Hi everyone,
Long time reader here, first time poster.
I've had a Breville DB for 4 years and it has finally died on me. I like milk based coffee and make about 3-4 cups a day between me and my wife, a bit more on weekends. We love our coffee and I also like buying different beans. I am by no means experienced in brewing coffee hence this post. I have tried to look through the forums but can't find the answer to these questions (please redirect me if I've missed the relevant posts). I am in the market for an entry level prosumer machine and have been looking at a few options: Lelit PL92T Elizabeth, Profifec Pro 300, Isomac Tea Due, Expobar minore iv.
So my questions are below, please bear in mind I am not aiming to perfect coffee brewing at home, I won't be the type to experiment with boiler temps, pre-infusion pressures etc...I am after a machine that is more forgiving to the casual brewer.
1. How important do you guys think PIDs are on heat exchangers? If I do buy a HX should this matter given that I only make 3 cups max at a time and I am a casual drinker - will I even notice very mild temp inconsistencies? Even with a PID on board do you guys still do a cold flush?
2. How important are brew pressure gauges? I noticed that the Profitec 300 does not have one, it only has a steam pressure gauge. I must admit being an amateur at this, when I got my Breville DB, I would adjust my grinder settings and the way I tamp to try and get the pressure range between 8-10. I know there are a lot of other factors that go into making a good coffee but at my entry level, I feel that the brew pressure gauge is quite important to guide beginners or am I wrong?
3. In general, do HX or dual boilers have a shorter heat up time? Eg. the Lelit Elisabeth has a 300mL and 600mL boiler vs the 1.5L on Isomac Tea Due...I presume the smaller sized boilers will have less heat up time?
4. I know that HX may be more cost effective due to less maintenance vs DB. They are meant to be cheaper than DB, but many of the sites like Jetblack Espresso, Di Bartoli, Talk Coffee sell HX for similar price to DB. So if they are around similar price - what things do you guys particularly look for when buying? For example, the Lelit Elisabeth is only $2400 and is a DB with PID. This is cheaper than several other HX so what makes some of you choose a HX over a DB with similar pricing?
Any other advice will be greatly appreciated!
Long time reader here, first time poster.
I've had a Breville DB for 4 years and it has finally died on me. I like milk based coffee and make about 3-4 cups a day between me and my wife, a bit more on weekends. We love our coffee and I also like buying different beans. I am by no means experienced in brewing coffee hence this post. I have tried to look through the forums but can't find the answer to these questions (please redirect me if I've missed the relevant posts). I am in the market for an entry level prosumer machine and have been looking at a few options: Lelit PL92T Elizabeth, Profifec Pro 300, Isomac Tea Due, Expobar minore iv.
So my questions are below, please bear in mind I am not aiming to perfect coffee brewing at home, I won't be the type to experiment with boiler temps, pre-infusion pressures etc...I am after a machine that is more forgiving to the casual brewer.
1. How important do you guys think PIDs are on heat exchangers? If I do buy a HX should this matter given that I only make 3 cups max at a time and I am a casual drinker - will I even notice very mild temp inconsistencies? Even with a PID on board do you guys still do a cold flush?
2. How important are brew pressure gauges? I noticed that the Profitec 300 does not have one, it only has a steam pressure gauge. I must admit being an amateur at this, when I got my Breville DB, I would adjust my grinder settings and the way I tamp to try and get the pressure range between 8-10. I know there are a lot of other factors that go into making a good coffee but at my entry level, I feel that the brew pressure gauge is quite important to guide beginners or am I wrong?
3. In general, do HX or dual boilers have a shorter heat up time? Eg. the Lelit Elisabeth has a 300mL and 600mL boiler vs the 1.5L on Isomac Tea Due...I presume the smaller sized boilers will have less heat up time?
4. I know that HX may be more cost effective due to less maintenance vs DB. They are meant to be cheaper than DB, but many of the sites like Jetblack Espresso, Di Bartoli, Talk Coffee sell HX for similar price to DB. So if they are around similar price - what things do you guys particularly look for when buying? For example, the Lelit Elisabeth is only $2400 and is a DB with PID. This is cheaper than several other HX so what makes some of you choose a HX over a DB with similar pricing?
Any other advice will be greatly appreciated!

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