Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and I need help!!! I was about to order an ECM Synchronika and S-Automatik 64 grinder package from whole latte love... Then I saw the Lelit Bianca PL62T posted as the "game changer"... I had almost pulled the trigger on a rocket machine while I was at the SCA convention in Seattle, then found a four-way comparison that had the machine I was looking at against the ECM and to others... I had never heard of ECM but I had some features over the rocket for a pretty close price.

Now I found this Lelit Bianca PL62T and it looks like it has some of the features of the one group slayer... I am the furthest thing from an experienced coffee maker, I love espresso-based coffee and want a good machine to use for many many years at home... Would you recommend the ECM or Lelit? Would you recommend a different machine?

I posted this in the 2 page on the Lelit Bianca PL62T page weeks ago and am still hoping for help before making such a big commitment, so I'll try this new post... Please Help!!!

Either machine paired with a quality grinder should produce incredible results. The ECM is more established, the Lelit is new to the market - as in not yet available as a production machine. A lot more information and support would likely be available on the ECM until the Lelit has been in consumer's hands for a time.

Adding to what Louis said, the Bianca would have capabilities the ECM would never have. The Bianca, being in the 2017 Lelit brochure but not the 2018 one, apparently had some kind of hiccup and was pulled from its intended original release, and so far we've seen only prototype(s). Good for Lelit to do that rather than release before ready. Maybe the marketeers just didn't listen to the engineers in 2017. Taking their time to do it right is admirable.

So your tradeoff is between a potential gamechanger with capabilities not seen yet in this price category, or tried and true. I really don't think anyone can help you with this tradeoff as it really comes down to whether you are risk averse or ready for a thrilling leap into the promising but unknown.

EDIT: After thinking about it from the upsides and the downsides, I'm realizing that the ECM could never reach the upside of the Bianca due to its awesome profiling capability which is otherwise unavailable anywhere near this price point. The best upside the ECM can have is if the Bianca has some early issues, or doesn't work out, you'd feel great about having the rock-solid ECM. The worst downside of the ECM is missing out on the Bianca's features. The worst downside of the Bianca is some possible early adopters issues. Even if this occurs I doubt you would end up with espresso making capabilities any less than the ECMs. So maybe it might come down to how handy you are. I'm confident I could change any part in any espresso machine, especially when your seller helps you through it. When I wanted to adjust my Lelit pump microswitch to allow trickle preinfusion, 1st-line made a set of instructions with pictures on how to do it. Personally, I think I could live with the Bianca's potential downside better than I could live with the ECM's limited upside ... if I were making this decision.

I have the Synchronika, and had a similar shopping experience to you, my end result was the Synchronika was the best in its price range for value, construction, and performance compared to its competitors. One thing that also won me over with the ECM/Profitec machines is the common sense layout of the internals and how tidy they are arranged, making repairability on their machines one of, if not the easiest out there.

Now that the Bianca is out, that thing looks to be everything the Synchronika is, and more. As previously posted the ECM will have a ton more support from sellers, and forum members only because it has been out for a bit. Apparently 1st-Line said that they've been working Lelit to improve their quality, and reliability(my dad has a Lelit Diana, and absolutely loves it, no issues either), and it seems to show, with the fact that they're now using dual stainless boilers in this new machine.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, I definitely believe E61 machines will start showing up with the same setup that the Bianca has to get that pressure profiling ability down the road.

The Bianca is the first machine in over 5 years to really reignite my case of upgraditis. Sure, the GS3, Slayer, and the like resulted in minor relapses, but the prices were too high for me to seriously consider.

But, the Bianca is a different story, and I have now pre-ordered. It seems there is little that she won't be able to do.

I've gone through some of the same calculations as the OP, being intrigued by both of these machines. Fortunately (or not) I'm not ready to buy anything at the moment, I'll be able to wait out the growing pains, and learn from the experience of Lelit's early adopters.

I agree with all the other responses you've gotten. I'd suggest that many of the Lelit's advantages will matter to you most if you prefer lighter roasted single-origin coffees. The ability to control preinfusion and flow rate is probably most important with this kind of bean. I'm not yet convinced that it's worthwhile for more medium to dark roasts and more traditional espresso blends. The body of knowledge on this topic is still evolving, so I'm not trying to say this authoritatively. Just a suspicion based on drinking a lot of other peoples' espresso made on a lot of machines.

This review: https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpres ... ara-pl62s/ of a lower end machine suggests that Lelit's committed to good engineering and quality. Still, it seems to take most manufactures two or three generations before they work the bugs out and get to the level of ECM's current lineup. Has any brand new machine with innovative features burst into the world without problems?

I think that's the tradeoff: your love of coffee that benefits from profiling vs. your wish for no problems.