watching Youtube videos about espresso machines, techniques, and endless reviews. In the end I have decided to invest a bit more and go for the dual boiler variety, and purchased a Profitec Pro 600. After my first one arrived DOA, and I worked with the support tech at Whole Latte Love to troubleshoot and diagnose, I finally got a replacement and am loving the new experience! Being able to steam milk and pull shots at the same time is awesome, albeit a new skill to master, and the ability to use the hot water arm for my favorite daily drink, the Americano w/cream, is fantastic. I can’t wait to learn even more as my espresso journey continues!