I'm stepping up from a KitchenAid Artisan Espresso that has since snuffed it.

Both the ECM and Rocket are identical cost in the UK, so I'm torn between them. Sadly I have no way of testing before buying.

I would predominantly like to make dry cappuccino, cortado or espresso-macchiato and love a exceptionally thick, whippy, velvety foam, not the watery-looking lattes that you tend to see on Youtube demonstration videos (WholeLatteLove, SeattleCoffeeGear, IDrinkCoffeeCanada et al). Ideally the foam should almost be that gloriously thick (on cappuccino) that if you placed a sugar cube on top, it wouldn't plop straight through, it should slowly sink through the top pillow of microfoam, like at the best cafés.

If you could go for one machine over another for such drinks, would it be for any particular reason? Ideally I'd like to obtain the foam quickly to conserve milk, rather than throwing away the liquid portion in order to keep the foam. What are the best steaming tips to use? I see tips with 2-holes of differing sizes, and a 4-hole tip too.

Separately, does any espresso quality differ between the Synchronika and R58 Cinquantotto? Unsure if this is just pure coincidence, do the Rockets generate more crema than the ECM? That's something I oddly noticed from the various demo videos. I digress.

I understand the Synchronika has 2-bars of steam pressure for the service boiler now, compared to the Rocket's 1-1.5. Is this too much, or on the contrary beneficial, for creating huge amounts of foam (my preference) for a dry cappuccino? Or will it heat the milk to temperature so quickly that it gives you too little time to infuse enough air, effectively making it more like a latte rather than a cappuccino?

How durable are the radial taps on the Rocket over years, do they wear out? Was kinda sad to see they're not spring loaded like, for example, the cheaper Profitec 700 has, so you have to turn them a lot.... but does the Synchronika's steam lever literally only operate as an "on OR off" position or can you manually alter ("ride") the flow of the steam inbetween both extremities? Just wondering if you could make it less forceful if it's too much to give you extra time to infuse air.. Or do you just reduce the steam boiler temperature?

Not hugely bothered about the LCD screen on the Rocket for timer functionality, I can control any units remotely with a wifi plug for even greater flexibility.

Many thanks, and hello to you all. I apologise for such newbie questions.

Tímo

I do not think you'd see any major usage differences between the 2, they are both excellent machines.

Since price is equal, I'd go by aesthetics.

I understand the Synchronika has 2-bars of steam pressure for the service boiler now, compared to the Rocket's 1-1.5. Is this too much, or on the contrary beneficial, for creating huge amounts of foam (my preference) for a dry cappuccino? Or will it heat the milk to temperature so quickly that it gives you too little time to infuse enough air, effectively making it more like a latte rather than a cappuccino?

My previous machine had the then typical 1-bar steam. My current machine (ECM Synk) has 2-bar steam. The difference is night and day. Your instinct about steaming time is right, but your posit is wrong. Yes, it does heat very quickly, but no you don't end up with latte-style foam (unless you want it). You can make whatever type of foam you want. The trick is, for those used to 1-bar machines, to entrain the air needed within just a second or two, then spend the rest of the time swirling. You can make mounds of dry foam or fantastic microfoam, depending on the technique (which you will learn quickly if you've been steaming with a lesser machine).

You also asked about the number of holes in the tip. My Synk came with a 2-hole tip, which did not work all that well (but better than my 1-bar machine). Moving to a 4-hole tip and turning the service boiler PID up to the max was another night & day change.

I've no experience with the Rocket machine you cite, so I can't comment on how it would compare.

I personally don't like the Rocket, aesthetically, but that's a matter of personal taste.
Note that the ECM comes with stainless steel boilers like many other new machines while the Rocket does not, also few Rocket Cinquantotto owners
reported about an issue with the shot timer, you can look the post up in this forum, currently there is no resolution for that.
You can set the ECM service boiler to 2 bar but you don't have to, you can lower the temperature and get a lower steam pressure if you find the 2 bar too aggressive.

All machines mentioned here are more than capable. When I chose to upgrade I not only considered my current needs but wanted the capability to expand my horizons. I chose the ECM Synchronika for several reasons. Besides the build quality, craftsmanship and esthetics I really wanted more control of my extractions. With the Synchronika you can either order it with flow control or install it yourself. It's amazing what you can do with this feature. Whether you like light or dark roasts, with flow control you can experience an array of flavor notes with the same coffee. And the most enjoyable aspect is how much fun you can have in the process. As to your questions regarding stream pressure, with easily adjustable PID controls you can adjust to satisfy just about any of your needs. I would stick with the 2 hole steam tip though because there is so much power you actually want to slow the temperature rise to give you enough time to get smooth micro foam. If you're only steaming around 100 ml it would fly everywhere with a four hole tip. And regarding the desire for more crema using a bottomless portafilter helps a lot but with flow control you can lengthen your preinfusion which also produces great crema. I'm very happy with the Synchronika and highly recommend ordering it with flow control. Good luck!

Thank you ever so much for the replies, they were really helpful. I grabbed a Synchronika. What a beautiful machine, great workmanship, photos on the internet don't do it justice.

I shouldn't've worried so much about the milk steaming, turns out it's really controllable, you just have to get everything in the correct positions (jug, wand in the milk, etc.) before you switch it on. Oodles of microfoam too, and the roll is brilliant, a different world to my last machine.

I shouldn't've worried so much about the milk steaming, turns out it's really controllable, you just have to get everything in the correct positions (jug, wand in the milk, etc.) before you switch it on. Oodles of microfoam too, and the roll is brilliant, a different world to my last machine.

Exactly! A little challenge I set for myself is to position the wand just right and not move it thereafter. If I don't mess up, I get nearly instant air entrainment to just the right amount of foam, which submerges the wand tip to the right spot for an excellent swirl. Great fun

I am about to "pull the trigger" on new plumbable machine. I leaning heavily toward the Synchronika for its super clean interior lay out. The space created my the way internals are organized is really appealing. I have been limping a VBM hx machine along for quite some time (labor of love... like a keeping 72 MG on the road). The vibiemme has stopped hearing (I think the brain box gave out), and I am going to use this moment as an excuse to upgrade.

I am going to use this moment as an excuse to upgrade.

I've found over the years that if I want something, I can usually find an excuse to buy it!