u/Shandriel

I'm considering buying an espresso machine for my wife's birthday and stepped away from the likes of a Lelit Bianca, because I know that we would like to have some simplicity.

we are a Pour-Over Household drinking large cups of coffee with lots of milk, usually. (talking 300-500ml cups here, lol)

But we do love and enjoy proper Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato whenever we're going out.

Right now, I could get the Oracle Touch for the same price (it's being discontinued) as the Dual Boiler (not the Oracle Dual Boiler!)

From what I've gathered the Dual Boiler is a great machine and the Touch is basically the same, except for the integrated grinder, touch menu and pre-save recipes?

The Grinder gets some bad reviews, but we could use our standalone grinder that is most probably a lot better anyways?

(We would need to tamper ourselves, then? But the machine can work without the grinder included in the recipes? Or would that rule it out entirely?)

Is there any reason to get the Dual Boiler at the same price?

Does the Touch add a lot of simplicity that would make it worthwhile, or is the Dual Boiler just as easy to master for those typical drinks?
(we don't need 10+ recipes.. Espressos, Lattes, Cappuccino, and Macchiato are all we care about, really)

I hope my ramblings are at least somewhat coherent..

thanks for the help.

P.S.: We're talking 1'000€ and I'd rather not exceed that budget.

Avid photographer here (Nikon, what else) who has been glancing at binos for too many years..

a few years ago, on Safari, I longed for a pair for the very first time.

(having a 500mm lens on a DSLR was great, but pretty cumbersome to wield to just observe wildlife.)

What am I looking for?

something to bring on vacation, when visiting the family's hut in the mountains, something to look through with my son (we do live in the mountains and have deer, badgers, and hares and the likes in the neighborhood)

ideally bright, large field of view, and good magnification..

I keep reading that 8x42 was ideal for all-rounding..

The Monarch M7 8x42 costs significantly more than the 10x42 (although almost 30% higher than the price was a year ago.. so I'll be patient..)

There's also currently someone selling the Monarch HG 10x42 for 50% more than a brand new M7 10x42

(599 chf vs 400 chf)

bought half a year ago, so plenty of warranty left.

I would rather just spend 300-350 (last year's price on the M7), but at the current prices, I cannot help but wonder if the HG would be worth it...

I probably wouldn't buy another pair.. ever, so the price isn't the main issue (but the steep increase in price compared to a year ago bugs me!)?!

is 10x42 too difficult to handle, despite the very wide fov? (as wide as older 8x42 designs, actually)

The Vortex Viper HD costs significantly more here than the Monarch (around 500 bucks), and the Zeiss Terra ED is much more expensive (over 500), too, to put them into perspecitve.

(and I'm a Nikon kid... that counts, too)

Nikon Monarch HG 10x42 for 599 (slightly used, with all accessories, box, and only 6 months old)

Nikon Monarch M7 8x42 currently 430

Monarch M7 10x42 currently 390

those are my options..

I'm not a birder, nor a hunter, but we're also not sneaking up on game to watch them up close..

Safari (hopefully again some day), Whale Watching (from the shore, cannot afford those tours, lol) and watching wildlife at home in the alps..

10x magnification, thanks to the large field of view?