The circuit, the floor space, the noise and the consumables. None appear as a price on a spec sheet, and together they can add over a thousand dollars.

Blue Alpine lists layaway on its Elite trims at around $308 to $400 a month. Layaway is not finance - you get the machine at the end, not the start.

Match the load you generate, then check the circuit. Tray area matters more than tray count, and cold trap capacity is the real ceiling.