Profitec Coffee Machines

How to choose a Profitec espresso machine

Profitec is based in Bammental, near Heidelberg in south west Germany, and has built espresso machines since 1990. It is the sister brand of ECM, run by the same family, and every machine and grinder is assembled by hand: the Go in Milan, everything else at the German headquarters. The whole range shares a 58 mm commercial portafilter, a stainless steel cabinet and a 24 month warranty, so the choice comes down to the heating system, the footprint and how much you want the machine to do for you.

Single boiler: the Go

The Profitec Go puts a serious machine on the smallest bench: a ring brew group with a 58 mm portafilter, PID control of coffee and steam temperature, a shot clock, an eco mode and externally adjustable brew pressure, in a body 21 cm wide and ready in about 10 minutes. It runs from a 2.8 litre tank with a vibration pump and comes in black or brushed stainless. Because it has one boiler you wait a short while between the espresso and the milk, so choose the Go if you make a few coffees at a time and want the most compact way into Profitec.

Heat exchange E61: Pro 400, Jump and Pro 500

A heat exchange machine keeps one larger boiler at steam temperature and heats the brew water as it passes through, so you can brew and steam at the same time. All three use the classic E61 group, which holds its temperature well, with passive pre-infusion. The Pro 400 is the compact one at 22.8 cm wide, with a 1.6 litre boiler, three preset temperatures and switchable pre-infusion on a switch under the chassis, and dual gauges for brew and steam pressure. The Jump is the Pro 400 brought up to date: the same 1.6 litre boiler and width with an integrated display for the shot clock and tank level, American walnut handles and a black cup rail. The Pro 500 PID is the classic full width E61 at 30.2 cm, with a 2 litre boiler for more steam, a PID display with shot timer, eco mode and backflush reminder. All three run from a 2.8 litre tank, use a low noise vibration pump, take 15 to 30 minutes to heat up, and can be ordered with flow control.

• Choose the Pro 400 for the best value E61 and the smallest footprint.
• Choose the Jump for the same footprint with a display and the modern look.
• Choose the Pro 500 if you steam milk for a household and have the bench width for it.

Dual boiler: Move, Ride and Drive

A dual boiler machine has a dedicated brew boiler with PID control and a separate steam boiler, so the brew temperature is set precisely and never waits for the steam side. The Move is the modern compact one at 27 cm wide: a ring brew group, 0.4 litre brass brew boiler and 0.75 litre steam boiler, an OLED control centre with programmable pre-infusion and a seven day on and off timer, programmed dose buttons, a fast heat-up of about 10 minutes and a bottomless portafilter with a walnut handle. The Ride brings the E61 group to a dual boiler at 30 cm wide, with 0.75 and 1 litre stainless steel boilers that heat together for a 10 minute start, the same OLED controls and timer, a quiet vibration pump and a black cabinet with a brushed front. The Drive is the flagship: 0.75 and 2 litre boilers, an E61 group with a flow control valve fitted as standard, a commercial rotary pump, and the choice of tank or plumbed in, in a polished stainless body 34 cm wide.

• Choose the Move if you want dual boiler precision in a compact modern body, with a repeatable dose at the press of a button.
• Choose the Ride for the classic E61 group with two boilers, a quick heat-up and the quiet pump.
• Choose the Drive if you want to plumb in, prefer a rotary pump, or want to profile shots out of the box.

Tank or plumbed, vibration or rotary

Only the Drive has a rotary pump and can be plumbed into a water line, and it ships with the braided hose to do it. Every other Profitec runs from a 2.8 litre tank with a level sensor and a vibration pump, which the Jump, Pro 500 and Ride specify as low noise versions. If the machine will live in an open plan kitchen or you want to stop refilling, the Drive is the one to step up to.

Which grinder to pair with a Profitec

Profitec's own grinders are made in Germany to match the machines. The Twist A54 has 54 mm flat burrs, stepless adjustment and timed dosing to a tenth of a second, and the Twist SD54 is the single dose version with a dosing cup and bellows for weighing each shot. The Pro T64 steps up to 64 mm burrs and a 450 watt motor that grinds a double in under seven seconds, which suits a household making many coffees in a row. See the full range of coffee grinders for other options.

See one running, then let us look after it

Training and demonstrations on home machines are free at My Coffee Shop in Melbourne and Sydney, so you can pull a shot on a Profitec before you buy. We are an authorised Profitec dealer and service agent, and we service the machines we sell at our own service centres. Every machine here ships free Australia-wide, and in stock orders placed before 3pm Melbourne time are dispatched the same day. Keep it running with the Profitec cleaning range.