Profitec Pro 800 Review - Page 2

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HB (original poster)
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#11: Post by HB (original poster) »

Lever espresso machines are enjoying a resurgence of popularity. The stars of this modern renaissance is undoubtably the Olympia Cremina and La Pavoni Europiccola, but a number of commercial levers built around the Rosco group, like the Profitec Pro 800, are garnering interest on this site beyond the fans in the Levers forum.

Over the course of the review, I learned that these commercial lever espresso machines differ from their smaller siblings not just in capacity, but in ease of use. Temperature management and especially the qualitative "forgiveness factor" really stood out for the Profitec Pro 800. While the E61 group featured on the majority of espresso machine reviews on this site garner consistent praise for ease of use, I was surprised that the Rosco group, thanks to its naturally declining brew pressure profile, was just as forgiving, if not more so!

The Profitec Pro 800 ratings are as follows:
  • Overall: 4.25 stars
  • Espresso Performance: 4.5 stars
  • Forgiveness Factor: 4.5 stars
  • Cappuccino Performance: 4 stars
Pulling a respectable espresso is practically a no-brainer and modest attention to detail yields consistently above-average results, earning an impressive 4.5 stars for its Espresso Performance. Even relative espresso newbies will find the Pro 800 a friendly learning platform, meriting an unprecedented 4.5 stars for its Forgiveness Factor. The no-burn steam wand and smooth controls are also easy to master, though professionals may find its pace of 30+ seconds for steaming a traditional cappuccino too slow, which explains the 4.0 stars for its Cappuccino Performance.

If the placement for your espresso equipment is free of overhead cabinets, the Profitec Pro 800 deserves equal consideration with any of the E61 HX espresso machines reviewed on this site. On the other hand, if your taste preferences lean towards bright coffees or coffees demanding strict temperature control, a double boiler and ideally a saturated group with a flat brew profile would likely be more to your liking. With that caveat aside, the Pro 800 earns an Overall score of 4.25 stars, putting it on equal footing with any pump-driven espresso machine in its price range.

PS: Also see Profitec 800 review in the works for member comments posed during the research phase of this review.
Dan Kehn

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