>>21410724
$300 Flair Classic + 200ish manual handgrinder is all you need to make excellent espresso. But it takes some practice to get it right and it's a bit of a process - 5min if you go at a leisurly pace, 3:30 if you crank the grinder like a maniac.
If you want good espresso AND convenience, 1k is the absolute minimum. Flair58 + a mid-range burr grinder like the Timemore 064S is the next better set-up for value in my opinion (circa 1.2k). Avoid bean-to-cups, they suck.