The best way to plumbing the hx is a trade off. It depends upon your priorities. Is low cost more important than durability? If so use cast iron or PVC.
How permanent or removable should the hx be? SweAt fittings are cheap and durable but permanent, especially if brazed.
There are many ways around the barn and more traps than that. Just keep the number of separate parts at the bare minimum no matter what you design. So what if a 2 x 3/4 x 1/4 tee fitting costs 12 dollars? It's guaranteed to be watertight. Adapter and reducer and sex change fittings are bad karma, don't do it.
When in doubt, look up how the big dogs do it. In this realm, it is boiler room and distillery and refinery equipment. From homebrew and distilling moonshine all the way to bulk petrochemical companies, the road to safety and success has already been paved and signs have been installed for ease of use.
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