Espresso Machine < $2000 USD

• This list is based on my limited research, make sure to do your own research in Reddit / home-barista or other forums as well
• Some bias or personal preference is there but I try to be as neutral as possible
• The context also takes into consideration of availability of machines in Malaysia

• 1. Dual Boilers
• Lelit Elizabeth
• Profitec Pro 300
• CREM One 2B Dual (not to be confused with 2B R-LFPP Dual)
• Breville BES920 Dual Boiler
• 2. Heat Exchange (HX) Machines
• Lelit MaraX
• Profitec Pro 500 (PID)
• 3. My choice and reason

1. Dual Boilers

Lelit Elizabeth

• Dual boilers, good temperature stability with good PID software
• Fast warm up (15-17 minutes), silent vibration pump
• Adjustable electronic pre-infusion time
• Has a brew pressure gauge
• Programmable timed shot buttons
• Cheaper than many other dual boilers

• Subjective looks - could be ugly for some
• Build quality is decent only (some said not as good as MaraX/Profitec but some said totally fine)
• No flow profiling
• Small water tank opening with tubes on top, not so elegant (See Image)

Profitec Pro 300

• Dual boilers, good temperature stability
• Fast warm up
• Simple design, good build quality
• Cheaper than many other dual boilers
• Small form factor

• Subjective looks
• No flow profiling, no adjustable pre-infusion

CREM One 2B Dual (not to be confused with 2B R-LFPP Dual)

• Large dual boilers, good temperature stability
• Modern design with dual manometers (brew & steam pressure gauges)
• Easy access to water tank, no tubes in tank
• Large drip tray, and brew boiler can empty into drip tray easily
• Seems to have better build quality than the Profitec Pro 300 / Lelit Elizabeth
• Possible addition of flow profiling kit ala E61

• This variant does NOT have built-in adjustable pre-infusion or flow/pressure profiling unlike the R-LFPP variant
• Lack of user base internationally, hence have to rely on reseller support (not italian brand so parts are also rarer)

Breville BES920 Dual Boiler

• More affordable than other dual boilers
• Adjustable pre-infusion, possibility of slayer mod to do pressure profiling
• Good temperature stability
• Fast warm up

• More plastic in the build, looks like a toy (subjective)
• Does not seem to last longer than other brands
• Almost impossible to find replacement parts, need to rely on reseller's support or warranty
• Non standard portafilter design (even though it's still 58mm)

2. Heat Exchange (HX) Machines

Lelit MaraX

• Good temperature accuracy unlike any other HX. Set at one of the 3 temp settings and it will stay at that range (91-92C / 93-94 C / 95-96 C). This means no cooling flush is needed unlike other HX.
• Dual manometers (brew & steam pressure gauges)
• Silent vibration pump with a gradual pre-infusion by the pump* (see cons #3)
• Possible to add flow profiling kit (like Bianca)
• Wide water tank with no tubes on top (image)
• Light weight (18kg) and small form factor
• Possibility to add a live data display addon to display temperatures (See Image)

• Fast warm up (20mins) but to reach perfect temperature, it takes about 30-35mins to stabilize to your target temp
• Not ideal for many back-to-back shots. Temperature will slowly shoot up 3-4 mins after the first shot, so you have a "window" of good temp shots. But if you time your shots well, no problem at all.
  • If you need to pull like >5 shots consecutively, you can change to "steam priority mode" where it acts like a normal HX, so pulling back to back shots is similar with Profitec 500 or other HX.
• Pump flow rate is lower than others by design (max 4.5ml/s). Not really a cons here, as you usually don't need more than 5ml/s flow rate.

Profitec Pro 500 (PID)

• Better temperature accuracy compared to other older HX like Rocket Appartamento etc
• Good build quality and good looking
• Dual manometers (brew & steam pressure gauges)
• Possible to add flow profiling kit (since it's E61)
• Wide water tank with no tubes on top

• It's still a HX machine, cooling flush might be needed for the very first shot you pull. And you might need to install group head thermometer (or use a SCACE) to know exactly what brew temp you get. However, consequent shots could be more stable.
• E61 typically needs longer warm up time (30+ mins) due to the big chunk of metal

3. My choice and reason

• My kitchen space for espresso is very small and only machines like Profitec Pro 300 or Lelit MaraX can fit.
• I had a budget of max RM7000 at the time of purchase (but ended up spending more because I bought bottomless portafilter, flow profiling kit, walnut knobs...)
• I like the looks of MaraX the most
• I like the possibility of adding flow profiling
• I like the simplicity of MaraX - no cooling flush, just walk to it and pull shot then steam
• I don't have a need for many consecutive shots, at most 3, so it's fine.
• I don't like Profitec Pro 300 even though it's a dual boiler - mainly due to no preinfusion and flow profiling. Lelit Elizabeth seems good too but not the looks.