Profitec
Pro 700 Dual Boiler Espresso Machine

the first machine arrived with a dent in the front and a bent back panel. the packaging was not damaged so I wonder if it was mailed out in this condition. I had to go through some trouble getting it repackaged and mailed back for replacement and refund. I had to call to ask again for refund. eventually the new machine arrived and Clive replaced the tamper with an inexpensive rattelware brand- this was not what the original machine package contained. the instructions were rather simplistic but not entirely easy to follow so it was challenging to get started. eventually, the machine was easy to use for making espresso and latte and easy to maintain. then, about 7 months in, it developed a leak- I had to take it apart and identify the leak (with help from an engineer friend) and turned out one of the fittings needed to be tightened (design problem or just poor quality?) and now I am back to making my lattes. would I buy it again at this price? probably not but I have it now so I'll keep using it.

This was a great choice for a dual boiler. It arrived nicely, Paul was my salesman and he was great. I have really enjoyed the machine and haven’t had any issues, it makes fantastic espresso. The steam is top notch too, lots of power and it’s super fast with a 4 hole tip.

I have been a professional Barista for about 10 years, and now work on the weekends as a Barista still. When I moved away from coffee shops and into office work, I knew I would miss the fun and joy I get from making coffee in a coffee shop. I saved up and purchased this machine and I would say it is one of the best purchases of my life. Paired with the right grinder and scale, this machine can be fine tuned for great coffee quality and quantity. I use this every morning for my personal cup/s, but I have also catered events and hosted at pop-up coffee shops in my apartment for friends.

In addition, as someone working on a tight budget, this is a great machine that is sturdy, and fairly unbreakable (within reasonable parameters). With minor problems like the Vacuum Relief Valve getting gunked up (which happens to every machine and is 10 dollars to replace), this machine has traveled a lot for events, and moving apartments multiple times. Currently, this machine is on my desk in my bedroom and works great away from the kitchen!

I will say that the steam pressure is a little less that I would like, since I'm used to commercial grade machines. The group head is sturdy and effective, and the PID has great and easy variability in boiler water temps for either boiler.

I would not recommend using the hot water dispenser for teas or hot chocolates, but that goes for all machines (metallic taste always)

I wore out a Breville XL 900 series recently and purchased the Profitec Pro 700 as an upgrade with the money I saved from stand coffee. After weeks of searching and reading reviews, and verifying Clive ships to Alaska (thank you Clive!), I decided on the Profitec.

I make shots almost 7 days a week, so stepping into the 'prosumer' class seemed like a good idea. I bought a filtration system and plumbed in water, one of the key features for me on this model was plumbed in water supply and line pressure pre-infusion. I plumbed in the drain as well.

First the good: SHINY! Chrome everywhere, and most of its spotless. I noted a slight blemish on the chrome right under the pressure relief valve vent that points at the drip tray. Not worth complaining about in my world.

Machine warms up quickly and operates exactly as intended. It's taken me some time to adjust my grinds and brew times, but I never stop refining that stuff anyway. I ended taking off the top railing and using the short legs to fit more comfortably under my cabinet in my smallish kitchen.

Now a warning:
I've never been a E61 group head user before (the Breville was a solenoid-operated valve) and through USER ERROR (not the fault of the machine) I managed to run several hundred gallons out the group head over time by not returning the brew lever fully to its 'down' position. Some labeling someplace of brew lever position might take away from the clean traditional lines of the 700, but I would hate to have something like this happen to someone who DIDN'T plumb in the drain and might have saved me from myself in this case!

Clive support was very helpful in starting diagnosis of the group head 'drip' that was operator error, even answering emails on a Saturday. 5 stars to them on that.

Sadly my mistakes also cost me a $100 filter which was exhausted by the unintended flow through the group head. To be clear again, this was my fault for not operating the brew lever correctly and having basically pre-infusion water flow happen for hours while I was at work. Thank goodness I plumbed the drain in though--I calculated about 55 gallons per 12 hours if flow was max pre-infusion rate. I'm belaboring the point in the hope of preventing others stepping up from a similar machine as I did from making my mistakes on any E61 group head which all seem to have the same brew lever valve. Make sure that thing is straight down when you're done brewing.

The last thing:
The drip tray wobbles ever so slightly when in place. With the pump running when filling a double shot glass or anything lighter, the drip tray vibrates very noisily. With anything larger (a ceramic mug) the vibration is suppressed by the mass of the cup. A better fit, some sort of dampening material, maybe a rare earth magnet would resolve. A bit of mechanic's toolbox drawer liner well away from anything hot did the job for me.

To recap: An excellent machine that makes a great beverage. A few small detail-related design improvements would have turned the corner to that 5th star for me.

This machine is very easy to use and the material, fit and finish are top of the line. very satisfied with this machine.