thusband I failed to do the routine maintenance so an expensive lesson learned.

Just out of curiosity what routine maintenance did you fail to do that you think would have avoided the problem in your case

      coffeealex Just out of curiosity what routine maintenance did you fail to do that you think would have avoided the problem in your case

      I failed to simply remove the flow control and grease the needle valve and nut threads with a little Molykote. I should have been doing it every three months or so. I was feeling some stiffness when turning the paddle and then nothing. The threads were completely stripped and I had to buy a replacement kit (not cheap).

        Well Now after my phone call to Bella Barista I am totally confused. i phoned the technical department re some parts I needed and told them I was looking to potentially buy a Lelit and i was asked politely why was I so eager to buy one. He acknowledged the lelit was a good machine but in his opinion and vast experience the profitec was a much higher quality machine. Such things as surgical steel been used on that and not the other, reliability, etc. In fact apparently that’s what they use there for demonstrations etc. It was also his machine of choice and he owned one. He was an extremely experienced guy, polite and was very candid. I value any opinion from anyone and have seen conflicting videos from a profitec and lelit end saying they are superior to each other. Has anyone owned both on this forum? I am sure both are good but not sure what to go for now.

          coffeealex If you can, I would suggest you pay them a visit in person and see the machines in the flesh before making a decision.

          They sell both machines… The Profitec costs £200 more and has less features. You got to ask yourself why the suggestion of one over the other, realistically.

          Ultimately, it’s you who will use the machine, not them, so you need to be happy with the machine you buy, as they are not cheap.

              coffeealex One thing to bear in mind is that there are also commercial interests… which are probably changing/recently changed considering the acquisition of Lelit by Breville/Sage.

              I haven’t owned either, but I considered both (and the ECM Synchronika) a few months ago when deciding what machine to get, and ultimately I reached the following conclusion/summary:

              + for ECM/Profitech: construction/assembly, reliability (minor +)
              + for Lelit: innovation/features, upgradeability, footprint and cost (particularly assuming flow profiling is required/desirable)

              Looks are subjective - of the 3, I would prefer the Synchronika because I prefer levers to knobs for steam/water (and a few months ago the levers weren’t even an option on the Profitec).

              In the end, had I gone for an E61 machine, I would have picked the Bianca because of its innovation, footprint and cost. What did I buy? A lever machine that is innovative, very well built, but has a large footprint and costs even more than the ECM. Go figure…

                It’s only £10 more expensive than a Nespresso!!!! 🤣

                I’m so tempted to hit “Buy” and see what happens….

                  If BB was referring to the stainless of the boilers, I know the Lelit use AISI 316L (commonly known as surgical steel) in the Bianca. I would think Profitec use the same.

                  Contact me

                    DavecUK i think he was referring to the steel on the outside. But if Lelit are using surgical grade steel on their boilers then that’s pretty good. Surgical steel has better anti corrosive properties if I am not mistaken

                      DavecUK I know you rate both machines highly but purely down to extraction quality are they more or less the same in your opinion? Ie if you put the same coffee/ tamp/flow/ pressure would the shots be more or less the same or would one eg have more crema

                          coffeealex got to be something not right? but as you say its tempting to hit buy….,, might turn out to be bye bye to the money

                          Likely. I checked the phone number, and it’s from a takeaway restaurant in Southampton. Steer clear!

                              JahLaza is it a typo? £65? They retailing for up around 2k new, is this new or am I comparing different machines?!

                              I think it’s a scam. All items are crazy cheap!

                                  coffeealex Afternoon, question for you. One person you seek advice from works on a not for profit expansion of the coffee industry for the benefit of consumers……the other is a coffee salesman! Which one do you think is going to give the more balanced answer and which one is more likely to go and check stock levels and profit margins before he answers!
                                  You are not comparing like for like matey. If you do not want to pressure profile then why consider a Bianca? If you want to pressure profile, then why consider a Profitec as it cannot………

                                  https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/

                                      I second @dfk41 - That was exactly what I was trying to say in my post, but in a more diplomatic way 🤣

                                      By the time you add a flow control valve to the Profitec and a gauge, you’ll be approx. £400 (if not more) above the binaca price.

                                      That does not give you any of the other features the Bianca has. To put it simply, there’s nothing the Bianca can’t do that the Profitec can.

                                      It’s all down to aesthetics and personal preference at the end of the day.

                                      Personally, unless you really want a Profitec machine and are convinced that it will make a better coffee because it’s made in Germany, I would defo politely ignore the salesman advice given and go with your instincts for what you want.

                                      dfk41 If you want to pressure profile, then why consider a Profitec as it cannot………

                                      To be fair, both Profitec and ECM have pressure/flow profiling kits as optional (or as standard in some versions of the 700/Synchronika).

                                      I think “we” (yourself, @MediumRoastSteam and I) are all aligned on having to be cognisant of the vested interests of those we seek advice from…