> Which would you choose for this machine in particular and why?

I'd go for the Gaggia MDF, as I've seen it recommended over and over here at
alt. When I got a good grinder with 50 mm burrs, it was the real beginning
of espresso making for me - no more fine powder mixed with the grind, which
over-extracts and makes bitter espresso, and wasted money on beans &
machine.

I sent back a Maestro+ because of low grind quality, have seen reviews
questioning saeco's reliability, and don't know what kind of burrs the
capresso has but haven't seen good reviews on the brand in general. The MDF,
on the other hand, is recommended all the time, has nice 50mm burrs, is
reasonably well built and just plain owns the market for entry level
espresso grinders as far as I can see..

tom