Here in the UK I wanted a small E61 and to fit my kitchen I had to choose between the MiraX and the 400. I visited a dealer and in the flesh the 400 looks far better made. You can find internal videos of both, the 400 looks like it was designed using CAD and neatly laid out, the X like someone had a pile of parts and put them together. Sizes are similar but if putting under units when you take off the cup warmer the 400 is shorter so easier to fill without pulling out. The 400 has good sized feet easy to fit sticky ptfe sliders too, the X tiny rubber feet that can come off, if you want to fit proper feet to avoid gouging your worktop the X grows in height so even less height available to fill when under units. The X has the facility to use a filter in the tank, handy in hard water areas I use bottled water in my 400. The 400 has a smaller boiler, quicker warm up time but less available steam but I have no difficulty steaming milk for two mugs of hot chocolate so in real life not an issue. The X has a feature to get a steam burst, with the 400 move the 3 position switch to 2 or 3, the small boiler raises the pressure very quickly there's no appreciable wait . For shots, position 1 no need to flush. I have always been happy with the coffee from this machine but I do have a good grinder. My dealer recommended changing the steam tip to 4 holes, I struggled for months to get decent milk for latte art, the higher settings help and there is a spot where it suddenly works, you can get good results and I'm getting better but whether the X is any better? suspect it is skill that makes the difference rather than the machine. The 400 has limited space under the portafilter so tricky if you want to use scales, may take manouvering so buy a bottomless portafilter, I bought the ECM one, also bought a better tamper , the ECM pressure regulating one and that really helped consistency, I don't bother with any of the rest of the faff that people think they need to use. This is a great machine for those of us that want to get up and just make a coffee that's better than you're going to get in the high street even when using cheap supermarket beans but you will need to spend money on a decent grinder. Bear in mind you won't often have coffee out if you buy this type of machine as it will nearly always be a disappointment. E61's also have a maintenance requirement to lubricate the group head that other machines don't have but they do look good in the kitchen and though the warm up is longer I don't think grinding, brewing and steaming takes any longer than it did on my old Sage/Breville Barista Express. X or 400, personal choice, I don't suppose what comes out is much if any different.
@@atticustay1 You are the first one with that news. Lelit Mara X's PID does some weird stuff nobody can control without a group thermometer. That being said: Buy one for any E61, it will be a strong help to understand your machine
great review. Just had mine up and running a week now . Using a 20g VST ( with 22,5g grind input) and mostly just distributing the coffee after, I get great shots in the 40g+ @ 28-30 sec. wery happy . Just need a little more practise with the frothing, as coming from a sage express with 1 hole I actually had that pritty nailed, but with the 2 holes I need more practise still .
I got this one too and I really struggle to find a wand position to introduce steam without making huge bubbles with the steam tip holes being so far apart!
@@T1D_Nydox well sorry to hear that, I don’t have any issues with the wand position making big bubbles. If I may make a suggestion buy a steam tip with 3 or 4 holes this might solve your problem.
Fantastic review, I also really enjoyed your review of the Bellezza Inivio R. I'm in a position of choosing between the two for a comparable price. The Inizio is cheaper actually as an ex display but unused, both with full warranty. I understand the inizio has the win on features, but a profitec is a profitec haha. Which would you choose given the choice after having used and experienced both? Does the quality of the profitec outweigh the features of the bellezza?? (Appreciate if you have the time to share your knowledge)
Having an issue with my shots getting to 36gr with only 25 seconds even with the pre-infusion. Just timed his pull and unless they did something in editing, his was 25 seconds too 🤔
I find the gaps between the temp settings to be quite large (90, 94, 98). There are many coffees that do well between 90-94. Do you find these gaps to have a negative impact on the dialing-in process? Also, 98 seems really high, even for light roasts.
@@EVR1AL Which is why we're seeing more E-61 machines with built-in PIDs. People want consistency and control. I say this as someone who has to temperature surf every day on a Gaggia Classic Pro haha. That being said, if the temp settings are approxumate ranges and not exact then I guess it's not really much of an issue.
I just got mine and I love it. There has been some input from a buddy that the brew temps are not consistent. I don’t have a scace to check but I imagine with the temp probes they’re accurate, so long as I flush and after my puck prep it’s good to go. Also, I don’t do back to back shots really. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for watching! The scale in the video is the Whitebird Espresso Scale KC200 - Black idrinkcoffee.com/products/whitebird-espresso-scale-kc200-black
Great review! Covers all the points and concise. Sorry for the obvious Q, but do you prefer a vst precision filter basket over a naked filter? Do you just replace the portafilter basket that comes with the machine with a vst one?
I do personally prefer precision baskets like the ones from VST or IMS. At home I don't use a naked poraftiler, I use a 18g VST basket with a single spout portafilter. This is because I always extract doubles but I find it easier and cleaner to dispense using a single spout.
I am curious how do you make a "extremely large latte" using this machine? I know pretty much nothing. All the reviews that I have been watching to educate myself on this home approach show a very similar unfolding with this Profitec 400). The exhibitor weighs and grinds ~ 18g of coffee into the porta-filter basket. They place their glass on a scale below the spout, and they weigh ~ 35g of liquid espresso being extracted. I have no clue how much milk they froth (none ever say the amount). They pour the frothed milk into the expresso in what appears to be a reasonably small glass with 35g of espresso in the bottom. All said, am I correct to think the final total of this completed drink is about 10oz (aka Latte or cappuccino)? How would you make a much larger Latte? Secondly, can all of these machines be refitted with a 4-hole milk steam tip? Where does one purchase this 4-hole steam tip? Many Thanks from a complete novice looking to figure all of this out and buy one of these impressive, reasonably priced machines.
If you want to make a large latte with as much espresso in it as possible, you would do a dose of 18-21gm coffee aiming for a yield ratio of anywhere from 2:1 or 2.5:1. So that would be 36gm or 45gm yield based on an 18gm dose. You have to make sure your double basket can hold that much coffee without it being disturbed by the screw on the shower screen when the coffee expands as it absorbs water (you can tell this if there's an impression on top of the puck) a small coffee pitcher is typically for an 8oz coffee so you would need a larger pitcher and add the appropriate amount of milk for the drink size you want.
Thank you for your wonderful in-depth response. I plan to purchase two Profitec bottomless portafilters at the outset to see the process,, and go with your suggested 18g in (grinds) and 36g out (liquid). I'll froth 10oz of milk, and start from there to refine and improve the end result. I also plan to purchase an IMS screen at the outset to lessen the cleaning effort and, hopefully, improve the water distribution in the preinfusion process and thereafter.
These are slightly different designs. The Duo has separate thermoblocks for steam and espresso so it gives you precise control over extraction but I like the steam power on a heat exchanger like the Pro 400 for people who prefer milk based drinks.
Hi There! I just got pro400 few weeks ago, I did change the steam wand tip to 4 holes which made the steaming milk more consistent and now I want to know about VST basket. Is the 22g VST basket fit the original Profitec portafilter that came with the machine?
Hi, that's a good question. The machines are actually in the same class and similar in terms of features. They both have the three position switch for temperature, E61 group heads and a heat exchanger boiler. So they are competing brands of a similar product. I have to give the edge to Profitec for build quality though. The Profitec machine is very well made and looks great.
IT'S POSSIBLE TO PUT ON THE SMALL COFFEE SHOP OR CATER ON ANY POP UP EVENT? 100CUPS PER DAY? ANYONE CAN GIVE FEEDBACK. THANK YOU.🎉 REALLY LOOKING FORWARD OF YOU'ALL.
This machine is not suitable for commercial use. It wouldn't be easy to do 100 cups a day on a single group commercial machine, I would like recommend a compact two group machine.
This machine compares more closely with the ECM Slim VI which also has the three settings for the temperature. ECM and Profitec are sister companies. The Pro 400 and Mechanika Slim VI are very similar on the inside and performance wise. The main difference is the aesthetic.
@@iDrinkCoffeeCanada Thank you. Does having the PID based control on the newer VI remove the need to purge the grouphead on the HX machines for temperature management? I'm thinking so..
This guy talks very well and everything is clear to understand
Thank you for the kind compliment.
Here in the UK I wanted a small E61 and to fit my kitchen I had to choose between the MiraX and the 400. I visited a dealer and in the flesh the 400 looks far better made. You can find internal videos of both, the 400 looks like it was designed using CAD and neatly laid out, the X like someone had a pile of parts and put them together. Sizes are similar but if putting under units when you take off the cup warmer the 400 is shorter so easier to fill without pulling out. The 400 has good sized feet easy to fit sticky ptfe sliders too, the X tiny rubber feet that can come off, if you want to fit proper feet to avoid gouging your worktop the X grows in height so even less height available to fill when under units. The X has the facility to use a filter in the tank, handy in hard water areas I use bottled water in my 400. The 400 has a smaller boiler, quicker warm up time but less available steam but I have no difficulty steaming milk for two mugs of hot chocolate so in real life not an issue. The X has a feature to get a steam burst, with the 400 move the 3 position switch to 2 or 3, the small boiler raises the pressure very quickly there's no appreciable wait . For shots, position 1 no need to flush. I have always been happy with the coffee from this machine but I do have a good grinder. My dealer recommended changing the steam tip to 4 holes, I struggled for months to get decent milk for latte art, the higher settings help and there is a spot where it suddenly works, you can get good results and I'm getting better but whether the X is any better? suspect it is skill that makes the difference rather than the machine. The 400 has limited space under the portafilter so tricky if you want to use scales, may take manouvering so buy a bottomless portafilter, I bought the ECM one, also bought a better tamper , the ECM pressure regulating one and that really helped consistency, I don't bother with any of the rest of the faff that people think they need to use. This is a great machine for those of us that want to get up and just make a coffee that's better than you're going to get in the high street even when using cheap supermarket beans but you will need to spend money on a decent grinder. Bear in mind you won't often have coffee out if you buy this type of machine as it will nearly always be a disappointment. E61's also have a maintenance requirement to lubricate the group head that other machines don't have but they do look good in the kitchen and though the warm up is longer I don't think grinding, brewing and steaming takes any longer than it did on my old Sage/Breville Barista Express. X or 400, personal choice, I don't suppose what comes out is much if any different.
Thank you for sharing your experience and comparison.
Yes i agree build quality is better with this machine however the Leit produces excellent Espresso bottom.line good Espresso for a afordable price.
The Profitec looks better but the Lelit has much better temperature stability
@@atticustay1 You are the first one with that news. Lelit Mara X's PID does some weird stuff nobody can control without a group thermometer. That being said: Buy one for any E61, it will be a strong help to understand your machine
Been waiting for this one! Great video.
Thanks for the kind compliment and for watching.
Thx -good presentation. Ordered mine 3 days ago from your company and received it this morning - just had my 1st pulled shot !
Lucky Guy 😉
How do you like it now that youve had it for a while
In Australia we would call that americano a long black (espresso extracted onto water) vs the americano where water is poured into the espresso.
yeah it is not called land of the downunder if not doing the opposite!
great review. Just had mine up and running a week now . Using a 20g VST ( with 22,5g grind input) and mostly just distributing the coffee after, I get great shots in the 40g+ @ 28-30 sec. wery happy . Just need a little more practise with the frothing, as coming from a sage express with 1 hole I actually had that pritty nailed, but with the 2 holes I need more practise still .
I have one at home really great so far the pump is quieter than the pro 600
Warm up time ? Did you measure the all three temperatures settings? Are they constant? I am thinking to buy this or Go model
@@actylise 18 min max warm up, I use the pre-infusion and as for the temps they are on par
I got this one too and I really struggle to find a wand position to introduce steam without making huge bubbles with the steam tip holes being so far apart!
@@T1D_Nydox well sorry to hear that, I don’t have any issues with the wand position making big bubbles. If I may make a suggestion buy a steam tip with 3 or 4 holes this might solve your problem.
It looks like a Rocket Appartamento 😮
Fantastic review, I also really enjoyed your review of the Bellezza Inivio R. I'm in a position of choosing between the two for a comparable price. The Inizio is cheaper actually as an ex display but unused, both with full warranty. I understand the inizio has the win on features, but a profitec is a profitec haha. Which would you choose given the choice after having used and experienced both? Does the quality of the profitec outweigh the features of the bellezza?? (Appreciate if you have the time to share your knowledge)
Having an issue with my shots getting to 36gr with only 25 seconds even with the pre-infusion. Just timed his pull and unless they did something in editing, his was 25 seconds too 🤔
If you want a slower shot, grind finer. If you want a faster shot, grind coarser.
I find the gaps between the temp settings to be quite large (90, 94, 98). There are many coffees that do well between 90-94. Do you find these gaps to have a negative impact on the dialing-in process? Also, 98 seems really high, even for light roasts.
just don't be a snob, classic lever machines don't offer even that
@@EVR1AL Which is why we're seeing more E-61 machines with built-in PIDs. People want consistency and control. I say this as someone who has to temperature surf every day on a Gaggia Classic Pro haha. That being said, if the temp settings are approxumate ranges and not exact then I guess it's not really much of an issue.
98 is for when steaming
I just got mine and I love it. There has been some input from a buddy that the brew temps are not consistent. I don’t have a scace to check but I imagine with the temp probes they’re accurate, so long as I flush and after my puck prep it’s good to go. Also, I don’t do back to back shots really. What are your thoughts?
An online review by another vendor, using Scace device, noted temperatures were stable over 30 seconds. That said Idrinkcoffee rocks
Great video indeed! Thank you. What scale are you using in the video?
Thanks for watching! The scale in the video is the Whitebird Espresso Scale KC200 - Black idrinkcoffee.com/products/whitebird-espresso-scale-kc200-black
Great review! Covers all the points and concise. Sorry for the obvious Q, but do you prefer a vst precision filter basket over a naked filter? Do you just replace the portafilter basket that comes with the machine with a vst one?
I do personally prefer precision baskets like the ones from VST or IMS. At home I don't use a naked poraftiler, I use a 18g VST basket with a single spout portafilter. This is because I always extract doubles but I find it easier and cleaner to dispense using a single spout.
Noticed that the bar needle was pulsing as the shot was pulling.. thought it was my machine that only did that
Is the 20g VST basket you’re using the ridged or ridgeless?
I am curious how do you make a "extremely large latte" using this machine? I know pretty much nothing. All the reviews that I have been watching to educate myself on this home approach show a very similar unfolding with this Profitec 400). The exhibitor weighs and grinds ~ 18g of coffee into the porta-filter basket. They place their glass on a scale below the spout, and they weigh ~ 35g of liquid espresso being extracted. I have no clue how much milk they froth (none ever say the amount). They pour the frothed milk into the expresso in what appears to be a reasonably small glass with 35g of espresso in the bottom. All said, am I correct to think the final total of this completed drink is about 10oz (aka Latte or cappuccino)? How would you make a much larger Latte? Secondly, can all of these machines be refitted with a 4-hole milk steam tip? Where does one purchase this 4-hole steam tip? Many Thanks from a complete novice looking to figure all of this out and buy one of these impressive, reasonably priced machines.
If you want to make a large latte with as much espresso in it as possible, you would do a dose of 18-21gm coffee aiming for a yield ratio of anywhere from 2:1 or 2.5:1. So that would be 36gm or 45gm yield based on an 18gm dose. You have to make sure your double basket can hold that much coffee without it being disturbed by the screw on the shower screen when the coffee expands as it absorbs water (you can tell this if there's an impression on top of the puck) a small coffee pitcher is typically for an 8oz coffee so you would need a larger pitcher and add the appropriate amount of milk for the drink size you want.
Thank you for your wonderful in-depth response. I plan to purchase two Profitec bottomless portafilters at the outset to see the process,, and go with your suggested 18g in (grinds) and 36g out (liquid). I'll froth 10oz of milk, and start from there to refine and improve the end result. I also plan to purchase an IMS screen at the outset to lessen the cleaning effort and, hopefully, improve the water distribution in the preinfusion process and thereafter.
Thanks for the great video! What do you think of ascaso steel due compared to this ?
These are slightly different designs. The Duo has separate thermoblocks for steam and espresso so it gives you precise control over extraction but I like the steam power on a heat exchanger like the Pro 400 for people who prefer milk based drinks.
Hi There! I just got pro400 few weeks ago, I did change the steam wand tip to 4 holes which made the steaming milk more consistent and now I want to know about VST basket. Is the 22g VST basket fit the original Profitec portafilter that came with the machine?
It will not fit, the largest the spouted portafilters can fit is 20g, you would need a bottomless.
May I ask how you would compare the Mara X to this? Does the Lelit machine have any advantages over the Pro 400?
Hi, that's a good question. The machines are actually in the same class and similar in terms of features. They both have the three position switch for temperature, E61 group heads and a heat exchanger boiler. So they are competing brands of a similar product. I have to give the edge to Profitec for build quality though. The Profitec machine is very well made and looks great.
Agree however pomp in Lelit is much more quiet and more affordable
IT'S POSSIBLE TO PUT ON THE SMALL COFFEE SHOP OR CATER ON ANY POP UP EVENT? 100CUPS PER DAY? ANYONE CAN GIVE FEEDBACK. THANK YOU.🎉 REALLY LOOKING FORWARD OF YOU'ALL.
This machine is not suitable for commercial use. It wouldn't be easy to do 100 cups a day on a single group commercial machine, I would like recommend a compact two group machine.
How does this compare to the ECM Slim V?
This machine compares more closely with the ECM Slim VI which also has the three settings for the temperature. ECM and Profitec are sister companies. The Pro 400 and Mechanika Slim VI are very similar on the inside and performance wise. The main difference is the aesthetic.
@@iDrinkCoffeeCanada Thank you. Does having the PID based control on the newer VI remove the need to purge the grouphead on the HX machines for temperature management? I'm thinking so..
The discs are tacky