Profitec Pro 600 | Jetblack Espresso

This machine is amazing. I have never been so happy with a purchase. I was upgrading from a Pasquini Livia 90 dual boiler machine. The Profitec Pro 600 bests the Pasquini in nearly every way. I can adjust anything and everything I'd ever want to adjust via the PID, the steam wand works great (though, for larger amounts of milk, like 12oz+, I would recommend getting the 4-hole steam tip) and my espresso shots are pulling consistently every time. The one complaint I have is that the hot water wand uses a ton of water from the boiler and after using it, you have to wait a minute or two for the boiler to get back up to temp. Overall though, I highly recommend this machine to anyone in the market with a budget of around $2500. Well worth the money.

5 year update

Still loving it! Quite the journey though.Year 4 saw repairs which I managed with trial and plenty of error. One of the reasons I bought this machine was because I might be able to work on it. Also, hard to fathom draining it, packing it up, and shipping it cross country for repair without it being pretty costly and a major annoyance. Figured I would take a whack at it and replace / upgrade if all else failed. I hate the idea of disposable products and am committed to this thing.Took apart the E61 group, cleaned it up, and replaced parts when things started to slow down on pulls. NB: need an extra thin wrench (not something available in my local hardware store but an inexpensive online purchase) to get the mushroom cap apart to access the gicleur (French for ... MoreStill loving it! Quite the journey though.Year 4 saw repairs which I managed with trial and plenty of error. One of the reasons I bought this machine was because I might be able to work on it. Also, hard to fathom draining it, packing it up, and shipping it cross country for repair without it being pretty costly and a major annoyance. Figured I would take a whack at it and replace / upgrade if all else failed. I hate the idea of disposable products and am committed to this thing.Took apart the E61 group, cleaned it up, and replaced parts when things started to slow down on pulls. NB: need an extra thin wrench (not something available in my local hardware store but an inexpensive online purchase) to get the mushroom cap apart to access the gicleur (French for nozzle - and I thought this thing was Italian!). Have scraped, cleaned, attempted gasket purchase (close is not good enough) and ultimately replaced the internals of the vacuum breaker. It is shame not being to find gaskets for this and having to order a replacement kit. With shipping it is a bit costly for what it is, and I would get two replacement kits next time it inevitably fails. Unnecessarily replaced the safety valve when I could not figure out why the service boiler began to quit after heating. The solid state relay failed and was surprisingly easy to replace - service boiler is going strong again. Bought an inexpensive multimeter (a great 12 bucks) to test continuity of circuits including heating elements and to stop randomly replacing things - had to watch a couple of videos to learn how to use it. Have not been electrocuted yet.I am pleased to say the pro 600 is as good as new and working on it has increased my appreciation for its design and accessibility. Clive has either had the parts or was able to find them for me - the safety valve on the site was not the right size for the 600 but they got me straightened out and sent me the right part.Other thoughts: pullman big step tamper and baskets are worth it. IMS shower screen is very worthwhile. Lunar scale is a must and durable. Aforementioned recommendations are informed by several less successful purchases... sigh. On with the adventure and a lot more coffee!

A Superb Restaurant-Quality Machine

The Profitec Pro 600 is a dream machine. It can be used to make a wide variety of hot beverages. It's functionality is rather simple & you get used to handling it by the third use. The cup-warmer tray is great for the regards of wanting to make sure that the temperature of the cup doesn't offset the temperature of your beverage. The hot water valve delivers the ease of providing such without having to throughly clean out your machine if you want that instead of the hot beverage distributed from the main valve. The steam valve provides just enough heat to get your milk/cream nice & frothy without overdoing it. Even the receptacle tray is a plus & is easy to clean out. It's not a lightweight machine, either(clocking in at 74lbs, you know that it's real steel). The ... MoreThe Profitec Pro 600 is a dream machine. It can be used to make a wide variety of hot beverages. It's functionality is rather simple & you get used to handling it by the third use. The cup-warmer tray is great for the regards of wanting to make sure that the temperature of the cup doesn't offset the temperature of your beverage. The hot water valve delivers the ease of providing such without having to throughly clean out your machine if you want that instead of the hot beverage distributed from the main valve. The steam valve provides just enough heat to get your milk/cream nice & frothy without overdoing it. Even the receptacle tray is a plus & is easy to clean out. It's not a lightweight machine, either(clocking in at 74lbs, you know that it's real steel). The would machine would certainly be well placed inside of a nice cafe/diner, but you get to have it at home & not need a beverage/business license to own it.

End game machine for me.

I spent a ton of time researching and waffling over various machines before settling on the Profitec 600. I knew I wanted a dual boiler machine with PIDs. A saturated group head (basically anything not E61) seemed like a more modern choice, but the more I sat on it, an E61 machine just felt right. There's something visceral about the tried-and-true build and several pounds of chrome-plated brass. Parts are readily available, knowledge and advice about E61 abounds and isn't machine-specific, etc. I was looking at the LUCCA M53 Mini, Lelit Elizabeth and Bianca, QuickMill QM67 Evo, QuickMill Vetrano, La Spaziale Mini Vivaldia and Dream, Crem One Duo, and others. I literally couldn't be happier with the Profitec 600 though. Do your research and go with your gut. I ... MoreI spent a ton of time researching and waffling over various machines before settling on the Profitec 600. I knew I wanted a dual boiler machine with PIDs. A saturated group head (basically anything not E61) seemed like a more modern choice, but the more I sat on it, an E61 machine just felt right. There's something visceral about the tried-and-true build and several pounds of chrome-plated brass. Parts are readily available, knowledge and advice about E61 abounds and isn't machine-specific, etc. I was looking at the LUCCA M53 Mini, Lelit Elizabeth and Bianca, QuickMill QM67 Evo, QuickMill Vetrano, La Spaziale Mini Vivaldia and Dream, Crem One Duo, and others. I literally couldn't be happier with the Profitec 600 though. Do your research and go with your gut. I expanded my budget slightly with the Pro 600, and added the flow control and wood side panels, and don't regret it.The build quality of the Profitec's is legendary. Researching it well, all comments/posts/reviews/videos I found all praised the German engineering, layout, and component quality. Being a sister company to ECM also helped, in my eyes. I'm still not sure exactly where the 600 is manufactured. In WLL YouTube videos, they mention that the 600s are built in Italy alongside ECM machines, but my machine clearly says Made In Germany on it. No difference, more of a curiosity.The machine came double boxed and well padded. The flow control came pre-installed and WLL included the stock mushroom and spring (thank you!). I ended up putting the stock spring back in, but that's a different topic, and a personal preference about how preinfusion works with the stiffer flow control spring vs. softer stock spring. The Profitec portafilter handles are beefy, but I opted to add on an ECM bottomless handle. I also did some testing to see how the PID boiler temperature was set compared to actual group head water temp, and am pleased to report that the offset was set perfectly! Same goes for the over-pressure valve (OPV), which was set perfectly at 10 bar, resulting in 9 bar at the coffee puck. Either Profitec or WLL clearly bench test and calibrate the machines.Day-to-day, the machine is an absolute joy to use. Highly predicatable. No issues. Fit and finish are impeccable (as they should be at this price). The PID settings are easy to manage and change. I was pulling repeatable shots on the first day. Steam power is super high and I have no issues with it.Lastly, Whole Latte Love has been great to work with so far. A little slow in their response times, but when I ordered my machine, I was talking directly with Mark at 7pm at night who was working from his home and was super friendly and helpful. A dedicated group of folks there it seems. Check out their awesome YouTube channel, if you haven't already.

Excellent Machine

I had a Profitec Go, which is a really good machine but, it's not great for milk drinks which is what I make most of the time these days. The 600 on the other hand, with dual boilers and PID control, gives me pretty much all I need to make whatever coffee drink I want. And, like other Profitec machines, it is also very sturdily built. IMO, it's tough to find a better value when comparing feature to feature with other brands. Having said that, there are other really good brands so, whatever suits you best.I have a recent machine and the fast heat up feature is excellent. I did set up a TPLINK Home Plug so I can turn on the machine when I wake up or simply put it on a schedule. The large water tank and automatic shut off works really well. I found that out the other ... MoreI had a Profitec Go, which is a really good machine but, it's not great for milk drinks which is what I make most of the time these days. The 600 on the other hand, with dual boilers and PID control, gives me pretty much all I need to make whatever coffee drink I want. And, like other Profitec machines, it is also very sturdily built. IMO, it's tough to find a better value when comparing feature to feature with other brands. Having said that, there are other really good brands so, whatever suits you best.I have a recent machine and the fast heat up feature is excellent. I did set up a TPLINK Home Plug so I can turn on the machine when I wake up or simply put it on a schedule. The large water tank and automatic shut off works really well. I found that out the other day, it's just something you need to be aware of and should be if you read the manual otherwise you won't know what's going onThe amount of power the dual boiler produces is exceptional. I have to mention that fast heat up is really good but, if you give it a good 15 minutes the machine will run pretty much continuously without much of an additional heat up needed between shots, steam or hot water.Also, the lever controls are fantastic and a must if you haven't tried them. A nice addition that I would recommend to anyone weighing the options. Spring actuated knobs are also good but, instant on with levers is the way to go and from this point on I'll never buy anything else.I specifically purchased the 600 over the 700 or now the Drive b/c of the weight difference. The mechanical pump vs vibration is one of the main differences between the two machines. The vibration pump on the 600 has worked flawlessly and is a piece of cake if or when I need to replace it.If you're considering this machine I wouldn't hesitate. Just buy it. The folks and Clive have been fantastic. I mention this b/c the other big reseller out there I had some issues with. Anyway, for me this has been a really experience with the machine and customer support. Lastly, I use the Eureka Specialita which is also a 4-5 star machine. I say 4-5 b/c there have been a lot of new developments and changes since I bought mine.This machine is highly recommended.

I’ve been wanting this machine

I’ve been wanting this machine for the last couple of years while making due with a Gaggia Classic and finally pulled the trigger about 4 months ago. With the Gaggia Classic I was pretty much resigned to espresso and had given up on milk drinks due to the Classic’s short comings. I debated the need for a dual boiler machine since I had become so espresso focused, thinking the steam boiler would never get used, why not just get a more capable single boiler machine.Fortunately, I opted for the Profitec 600 and milk drinks are back in a big way, so much so that its been months since I had a shot of espresso. Steam power is excellent, I started with the 4-hole tip but soon switched to the 2-hole tip to gain control, the 4-hole was just too much (I have the steam boiler ... MoreI’ve been wanting this machine for the last couple of years while making due with a Gaggia Classic and finally pulled the trigger about 4 months ago. With the Gaggia Classic I was pretty much resigned to espresso and had given up on milk drinks due to the Classic’s short comings. I debated the need for a dual boiler machine since I had become so espresso focused, thinking the steam boiler would never get used, why not just get a more capable single boiler machine.Fortunately, I opted for the Profitec 600 and milk drinks are back in a big way, so much so that its been months since I had a shot of espresso. Steam power is excellent, I started with the 4-hole tip but soon switched to the 2-hole tip to gain control, the 4-hole was just too much (I have the steam boiler temp all the way up to get 2 bar). Next up is the flow control, really haven’t explored that much since I’m using darker roasted coffees which pair better with milk in my opinion. I’ve been using the flow control to bloom/pre-infuse coffee that is sometimes only 3 days off roast and based on taste I have no complaints.The quick steam paddles are a joy to use, no way would I ever want to go back to twist knobs, you can feather them a bit to introduce a bit of air into your milk before going full bore. Back to back milk drinks are easy since the steam recovers to 2 bars in literally 10 seconds and never drops below 1.25 – 1.50 bars while using the 2-hole tip with 4oz of milk. We had family over for Easter and I made 8 consecutive drinks and the machine was a champ, the only thing I would have done different is not use the flow control so I could concentrate on steaming while pulling a shot, kind of a pain to open the flow control while steaming so I waited until the shots were done.Warm-up times are not really a concern since I always wait at least 45 minutes after powering up the machine up in the afternoon (I’m a pour over guy in the morning), time constraints aren’t really as much of a concern when your retired. I also mix my own water using the RPavlis recipe and distilled water, water quality is very important, to hard and you can damage the machine, plus good water makes better coffee.Everyone that I’ve made a latte for has been impressed, really reinforces my belief that I made the right choice.

Makes great coffee and steams

Makes great coffee and steams perfectly. Having two independent boilers is huge. So why only 4 rather than 5 stars? At this price point, I would also expect not to have easily avoidable inconveniences. Two examples: the water reservoir can only be accessed for refilling by lifting off the entire cup warming tray which one naturally puts cups. How hard would it have been to add a flap to access the reservoir? plus there is no indication of the water level without lifting the tray, other that the pid display turning off when the reservoir is empty. No error code, just off. Obviously, you won’t forget once you figure it out that first time, but how hard would it have been to add an error code?

So Happy I'm Shaking

After 20+ years with a Rancilio Silvia (10+ years of which included the PID hack), the fix or replace economics dictated it was time for something new. I've had the Profitec Pro 600 with flow control for a couple of weeks now and it is a phenomenal upgrade. The time to make morning drinks for me and my wife (2 large lattes) has dropped by 75% and the quality and consistency of the drinks has improved immeasurably. I do have the Pro 600 connected to a smart plug so it is able to start it's morning an hour ahead of when I start mine.My kitchen is not large and countertop space is at a bit of a premium so I was happy to find the Pro 600 fits nicely. It is a few more inches wide than the Silvia was, but it's miles more attractive so overall a good trade-off.The ... MoreAfter 20+ years with a Rancilio Silvia (10+ years of which included the PID hack), the fix or replace economics dictated it was time for something new. I've had the Profitec Pro 600 with flow control for a couple of weeks now and it is a phenomenal upgrade. The time to make morning drinks for me and my wife (2 large lattes) has dropped by 75% and the quality and consistency of the drinks has improved immeasurably. I do have the Pro 600 connected to a smart plug so it is able to start it's morning an hour ahead of when I start mine.My kitchen is not large and countertop space is at a bit of a premium so I was happy to find the Pro 600 fits nicely. It is a few more inches wide than the Silvia was, but it's miles more attractive so overall a good trade-off.The delivery process was smooth. The Pro 600 comes extremely well packaged. After getting past the intimidation factor (my appliance spends tend to have fewer zeros on the price tag), getting up and running with the Pro 600 was very easy thanks to Whole Latte Love's support page which provides a quick link index to everything you need to know.I found I did have a question not answered on the support page so I submitted a request through the website and was pleased to see my question was answered both timely and comprehensively. Back at the start of the millenium I purchased my Rancilio Silvia from Whole Latte Love so I was familiar with their reliability and excellence and was pleased to see things have only gotten better since then.My only downside with the Pro 600 is that after getting my grind size dialed in and being wowed with the improvement in flavor of my daily blend I ended up that day drinking about 5 more shots of espresso then I'm used to. But now that I've got my self restrailed dialed back in it has been smooth sailing. With the caveat that I don't have a ton of experience using other espresso machines at this price point, I'd highly recommend the Profitec Pro 600 for anyone looking for a gorgeous dual boiler home machine making a reasonable number of drinks on a daily basis.

So far, I'm loving it!

So far, I'm loving it! The build quality is fantastic and I'm pulling delicious shots. This was a doubler boiler and has PID and even a shot timer, which was a huge plus for me. The steam wand is powerful (I steam in 12s), and you get two wand tips, a double and triple basket, a working tamper, and a spouted and bottomless portafilter with the kit.I also love the Clive-exclusive black and steel color with the joystick levers. I wish the water reservoir was a little more accessible and larger, but I've solved that issue by purchasing a small rolling tray so I can easily pull the machine forward and access the water reservoir. I use a smart plug so I can heat up the machine just before my morning alarm goes off.I upgraded from a Bambino+ I've been using for 5 years ... MoreSo far, I'm loving it! The build quality is fantastic and I'm pulling delicious shots. This was a doubler boiler and has PID and even a shot timer, which was a huge plus for me. The steam wand is powerful (I steam in 12s), and you get two wand tips, a double and triple basket, a working tamper, and a spouted and bottomless portafilter with the kit.I also love the Clive-exclusive black and steel color with the joystick levers. I wish the water reservoir was a little more accessible and larger, but I've solved that issue by purchasing a small rolling tray so I can easily pull the machine forward and access the water reservoir. I use a smart plug so I can heat up the machine just before my morning alarm goes off.I upgraded from a Bambino+ I've been using for 5 years and talked to Clive about what I was looking for and what machine made sense for me. Highly recommend giving them a call for all your espresso needs.

Very Happy with my Pro 600

Conclusion: great machine with great build quality and a good price point. Clive's package is great!Was originally going to get a Synchronika for the rotary pump and ability to plumb in, but the Synchronika is too tall to fit under our cabinets. It was really helpful to do a demo at the Clive showroom and see the machines in person. The Pro 600 is able to fit under our cabinets if we leave the cup tray off. So the trade-offs were the ability to plumb in and the noise of the pump, which isn't ideal, but also isn't terrible. What pushed me over the edge is that Clive had an open box Pro 600 in black ready to go the day we visited. They also had an open box Eureka Mignon grinder to match - it was a perfect situation.We're really happy with the Pro 600. The black ... MoreConclusion: great machine with great build quality and a good price point. Clive's package is great!Was originally going to get a Synchronika for the rotary pump and ability to plumb in, but the Synchronika is too tall to fit under our cabinets. It was really helpful to do a demo at the Clive showroom and see the machines in person. The Pro 600 is able to fit under our cabinets if we leave the cup tray off. So the trade-offs were the ability to plumb in and the noise of the pump, which isn't ideal, but also isn't terrible. What pushed me over the edge is that Clive had an open box Pro 600 in black ready to go the day we visited. They also had an open box Eureka Mignon grinder to match - it was a perfect situation.We're really happy with the Pro 600. The black painted finish is easy to keep looking clean, and in our kitchen that gets a lot of direct sunlight through the windows, we don't have such a big mirror to blind us. (Lesson learned when we got a stainless refrigerator!) The contrast of polished stainless on black looks really sharp, too. The quick steam joysticks were a requirement for us, so it's great to have that feature on the Pro 600. Steam power is great, especially if you dial up the steam boiler temperature. It was also a pleasant surprise that the Clive Pro 600 package includes a bottomless portafilter with triple basket, plus a 4-hole steam wand tip that made frothing milk easier for us.Only 2 major gripes: the reservoir feels a little small (compared to being plumbed in) because we have to slide out the machine to fill up. We fill it up every 2-4 days depending on if we have company over or not. We made refilling easier by putting felt pads just on the back feet of the machine, so you can easily slide it around by lifting up under the drip tray. The machine stays put because the front feet are still rubber. The other gripe is the noise of the pump, because of the open layout of our home. It's not terribly loud, but it's a buzzing kind of noise that I personally dislike--just a personal preference. Would have liked a rotary pump, but it's not a deal breaker.Like everyone says, the fit & finish on both Profitec and ECM machines is great. The drip tray needs emptying daily, but usually just do it along with a backflush and wipe down in the evening. We added some automation by plugging the machine into a Kasa smart plug, tied to automation on iPhone that turns the machine on when the morning alarm goes off. This version of the Pro 600 includes the fast heat-up feature in the PID, which at first I was sure I wouldn't want to use. But actually it works well and heats the group head and portafilter a lot faster, so I'm glad I have it.Glad I went to the Clive showroom and purchased from them; would definitely do it again.