Hey! If you wouldn't mind, please hit the like and maybe "copy link" to help the channel out! It's been in a major slump lately and it would really help! If anything, it boosts my confidence and energy for making more! Love you all. Also, apologies on the minor clipping here. Was not anticipating the shiny machine to have as much of an effect on audio as it did! Cheers, friends.

I love me some Lance reviews! I wanted to say that I bought a Profitech Pro 500 from WholeLatteLove about 4 years ago. In that time I had one issue with the relay that caused it to not heat up. I contacted support and they had me do some troubleshooting and narrowed it down to the relay. They sent out a replacement under warranty and had a clear guide to replace it. The only other issue I had recently was due to a failing o-ring on the pressure release valve. WLL sent out a replacement part for ~$15 and even had a video for me to follow on how to replace it.

Excellent in-depth review, really appreciate the unbiased nature of your review. Great amount of detail which I learned a lot from. Keep up the great work.

Absolutely excellent video. You pack in such a lot of useful information in a very engaging, non-nerdy way. I've had an ECM Mechanika for a couple of years - it feels a bit primitive in relation to all the App/PID machines available but the bottom line is that, even though I do not pay attention to pressure and brew temps, I make cups of coffee that I'd be happy to pay three quid for down at my local decent expresso bar. So well done ECM for making something that looks gorgeous whilst enabling complete amateurs like me to make passably good expressos and steamed milk coffees. Keep up the good work Lance

It's always a good day when Lance releases a new video!

I really appreciate all your hard work and thoroughness

Dear Lance, I am grateful for the informative video. I recently bought this machine in April from WLL, mainly because of its programmable on/off time and rotary pump features. I opted for the flow control device and thoroughly enjoyed the machine's performance. It's an excellent product overall.

Well done, Lance I have been waiting for a 3rd party review of this new xchanger. Your excellent detail is much appreciated 👍🏻

Watching videos like this and understanding the complexity of the machine and the amount of energy to heat a few shots is too much expense for a home espresso machine... Reinforces my admiration for the design of the Meticulous!

Very interesting video. ECM holds a special place in my heart and I’m glad to see them trying to go smart

Always a good day when a new Lance video drops :)

Really liked the content. So much so that I’ll be going back and looking at your historical videos. Thankyou for the content sir

Great review Lance! I hope soon you review the ECM Synchronica!!

Very instructive and useful. I fitted a thermometer to my Profitec 400 on Christmas Day and when I checked it after a few hours was surprised how hot it was. At other times surprised how much the temperature rose while pulling the shot. It doesn't take too long to get to grips with it but it is hit and miss. However, as Mr Hoffman reckons he needs at least 1 degree C to taste a difference I can be sure I'd need much more than that. Along with the temperatures you showed here and Whole Latte Love showing the ECM profiles and how the temperatures move around I was happy my 400 was doing what it should. I'm very happy with my coffee and like some others here realise an extra PID doesn't really bring much to the party due to the inherent fluctuations. On the 400 I just flip the rocker switch to get more steam, not too different to the button on the Max. One thing, put a Mira X next to a ECM or Profitec and there really is a difference in build.

Hey Lance! Always love your vids when I have a chance to watch! I love my current espresso machine and grinder, but now I think it would be cool to check out what else I can get to further Polish my workflow and what can allow me to make better coffee.

I have the baby bro of this, the ECM Mechanika. She's going great after over a year! Amazing build quality! Highly recommend ECM machines. Thanks Lance for great video as always. Cheers everybody ☕

What a beautiful machine! You explain it so well!

As always Great review.

Seems like the OGs were definitely paying attention to Lelit’s sales, glad to see that the industry is being pushed forward! HX is a great price-conscious choice so I’m glad to see some manufacturers focusing on it

Thanks for the video Lance! Appreciate all the hard work that was put into this video. 🙏 When you feel a ECM machine hands on, it’s a true tank. It’s build quality is better than any other home machine on the market.

I will have to stick to my Infuser for a while (can't afford an upgrade, neither budget- nor space-wise), but I really enjoy watching the videos about these machines! (commenting because I heard it boosts video performance too)

Thanks for the review. It sounds like this machine offers many new temperature features that either don't work really well or just plain don't bring a lot to the table. You still need to temperature surf just like a plain old HX.

Nice! Happy Sunday folks

Thanks for this review. For myself it cured me from the minor upgrade thoughts of getting an HX PID machine instead of the non-PID machine I currently use. Seems like the other comments agree with your thoughts or got the same reality check as myself.

Your vids are great Lance!

Thanks a lot for those very revealing information. It rightly points the limits of E61 and PID... ... and the interest of the Lelit Mara X vs more expensive expresso machines. 👌

Always get excited on new video releases even on machines that I know I wouldn't even consider buying in my lifetime because of how entertaining and informative sir Lance is. Would like to know if you are considering doing a review/pro tips on cheaper, maybe sub 300$ espresso machines, like Delonghi ECP/Stilosa, for those of us on tighter budgets and want to enter the world of espresso but does not want to fiddle with manual lever machines like the flair?

I enjoyed this video, thanks for the insight! It's great to see ECM fitting this tech inside their machines, hopefully more will do the same give us even more options to choose from. Also, sorry to bring up another machine on this video but can we be expecting a video from you on the Rancilio Silvia Pro X? I'm sure I remember seeing you comment you had one planned in the pipeline, which I'm eagerly awaiting! Would love to hear your thoughts on that machine (and how it compares to these e61 style machines, plus the ones fitted with flow control)

I have a Lucca X58 HX Espresso Machine. I added a pressure gauge at the head. I'm using a prewetting technique where I lift the handle just past 45⁰ for 5 seconds. The pressure gauge at the head goes to 1 bar just at the 5 second mark. For light roasts, I wait 10 seconds and then activate the handle fully. For dark roasts, I eliminate the 10 seconds. I based this from a vidro from Artista Roasters. The light Roast shots are much imporved from a standard pull.

Amazing, thanks Lance!

Had an ECM Mechanika IV Profi that served me well for 4.5 years. Have since upgraded to a Linea Micra and sold the ECM for 50% what I bought it for around $950.

Nice review Lance - would be interested to see you review the Bezzera Aria PID as an equivalent machine 🤞

WLL includes a flow control knob as a free upgrade on ECMs. Surprised they didn't include that. You can use that to get a preinfustion effect too.

Great video. Showing the limits of technology. Sixty-year-old technology, in this case. Fortunately, newer technology was developed in the intervening years

Great review as always! I've had a profitec pro600 for 4 years now, with the variable flow adapter and have found it to be a very reliable, well built machine and makes good espresso and has decent steam performance. It's a dual boiler machine though and has reportedly good temperature accuracy at group head but I would be interested to know how true that is given it's got an e61 group head.

The flow control on those makes them a lot more versatile.

Great material! Please do Ascaso next!

after several years of use without any problems i am changing my ECM mechanika HX on a decent espresso mainly for the flush and temp surf... But still i love my ECM

Thanks!

Re Temperature accuracy. With any E61, the group head will act as a final temperature buffer (up or down) so you need to know and manage the temperature of BOTH the group head AND the temperature of the water flowing through it. This can be done using a temperature probe on the group head and some practice flushing with an HX. The key to remember is that the group head probe at idle is measuring the group head temp, and then when the pump is engaged it’s measuring the water temp. The water exiting the group is sort of an average of the two (more or less). Eg Group head is 98, pump is engaged and water temp reading is 94, actual water exiting the group will be ~96. Perhaps managing water temp is easier with this “smart temperature” system but not knowing the group temp is a big flaw. Personally I’d just take a regular old e61 HX and fit it with a good group head temperature probe.

Great video as always, Lance. What would you buy today for under $3,000?

If anyone is still checking this. Is Lance pulling 1:4 shots here?? Metrics sure seem to suggest so (15g dose, 400% ratio, 59g out, etc…). Have never tried going much beyond 1:3….may have to try 😊

classic Lance deep dive 😎🤝 cheers

Hi Lance! Love you, mean it ;)

Would be great to see a review of the ecm syncronika dual boiler... Thks

Great video as always,, Wanted to ask since you’ve talked about water debit, how does it affect the cup between low and high 5ml/s vs 15ml/s for example ?

Heat Exchanger vs Dual Boiler, what are the real life pro's and con's, and where are each of the type best? In our personal experience a dual boiler is best day-in/day out as a daily driver, due to easier to maintain and more stable brew temperatures. Yes, the brew boiler temp via PID control differs from the E61 outflow temp, but the temp of the PID controlled brew boiler is a decent guide, an approximation, a proxy guide, on how to adjust the temp to satisfy the taste buds. My home daily use machine has been a Profitec Pro 700 dual boiler delivering great espressos using a 194F/90C PID maintained brew boiler temp for our preferred Medium/Dark roast Neapolitan/Sicilian style beans. We also have a second machine a heat exchanger ECM Technika V PID at our distant vacation home. Why did we pick a HX machine over a dual boiler, did you ask? For the simple reason, that boiler drainage and long term storage of a single boiler heat exchanger machine is much easier to do compared to the drainage and storage difficulties of a typical dual boiler machine. Using a smart WiFi start-up plug for a long heating time (about 1 hour duration in our hands), using a Coffee Sensor E61 group thermometer to get a handle on E61 brew temperature, and reasonable group head flushes, the ECM HX machine actually delivers very decent, actually nice, quite acceptable, even delicious espressos. If you are willing to learn the quirks and foibles of an HX machine, they actually can work rather well, but dual boilers are easier for most users to learn and then to produce good espressos. Consider HX machines like manual shift autos, harder to initially learn, but very satisfying when mastered, much like you have likely learned to do while driving in Portugal. Lance, you gave us a very delightful, an agreeable video. Thanks. Finally, consider giving us, your most loyal viewers, a video (or videos) on the coffee/espresso experiences, likely fascinating, that you have found with your time in Portugal and possibly in Spain, on that enchanting Iberian Peninsula. Consider doing a similar taste tour of Italian coffees before your inevitable return to the States. Cheers.

Have had this machine a couple of months and have it plumbed in with BWT filter. After setting the various temperatures for brew head and steam boiler I have never needed to flush to cool it down. The machine is on for 6 hours a day which covers morning and lunch. Turned on before getting dressed etc it is well up to temperature by breakfast. After the first two Americanos ( 20 g espresso 40 g hot water) the rest of the coffees are flat whites. Making 2 at a time then steaming the milk it produces sufficient pressure to give velvety flat whites. By the time it takes to empty and clean the portafilter grind more beans, puck prep and refill the temp is back to normal and two more espressos can be made. Never had a problem caused by temp fluctuation, the massive weight of the brass brew head keeps the temp even. Would recommend this machine for an enthusiast home barista any time.

Amazing video Lance as always!how can you compare this espresso machine with the Bezzera Aria PID?

Damn, that's a good looking machine

Hey Lance! You mentioned customizing your water and filling it as needed, and it got me wondering about how to optimize water for espresso. Do you have any recommendations? I'd love to see a video on water for espresso machines comparing filtration and customized water profiles!

Dat machine is a beauty

I have the Rocket Mozzafiato type R. It has a thermometer in the steam boiler, and that's it. Rocket indicates the corresponding temperature of the group head, but they know it's a dark art. I added a temperature probe. 👍

Correction on the flow control range. The ECM flow knob has a very wide range with two full rotations. On Synchronika, basically 0 to 22 mL/s, I think with that same pump.

Another great video! -Mark / EspressoTech Service Co.

21:12 "Acrid nonsense" is gonna be something I use in my everyday vocabulary from now on, thank you Lance

Lance! Love your reviews. This or the Bianca V3?

Rotary MaraX, more or less? Seems pretty good. But I do agree with you, I'd rather saturated groups on dual boilers.

Mr. Lance, Sir. What is the small, white grinder behind you on the counter? I need a small coffee grinder to haul around to events. My current grinder is a massive, heavy and back breaking.

Great video. I wonder if you have ever used a Olympia Express Maximatic? That seems like a smaller but highly efficient and temp stable machine that is superbly built. Simple to last the test of time. I don’t see many real reviews of that machine.

Great video! Still waiting for some machine that’s better in heat up time, features and temperature stability than Breville dual boiler and doesn’t cost $5000 😂

Dude. You are a genius. For espresso consumption purposes, why would you make the the pre infusion spike in pressure, then cut it back, then re engage the full pressure?

Hi Lance!

Can someone tell me what the espresso machine on the bar is (the black one) thanks 😊

Hi Lance, what is your opinion on combining this one with a df83v grinder?

Wow I learned a lot about e61's that I never knew. With some dual boilers being found the same price as an HX machines I wonder if their is still any good reason to buy an HX?

I miss those insane intros and beat boxing 😢

Have you ever did a review on the Ecm syncroncia

The technology of the ECM has gone up a nodge, since I worked as a technician of an ECM dealership. ECM is great in the price range, especially with repairing. Just always remember to empty the steamboiler, at least once per month, so minerals won't destroy the hesting element or clog the system 👌

What brand of shot mirror is he using?

I was actually choosing between the san remo cube and the ecm technika before discoverinh the mechanika max. Given what you said in the video, it sounds like i am better off sticking with a cube or technika and adding a temp probe in the grouphesd rather than opting for the max for its "smart" temp control features

Sad to hear you’ve been having a slump in viewership ‘cause i watch your vids religiously. Took a quick look at your vid views and think that perhaps the videos that work best are looking more towards either tools that are more accessible ($$$) or where you present revolutionary ideas about coffee s future/drop some coffilosiphy or basic theory/ tutorials. What’s the next big thing? Hasn’t been much hype since the sculptor. Also, personally would love to see a video dedicated to channeling, but that’s just me 😅. Keep up the amazing work Lance!

Thinking about this machine or the Decent. Thoughts?

Great review! What is the machine on your bench to your left (right in frame)?

Personally i think if temperature stability is so crucial for making good cup of coffee,then it's best to start with breville dual boiler and move up to pro600 at least and forget about everything that comes in between with single boiler or HX. Just save up maybe?cus i began my journey with breville dual boiler and now im planning for an upgraden and considering profitec pro 700. Any suggestions?

What would be an equivalent in a non E-61 model ?

Can you or have you reviewed the Profitec 600? Would like honest review.

You mentioned in the video that you don’t use an inline water filtration system. What do you use to filter the water for your brewing then?

Can you do a videp for the Bezzara Aria with flow control please

Hi Lance! Would love some more info on the Y-splitter. What are the dimensions/specs and where could I find one in Europe? Thanks!

When you say that E61 is unpredictable, you mean only HX E61's? That's not what I understood, but I measured the temperature on the puck, with scarce resources, i.e. a cheap thermometer with a thermocouple type K in a real puck with real coffee dialed in for traditional 1:2 in 25-30s to simulate a real extraction. Temperature in my ECM Classika PID was very stable 2 degrees difference from start to finish, 1 degree less than the display (maybe due to my cheap equipment). I repeated the same tests in a Vibiemme Domobar modded with PID (XMT 7100 and thermocouple type PT100, adusted for .1 degrees precision), and had the same results, probably because both are 750 ml single boiler E61. My conclusion is that a 750 ml single boiler can give stability and precision because the water inside the boiler is not excessively heated like in a HX and there's a lot of water at the right temperature unlike the small amount going through the heat exchanger tube. Any thoughts? Wrong conclusions due to my limited resources or bad experiment assumptions?

Although I find this machine aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced, I have one concern. The placement of the power switch and the setting buttons are in a location subject to splashing from channeling, back flushing and movement of cups in your work area. I frequently spray down this area with windex and a damp towel to keep it clean and shiny. I would prefer having the pressure gauges in this location as it be easier to clean and avoid moisture affecting the setting buttons. Maybe I’m being really picky but after owning a similar machine for over 5 years, I have noticed what areas of the machine need to be cleaned the most.

thanks for the review Lance, seems all HX machines are not stable with temps and are just a compromise for milk steaming. What about a good single boiler with PID? like the EM Classika or is there still a problem with temp due to the E61 group?

Not sure it would be the same, but when buying my Synchronika, I asked if they could include a naked portafilter and the threw it in with my purchase for free

Nice video! I must say I'm not sure why someone would pick this over the Lelit Bianca. Is it much cheaper in some parts of the world (US)? In Europe, the ECM is actually ~15% more expensive.

Between this and the Rocket 58/Appartenento, what do you think? Of course it's not a simple question but what do you think?

I'm wondering about the Bezzera Aria MN TOP model. That unit seems to have all the "bells and whistles"; PID, Flow control, control brewing temperature. It is a HXbut says it can both brew and steam with proper temperature afterwards. (If I understood it all correctly). Was wondering if you have heard of or have any knowledge on this machine. I am saving to get this machine. Forgot to mention it also has a rotary pump.

I don't understand why this machine has a single boiler with heat exchanger as opposed to the dual boiler machines. It gets a rotary pump but only 1 boiler?

Hey, regarding temp control - would you say ECM did a better job than Lelit? or is that just in inherent flaw all E61s are bound to have for eternity?

I need a machine that is a step up from the bambino in terms of espresso quality....im willing to spend a more....any suggestions?

Did it appear to be fresh off the pallet from the factory, or was there any evidence it was opened beforehand by WLL and checked and tweaked for accuracy?

Can you do a review of the Profitec 400 and compare it to the Mara please 🙏 🙂 😊

He’s right about rotary it’s a shower. Side panel 2 crews move to the side - solenoid easily there for access. I could take that machine apart 10 mins. Plus the lid has no holes near the tank. I’ve never had floaters. He should marry LELIT. MARRY THAT COMPANY DUDE.

With the pre-infusion. We we did what you said yes we can saturate the puck more. BUT, it wouldn’t be the Machanica Max. Yo!

❤

Hi Lance :)

link copied! Can you explain more about per-infusion on a dual boiler (breville) - Mines set to 7 sec as stock, but I'm wonder how/why i should mess with it

That’s why I always have temp gauge at brew head

Is the Synchronic worth $800-900 more than this model? Im struggling to work it out. Do you really need the dual boiler? Im upgrading From Sage/Breville Oracle

On first glance, I thought the thumbnail was dave grohl talking about an espresso machine.