Recommend me a non E61 espresso machine, budget under $2500

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
buckersss
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#1: Post by buckersss »

Hey all

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a la Spaziale Dream or Vivaldi. Leaning towards the tank version, not the plumber in version, but still undecided.

From all I've read I don't think I'm interested in an E61 machine. I've been mainly looking at none E61 machines. If I missing out on something special please correct my thinking.

I really just pull straight espresso. So I'm sure I could get by with an ecm casa or a bezzera hobby. I do like the idea of having the manometer, pid, volumetric dosing, and other features that don't tend to find themselves on single boiler non E61 machines though.

Other than the la spaz machines. I think some of the other options that come to mind are profitec 300, Silvia pro X, bezzera crema and Oscar ii. I did see a tank version of the Rancilio class 5 s1 that peaked my interest.

Can anyone recommend any other machines that I should be considering? Thanks for the suggestions!

Also needs to be available in Canada. I gave a 2.5k max price in usd just because it's easier.

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Jeff
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#2: Post by Jeff »

Lelit Elizabeth would be on my list. Breville Dual Boiler is another proper popular choice.

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gobucks
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#3: Post by gobucks »

Jeff wrote:Lelit Elizabeth would be on my list. Breville Dual Boiler is another proper choice.
Good choices. The Rancilio Silvia Pro X is also a great option, and if you're pretty confident you won't want simultaneous milk frothing, the OG Rancilio Silvia with PID seems like it would work. Also the Lelit Victoria is the single boiler version of the Elizabeth, and it has PID, unlike the ECM Casa.

klee11mtl
Posts: 123
Joined: 4 years ago

#4: Post by klee11mtl »

If you're not against thermocoils, the Ascaso Steel Uno Pro PID is an option. Cafe Union, cofffeaddicts.ca and idrinkcoffee.com carry them so if you are near any, you can visit their retail locations.

coopachris
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#5: Post by coopachris »

I'll throw my two cents on the Pro 300 as an owner. If you are interested in roasts lighter than medium+ then the Pro 300 will be slightly tougher to dial in because of the lack of pre-infusion. Other than that I am very happy with mine and with some extra work I can get good lighter roast shots but, not with the same consistency as others.

salvia
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#6: Post by salvia »

I would go for the La Spaziale.
Canadian retailer Idrinkcoffee is offering 30% off right now on La Spaziale, making them a really good value.
https://idrinkcoffee.com/en-us/collecti ... a-spaziale

I bought my Cafelat Robot from them and they're a sponsor of Home-Barista.

buckersss (original poster)
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#7: Post by buckersss (original poster) »

klee11mtl wrote:If you're not against thermocoils, the Ascaso Steel Uno Pro PID is an option. Cafe Union, cofffeaddicts.ca and idrinkcoffee.com carry them so if you are near any, you can visit their retail locations.
I read about the ascasos but I'm not sure what a thermocoil is or how it's different from a traditional boiler. Some of the entry level brevilles have thermocoils, correct? Do they perform like heat exchanger? I thought I had read for those who are mainly focused on espresso to try and steer clear of heat exchanges, but perhaps I'm mistaken. I would love any more info on that if possible.
gobucks wrote:Good choices. The Rancilio Silvia Pro X is also a great option, and if you're pretty confident you won't want simultaneous milk frothing, the OG Rancilio Silvia with PID seems like it would work. Also the Lelit Victoria is the single boiler version of the Elizabeth, and it has PID, unlike the ECM Casa.
The OG Silvia is tempting. I think if I were to bother to buy the pid and install it then I'd just as much splurge for the pro x. I do like the look of Rancilios the best.

salvia wrote:I would go for the La Spaziale.
Canadian retailer Idrinkcoffee is offering 30% off right now on La Spaziale, making them a really good value.
https://idrinkcoffee.com/en-us/collecti ... a-spaziale

I bought my Cafelat Robot from them and they're a sponsor of Home-Barista.

Idc is where I saw the deal and the one that's keeping me up at night these days. I see stock is going fast.

Thanks all for your responses! Much appreciated.

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JohanR
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#8: Post by JohanR »

If you are not in a hurry, then the new Profitec Go could also be an option. It is essentially the single boiler version of the pro 300 with both PID and pump pressure gauge. You can find some more info (in German) at https://www.avola-coffeesystems.de/prof ... rz/8281429
Johan

klee11mtl
Posts: 123
Joined: 4 years ago

#9: Post by klee11mtl »

buckersss wrote:I read about the ascasos but I'm not sure what a thermocoil is or how it's different from a traditional boiler. Some of the entry level brevilles have thermocoils, correct?
An over-simple analogy for thermocoils vs boilers would be in-line or full water tank for your home hot water.

I'm a fan of thermocoils but I would recommend some googling of thermocoils, thermoblocks, boilers to decide what is important for you.

Yes, the entry level Brevilles are thermocoils. I have the Barista Pro which uses very similar (if not identical) tech to those machines and have been very happy with it aside from the built-in grinder. While I have no direct experience, I expect the Ascasos to be of a higher class.

Luscombe
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#10: Post by Luscombe »

I bought a Vivaldi V2 S1 from Chris Coffee in August of 2010. I have never looked back. As a home roaster since 2000 and a coffee snob, this machine does everything I need. It has a lot of potential for adjustments, pre-infusion, temp adjust, volumetric etc. You can experiment with the different variables if you choose to do that. It is very capable and pulls great shots. I modified my portafilters to bottomless so I could see what the shots were doing. This is a dual boiler machine and holds temp well for pulling shots and has a steam boiler that will do one medium size Latte before it has to reheat.

Mine is a plumbed version, rotary pump 110v but has 220v plug if I want to go that way. Currently, it is plugged into a 15 amp 110v circuit.
My water setup is an RV pump mounted under the counter and pulls water from a 5 gal jug that I swap out when it runs out. I do not have the overflow tray plumbed to a drain, I should have done that to avoid having to empty it. I considered the tank model and decided I did not want to have to bother with filling the darn thing all the time. The rotary pump is super quiet.
The pump and components came from Amazon.

I came from an HX machine with an E61 head. I got really tired of the temp surfing and screwing around. It had a vibrator pump that was obnoxious. I got tired of messing around all the time in pursuit of a good and consistent shot. I wanted simple and that was a double boiler.

Chris coffee has a great product and will service it via phone when you have issues. Highly recommended for stress free consistent results.

My coffee bar is set up for pour-overs and espresso.


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