# Took the plunge with ECM



## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

So after months and months of toing and froing between rockets, profitecs and ECMs I finally pulled the trigger on an ECM Synchronika. Was very close to getting the slim but I ended up getting offered a really good deal on the Synchronika so I bit the bullet. Serious case of open wallet surgery but I'm happy with the decision. Will be getting delivery in the next few weeks.... Only thing is I have to leave it in storage as I don't have room for it at the moment where we're renting


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Congratulations Barry - what a fantastic machine to covet and make great coffee!

Looking forward to detailed reports and pics


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## Bruntino (Feb 24, 2013)

After years of dreaming and saving (and then spending on more "important" things) for an R58, I recently had a big birthday and finally had an opportunity to get one, but then made a complete about turn and went for a Synchronika instead. It arrived last week and is fabulous!

Still need a bit of practice to get steaming sorted (so much more powerful than my moded Classic) but so glad I chose it! My espressos are delicious.

Have fun when yours arrives!


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Bruntino said:


> After years of dreaming and saving (and then spending on more "important" things) for an R58, I recently had a big birthday and finally had an opportunity to get one, but then made a complete about turn and went for a Synchronika instead. It arrived last week and is fabulous!
> 
> Still need a bit of practice to get steaming sorted (so much more powerful than my moded Classic) but so glad I chose it! My espressos are delicious.
> 
> Have fun when yours arrives!


I love this story - enjoy


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> Congratulations Barry - what a fantastic machine to covet and make great coffee!
> 
> Looking forward to detailed reports and pics


May need to wait for the pics! I can show the box though


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> Congratulations Barry - what a fantastic machine to covet and make great coffee!
> 
> Looking forward to detailed reports and pics


Thanks for the advice along the way!


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## richwade80 (Aug 25, 2017)

I thought I would get a rocket too, but the ecm just looked too well made to say no.

It's the same with cars.


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

The finish of the ECM Synchronika does put it ahead of the Rocket and a wise choice of another two new owners of the ECM brand.

Looking forward to presentations of 'Show off your set up', always interesting to see how people cope both with the other half and the introduction of a sizeable feature into the kitchen environment, once you have the machine on site opportunities soon slot in as to the best position, our initial position soon proved to be virtually unworkable, luckily we had some space to play with.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

xpresso said:


> always interesting to see how people cope both with the other half and the introduction of a sizeable feature into the kitchen environment,
> 
> Jon.


Personally I think I'd prefer to have a dedicated corner in the utility room for the setup rather than the kitchen. I like a clean kitchen with everything put away!


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> Personally I think I'd prefer to have a dedicated corner in the utility room for the setup rather than the kitchen. I like a clean kitchen with everything put away!


If you are feeling discriminated against, you can talk to us, we are your friends















.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

xpresso said:


> If you are feeling discriminated against, you can talk to us, we are your friends
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I may have to!


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## Bruntino (Feb 24, 2013)

Just spotted this






Jumped the gun


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

I spotted that too last night. Haven't paid for the machine yet so I would assume I'll get one of these. Must check


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> I spotted that too last night. Haven't paid for the machine yet so I would assume I'll get one of these. Must check


Interesting.

Jon.


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## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

I only noticed how much better the Synchronika looks next to the Pro 700..


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Hope to get delivery next week all going well. As I mentioned, I don't have space for it at the moment so I'll need to store it - but I'm sure I'll be mad to unbox it and have a go. Would I be as well just leaving it boxed until I can use it properly? I would imagine it'd be better to keep it stored in it's boxed state instead of having run it for a short while?


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> Hope to get delivery next week all going well. As I mentioned, I don't have space for it at the moment so I'll need to store it - but I'm sure I'll be mad to unbox it and have a go. Would I be as well just leaving it boxed until I can use it properly? I would imagine it'd be better to keep it stored in it's boxed state instead of having run it for a short while?


Christmas all over again, I'll bet you can't wait, they are extremely well boxed.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

xpresso said:


> Christmas all over again, I'll bet you can't wait


I can't! But I'm probably better off leaving it in its box rather than open it for the sake of a bit of messing for an hour. I think having played around with it for an hour would only make it worse!


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

barrymckenna said:


> I can't! But I'm probably better off leaving it in its box rather than open it for the sake of a bit of messing for an hour. I think having played around with it for an hour would only make it worse!


Gotta make sure it works before throwing it in storage.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

ashcroc said:


> Gotta make sure it works before throwing it in storage.


Would be a shame if it didn't work alright


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Yes I do agree, Sat in a cold place "lonely" warranty expiring.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Bruntino said:


> Just spotted this


Machine landed to distributor today. Have confirmed that it has the upgraded PID


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Ok so I'm picking this up next week and am looking forward to having a bit of a mess around with it next weekend. It's clearly going to be a major upgrade on my delonghi ec330 - but to be fair to the ec330, granted the basket is smaller, there's plastic in it and the steam wand is the pannarello version but I get great coffee out of it - definitely on par with the lattes & flat whites I would get from coffee shops. I doctored the steam wand by removing the pannarello leaving what is essentially a single hole steam wand.

Obviously with the Synchronika, I'm going to be able to output bigger doses, steam and brew at the same time etc but will there be a night and day difference between the coffee I'm making now which I would say is very good all things considered. Of course, the main reason for the good output is the Mazzer SJ sitting under the stairs. That made a huge difference to the taste of the coffee but I'm just wondering now what difference the commercial grade machine will have. It definitely won't have the same difference as the upgrade from a Vario hand grinder to a Mazzer..... or will it?!


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Should be a big difference after you've got the hang of it Barry and got to the know the machine.

Probably a period of pulling hair out though - the ecm is a prosumer machine so it's the real deal and requires technique.

The temp stability, proper 9 bar pressure, proper baskets (vst recommended) should combine to take things on to another level.

Don't know much about the delonghi though as it's a 15 bar machine I assume it also expects pressurised baskets


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Looking forward to the learning curve - that's probably one of the most exciting things about it. Glad to hear that there is another level to get to!


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> Looking forward to the learning curve - that's probably one of the most exciting things about it. Glad to hear that there is another level to get to!


Just another level ?...















........ that's a lie I've found several levels .... forward three ..... back two ...... up one ....

It's manic.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)




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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

barrymckenna said:


>


Magnificent!


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

Ain't these just the Bogs Dollocks, the finish absolutely superb, get stuck in Barry and keep us up to date.

Jon.


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## Big Pete (Mar 13, 2018)

Yeah they are, I dearly want to upgrade to one of these but trying to get it past her who must be obeyed is not easy, just last night she gave me the go ahead then asked how much, I decided to say I don't know yet as I have my eye on one or two machines, yes my bottle crashed, it's just a lot of cash.

anyway I live to fight another day.

cheers

Big Pete


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Big Pete said:


> Yeah they are, I dearly want to upgrade to one of these but trying to get it past her who must be obeyed is not easy, just last night she gave me the go ahead then asked how much, I decided to say I don't know yet as I have my eye on one or two machines, yes my bottle crashed, it's just a lot of cash.
> 
> anyway I live to fight another day.
> 
> ...


I've already had the "tastes the same as your old machine" from the OH


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## Big Pete (Mar 13, 2018)

Yep know how that feels, replaced the grinder a month ago and still getting the odd comment

cheers

Big Pete


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Just wanted to write a quick update after a weekend with the new machine. It's all packed up again and stored away but I had a good run with it over the last few days to get a feel for it and just thought I'd write a quick opinion on it.

I picked up the box on Saturday and when I started to open it up, the first thing that struck me was how well packaged the machine is. The second and more obvious thing I noticed was, God this thing is heavy. I mean really heavy! When I managed to get it up on the counter and have a proper look at it, it became very apparent that it's a very solid machine. The finish on it is very good, (pictures really don't do it any justice), and there is a great 'weight' to everything. Oozes quality. I picked up some bottled water and it wasn't long before I had it up and running. Ran a few ounces through it and then it was ready to go.

It didn't take long really to dial in the grinder. Turned out dead '0' on the SJ was bang on. Shots were great and then when it came to steaming milk, that's really when I started to see the difference in class. The steaming power is insane. I have a small pitcher as I have small coffee cups so it only took 10-15 seconds for it to turn out some really nicely textured milk. The joysticks are a joy to use and very intuitive. In all, the speed of the whole process really is what sets these machines apart from the typical consumer range - it felt a little overpowering at the start but after a few trial runs it became second nature and a joy to operate. When I was reading up on these machines (in order to make a decision) one thing that worried me slightly was the warmup time associate with prosumer machines but I pleasantly surprised at how short it seemed to be in the end. I'm sure the insulated boilers have a lot to do with it but for example, when I started the machine at 8am Sunday morning for my first cup and then when it came to having another cup at 10am, the group head had held the heat very well and as a result, it only took a few minutes for the machine to heat up again fully.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of space in our rented house, I've had to pack the machine away and store it. The time using it has felt like a brief love affair, and like a lot of affairs, has ended up with one of the parties involved being boxed and packed into the boot of a car!







It's a pity, I could really get used to incorporating the machine into my morning routine but hopefully it won't be long for us until it is.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Hopefully it won't be too long until you find the space it deserves. I had a Pro-700 for 18 months or so, and it was brilliant. It does however take a huge chunk of the kitchen! Sadly for us we moved house and I decided it was time for me to part with the machine and grinders, and take a fresh look at things again. I'd buy another one anytime, but as it's just me drinking coffee, it was overkill. So I'm now back to basics but still deliberating what my next machine will be.

Make sure you empty the steam boiler and the brew boiler, although not an easy task without drain valves, if you can.


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> Just wanted to write a quick update after a weekend with the new machine. It's all packed up again and stored away but I had a good run with it over the last few days to get a feel for it and just thought I'd write a quick opinion on it.
> 
> I picked up the box on Saturday and when I started to open it up, the first thing that struck me was how well packaged the machine is. The second and more obvious thing I noticed was, God this thing is heavy. I mean really heavy! When I managed to get it up on the counter and have a proper look at it, it became very apparent that it's a very solid machine. The finish on it is very good, (pictures really don't do it any justice), and there is a great 'weight' to everything. Oozes quality. I picked up some bottled water and it wasn't long before I had it up and running. Ran a few ounces through it and then it was ready to go.
> 
> ...


I'll Co-Sign that resum'e Barry, it's one hell of a machine and not just good looks and finish, before we got ours I had it in mind to make a special case for it as we enjoy a couple of lengthy breaks throughout the year and Fully intended to take it with us, no worries though the packing even for the grinder is well up for the job, we are well pleased with ours.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Make sure you empty the steam boiler and the brew boiler, although not an easy task without drain valves, if you can.


I wasn't really able to drain it unfortunately but I'm hoping to break it out again in a month or so when I head back to my home place. Might set it up there altogether and visit it from time to time until we get a house. What effect would it have leaving some water in it for a while? I've only used bottled water in it for what it's worth.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

barrymckenna said:


> I wasn't really able to drain it unfortunately but I'm hoping to break it out again in a month or so when I head back to my home place. Might set it up there altogether and visit it from time to time until we get a house. What effect would it have leaving some water in it for a while? I've only used bottled water in it for what it's worth.


There could be bacteria development if you leave for more than 4 weeks, as the boilers are stainless steel and not copper. This is what I've read, so I can't comment much on this. Although if it's a sealed system and the water was boiled before, and the pipes leading to the boiler are copper, may be very unlikely, but I don't know. I've asked this question here before, like, draining before going on holiday, and that's the advice I was given.

Also you want to make sure your storage is temperature regulated and the machine (and the pipes) don't freeze, although at this time of the year is extremely unlikely.


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

barrymckenna said:


> I wasn't really able to drain it unfortunately but I'm hoping to break it out again in a month or so when I head back to my home place. Might set it up there altogether and visit it from time to time until we get a house. What effect would it have leaving some water in it for a while? I've only used bottled water in it for what it's worth.


Your supplier I would have thought will give you the best advice and possibly some guidance, a simple call better than an Email to them may be best.

Jon.


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

Have you viewed this ?.......






There's other's to.

Jon.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

xpresso said:


> Have you viewed this ?.......


Thanks ya I had seen it after I posted the question. Looks straightforward enough albeit alkward.


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

Just in case anyone else is referencing this, supplier said that it's enough to drain from the group head and hot water tap as shown in the video above. He said that there is no need to go beyond that.


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## nige2000 (Aug 5, 2017)

lovely finish on these machines


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## nige2000 (Aug 5, 2017)

where is keenest prices for Synchronika these days?


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## xpresso (Jan 16, 2018)

nige2000 said:


> where is keenest prices for Synchronika these days?


Great small company to deal with and just doesn't end at the point of sale.

Paul Thompson

Coffee Team

www.coffeeteam.co.uk

[email protected]

Office 0191 2600995

Direct 07500 333298

Jon.


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## mikas (Dec 19, 2017)

Bought mine at Electros.it


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## barrymckenna (Oct 26, 2017)

I'm hoping to bring ole ECM out of storage in the next few weeks for a while. Is there anything I can run through the boiler to help clean it from potential bacteria. I'm conscious that I didn't empty the tank as well as I should have when I put it away. However, I only used bottled water with it so that might save me?


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