La Marzocco Linea Micra Vs. ECM Synchronika

The Linea Micra and Synchronika are both top rated home espresso machines. But there are significant differences between them.
With the help of Dan from home-barista.com we compare these two models and point out which might be best for your workflow.
Linea Micra review: • La Marzocco Linea Micr...
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[@cristianbronswijk3419]

Wow, an “independent” review by a guy in a la marzocco t-shirt😂 I am not convinced

[@markbunch99]

Yeah I noticed that immediately. lol.

[@shadowbroker1]

Gotta love the Marzocco rep working as "unbiased".

[@richardcrompton9067]

he works for Home Barista, a pretty cool site. But he shouldn't have worn the shirt with the La Marzocco name on it

[@casualuser9484]

ECM all the way for me. Looks like a hell of a machine, built like a tank, e61 timeless proven design for decades, no need to reinvent the wheel, absolutely bad ass vintage look, it makes the Marzocco to look like a toy next to it. German quality at its finest! 🇩🇪😎

[@petercotegolf]

I could not wake up every morning and look at the ECM. Looks like it will wake up and attack with those ugly arms. It’s a massive footprint. The Micra is a work of art, fits better on the counter and will pull the exact same shot every day.

[@sparrowscoffee]

We love our ECM Synchronika. Absolute tank of a machine, have no issues pumping out shot after shot. We did an event with thousands of people, and with the update of the steam pressure going up to 2 bars, our machine had almost no issue. Only had to slow down a couple times to let the steam pressure catch up, and we made sure to use a separate kettle for americano's

[@toddpower4674]

I love mine to after 4 yrs of daily use.

[@talion1983]

Loved the ECM Synchronika, but for me it’s the Micra all day. Got the Micra two months ago and am really happy with her. ❤

[@LightZone9]

I really enjoyed this video. The point of diminishing returns was an excellent point. I think the cup clearance was probably the biggest difference along with warm up time. Both are beautiful machines and I would gladly receive either one as a gift....in case my wife is reading this.

[@JDMeister]

If the small size is such an advantage, why not buy a Gaggia classic? There are plenty of more compact dual boiler E61 machines...lelit Bianca v3 is an awesome machine with a lot more capabilities than the micra that only pulls straight 9 bar shots. But I reckon is a tough call between this 2 machines I would probably choose the La Marzocco because I already owned a ECM.

[@mannyr8795]

@@JDMeisterthe Lelit ain’t much cheaper at 3 grand plus. I wish the micra was around the lower 3000s, maybe 3200 or 3300 tops.

[@JDMeister]

@@mannyr8795 In the EU Bianca is around 2K and Micra 3K++.

[@joel3068]

Ive been waiting for this comparison vid! Great info, thanks!

[@abdallahalhasnainytimuroglu]

I purchased ECM Technika for CA $4068 (tax included). It is heat exchanger model and has a lot of good feature, but we noticed that if you use hot water wand while brewing espresso, it could be a big mistake because boiler pressure drops dramatically and if the pump starts to refill the water from reservior or direct line into the pump the water get just beatly warm. So I decided to return it and purchase ECM Synchronika which is $1000 more but it's dual boiler and no matter for what, when and for how long you use water and steam wand it won't have no effect on your brewing.

[@3aiban]

Ecm synchronika ❤ Best investment I made

[@khalednwilati]

Ecm synchronika is in a league of its own. What a beautiful machine

[@mikegurv1818]

What needs to be mentioned is that ECM can be purchased with flow control, which for some people could be a game changer.

[@user-ft5ut1pc2n]

ECM here. Mine works great. Heats up in about 10-12 minutes. It is big & does put out some heat. I like the visible PID. My only complaints are the drip tray & the way the water exits after the shot. It can get a little messy. Other than that, I’ve been using mine everyday for 3 years & it’s been great.

[@richardb223]

Love my ECM… lots of flexibility with flow control - which can be good or bad but certainly learning. Mine doesn’t take that much time to heat up. Group head first so shots can be pulled in approx 7 mins. Neither is an issue for me. I like the water in the back - easy refill but I can see the problem if directly under a cab. Love the PID. I appreciate the review - would love to have them side-by-side and pull shots for taste. Tks!

[@youtubeaccount7137]

Thats impossible with 7 minutes u cant be at near 93 degrees celcius. Kaffeemacher has test the startup time it was minimum of 35 minutes before reaching 93 degrees

[@kevjmu]

I own Micra and the biggest difference is the Mirca’s saturated group head vs ECM with e61 group head which takes long time to reach temperature stability. Mirca is far easier to do Cafe quality espresso at home with saturated group head. Both make good espresso but Mirca looks like a work art 🖼️ vs ECM. Went from GCP to Mirca.

[@thilog5874]

From Linea Mini to Decent to Ponte Vecchio Lusso, the Micra is the best of all. Super quick to start and super easy to make a perfect shot. No brainer.

[@AbrahamSoedjito]

Micra

[@gibbions]

Price aside and size aside, would you choose a Micra over the Mini?

[@michaelhazinski4144]

Micra integrated not saturated group

[@wamote6867]

i do like the micro a lot - a dream machine for home use. One of the reason is, the boilers are small and need less power to heat up.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

Yep, I had a Rocket Giotto PID and it was hidden behind the drip tray, I prefer on the Synch where it's available and easy to use and display. BUT I'm not sure E61 is really that great these days when we have better more advanced tech.

[@joel3068]

Also what do you guys think about flow control or lack thereof on the micra?

[@tusharistherails]

I think someone who wants to get in the weeds would hate it, but someone like me, who wants simplicity, would love it.

[@thinkpad20]

I don’t understand how so many espresso machine manufacturers still haven’t figured out to put enough space for tall cups to sit… seems like it would have a negligible effect on price if at all, why is it still a problem? Crazy

[@iam_nick]

Which machine likely to breakdown first?

[@evakeizers9670]

Talk, talk and talk: and I am not getting any wiser!!!

[@hugoglenn9741]

I do charitable car work and have to explain basics to women, for instance: stop immediately when a red light comes on in the dash and not at the next exit. The amber check engine light is mostly EPA related items and your car my stall but usually doesn’t melt down. By this time the are looking at me “talk, talk and talk” Fast forward to the next months repairs and crying about their car steaming and grinding to a stop. At that point my “talk, talk and talk” is just “talk”, your car done! Women talk about being great listeners and communicators, I find they actually suck.

[@hom296]

There's a lot of talk about cup clarence. To me it's no big deal. I can keep cups off to the side on a holder or in the cupboard. My issue is how do I fill the machine with water since my cupboard is 17" from counter top. Most ECM machines would give me a clearance of only 2" at the most. Not enough space to open the water container door!

[@TheLychie]

Lychie 0 seconds ago 14:04 - i want a double boiler because i like making lattes for my family of 6. now the only espresso machine ive owned is a $50 mr. coffee brand lol. im considering on investing on an espresso machine and have been doing research and ive been leaning on ECM synchronika but the price is wow. Initially my budget was a 1000 but whew.. should i make that jump? I mean, i have the money, and i do plan on keeping it til i grow old. so is it worth it? i definitely am careful and would try to maintain my machine well. i would use the machine 4x a week. but man i could buy a used honda civic

[@chunweiseow8306]

Hi! I’m not sure in your country but I’m living in Malaysia & am currently owning Profitec Pro 700! The specs are identical to ECM Synchronika, while maintaining a lower price point; it’s just that ECM is more premium in terms of some parts like levelled portafilter. Their built quality are made to last for decades with good handling and maintenance!

[@fgarced]

I had both machine and preferred La Marzocco because the temperature stability is way way better (brew boiler basically on the top of the group head) and the heat time of the Micra is just 10 mins or less.

[@dejedejsson]

The importance of Temperature stability is exaggerated, tests show that people don't taste any difference at 90 or 93 in brew temperature and constant temp through a shot may not even be preferable.

[@Wozzaatwozza]

What about the pluming in of the ECM? Don’t use the reservoir, plumb it in with BWT filter

[@markv7899]

While I really like the linea Micra there's a few points of comment between the 2 that have a bit of bias towards the linea. The warmup times quoted weren't entirely accurate. The Micra still has a faster warm up time (partially due to smaller boiler size) but according to La marzoccos home website it takes 15 minutes to reach full steaming. If you're quoting warmup times use the same test for both machines. This example is quoting LM coffee boiler time vs ECM's coffee & steaming. Also not sure if showing the beautiful profitec pro 800 was the best example for the "smaller footprint and faster heat up time" point. The water tank location is another point. For starters ECM's is larger and while it is in the back and reduces cup warming ability, the LM is a smaller tank requiring more changing (while moving a drip tray). I really wish LM included the plumbing kit with the machine. Considering how high end and expensive they are it's nothing but a rip off to charge for that as an accessory when others are included (or ECM).

[@mrjakobt]

The ECM warmup time is required for only espresso too though.

[@markv7899]

@@mrjakobt it never takes mine that long and I use it every day. 15 minutes for coffee boiler. 25-30mins to reach full temp

[@JDMeister]

​@@markv7899That's not true. It takes a solid 30 minutes, unless you flush a lot of water to warm the group. I've owned an ECM E61 with a group thermometer. Now i own a different machine with a e61 based group with electric PID heater and i can brew around the 15 minutes mark.

[@markv7899]

​@@JDMeisterwhat ECM did you have? There are a few factors which come into play (especially among different models). The synchronika for instance has 2 heating elements (one for brew and one for steam) and the size of the elements heating the boilers are larger than their heat exchange counterparts within the ECM lineup. I can confirm it is true!! I have an ECM Synchronika which is the machine compared in this video 15 minutes to reach brew boiler temp and 25 to 30 for full temp (brew boiler + steam boiler).

[@JDMeister]

@@markv7899 Boiler reaching temperature means nothing! That's why I said I had a group temperature gauge, you need to heat up the big piece of brass that is the E61 and it heats up by thermosyphon...so you need to have the boiler at full temperature and wait till the group reaches the desired temperature...mount a group thermometer and then draw your own conclusions.

[@johnl7374]

Seems like they were trying to not offend one over the other, just say it is close and make a pick?

[@gregoryw9]

16mins to conclude, “they’re both good” 🙄

[@askay2k]

I bought the ECM for it's e61 look (analogue). But e61 is probably is not that energy efficient.

[@wangtengyilang]

So what’s the answer? How about the long term maintenance cost and effort for each?

[@toulcaz31]

I am kind of surprised too that this comparison video does not end with a clear take on it.

[@wangtengyilang]

@@toulcaz31 I'm on the border of these two and the lelit Bianca V3. The bianca looks better than the ECM IMO. But the price is much less in China $1800 than the $3200 in the US.

[@petercaddy]

E61 on the ECM is easy to maintain yourself. You can replace all the E61 valve internals (brass valves & gaskets) for around $100-150ish as well, so long term low cost to keep it brand new inside.

[@Fitzrovialitter]

That would need more dedication and integrity than these KZbinrs can muster.

[@projekt84]

Every espresso machine comparison video is the same, they never say one is better than the other and you have to go to the comments for that. It's annoying, to say the least.

[@tremoo5987]

I pick the Micra cuz it fits better on my Vespa. Ciao!

[@OMGz1122]

I don't agree that the micra is more appealing to a buyer than the synchronika in every feature except the size of the micra as the best selling point.

[@Paulorrrrrr]

For a regular user who wants a simple no-fuff workflow, an e61 is a lot. Micra is a lot simpler, smaller, can be turned on through the app as you are turning your alarm clock off in the morning, and, in my opinion, prettier. The price tag is insane though.

[@baysidessi]

My Synchronika heats up in 13 minutes. I don't know where they get the 30 minutes from?

[@sakalees1439]

Exactly! Where are they getting this number from? Ours is ready at 12 minutes👍

[@tennesseetee]

Nice review. I suggest using product names instead of "this guy or this thing or this one". Watching on phone as most do you are not always looking at screen.

[@kriterium123]

Like the optics of the synchronica much better

[@vladimirgoncharenko7545]

In between linea micra and profitec drive. Do you really need a flow control to pull a perfect 9 bar shot…not me. Also, refilling water tank from the back could be a hassle in a limited space and if you forgot about coffee for a few days, the slime can occur in the water tank from the water sitting there for too long. You don’t have that problem if you have to refill and it is much easier to do it from the front. Just my two cents. Pre-infusion is in the same area as flow control, do you really need it for the perfect espresso shot? Not really.

[@markv7899]

8:40 talking about PID display on the Synchronika being behind the drip tray??? Huh???? 🤔

[@GreenTea-101]

Yeah I didn’t quite get that either. Behind the drip tray are two buttons- one switches where the water source is being pulled from (reservoir vs line) and the other is an on/off switch for the steam boiler.

[@roberthodge6711]

I’m with you. No answer or suggestion? WTF…lol

[@elirang22]

LA marzocco 💕❣️❤️🏆

[@HOTON]

YES:) YES:) YES:)

[@RajaShetty]

omg is this la marzocco infomercial

[@YoussefBahaji]

Micra all day long.

[@KeetSpecialtyCoffee]

Why did we review it anyway if there is no verdict HAHAHA! 😅 just say i like micra and the other suck like that haha

[@JonneytheKidd]

They are both wrong on the warm up time. I have the ECM, and it's up and going in 15 minutes. Using the steam boiler water or fresh water for an Americana, you honestly cannot tell the difference.

[@youtubeaccount7137]

The ecm is tested warmup time of the boiler does not mean its heated enough to brew. See test from kaffeemacher u need at least 35 minutes to reach a brewing temp of 93 degrees celcius

[@mannyr8795]

15:56 and no definitive verdict?? F$cknoff!!!

[@limenade1911]

Am I the only one triggered by the upside down coffeemugs?

[@rsilvers129]

A lot of money for no flow control.

[@JonneytheKidd]

Also, they are wrong on the cabinet clearance. i keep my brew cups on top of my ECM, with no problems. I absolutely hate the low clearance on the La Marzocco. Also price on La Marzocco Linea Micra? REALLY??? $4 GRAND? WTF?!

[@dejedejsson]

Interesting I didn't know your cabinet clearance is an accepted unit of measurement!

[@pitbull8967]

Guys that buy $$$$$ the Micra are usually the ones who think they will grow extra inches down there If they buy it. 🙂

[@jasestu]

Wait, are you the IBM guy? I feel stalked.

[@JohnDoe-kl8cd]

no no, they need that precious data, they need to know who you are :D

[@hugoglenn9741]

The toggle switch for stream is a “premium” item. Not according to most logical and engineering types. When is on off superior to on off and a variation of flow rate in between. The answer is virtually never. I usually foam my milk in the smaller cup I drink my cappuccino, anything over the lower steam rates blows milk all around the kitchen. I will argue the point that on off toggle is unacceptable. You do built mass appeal (residential) products for a niche individual. Second item. I brew a larger mug of coffee for my uncle everyday in my Gaggia. It also doesn’t fit like the micra. 10 degrees of tilt and it’s under machine, big deal because who brews all the way to the top of a mug in an espresso machine. So I would much rather see space above the machine under my cabinets (I only have 16.5”) so I can fit the machine than not having to tile a mug 10 degrees. You could just switch to a wider cup BTW, taller cabinets are much more expensive than either machine

[@ariasd2006]

This sounds like a weird review. My Synchronika is ready between 6-8 minutes.

[@pb3662]

Forget bluetooth. A better option is Wifi and a basic website so anything with Wifi and a web browser will work. Do you really want to trust a coffee equipment manufacturer to keep an app updated for 10+ years?

[@JimmyTulip1]

There's no coffee machine manufacturer I would trust to keep their app alive for 10+ years. Except La Marzocco. Still hurts to be dependent on an app for such a machine, though.

[@juggernaut316]

hard to justify spending $3,900 when you have to worry about something as basic as putting a scale and a cup underneath the portafilter

[@Fitzrovialitter]

A pretty insubstantial superficial "review".

[@ce1655]

I have the ECM and heat up is between 10-15 minutes max. No experience with the Lina. I'm far from offended with the ECM and everyone that says it has just the opposite wow factor. Cleaning is a breeze. Disagree with the on-off steam wands is simply not true unless you flip the level all the way. They fail to mention the lever can be cracked and this would limit the steam. The steam is a rock star. Complaining about the wands being in the way is another not true since it pivots out of the way next to the machine wall. The Americano steam wand is the best killer function that we use every day. Worried about water? Don't, learn how to convert RO water to add minerals and hardness perfectly. I took a 3 gal water jug, fill it with RO water, treat it, added a battery pump to the top from amazon and a vinyl hose and set to fill the tank. Perfect water

[@justinc2625]

Great Idea, I have a profitec pro 500 and would love to see your setup and instructions. If you have time please do so

[@youtubeaccount7137]

No way that its warmed up fully in 15 minutes for a e61 grouphead. The e61 uses too much energy and not efficient. The linea micra is up and running in 5 minutes has a satured head group and more energy efficient

[@googlereviewer2743]

Absolute waste of time and just waffling about which one is better even if by a small margin. I guess they're too scared to upset either company and risk advert dollars. Just complete b'sing about how they're both equally great, the guys seemed so damn scared to say which one they preferred as if they'd be hanged for giving a wrong answer. Clearly in the beginning the said there are significant differences between the two machines and yet they are equally good. Pathetic!

[@d0ngs]

ANYTHING but a Linea Micra. I've owned one for months and the thing is a real piece of crap. My big complaint is with the elbow bend in the already way too short steam wand. La Marzocco sucks

[@andreiolaru9962]

Very biased 😢

[@vikp6115]

lol dude is bios toward la marzocco , dude even wears their shirts lol, synchroinika is better period!

[@delvallo9652]

another "VS" video where a decision isn't reached lol

[@lawrencelesman9606]

This is a video of no practical value at all in making an intelligent decision. There are so many better detailed videos out there about these two machines that watching this was a waste of time. They might as well have been discussing the weather for all the info they imparted about these two machines.