The Profitec Pro 300 is part of an interesting group of entry-level dual boiler espresso machines. We have thoroughly tested the Profitec Pro 300 and present our results 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 pulling espresso in parallel. There are exceptions to this rule in both heat exchangers and dual boilers. The Profitec Pro 300 is not one of these exceptions.
When heating the machines, we do notice a dependency. However, this does not affect the steaming performance of the machine. The 0.4 l brew boiler and the 0.75 l steam boiler are among the smallest boilers we have found in dual boilers. So it remains to be tested how the performance is when steaming and pulling espresso, and the important temperature stability.
Buy Profitec Pro 300
The following specialty retailers carry 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 provide good work and excellent service, and we maintain 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 – we receive a small commission which we invest directly in new test equipment.
We are continuously searching 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, reaching 47.5 cm depth when the portafilter is installed. 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 grate and the outlet there is 7.8 cm of space. This is very little, especially if a scale is also to go under the cups. This is absolutely necessary for machines and flowmeters for setting up a good espresso. Only very thin scales fit under the cappuccino cup, otherwise it has to be awkwardly threaded in. 3 to 5 millimeters of clearance would be worth its weight in gold here.
The included Profitec tamper has a rather thin base, but fits very snugly into the included baskets. There is a gap of 0.4 mm, which is very small. A single and a double basket portafilter are included in the package. They appear high quality, although the baskets are not precision baskets. The steam boiler's pressure gauge and steam wand also make a good impression.
We find some sharp edges, such as on the drip tray or the side ventilation ducts. Nevertheless, the material thickness of the machine and the overall appearance 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. It's a positive feature that we don't have to complicatedly thread hoses into the tank. A positive characteristic compared to a price-equivalent Lelit Elizabeth.
Heat-up Time and Temperature Stability
Anyone who enjoys drinking espresso quickly after turning on an espresso machine will appreciate a fast heat-up time. This is typically not the strong suit of dual boilers, as they usually leverage their strengths through thermal mass and stability. However, the Profitec Pro 300 manages to heat to operating temperature in about 15 minutes. We measure a good 91 to 92 degrees on the first pull with brew temperature set to 93. When multiple pulls are made at one-minute intervals in succession, the machine does overshoot somewhat. We measure 1.32 standard deviation with the KM protocol and 1.28 standard deviation with the WBC protocol. It could be better, but it's also not a bad value – it's in the range for this price class. It's especially nice that we measure hardly any offset when using the average brew temperature of the WBC or KM protocol as a basis. With brew temperature set to 93 degrees Celsius, the machine shows 93.26 degrees with the WBC protocol (second 4 - 25 of extraction).
Interestingly, we only achieve such heat-up performance when we turn on the steam boiler. If this is switched off, we only reach the target temperature after more than 25 minutes. The slow heat-up phase is difficult to explain structurally. However, it is clearly important that the steam boiler in the machine's housing contributes to temperature.
The temperature measurement results surprised us structurally given the heat-up time (with and without steam boiler). We therefore asked Profitec whether our measurement results were understandable. Profitec remeasured with additional Pro300 units and essentially confirmed our results.
Profitec Statement:
The waste heat from the steam boiler has an influence on the temperatures of surrounding components. As a result, with the steam boiler switched off, the desired brew temperature is reached a few minutes later. A slight increase in the offset, made by qualified technicians, can compensate for the temperature difference when the steam boiler is off.
Without the steam boiler, we recommend a heat-up time of 25 minutes. In the graph above, we started pulling at 20 minutes. It's visible that it takes some time before the brew temperature gets going. In the following graph, we made the first pull after 25 minutes. It's well illustrated that the temperature is then essentially there, even though a flush pull to warm up the portafilter still makes sense.
Measurements were taken with both WBC protocol and KM protocol. The measurements are logged with the Scace 2 58mm basket, a K-type sensor, and a PCE-T 330. The baseline measurement occurs 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 that with the KM protocol. In a third measurement series, we work towards the heat-up time by taking one measurement per day and letting the espresso machine cool for 24 hours afterward. We typically approach the heat-up time in 5-minute increments and pull KM protocol curves after 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes, for example. The measurement procedure is as follows:
- Check the temperature of water in the water tank. Target: 20 degrees +/- 2
- Heat for 25 min or defined time with measurement basket installed, then
- remove basket
- flush for 5 s
- install basket
- extract for 25 s
- leave installed for 15 s
- remove basket
- let sit uninstalled for 45 s
- flush for 2s
- extract for 25 s
- This procedure is repeated a total of 5 times.
Energy Consumption of the Profitec Pro 300
The Profitec Pro 300 has very low energy consumption. Not only is consumption without the boiler switched on spectacularly low. Even with the boiler, we achieve excellent values of only 0.2 kWh including heat-up time and 5 double shots. A double espresso including heat-up time uses 0.16 kWh.
If we don't switch on the steam boiler, we do have to wait longer. However, since the larger 0.75 liter steam boiler doesn't need to be heated, we are at an energy consumption of 0.08 kWh for a double espresso. If we pull four additional double shots, we come into the comparison window with our other performance measurements on other machines. We then measure 0.119 kWh and establish that here too we have a remarkably low consumption. This puts the Profitec Pro 300 at the level of some thermoblock espresso machines. Excellent!
Further graphs on energy consumption without steam we have attached at the end of this page.
Making Espresso
Making espresso with the Profitec Pro 300 is straightforward. With a good grinder at hand, we have enjoyed excellent extractions with high consistency. The vibratory pump guarantees slow pressure build-up, which with our espresso pulls resulted in the first drops in the cup after 8 to 10 seconds. Extractions with such slow pressure build-up tend to be somewhat longer in time, of course depending on Kaffeemacher and preference.
The temperature of the pulls is, as written above, sufficiently stable. With some knowledge of your own machine, you can develop a good feel for where the temperature is at and whether longer flushing is needed or not. If the machine has been sitting idle longer (30 minutes + with steam boiler) we recommend flushing for 6 - 8 seconds.
The Profitec Pro 300 lacks features like preinfusion or lower flow rate that we found on other dual boilers in this price class. But it delivers what we expect from a good dual boiler. This includes PID-controlled adjustment of the brew boiler via the front of the machine.
Moreover, it has a welcome "Last Shot" protection. Even when the water in the water tank runs low, the machine doesn't cut off mid-pull but allows the home barista to finish the shot. Anyone who has ever cursed in front of their machine because the water ran out during a pull knows how important such a function is for the barista's peace of mind.
Steaming with the Handbrake On
With the Profitec Pro 300, we can steam milk in parallel to an espresso pull as befits a dual boiler, and subsequently pour a cappuccino. The steaming in the default state 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 at the front only affects the brew boiler.
The steam boiler can also be supported in terms of performance. To do so, four screws must be removed and the top flap taken off. Here hides the pressostat which can be carefully increased. More on this in the video. Some home baristas also report good experience changing the nozzle to a different hole diameter.
In the default position, it takes us 58 seconds to warm 300 ml of water to 60 degrees. This 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 broad network of specialty retailers that distribute the machine in many regions a strong pro argument for this dual boiler.
The Profitec Pro 300 convinces with overall good performance in many areas. Excellent is the low power consumption for a dual boiler. The build quality of the machine is good and temperature stability is solid. The practical control switches for the steam and brew boiler as well as on and off, and the no-frills design make the Profitec Pro 300 the right choice for home baristas who are looking for exactly that. While the steam performance doesn't blow us away in the as-shipped state, it can be improved via the pressostat inside the well-organized machine. It's a bit of a shame that the portafilter attachment has a low mounting height. Larger cups or taller scales don't fit well together under the outlets. We measure a height of only 7.8 cm which is rather little.
We are confident: whoever owns a Profitec Pro 300 will also be able to enjoy good espressos and delicious cappuccinos in their home. The dual boiler Profitec Pro 300 provides all the prerequisites for this.
* Note: We uploaded the video for the Profitec Pro 300 twice. In the first video version, we incorrectly said that the Profitec Pro 300 does not have insulated boilers. That is not the case. We also did not mention the energy consumption. In fact, it is relatively low for a dual boiler and an important argument for the espresso machine.
Real power W and real energy kWh without steam
Real power W and real energy kWh with steam
