ECM - Synchronika II

If you're always using the same bean, then you can set the target once and never really need to use the app again. But I like to brew a different bean nearly every day, so BBW is more of an inconvenience to my workflow. You'll enjoy everything else about the Mini, though. The ECM is built just as good and probably easier & cheaper to repair (more common parts), so it comes down to your preference on looks.

https://preview.redd.it/46yai2g262ig1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e46ded9ec972d84fae3a84960d7a92ac9a6294ef Manual lever machine makes top notch espresso drinks. All the professionals end up buying a lever machine in the end. But if you want to spend the money, a ecm shynkronica 2 is your choice. Heats up in 5min, dual boiler, premium built. And the rest of the money of 1200 you can get a good grinder.

A dual boiler is kind of unnecessary if you arent doing milk drinks. A single boiler, yes. But the second boiler is for steaming milk mostly. You can make an americano with a shot and hot tap water, or with a single boiler that has hot water on a heat exchange circuit like you said. I have an ecm synchronika and its slightly above ur budget but its fantastic. It can do multiple americanos in a row easily. It can do more too but i doubt uou gain much from that.

You need to get a synchronika ii ! The steam want is on the left but its pretty maneuverable. You can definitely steam a latte’s worth with a wall up against the left side. It’s probably easier with the group handle not attached though. Badically does all you asked about and is built like a tank. Looks cool too if you are into e61 styling.

I have all your boxes checked except the oat milk haha. I make 2-3 cortados/lattes/cappuccinos a day. , kids 1/3 like to watch. The synchronka ii is very very easy to use. You set it up once (program the pid and whatnot). It turns on and off automatically and is always warmed up. The only learning curve to it is grind, and ratio, like any other machine. I almost never use the flow control valve. No need. Takes about 15 sec to steam a perfect smooth latte’s worth of foam, you can do it almost endlessly. I also swapped the 2 hole tip for a 3 hole but both work well. If you arent going to plumb it in, dont put it under a cabinet. Its heavy af and a pain to move out every time you need to fill it wich will be once a week to every few days at the rate you are going to use it. I love my ecm and have no interest in upgrading. I also have a eureka libra ap and i like it a lot. I upgraded from a df64ii and the eureka is much better for workflow and better made. Grind is a bit more consistent too.

Though i dont really use the flow that much, my synchronika ii is awesome.

I got Sync 2 over Micra because I would hate for my settings to be locked behind an App.

I was in a similar situation coming off a Breville Barista Express I went with a Sync 2 and Eureka Libra AP. Hindsight 20/20 I would've went with Atom 75W instead purely for speed reasons. GBW workflow is amazing and makes my life super easy.

As someone who delayed the Omega Speedy purchase for an ECM Synchronika 2 I appreciate this comment.

For 4.5k you can upgrade both easily. My ecm sync 2 was under 3k leaving enough for a new mazzer philos

I mean if money isn't the issue here a synch II might scratch the itch. E61 style with a lot of clearance. Drip tray is easily removable. Flow control is optional. Fast warm up with electric cartridges in the group. You can turn off the steam boiler for an even faster heat up if it's just you. Mostly metal interior (only the water reservoir and the initial tube from it to the pump are plastic and silicone). Great steam power. Looks great with all the chrome. Even has a built in scheduler so you don't need to buy a separate timer for heating up in the morning. Downsides: it's a big hefty boi. If you don't like e61, you won't like it. Power consumption isn't small. Lots of cleaning with all the chrome.

I'm biased here but the ECM sync II is a great machine. Fast warmup and a built in scheduler so no need for a smart plug , and if you want to just randomly have a coffee the heat up time is around 6 or so minutes.There's a lot of great features under the hood, and it's built to be maintained easily. Much better build quality than a bianca. Get flow control for it and you're set. Assuming USD, the bianca is a thousand dollars more in the US compared to Europe. That's not a good value proposition when you look at it in context to other machines in a similar price range in the US. Go with Profitec or ECM, I don't think you would be disappointed.

I have an ECM sync II and this device would not be for you. These are largely considered endgame machines for hobbyists and I'd argue you buy it for that lifestyle. That said: It has a built in scheduler for on / off It is durable It has great steam Maintenance is easy Has higher power usage so plan accordingly Something else to consider is these machines require specific treatment: you need to have water that will not scale or you'll end up ruining them and la marzocco will not cover it. Ditto for any ECM, so you can't really escape that aspect of the lifestyle

Until recently I had a Profitec 700 v1 and hadn't looked around for anything else. I bought it used and unfortunately had some scale issues. Watching a few videos, I was able to open it up, take it all apart and clean every corner of it without much fuss. Amazing machine, left it like new. Used it for about a year without issues. Didn't think much of ECM vs Profitec quality comparisons as the Profitec is amazing. Came upon an opportunity on a Synchronika I and took the plunge. I took a couple of weeks to decide which one I was going to keep as internally they're basically the same machine. ECM is a little nicer but not by much, the top tray, I actually liked Profitec better, ultimately what won out was the ease of opening it up, ECM can be done from the top, on Profitec you have to unscrew from the bottom but I would've been very happy with either. As far as your predicament, the new ECM Synchronika II does have the advantage of faster heat-up with assisted heating in the group while the Drive has included flow control. I don't care much for the fast heat-up as I use a smart plug to get it ready in the morning. Flow control can be added to Synchronika easily if that's of interest. So, I'd say, if there's a significant price difference, I'd go for the cheaper one unless you prefer the looks of one over the other.

The ECM Synchronika II has a heated group so it does heat up very quickly, 6-7 mins. As opposed to a regular e61 group. The flushes were for the previous version which has a fast heat up mode that overshoots brew boiler temp and asks for flushes at around the 9 mins mark to stabilize. It does not come standard with flow control, so no worries there if you’re not interested. The steam is very powerful, 2bar, which should get you going in about 15s for 200ml of milk. As far as grinders, the most set and forget you can get is grind by weight, Eureka Atom W series or Mahlkonig GBW/GBS line. I have an Atom and it’s a wonderful grinder but you can’t go wrong with either. For home use, you don’t need anything larger than 65mm, what you gain by going up to 75mm is grinding in 3 seconds vs 5, which doesn’t really matter as it’s Grind by Weight anyway.

Forget the WDT, Philos doesn’t need it, also dosing funnel is a waste of money, Philos has its own metal cup you have to use. As for ease of use, the Mini (or Micra for a cheaper option, which is more in the league of the ECM) is indeed very easy to work with. I had an ECM die early on me (unlucky and shitty design choice) so prefer the higher quality of LM, if you have someone nearby that can service it if required. Biggest reason was not having an e61 head anymore though, too hot block of iron sticking out. For the grinder, opt for the i189d burrs for dark.

Hi! I ended up going with the ECM Synchronika 2 and we love it. Reasons we chose that over the Micra were the peace of mind that we don’t have to rely on an app that might stop being supported years down the road, or bluetooth becoming obsolete in 15 years, etc… Also, a bit more ability to tinker with settings and play with parameters for different coffees. I initially was reluctant to consider an e61 style machine due to the very long heat up times that don’t fit with our needs. We drink brewed coffee first thing in the morning, espresso is more of a spontaneous thing later in the day and so we want a machine that can be ready to go in a few minutes whenever we feel like it without having to keep it on all day long. The Synchronika 2 has a heated grouphead so the machine is ready to go in 5-6 minutes from fully cold, and 3-4 minutes if it was used within the past couple of hours. It’s great. Caveat: it’s way too big for our small kitchen and so we had to buy a small island to create a coffee station in the dining space next to the kitchen. That‘s ok, as long term we want to convert that space into a larger coffee and cocktail bar, so this was the first step haha.

How many drinks are you typically making at a time? If you just want to steam and pull a shot, there’s far cheaper options. But from your list I’d personally get the synchronika II If you like your current Silvia, Rancilio Pro X probably does what you want for far cheaper