Consistency: Flat burrs are known for being more consistent and producing a more balanced extraction
Noisiness: Flat burrs can be noisy and heat up quickly without good ventilation
Price: Conical burr grinders are cheaper than flat burr grinders
Coolness: Conical burr grinders are cooler than flat burr grinders
Gentleness: Conical burrs are gentler on the coffee beans, which can result in a sweeter cup of coffee
Control: Flat burr grinders offer more control, which is good for cafes or commercial uses
Espresso brewing: Conical burr grinders are good for pulling espresso shots
Grounds: Flat burrs often retain more grounds than conical burrs
Conical burrs are not cheaper. You call this when you look at them, the shape is pretty complex. They often don’t have good (low) retention as they are often on massive commercial equipment. They are consistent as all hell.
The Specialty Coffee Association has a certification program and list of machines that have passed:
* https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer
Units by Cuisinart, GE, Oxo, and Zwilling are on the certified list and can be founded listed for US$ 230. One of the main items for certification is getting the water consistently to the correct temperature.
Or you can spend $30 on a dripper and $50 on a (simple on/off) kettle:
* https://cleverbrewing.coffee/products/clever-dripper
With the difference going to a good grinder so you're making coffee with fresh beans.
* https://sca.coffee/sca-certified/espresso-machines
Maybe there is no list of "consumer-level espresso machines" because no machines have met the certification criteria?