The Profitec Pro 300 is part of an interesting group of entry-level dual boiler espresso machines. We have tested the Profitec Pro 300 extensively and present our findings in a test video.*
Price and Classification
At around 1400 euros or CHF 1600, the Profitec Pro 300 is among the most affordable dual boiler espresso machines on the market. Dual boiler espresso machines feature two typically independent boilers that can be individually adjusted in temperature. Unlike heat exchanger espresso machines, this allows independent milk steaming while simultaneously pulling espresso. There are exceptions to this rule for both heat exchangers and dual boilers, but the Profitec Pro 300 is not one of them.
During machine warm-up, we do notice some dependency. However, this does not affect the steaming performance of the machine. The 0.4 l brew boiler and 0.75 l steam boiler are among the smallest boilers we have found in dual boilers. So it remains to be seen how the performance during steaming and espresso pulling and the important temperature stability perform.
Buy Profitec Pro 300
The following specialist retailers distribute the Profitec Pro 300 and we can recommend purchasing from these businesses. All offer the option to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany:
Switzerland:
We search for specialist partners who we know do good work and provide good service, and we are in close contact with the retailers mentioned. The links are so-called affiliate links. If you order through one of these links, you won't pay a cent more – however, we receive a small commission that we invest directly into new test equipment.
We are continuing to search for competent partners in the DACH region.
Size, Weight and Accessories
The Profitec Pro 300 espresso machine has a height of 38.8 cm and a width of 25.5 cm. We measure a depth of 41.5 cm, but reach 47.5 cm depth when we clamp the portafilter. The total weight of the machine is 19.0 kg.
The brew group of the Profitec Pro 300 sits relatively low. Between the drip tray and the outlet there is 7.8 cm of space. That is very little, especially if a scale is also to go under the cups. This is essential for machines and flowmeters for setting a good espresso. Only really thin scales fit under the cappuccino cup, otherwise it has to be awkwardly threaded through. 3 to 5 millimeters of clearance would be worth its weight in gold here.
The included Profitec tamper has a fairly thin base but fits very snugly into the included sieves. There is a gap of 0.4 mm, which is very small. A single and a double portafilter are included in the scope of delivery. They appear high quality, although the sieves are not precision sieves. The steam boiler's gauge and steam wand also make a good impression.
We find some sharp edges, such as on the drip tray or the side ventilation shafts. Nevertheless, the material thickness of the machine and the overall impression are good compared to other machines in the same price range.
The positive external appearance is complemented by a 2.7 liter water tank that is easy to remove. Positively, we don't have to complicate things by threading hoses into the tank. A positive feature compared to a similarly priced Lelit Elizabeth.
Warm-up Time and Temperature Stability
Anyone who likes to enjoy espresso quickly after turning on an espresso machine will be pleased with a fast warm-up time. This is usually not the showcase discipline of dual boilers, as they typically exercise their strength through inertia and stability. However, the Profitec Pro 300 manages to heat up to operating temperature in around 15 minutes. We already measure good 91 to 92 degrees on the first pull with a set brew temperature of 93. If multiple pulls are made at one-minute intervals, the machine does then overshoot somewhat. We measure 1.32 standard deviation on the KM protocol and 1.28 standard deviation on the WBC protocol. This could be better, but it's also not a bad value – it's in the range for its price class. What's especially nice is that we measure almost no offset when we base our calculations on the average brew temperature of the WBC or KM protocol. With a set brew temperature of 93 degrees Celsius, the machine shows 93.26 degrees on the WBC protocol (seconds 4 - 25 of extraction).
Interestingly, we only achieve such warm-up performance if we activate the machine's steam boiler. If it is turned off, we only reach the target temperature after over 25 minutes. The slow warm-up phase is structurally difficult to explain. However, it is clearly important that the steam boiler in the machine's body contributes to the temperature.
The temperature measurement results, given the warm-up time (with and without steam boiler), structurally surprised us. We therefore asked Profitec whether our measurement results were comprehensible. Profitec remeasured with additional Pro300 units and substantially confirmed our results.
Profitec Statement:
The waste heat from the steam boiler influences the temperatures of surrounding components. As a result, when the steam boiler is off, the desired brew temperature is reached a few minutes later. A slight increase in the offset by qualified personnel can compensate for the temperature difference when the steam boiler is off.
Without steam boiler, we recommend a warm-up time of 25 minutes. In the graph above, we started pulling at 20 minutes. It is visible that it takes some time before the brew temperature gets going. In the following graph, we took the first pull after 25 minutes. It is well illustrated that the temperature is then essentially there, even though a purge pull to heat the portafilter is still worthwhile.
Measurements were taken using both WBC protocol and KM protocol. The measurements are logged with the Scace 2 58mm portafilter, a K-type sensor, and a PCE-T 330. The baseline measurement takes place at 25 minutes. We also check the manufacturer's specifications. If a manufacturer states that an espresso machine should be hot after 8 minutes, we verify this with the KM protocol. In a third measurement series, we work towards the warm-up time by taking a measurement every day and then letting the espresso machine cool for 24 hours. We typically approach the warm-up time in 5-minute increments and pull KM protocol curves at, for example, 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes. The measurement procedure proceeds as follows:
- Check water temperature in water tank. Target: 20 degrees +/- 2
- Warm up for 25 minutes or defined time with measurement portafilter clamped, then
- unclamp
- purge 5 s
- clamp
- extract 25 s
- keep clamped 15 s
- unclamp
- leave unclamped 45 s
- purge 2 s
- extract 25 s
- This process is repeated 5 times in total.
Energy Consumption of the Profitec Pro 300
The Profitec Pro 300 has very low energy consumption. Not only is consumption without the boiler activated spectacularly low. Even with the boiler, we achieve very good values of only 0.2 kWh including warm-up time and 5 double pulls. A double espresso pull including warm-up time uses 0.16 kWh.
If we don't activate the steam boiler, we do wait longer. However, since the larger 0.75 liter steam boiler doesn't need to be heated, we are at an energy consumption for a double espresso of 0.08 kWh. If we add 4 more double pulls, we come into the comparison window for our other performance measurements on other machines. We then measure 0.119 kWh and thus determine remarkably low consumption here as well. This puts the Profitec Pro 300 on the level of some thermoblock espresso machines. Great!
We have attached additional graphs of energy consumption without steam boiler at the end of this page.
Preparing Espresso
Preparing espresso with the Profitec Pro 300 goes smoothly. With a good grinder by your side, we pulled excellent extractions with high consistency. The vibration pump guarantees slow pressure buildup, which in our espresso pulls resulted in the first drops in the cup after 8 to 10 seconds. Extractions become somewhat longer in time with such slow pressure buildup, depending of course on coffee and preference.
As written above, the temperature of pulls is sufficiently stable. With some knowledge of your own machine, you can develop a good feel for where the temperature is and whether longer purging is needed or not. If the machine has been sitting for a while (30+ minutes with steam boiler), we recommend purging for 6 - 8 seconds.
The Profitec Pro 300 lacks features like pre-infusion or slower flow rates that we have found on other dual boilers in its price class. But it delivers what we expect from a good dual boiler. This also includes PID-controlled adjustment of the brew boiler from the front of the machine.
Furthermore, it has a welcome "Last Shot" protection. Even when the water in the water tank is running out, the machine doesn't break mid-pull but allows the home barista to finish brewing. Anyone who has ever cursed in front of their machine because the water ran empty during a pull again knows how important such a function is for the barista's peace of mind.
Steaming with the Parking Brake On
With the Profitec Pro 300, as befits a dual boiler, we can steam milk in parallel to espresso pulling and then also pour cappuccino. Steaming out of the box works decently but takes time, and the Profitec Pro 300 is certainly not the fastest steaming machine. Unfortunately, the steam boiler temperature cannot be easily increased via PID control. The corresponding temperature control on the front only affects the brew boiler.
The steam boiler can also be supported in terms of performance. To do this, four screws need to be removed and the top cover taken off. The pressurestat is hidden here and can be carefully increased. More on this in the video. Some home baristas also report having good experience switching the nozzle to a different hole size.
In the standard position, we need 58 seconds to heat 300 ml of water to 60 degrees. That is a slow value.
Conclusion on the Profitec Pro 300
The Profitec Pro 300 is an interesting dual boiler espresso machine from German manufacturer Profitec. Not only is the extensive specialist retailer network that distributes the machine in many regions a strong argument in favor of this dual boiler.
The Profitec Pro 300 impresses with overall solid performance in many areas. The low power consumption for a dual boiler is excellent. The build quality of the machine is good and temperature stability is solid. The purposeful control switches for steam and brew boilers and the on/off switch, combined with the no-frills design, make the Profitec Pro 300 the right choice for home baristas looking for exactly that. While the steam performance doesn't knock us over out of the box, it can be improved via the pressurestat inside the well-organized machine. It's somewhat a shame that the portafilter mounting height is low. Larger cups or higher scales don't fit well together under the outlets. We measure a height of just 7.8 cm, which is rather little.
We are confident: whoever owns a Profitec Pro 300 will be able to enjoy good espressos and delicious cappuccinos in their household. The dual boiler Profitec Pro 300 provides all the prerequisites for this.
* Note: We uploaded the Profitec Pro 300 video twice. In the first video version, we incorrectly stated that the Profitec Pro 300 does not have insulated boilers. This is not correct. We also did not address energy consumption. However, for a dual boiler, it is actually relatively low and an important argument for the espresso machine.
Active Power W and Active Energy kWh without Steam
Active Power W and Active Energy kWh with Steam
