After several years of hemming and hawing, the prospect of tariffs pushing the price up on everything made me say "f@#k it." I got the Zerno sort of on a whim a couple of months ago and the Profitec Pro 800 about a week ago. Upgraded from a Rancilio Silvia Pro and a Mazzer Mini. The difference is night and day.
The machine is super forgiving–I have certainly pulled some not-so-great shots, but even those were potable (chalking a lot of that up to the grinder as well). The machine is huge, and takes up a significant amount of our kitchen space. As a result it is fairly slow to warm up, but a smart plug pretty much takes care of that. Fortunately my wife thinks it's as cool looking as I do. It is super super quiet, which is a nice change. The boiler is large and I have never run out of steam pressure after making several drinks in a row. One big complaint that I read about was how hard the lever is to pull, which isn't a completely unreasonable complaint–but I think it is more of a technique issue than a strength issue.
The grinder is…impeccable. Low retention, fast, quiet. I have no complaints. I got the standard burr set because I had no idea what I really wanted so I got the cheapest option with the idea of upgrading/sidegrading later. Sorta wish I had gotten the darker accent pieces now though.
Happy to answer any questions about my (limited) experience with the machine or the grinder. I would also love to hear any tips/tricks from other 800 owners.
by rustisgold-
10 Comments
Nice bit of kit
What made the bigger difference? The machine or the grinder? Did you get a chance to use the Zerno with the Silvia Pro?
The whole house looks legit. Doesn’t seem like there’s alot of space to work.
Pro tip: remove the hot sticker.
Mine is arriving tomorrow, very excited
Your Zerno is quiet? I always thought it had quite a notable high pitch sound.
Congrats on the splurge! Enjoy!
A thing of beauty
What was your experiencing with purchasing? Good service? Delivery? I’m in the US and Whole Latt Love and Clive seem to be the only online retailers I know of.
Is it everything you thought it would be? Any regrets?
Looks great, I was seriously considering the Pro 800 before I got my Strega about a week ago. I just couldn’t get over the size and didn’t like the longer warmup time. My Ascaso Duo spoiled me with warm up times, although I have the Strega on a smart plug so the 800 wouldn’t have been an issue. After a few shots of me wondering what the hell I was doing wrong I just did the opposite of what I thought I should and ground coarser. It’s been nothing but great shots ever since.