I’ve been using an Orphan Espresso Lido 2 that I used for years for aeropress lattes that I now use for espresso. With a WDT and a spinning distribution tamper, it’s pretty incredible the results I can get with a stock Rancilio Silvia and a bottomless basket. 20g of espresso is no problem to grind at a time for a triple shot basket.

Get the Baratza Encore ESP, or Fellow Opus.

Baratza Vario W - daily use for the last 8 years or so and going strong. Zero ground coffee mess, decently accurate and consistent (grinds by weight), looks nice. Mine only needed one burr adjustment in the 5 year mark (it comes with tool and the instructions).

You’re not gonna see it on a lot of real enthusiast’s lists, but I think the Breville Smart Grinder Pro at $200 is the best espresso grinder you can get (easily and consistently) below $300. I have a virtuoso+ that I was using for a while, and the cheaper SGP not only has MUCH greater micro-adjustability (it’s essentially stepless since you can set to any point in between clicks, but there are still steps technically), but the grinds are much more consistent at espresso sizes. I’ve established this myself with a precise sifter to remove boulders and fines (virtuoso+ produces many more of both) and seen online analyses that show the same. SGP wins against the more expensive baratza every time on grind quality.

The biggest/most common knock against it is that it isn’t built to be repaired as seriously as most Baratza, and some of the “smart” features aren’t that useful. However, being so much cheaper than anything but the cheapest baratzas, I’d buy two of these over the course of 10+ years for grind quality alone rather than spend just as much replacing burrs on a baratza, but not technically having to buy a new grinder.

And yeah, the ability to grind by “cups” rather than time isn’t helpful, I just do it by time, but it’s not like they made that more difficult by adding a second option. What IS helpful and won’t be found in any other grinder at the price, though, is a great portafilter switch and holder. Improves workflow, minimizes waste, and is just fun to use. I’d use a twist-on dosing funnel though so you don’t have to spill/waste any grounds at all when grinding straight into the portafilter.

In the end, I make decisions like this based almost exclusively on functionality at a given price point, and SGP is a rare case in which a cheaper option actually performs better when you get down to grind quality alone, and the espresso-specific build/attachments are nice.

Eureka Facile (or Manuale - they’re basically the same thing, Facile has extra sound dampening)

A few 3D printed extras (angled based, angled hopper chute), and silicon bellows (Etsy sells everything), and you’ve got yourself one hell of a single doser.

And it’s actually quiet, unlike many of the Baratza products; if they’re too much $, though the Encore ESP is good, and while loud-ish, quick.

I had the Breville SGP before my Eureka, wasn’t a fan of it - stepless is the way.