Coffee

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.