Thinking about upgrading my Bezzera Strega

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
youssef1988
Posts: 26
Joined: 3 years ago

#1: Post by youssef1988 »

Hey all! So 2 years ago I bought a Bezzera Strega, and I fell in love with it.....

in this 2 years I tasted a lot ''normal'' (mostly e61) espresso machines..
And the extra flavor the lever gives the espresso is a big plus for me


But i am thinking.. should I upgrade? I do would like to have a few more options on my machine...

I was thinking about upgrading to a Lelit Bianca v2 with flow control
Any other machines you guys would suggest?

And any people experience with the flow control? How is it? how is it compared to a lever?

youssef1988 (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 3 years ago

#2: Post by youssef1988 (original poster) »

Another option would be profitec pro 700v2 with flow control

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Auctor
Posts: 432
Joined: 3 years ago

#3: Post by Auctor »

I have a Sync w/ flow and recently pined for a lever. The soft Preinfusion that comes with a lever, as well as the ability to back off the pressure at the end of the shot, were features that i wanted to incorporate into my process. The Sync w/ flow does this, and more, once you get the handle of it, but there are some trade offs. The rotary pump is incredibly powerful and can limit your ability to control the preinfusion. Trying to taper off a shot at the end is also more challenging, because you can miss in one direction or the other (too much taper and the shot pressure drops off, too little taper and you end up shooting way too much water through the puck). After seeing the vibe pump flow control video recently posted here, I felt like the weaker vibe pump may lead to greater control of both flow and pressure.

If it were me, I'd either stick with what you got and enjoy, or upgrade to a very different machine (non E61) and reap other benefits like a gear pump (Dalla Corta), machine-controlled preinfusion, improved temp stability (Marzocco), larger boilers, or precise pressure-profiling (Decent), etc.

For my needs, the Sync will likely be all I need for the next decade (unless there's some crazy new innovation). That's kinda why I say stick with what you got unless there's something huge you think is missing. Lever to Flow Control is not (in my opinion) an upgrade.
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Ad-85
Posts: 548
Joined: 4 years ago

#4: Post by Ad-85 »

There is obviously a typo in the title " Downgrading " :mrgreen:
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youssef1988 (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 3 years ago

#5: Post by youssef1988 (original poster) »

Auctor wrote:I have a Sync w/ flow and recently pined for a lever. The soft Preinfusion that comes with a lever, as well as the ability to back off the pressure at the end of the shot, were features that i wanted to incorporate into my process. The Sync w/ flow does this, and more, once you get the handle of it, but there are some trade offs. The rotary pump is incredibly powerful and can limit your ability to control the preinfusion. Trying to taper off a shot at the end is also more challenging, because you can miss in one direction or the other (too much taper and the shot pressure drops off, too little taper and you end up shooting way too much water through the puck). After seeing the vibe pump flow control video recently posted here, I felt like the weaker vibe pump may lead to greater control of both flow and pressure.

If it were me, I'd either stick with what you got and enjoy, or upgrade to a very different machine (non E61) and reap other benefits like a gear pump (Dalla Corta), machine-controlled preinfusion, improved temp stability (Marzocco), larger boilers, or precise pressure-profiling (Decent), etc.

For my needs, the Sync will likely be all I need for the next decade (unless there's some crazy new innovation). That's kinda why I say stick with what you got unless there's something huge you think is missing. Lever to Flow Control is not (in my opinion) an upgrade.
Thanks only those machine controlled are really pricy (3000+?)

What machine is the sync?

I also drink milk based drinks

youssef1988 (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 3 years ago

#6: Post by youssef1988 (original poster) »

Ad-85 wrote:There is obviously a typo in the title " Downgrading " :mrgreen:
Why do you think that?

Auctor
Posts: 432
Joined: 3 years ago

#7: Post by Auctor »

Mine is the ECM Synchronika, which is made by the same/sister company as the Profitec 700. If you want flow control on a budget, maybe look into a single boiler E61 and add flow control, and use your Bezzera for steam.

The reason I mentioned the more expensive products is that after a certain point (~$2000) within the E61 family, you are paying for aesthetics. My Synchronika is not better in the cup compared to a Profitec 600, which is almost $1000 cheaper. But the Sync has a rotary pump (instead of vibe), bigger steam boiler, can be plumbed, and (in my opinion) looks WAY better. To me, it was worth paying the difference, even if my espresso tastes exactly the same.

The other machines I've mentioned have significant enhancements compared to the Profitec 700 or Lelit Bianca. Whether you find those enhancements valuable is up to you.

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yoshi005
Posts: 197
Joined: 10 years ago

#8: Post by yoshi005 »

You could mod the Strega grouphead with a PID-Control for better temp management: PID-ing the Bezzera Strega

I do not think that you would gain much by changing to a Lelit Bianca, but as a lever aficionado I am possibly biased...
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Jeff
Team HB
Posts: 6806
Joined: 19 years ago

#9: Post by Jeff »

Lever machines and machines with flow control are different. With a flow-controlled machine and sufficient manual skill or pre-programming, you can achieve similar results in the cup. A good machine with flow-control offers the ability to try different things in your extraction. They may be better, or not, depending on the coffee, your grinder, and your tastes.

Unless you're not happy with what you've got in your cup, a different machine seems appropriate only if you want to explore the hobby in different directions.

youssef1988 (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 3 years ago

#10: Post by youssef1988 (original poster) replying to Jeff »

I love what I am getting in my cup! But I would love to explore other machines...
And a flow controlled machine looks like a new challange to master.... (Grinder is good! Niche zero) but I don't wanne loose the taste of a lever machine... if I taste a regular e61 machine... I miss my strega.. that's why I was looking into flow controlled machines

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