Measure the space with the water tank open. A machine that fits under a cupboard when switched off may not leave room to refill, lift the hopper lid or remove the drip tray. Those daily movements matter more than a photograph of the finished counter.
Check the working space, not just the footprint
Leave the clearances required by the manufacturer. Consider steam, heat and the direction in which the tank comes out. Put the grinder where you can weigh a dose without moving hot cups across its cable. A scale that only fits when tilted is not a useful fit.
Make a short physical sequence: refill, grind, prepare, brew, steam if needed, knock out, wipe and rinse. Follow it with the machine still unplugged during placement. If every step requires moving another appliance, rearrange the counter before adding storage boxes.
Use the right electrical and water arrangements
Follow the power requirements in the manual and local electrical rules. Keep cables away from hot surfaces and water. Do not assume an extension lead or multiway adapter is suitable for a high-power appliance. Ask an electrician when the outlet arrangement is unclear.
For a tank-fed machine, decide where suitable water will be stored and how the tank will be cleaned. For a plumbed machine, installation is a separate job with pressure, drainage and leak-protection requirements. Check the manual and use qualified help. The water-treatment guide covers selection rather than plumbing instructions.
Start with a small equipment list
The essentials depend on what came with the machine: suitable basket and tamper, an espresso-capable grinder if you are using whole beans with a conventional basket, a scale that fits, and a milk jug if you make milk drinks. Check whether the supplied basket is pressurised or non-pressurised; that changes how you interpret the grind.
Keep a cloth for the steam wand separate from general counter cleaning. Put the knock box where it will not splash grounds into the grinder. You do not need a tamping station, several distribution tools and a drawer of screens before the first recipe works.
Make the first week easy to diagnose
Follow the manufacturer's first-use rinse and preparation sequence. Choose one coffee and keep the water source fixed. Record dose and beverage weight rather than changing beans after every disappointing shot. Use the dialing-in workflow for the recipe.
Write the cleaning schedule beside the recipe: daily tasks, periodic cleaning and the products approved for the machine. A useful station has space to remove and wash parts, not just space to display the machine.
At the end of the week, buy only what resolves an observed problem. If the scale is awkward, fix that before purchasing an accessory intended to improve extraction by an unspecified amount.
