Profitec - Pro 300

I have a Pro 300 and, though not the same machine, it also takes about 10 minutes to heat up from turn on. I just flick it on when I get up, do my regular morning things, like getting breakfast together and so on, and when I'm ready to brew it's probably been at least 10 minutes anyway. The time goes by pretty quickly for me. I wouldn't think it would be too much longer for your Pro machine.

I would swap the Mara X for an Elizabeth and the DF54 for a DF64. Both are pricier but worth the extra money. The Mara X takes longer to warm up and, IMO, provides less consistent outcomes. The Profitec Pro 300 is an excellent alternative too. While I don't love the DF64, it's a good grinder for your use case. You can't go wrong with it within this budget.

I went dual boiler because the temp control on the brew group is PID. Lelit Elizabeth or Profitec 300. If you had the extra money I would say the Profitec Move or ranchilio Silvia pro x. I love my Move, but that is most of your budget for either of those. They are built like tanks to last. My old Silvia is 15 years old and still running, I just upgraded for the dual boiler and PID control. 300 is the older version of the Move and a great machine. I steam and brew with my Move multiple times a day with no issue. I am not as familiar with the lelits, but a lot of people on here like them. Grinder, that is a whole different story. To single dose or not to, is where I would start. You can single dose with a lot of grinders anyway. I went single dose because I swap beans a lot. Decaf, espresso, pour over. Niche are good. A lot of people are happy with the DF. I liked the look of the Varia my self.

Easy, make two shots THEN steam your milk so you’re not screwing around for 4 Minutes and having cold drinks. You’re welcome and I just saved you 4K 🫠. On a more serious note I’d personally upgrade to something smaller like a pro 300 or a rancilio Silvia pro x, you keep the PID and 2k still in your pocket cause If you are only making 2 drinks and if your Still at the stage where making 2 lattes ends up with a cold one at the end a micra might not be the investment yet. Edit:fixed the typos

I started on a Bambino Plus and upgraded to a Profitec about eight months ago. If I could do it over, I would have just started with the Profitec and spent the Bambino money on a really good grinder instead. The learning curve is not as steep as people make it sound, and the temperature stability on a dual boiler makes dialing in way less frustrating when you are new. That said, at $2000 you should budget at least $400-500 of that for the grinder. The machine matters but the grinder matters more. Whatever you pick, do not blow the whole budget on the machine and then pair it with something mediocre.

I was in your exact spot about eight months ago. Bambino Plus with a decent grinder, loved the shots but wanted more temperature stability and steam power for back-to-back drinks. I went with a Profitec (the Pro 300, not the Go) and the dual boiler made a huge difference for my workflow. If you're mostly pulling one or two shots in the morning the Go would be totally fine, but if you ever make drinks for people the DB is worth stretching for. The used ECM route is smart too. Those machines are tanks. Just check the group gasket and see if they descaled regularly.

I paid $1500 for mine, but it’s going to last the rest of my life. Easy to fix and solid as a rock . Plus, it makes amazing espresso. Profitech pro 300(refurbished), for whoever is curious.

Get German. I’ve got the Profitec 300, with PID. Italian machines just don’t last. Every part of the Profitec is replaceable.

Silva is a better quality machine than a GCP. Profitec pro 300, profitec go are good choices. Lelit Bianca slightly over 2k is a very nice machine but prob overkill. I’m not sure European bezzera options but their offerings are also well built and good value.

I have the pro 300 ( old move) and I've only twice steamed milk while pouring a shot in the year or so having it. However, the extra height between the grouphead and the drip tray allows for better clearances with my scales... I always brew by weight as that seems to affect flavour more when my pours can vary between 20-30 seconds, even with the same puck prep between shots.

My daughter got a profitec go this past christmas and is really happy with it - I have a friend with Mara and is also very happy with it, My son has the profitec 300 and I have an ECM Synchronica. If I was buying again I'd probably go lelit bianca. All these machines have their quirks that you need to learn. We used to have a Breville Oracle - I felt there wasn't enough control to get things just right, and they are not built to last, very hard to get parts etc. Not an issue with any of the above.