Hi. I'm relatively new to the espresso scene and need help choosing a first machine. I've been reading the forums and watching WLL/SCG videos for the past couple months so I know the basics of the different types of machines and brands out there. Initially, I started out getting a Breville BES870XL, which got me comfortable with the basic espresso making process but I realized quickly that the grinder was holding the machine back. I eventually got a Baratza Vario to see for myself how much a better grinder would impact the results, and from the first shot, my espresso was already more flavorful and more balanced. I was set on keeping on the Vario but since I no longer need the built in grinder, I returned the BES870XL and now I'm looking for a new machine. I'm looking into either a Breville Infuser versus a Profitec Pro 300. I know the price difference, machine type, and reputations are completely different, but here are the reasons and questions I have about this:

Volume: I don't make a lot of espresso drinks on a daily basis. I make myself an espresso in the morning and a latte after work. I'll occasionally make a latte for my wife in the morning on the weekends. While a DB is nice to have for the time saved, I'm not sure if I need a DB for the number of drinks I make on a regular basis.

Quality: Most of the threads/videos I've read about SB vs DB vx HX machines talk about the volume of drinks each can produce. But there's not a lot of mention about the actual quality of the drink. If my main concern is espresso quality, do DB or HX necessarily make better drinks than a SB like the Infuser and why is this so? Temperature stability? Components? Personally, during my short time with the Breville, I felt the espresso was kind of weak and watery, but I attributed this to me still being new to it. Again, this is assuming it's paired with a Vario grinder.

Infuser vs Pro 300: For a SB, I feel that the Infuser has a lot of features that's hard to beat, especially with its PID, albeit with very limited programming capabilities, pre-infusion, and relatively "fool-proof" automation for when my wife wants to make herself an espresso on her own. Downsides that I see are questionable reliability, good but not fantastic design, and non-commercial size portafilter. On the other hand, I would consider the Pro 300 because it's likely more reliable, future proof, and has better components overall. But again, is spending 3x the money going to result in a significantly better espresso, with user skills optimized?

Yes, buy the Profitec Pro 300 over the Breville Infuser.

+1

I would definitely choose the Profitec Pro 300 over the Breville.

Chiming in. I would choose the Profitec Pro 300 as well.

Rocky

Wouldn't the Breville DB be a better comparison machine to the 300...both in features and price?

Probably, but that wasn't what the OP was considering.

the jump from the breville's to the profitecs from what I have seen has a lot to do with build, longevity, and repairability. While I have seen a few threads that point to being able to do some repairs on the Breville DB, for the most part, these machines are not repairable when something goes wrong. Once you move up a class, you have a machine that if taken care of can last for as long as you want. Even if it means changing out a part every now and then.

Since part of the question was, "Is spending 3x the money going to result in a significantly better espresso, with user skills optimized," I would simply have to answer yes, definitely yes.

Having just laid to rest my 17-month-old BES870XL due to a failing pump, and having replaced it with a Rocket Giotto, I will unequivocally state my opinion that while Breville does very well conceptually, what appears to be substandard components and a lack of availability of repair options, coupled with the high cost of repairs, seems to sentence many of these machines to an early grave.

Setting aside the differences in reliability and longevity of these two machines, the quality of shots I'm consistently getting with the Giotto far exceeds anything I was ever able to produce with the Breville.

Whats your budget? If u dont care buy rancilio class 7 M model, its a great espresso machine and i think its not too expensive