Need Help to find a good coffee machine after making a dumb purchase
Hey people of reddit,
I need some perspective from people who actually know what they're doing, because I'm spiraling a bit.
I'm a complete coffee novice who recently got really excited and bought a Mazzer Philos (€600) and a Bezzera Matrix DE (€880), yes, I know, it was stupid. The thing is, I've only ever brewed V60 with some cheap timemore grinder, and the results have been underwhelming (shocker, I know). I haven't even attempted espresso yet because the learning curve feels intimidating, and the maintenance aspect (backflushing, etc.) is honestly already stressing me out. Especially with such an expensive machine.
Here's my situation:
- I enjoy coffee but I'm not sure I want it to become a full-on hobby
- I don't plan to brew every single day, or not that much because I sometimes feel sick if I drink too much coffee.
-I don't want the BEST machine and the BEST espresso cup but I still want to enjoy it.
- I want to explore different methods (pour over, AeroPress, maybe espresso one day)
- I already have a Hario Switch which I enjoy
- I don't want to keep investing heavily, I'd rather consolidate or at least invest smartly
- I cracked on great deals but I think I "bit off more than I could chew"
The Philos is a great grinder and I'm leaning towards keeping it since the grinder matters most. But I'm questioning the Bezzera, I could sell it at the price I bought it used and pick up something simpler (Rancilio Silvia, Bambino, or Gaggia Classic for €200-300 used), or even go lever with a Flair Pro 2 ( around €200 secondhand) which honestly appeals to me for its simplicity and no maintenance/little.
Alternatively, I could skip espresso entirely for now, sell everything espresso-related, and just grab a Fellow Ode Gen 2 or 1Zpresso ZP6 dedicated to filter - and revisit espresso later when I actually know what I'm doing.
My main questions:
Is the Philos overkill if I'm mostly doing pour overs for now? Or is it future-proof enough to justify keeping?
Flair Pro 2 vs entry-level semi-auto (Silvia/Bambino/Gaggia) for a low-maintenance beginner - what would you choose? Or if you have any other ideas ?
For someone who wants to explore first before committing, what would your setup be?
Thanks in advance, I know this is probably a classic "GAS got me" post but I genuinely want to simplify and actually enjoy the process rather than stress about gear.