You could also use a single boiler (which are better at temperature regulation) for espresso pulls and a thermoblock for steam. That said, boilers are pretty n

You could also use a single boiler (which are better at temperature regulation) for espresso pulls and a thermoblock for steam. That said, boilers are pretty niche for home use. In order to maintain good thermal regulation you need a decent sized mass of water. That means a long time to preheat and a lot of wasted energy. This isn't a dealbreaker for some, but for a casual consumer who pulls one or two shots per day, it's pretty lacking in convenience.