Hello and we all appreciate you doing this! I am currently rocking the ECM Classika with a DF64 (ssp cast v3) and am debating on upgrading. Main reason is I thought the single boiler would be fine for me, and it is, but my wife recently started asking for lattes and now the single boiler is a pain to switch as often as I have to. What dual boiler would give me a similar feel to my Classika?
Assuming the synchronika, but I haven’t looked outside of ECM for dual boilers yet. Started on the BBE before getting my Classika. Always been very intrigued by the DE1…
buy once cry once. wish I did that too. went from a brevile, to a emc classika PID, to my current lucca 58. and almost went this route in 2019 but held off.
if you are financially able to afford it right now I'm would if thats the one you really want. I upgraded twice sob3 machines. if i would do it all over again I would of gone with the micra instead of the breville, then a ecm classika to the current lucca m58.
I don't think you need to spend that much. A Lelit Bianca or Elizabeth would be fine. Or an ECM Synchronika. If you want something more geeky a Decent would be around your maximum I think. And yes, you can buy a LM but I think it's too expensive for what it offers, you pay a lot for the brand, but it's just my personal opinion and I'm more on the best cost-benefit side.
Then, ECM is a solid choice. I have a Classika PID with flow control and love it. You may want a dual boiler for your milk drinks or a Classika may be good enough, it's very personal. I just don't recommend HXs (if you're crazy about espresso quality).
I’m similarly shopping to get a new machine to upgrade my Breville and have pretty much determined that the ECM Classika is the best option for me. I looked at the Micra and Synchronika, but I feel that my sporadic milk drinks aren’t worth the added cost or space on the counter. Clive Coffee seemed to agree when we spoke as well.
I got the Classika about a month ago and have no regrets whatsoever. I rarely make milk drinks, so a double boiler made no sense to me from a time savings/workflow perspective. Additionally, an HX machine didn’t make sense as espresso is my priority, and not milk. I have brewed both light and dark roasts on it and have produced some of the best shots I’ve ever had this far after about 15 years in this hobby. No regrets whatsoever and loved the service from the fellas at Clive.
I suppose I should probably elaborate slightly on my connection to the “build quality” comment. I work on espresso machines pretty much every day (today two different La Marzocco and one Synesso), and I have been in the coffee industry for over 25 years. They’re both built super well, but just a bit more attention to detail and bells and whistles go into the ECM machines, to the extent that I would take a Synchronika II over a LM Mini, and I say that as a LM wholesale supplier.
Firstly, prioritize the grinder. You can go two routes -- one is electronic, the other is a hand grinder.
For electronic grinders, the DF64 is hard to beat for the price. It's essentially the cheapest way to spin 64mm burrs. Another excellent option is a used Mazzer Super Jolly. You'll also want to replace burrs with SSP, just like you'd do in the DF64. Buy the burrs for the roast you'll drink: MP is for light roasts, HU is for more traditional espresso, and LS is in between.
Hand grinders like the J-Ultra (med-dark roasts) and K-Ultra (light-med roasts) from 1Zpresso are thouroghly capable machines. Burrs grind consistently. They grind fast and easy enough if you're doing up to 4-5 shots daily. They are zero-retention by design and work great for single-dose workflow, and switching beans between shots.
A grinder upgrade **might be enough** for this stage of your journey. You'll get tremendously more control, even if you stick with your Sage.
As for machines, again it depends on what you like. If you prioritize espresso with an occasional milk drink, then the E61 heat exchangers will not be the best pick, unless you only do dark roasts. I know this from experience.
The features you'll want for an espresso-focused machine are: 1) dedicated brew boiler/circuit and 2) PID for temp control. You won't need profiling at this stage (and you won't get it for your budget). Profiling can be added with a gear pump mod to almost any machine.
\-Gagguino builds - a temp-control upgrade of the Gaggia Classic Pro - are top notch.
\-Profitec Go
\-ECM classica is a single boiler E61 built like a tank. More expensive, but worthwhile.
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Fast heat-up, easy for beginners; inconsistent shots, annoying cleaning.
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