DavecUK

Hmmm, that does look interesting.

Whilst similar to the stainless steel Bianca in price, I’d highly likely spend the £600 extra for a coloured one however stupid that might be.

Dave, I think my only question on the ECM Mechanika Max if you have experience with it would be, what would I be losing out on by going for this HX machine over a Bianca? Other than the obvious flow control and stuff that comes with the LCC on the Lelit.

      BrewLiam Whilst similar to the stainless steel Bianca in price, I’d highly likely spend the £600 extra for a coloured one however stupid that might be.

      It’s not stupid at all. You’ve gotta look at it every day in your Kitchen, it’s important you like how it looks.

        BrewLiam Dave, I think my only question on the ECM Mechanika Max if you have experience with it would be, what would I be losing out on by going for this HX machine over a Bianca? Other than the obvious flow control and stuff that comes with the LCC on the Lelit.

        It’s a use case specific machine…which if I’m honest suits the majority of home baristas.

        • Very Economical on energy usage
        • always ready for steaming (no 5-7 minute steam boiler warm up, no wasted energy, no constant high temps as in a dual boiler if the steam boiler is left on all the time)
        • good brew temperature control, which is selectable and PID controlled
        • can’t forget and leave it in steam mode

        One downside is very quick shots one after the other for 4 or 5 people, where in a dual boiler you have a little more capacity. You can do it, but you would need to use the ECM Barista Max in a different way and have much less temperature control. Or simply pull the shots a little slower. It’s a machine I loved using and have done a video, just need to edit it and upload it.

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            DavecUK

            Thank you Dave, appreciate the detailed answer.

            I’ll do a little more research into this one and maybe you’ll have a video on it before I pull the trigger on a new machine.

              Yeah there’s not much online yet as it’s pretty new

              Personally I’d say a dual boiler may be more future proof in terms of temp stability, but if most your stuff esp back to back to back gets dumped in milk it’s not the be all.

              Ecm make some nice machines

              Bella barista have a discount on the Elizabeth and a profitec 700 atm

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                Cuprajake I think at this point the Elizabeth is out.

                I’ll have another look at the Profitec 700. I think I originally dismissed it on the basis of looks. But the discount seems decent 👍🏻

                  dfk41 now you say that, I’m sure I read someone comparing ECM/Profitec with Lelit - saying it’s like a reliable German car vs the fun of an Italian sports car. Not that I have the experience of either in my Spanish car.

                    The build on Bianca can look a bit poor, as in the reflections on the panels from the press are not mirror perfect like an ecm, but the build quality is fine with them, and very well thought out.

                    Just take your time and ask as many questions as you need to

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                      Cuprajake The build on Bianca can look a bit poor, as in the reflections on the panels from the press are not mirror perfect like an ecm, but the build quality is fine with them, and very well thought out.

                      As he wants a coloured Bianca, it doesn’t much matter…

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                        Cuprajake The build on Bianca can look a bit poor, as in the reflections on the panels from the press are not mirror perfect like an ecm, but the build quality is fine with them, and very well thought out.

                        This was exactly my experience. As well as an incredibly sharp edge behind the drip tray under the group. I sliced my finger pretty bad while servicing it.

                        As above thought inside it’s brilliant and the build issues are only cosmetic.

                        Really it’s funny because we all talk about build quality, and I especially harp on about how the LM is built like a tank, but it’s not like we’re carting them around each day. They get put in place and left, so you could argue the case quality is a bit of a non-issue.

                          DavecUK

                          True true…..Another example of that is flow control kits that will fit most e61 clones won’t fit the vibiemme grouphead.

                            Thanks everyone, really appreciate the many responses and view points.

                            Where I’m at:

                            - ACS Evo is out based on size even if it’s a great deal

                            - ECM Synchronika is out based on size and feature set. Feels like paying the same price for build rather than features.

                            - ECM Mechanika Max. I looked at the small amount of info out there and it does look brilliant. But, I think it would have had to be £1,500 or less for me to bite.

                            - I toyed last night with the LMLM since they have the 25% discount. Whilst this has been a dream machine for years and the discount has come at the right time, I think I’ll regret not having more to ‘play with’. I realise I’m actually quite excited to get a bit more manual with my espresso.

                            - VBM Domobar super - seemed like a full featured machine at a good price. But, not sure I like the little screen and the electronic look. Same reason I’m not a fan of the Decent look.

                            So, it leaves me very much considering placing an order for the powder coated Bianca. Just the colour to settle on, but I’ll suss that one out myself.

                            As for grinders I have a question.

                            I’ve backed the Timemore 078s which I’m still on the fence about since no one has had an actual unit to review, just the burrs. And when you cut through the hype it seems average for espresso. I also think I may be stung with VAT which will make the whole grinder around £500 whenever I end up getting it. Which put this in Niche territory and the workflow on the Niche still looks better.

                            So, since I’m buying from BB and they offer package discounts, is there other grinders I should look at, especially with the potential to get £80-£100 off one?

                              Hard to say grinder wise as most have something that can get annoying is bellows haha

                              Think the Bianca is very capable, the flow control can save a shot that would otherwise hit the sink

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                              BrewLiam
                              Love him or hate him (as some do here) Lance Hendrick just posted a ‘review’ of the 078,

                              I’ve had the Bianca for nearly a year now, and I love it. I really like the paddle for profiling different roasts or just tweaking shots that are running a bit quick/slow. For the money, ignoring the powder coated tax, it’s a fantastic machine and Bella Barista are a great retailer who sorted out the issue I had with my Elizabeth pretty quickly. They knock a few percent off of some grinders/machines if you buy them together. You can get the stainless Bianca and a DF83 for £2511 at the moment.

                                Think that vid left me with more questions than answers.

                                I’d say he is way more brew focused than espresso, or that’s how it comes across to me.

                                Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

                                I’ve not watched all the video yet, but I’m pretty sure he’s using a 078 with 078s burrs. Which just makes me wonder when the S backers will get their grinders. The risk of Kickstarter I guess.

                                Whilst I do the odd brew I have a Feld Grind for that, so this would really just be an espresso grinder for me.

                                No he said it was the s didn’t he. He’s had them for 2 months.

                                Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

                                  Cuprajake Think he bought the 078 ages ago when they were buyable in some regions then he got a 078 but with the “s” burrs. Not sure anyone has had a actually 078s out of the box (so I think they have been stepped not step less on the machine)

                                  Not sure what I think - it’s not really helped me make a decision.