# Synchronika - are you happy with your choice?



## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a new ECM Synchronika which is at my maximum budget.

Every time I come back on the forum I find another machine at around the same price or a bit less and then start to ponder pros and cons and fall back down the rabbit hole!

I keep coming back to the Syncronika mainy on the way it looks and well documented build quality.. The Bianca seems to be the `hot` choice at the moment but I really prefer the asthetics of the ECM machine. I've also thought about the Izzo Alex duetto IV and Bazzero Duo.

Anyone who has bought one - were you glad and happy with your choice? Any regrets? Anyone changed from an ECM and regreted it?

Any thoughts and comments gratfully recieved, I really need some help, it's a lot of money to make the wrong choice.

Thanks in advance.


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## B-Roadie (Feb 29, 2016)

Certainly they will all make great coffee in the right hands. Buy whichever one you like the most. If the ECM gives you the best fizz, go for that.

I don't regret buying my Synchronika and I more than doubled my budget inside a week to get one.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Geezercdg - There were a couple of people who recently bought the machines you mention. I can't remember who though. Might be worthwhile searching the forum and mentioning them.


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## PartySausage (Aug 6, 2020)

I've had a Synchronika for about 8-months & it's my first full on espresso machine. I don't really have a wealth of experience to go on, but think it looks great & is easy to use.

It takes about an hour for the group to get up to temperature & I have it hooked up to a smart plug, so I can schedule it to turn on or I can turn it on if I'm out & about then it's ready for when get home

Maintenance wise, I've not needed to do much more than greasing the cam after a chemical backflush as it get's squeaky, which I do every 100 shots & takes me about 30min to do. (the first time was much longer)

The only thing I feel lets it down is that it lacks a more informative indication of the water tank level, before it cuts out on low level. Access to the tank cover is awkward for me as I need to slide the machine out from under the kitchen cabinets (I've put the feet on felt pads) so I improvised my own solution.

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/55498-home-built-low-water-sensor/?do=findComment&comment=791501

I use it 3-4 times a day for espresso & small flat white then do a water backflush after each use. Once or twice a week I refresh the water in the stem boiler, by drawing a large mug of hot water off to make a cup of tea (Is that a swear word on a coffee forum?). The water tank lasts about 3-days with that usage

Some people have upgraded the steam tip from the standard 2-hole tip to 4 or 5 & I did try one, but I found it too aggressive for the 150ml of milk I steam so for my use the 2-hole tip is fine & the milk is done in 20sec


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## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

PartySausage said:


> I've had a Synchronika for about 8-months & it's my first full on espresso machine. I don't really have a wealth of experience to go on, but think it looks great & is easy to use.
> 
> It takes about an hour for the group to get up to temperature & I have it hooked up to a smart plug, so I can schedule it to turn on or I can turn it on if I'm out & about then it's ready for when get home
> 
> ...


 Wow, your sensor is very impressive. Would a person with no experience (me) be able to hook that up or do you need to have a clue?

I have neither!


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## PartySausage (Aug 6, 2020)

Geezercdg said:


> Wow, your sensor is very impressive. Would a person with no experience (me) be able to hook that up or do you need to have a clue?
> 
> I have neither!


 Difficult to say. I have a background in electronics & software and it did take a bit of thinking about as I'd never used an Arduino before. It was fun to learn though (mostly)


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## Carlo (Dec 6, 2019)

Very happy with my choice. Only problem I had was the steam joystick that won't stay open, minor issue that will be fixed by Bellabarista soon. Lovely to have a dual boiler, I don't even check the head temperature anymore, as the PID is super accurate. I had 2 HX machines before and the Sync is much better for sure.

What I don't like? The steam boiler switch. Very badly positioned. I'd love it if it was at the front next to the main switch, and I'd love to be able to switch on the steam boiler independently


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## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

Thanks for these comments, really appreciate your help and thoughts.


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## WardyP (Jan 18, 2021)

@PartySausage That sensor idea is genius, I can't remember the amount of times my machine has lost pressure mid brew because it ran out of water! Hoping to get it plumbed in soon though!


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

WardyP said:


> @PartySausageThat sensor idea is genius...


 +1 ☝


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## Akula (Oct 1, 2020)

PartySausage said:


> ..........It takes about an hour for the group to get up to temperature


 Have you checked the temps ? i would say half an hour tops


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## Carlo (Dec 6, 2019)

I would say 30 to 40 minutes (depending on ambient temperature) for my head thermometer to reach about 84 degrees which then delivers my target temp of about 90 deg (which I change depending on the coffee).


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## PartySausage (Aug 6, 2020)

Akula said:


> Have you checked the temps ? i would say half an hour tops


 I've fitted a group thermometer to my Sync. I brew my light roasts at around 94 deg & the thermometer takes 45-60 min to stabilise at 91 deg depending on the ambient temperature, which equates to around 94 deg when brewing.


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## shimon (May 31, 2016)

What I've been happy about:



Looks


Being able to turn off the steam boiler when not needed.


The ECO mode - I thought it would be a gimmick but it works well and stops me drinking so much coffee. Along with turning off the steam boiler, my power bill is looking like being a 1/3 of my previous 1.5 L single boiler machine.


Switching between tank and mains. I added a rotary pump to my previous BZ99 and could never go back to tank, except descaling is much easier with tank. At a mates last weekend, Expobar Minore - finally got a new coffee dialled in and the damn water ran out mid shot.


Tea tap - that thing pumps it out! Feels quality. Use it to prewarm cups and flush the water inside.


Having the steam boiler switch hidden, yet still easily accessible without removing the drip tray.


Line pressure preinfusion - a nice mechanism.


What not so happy about:



Side panel vibration. Possibly just needs to be tightened but don't want to void warranty in case that would


Steam pressure even at 2 bar - felt underwhelming and lethargic for a machine of these specs. However I just replaced the 2-hole with a 4-hole tip and that's more like it. Harder to control, especially when steaming only 100 mL, but passable results so far.


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## Carlo (Dec 6, 2019)

for the side panel vibration, I just used a couple of pieces of rubber, attached with double adhesive tape, and it sorted it


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## B-Roadie (Feb 29, 2016)

Any retailer that gives you grief about trivial things like tightening side panels voiding your warranty does not deserve your custom.

I have recently tried the five hole tip (four hole out of stock everywhere at the time) and the steaming power was incredibly good. Actually too powerful for texturing one drinks worth of milk. Have gone back to the two hole for now.


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## DevonStan (Sep 19, 2016)

It won't be much help - but having owned an ECM Mechanika (the old model, not the current "Slim" one) for 4 or 5 years (bought new from BB) I wouldn't go for the dual boiler Synchronika.

Mine went to an independent coffee machine repair man recently and had a new (rotary) pump and service and the fella said he'd recommend the ECM make over the others due to quality of construction and logical layout... so maybe that might help you settle on a manufacturer ... and I would almost certainly replace mine on a like for like basis *IF* it was avaialble - but it isn't ... so I'd go for the Mechanika Slim and suffer the additional noise the vibe pump makes (hardly a hardship in the great scheme of things) and would have to get used to rotary valves instead of joysticks.

That would save you a thousand pounds!

And you wouldn't have (what some consider to be) the additional internals that come with a dual boiler machine. I happily do whatever is needed to make coffe with my HX (a flush before pulling the shot) and find I have everything I need in terms of steam. Mine heats up in no time at all and I assume the Slim would be the same.

Good luch with your choice.


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## DevonStan (Sep 19, 2016)

Why didn't I have the brains to see that the OP hasn't visited for over a fortnight? It would have saved me five minutes of my life that I won't get back.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@DevonStan - OP bought a Synchronika a while ago. 🙂 . You should also read other threads 🙂


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## DevonStan (Sep 19, 2016)

I replied in good faith, if you think I'm gonna scan the entire site searching to see what he bought then you're sadly mistaken. 🙂


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## Instant no more ! (Feb 17, 2015)

I now have a ECM Synchronika , I'm on day 2 with it , A lot of learning to do as its completly different to my ECM Barista machine

If you don't mind I may have lots of questions for the members who know lots more than me


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Instant no more ! - well yes. A dual boiler will give you a much easier life as you don't need to worry about temperature surfing, stability and flushes.


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

I have a Synchronika; its a fabulous, beautifully built machine but is that enough any longer? Hx machines are getting so much better and then there's the LELIT Eliz? Discuss! Graham


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## Instant no more ! (Feb 17, 2015)

6 days in and I am loving the machine , Read the manual several times and things are now falling into place

Getting good results with the combo of the E43s and the Synchronika

18 grams of beans ground at 4.5 on the grinder dial after re calibrating gives me a extraction time of 30 seconds , Using the std 93 C temp


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## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

Instant no more ! said:


> 6 days in and I am loving the machine , Read the manual several times and things are now falling into place
> 
> Getting good results with the combo of the E43s and the Synchronika
> 
> 18 grams of beans ground at 4.5 on the grinder dial after re calibrating gives me a extraction time of 30 seconds , Using the std 93 C temp


 After a a few months of ownership I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with the temperature. I've kept mine at 93 also but have only used light roasts so far.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Geezercdg said:


> After a a few months of ownership I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with the temperature. I've kept mine at 93 also but have only used light roasts so far.


 Let your tastebuds guide you on that one. If you are happy with the inpututput ratio and time...

If it's bitter, decrease temp. If it's sour, increase temp.


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## Instant no more ! (Feb 17, 2015)

Geezercdg said:


> After a a few months of ownership I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with the temperature. I've kept mine at 93 also but have only used light roasts so far.


 Not changed yet as at the moment I a happy with the results


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## CardinalBiggles (Apr 24, 2017)

I've been absolutely delighted with mine, which is now 4 years old.

I started my purchasing journey thinking I could get into decent espresso for £1,000, plus £250 for a grinder. It didn't take long before I was up with the dual boilers, and to me the Synchronika isn't just a coffee machine, but a work of art sitting in my kitchen whenever I go in it.

So many on the forum here are constantly upgrading. I didn't want to do that, nor could I afford to. This investment will outlive me I reckon ..

Buy cheap, buy twice I always say. True Quality endures long after the purchase price has been forgotten.

If price is an issue - bearing in mind this m/c deserves a decent grinder too - then the Profitec equivalent is as good a machine, just different in mainly cosmetic matters.

Unless you are going to spend the sort of money that would buy your wife a nearly-new car, I don't think you would regret it.

Oh, yeah; Prosumer m/cs are a mature market. There are no bargains. Makers know the market You DO get exactly what you pay for.


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## CoffeePhilE (Jan 4, 2021)

DevonStan said:


> Why didn't I have the brains to see that the OP hasn't visited for over a fortnight? It would have saved me five minutes of my life that I won't get back.


 Just re: your 'wasted' 5 minutes, you might like to know I'm going through somewhat the same as the OP, currently. I certainly pop in and out of the forum a fair bit, though read much more than I post, and so my 'last visit' can be inconsistent too.

I'm certainly appreciative of your 5 mins, and of the time spent by others in this and other threads, though it might be weeks or months later that I do that appreciating. That's the beauty of forum posts - they don't just help the person directly addressed at the time, but loads of others, many of whom probably never even join at all.

So .... thanks.


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## Geezercdg (Dec 29, 2018)

Just wanted to add a quick comment that although it still makes great coffee, it now sounds like a bus reversing when brewing. I have now had a BB engineer out 4 times and taken it back to BB myself (from Suffolk) and it STILL sounds terrible and I don't know what to do. It's really quiet on many videos I watch on you tube (esp on Rinaldo Coffee version).

It did take a long time to decide as its such a lot of money for which I saved for a long time and I feel stuck with a Friday afternoon one which even after careful attention from the chaps at BB is still noisy. I really don't think I would advise spending that amount on this product again.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Geezercdg said:


> Just wanted to add a quick comment that although it still makes great coffee, it now sounds like a bus reversing when brewing. I have now had a BB engineer out 4 times and taken it back to BB myself (from Suffolk) and it STILL sounds terrible and I don't know what to do. It's really quiet on many videos I watch on you tube (esp on Rinaldo Coffee version).
> 
> It did take a long time to decide as its such a lot of money for which I saved for a long time and I feel stuck with a Friday afternoon one which even after careful attention from the chaps at BB is still noisy. I really don't think I would advise spending that amount on this product again.


 That's annoying. Did they say anything of what the problem could be? Do you know what they replaced? Do you have a video?


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## Instant no more ! (Feb 17, 2015)

I would suggest this is the pump , Can't see it being anything else , If it was my machine I would buy a Car Mechanics Stethoscope £4.50 on ebay , Remove the top and side panels then when doing a extraction have a good listen and find where the noise is comming from .


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## ooglewoogle (Oct 2, 2018)

Geezercdg said:


> Just wanted to add a quick comment that although it still makes great coffee, it now sounds like a bus reversing when brewing. I have now had a BB engineer out 4 times and taken it back to BB myself (from Suffolk) and it STILL sounds terrible and I don't know what to do. It's really quiet on many videos I watch on you tube (esp on Rinaldo Coffee version).


 Could you post/link a quick video of the machine making the noise? It'd be interesting to compare it to whatever mine is up to. Cheers.


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