ECM Synchronika II Espresso Machine

Before I go into the espresso machine (which I love) I’d like to give a shout out to Sebastian! Not only did Great Infusions have the best price available for this machine, but Sebastian was great to talk with, gave me a lot of advice, and answered all my questions along the way. He also went out of his way to include several free items including an upgraded gasket, a couple cappuccino cups (with spoons and plates), and cortado cups. It’s worth noting that this machine was drop shipped from Clive Coffee. Now to the machine: This thing is built like a tank (and almost weighs as much at 66lbs)! It looks and feels very well made. I fully expect this to last a lifetime (with proper maintenance). Speaking of, it should be easy to maintain and/or repair if needed due to the availability of e61 parts and its long standing reputation for quality. It heats up in less than 7 min to pull a shot and it’s ready to steam in around 10. I also love that it has an auto on/off function so it’s ready to go when I wake up. It has customizable pre infusions with active and passive options. It includes reminders for cleaning, a shot timer, shot counter, and a bunch of other great features in the menu. You can adjust temperature and offset for the brew and steam boiler. You can add flow control as an option, but IMO the Lucca flow control option is much better than the ECM or standard e61 flow control devices (it doesn’t require multiple turns). The steam wand is a pleasure to use. You can adjust the temp to your preference and it can deliver very high steam pressure if desired (I think it goes up to 2 bar). I’m able to quickly produce very “silky milky”. I really enjoy that the steam uses a lever rather than a knob, but I understand that is preference. Temperature stability is rock solid and you can pull consistent back to back shots without sacrificing quality. I measured the temperature coming out of the shower screen with a probe and it was within 2°F of what the PID showed (boiler temp). My only real gripes are 1) Due to the mirror finish on the entire exterior, it’s a pain to keep clean and it does splash quite a bit when backflushing, purging the steam wand, etc. I wish it came in matte black (like the Mechanika or Profitec Drive) or even a brushed stainless. Basically anything would be easier to keep clean. 2) Because it’s an E61 and the grouped is also heated, you can burn yourself in a lot of ways on this thing so watch out! 3) The drip tray is pretty small and it’s very difficult to see when it’s getting full. You really have to keep an eye on it or it will overflow. A huge plus for me is that you can plumb it in so you never had to add water or empty the drip tray (which I plan to do). That being said, plumbing it in will alleviate the drip tray issue, the cleaning thing is really a nit pick, and I quickly learned where is safe to touch. Most importantly, the workflow is wonderful and the espresso it produces is consistent and delicious! So overall it’s a 9 or 10!