Today, I’m comparing the Lelit Bianca V3 which is a dual boiler, PID enabled, flow controllable espresso machine to the Profitec Pro 700 - which is also a dual boiler, PID enabled, and optionally flow controllable espresso machine.
I do have full individual reviews of each of these machines available for more in-depth information about each of them.
Before we begin, a few disclosures. Firstly, this was sent to me by my friends at Cliff & Pebble although no money exchanged hands, and all thoughts and opinions are my own as always. Second, the Profitec Pro 700 was sent to me by Profitec in collaboration with their US distributor, Whole Latte Love.
Both are E61 dual boiler machines with stainless steel boilers. Both have PID control on each of these boilers which are controlled via little displays on the front left bottom corner of each machine.
The Bianca comes with a flow control paddle stock while the flow control knob is an optional add-on for the Pro 700.
Both are also rotary pump machines which are a little quieter than something like the vibratory pump on the Rocket Appartamento, which I do have a full review on and comparison to the Lelit Bianca.
BUILD
So going into some of the build quality differences, while both machines are stainless steel - the build of the Profitec is nicer.
It has thicker, smoother panels with cleaner cut edges and details all around. The bevels on the sides are really nice and yes, there is minimal warping on the side panels.
That’s not to say the Bianca has a bad build. It’s still bent stainless steel panels and parts all around - just a little thinner and less attention to detail.
The Profitec is also the bigger and heavier machine. It's a little taller, wider, and deeper - although this can also change depending on where you decide to mount your Bianca’s water tank since it can be mounted on either the left, right, or back of the machine.
I should also mention that both of these machines are plumbable to a water line.
The Bianca comes with some wooden accents while the Profitec uses solid black plastic knobs. The Profitec definitely feels a little stiffer and sturdier compared to the knobs on the Bianca, but the aesthetic of the wood wins for me.
You certainly won’t have any issues with either.
Both machines also have hot water spouts that I never use since the water is way overheated, but because of the wider footprint of the Profitec, it doesn’t have to be awkwardly scooched to the side to allow for lever use.
Moving into some nitpicky territory, the cup warming portion on top feels nicer on the Bianca because of this metal grate while the Profitec almost just feels like its part of the machine’s lid.
Another thing to note is that the Profitec lid is like a second layer to the machine itself and you will have to remove all your cups on top to refill the machine’s water tank.
The drip trays on both machines are fine - but the Profitec’s does feel a little more robust with a very precisely fit inner tray, while on the Bianca, it uses a more simple grill-like tray.
In terms of aesthetics, the machines are quite different. The Bianca obviously has some signature wood accents and rounded design while the Profitec is more geometric and squared off.
It’s worth mentioning there is a wooden accented version of the Pro 700 but costs a few hundred more.
I do believe there are new colors of the Bianca coming including a matte black which I would personally absolutely love.
I think I personally prefer the Bianca from an aesthetic perspective since the curves sort of match with the Niche.
I do prefer the front facing panel look of the Profitec with the integrated logo looking a little more subtle than the bright red Lelit logo. Though, I’m pretty indifferent about the gauges on both machines.
The little switch here is also more satisfying to use than the push button on the Lelit, although I’m not a fan of the green and orange lights on the machine despite them being there for functionality. But that’s just personal preference.
UI
The Lelit wins on the UI for me from the little display to subtle features like how it warns you when you don’t have enough water to pull a shot.
Like mentioned in my full Profitec review, the display is not super intuitive although after 2 or 3 uses you’ll remember how to use it easily enough.
But the biggest annoyance was the lack of any “fill” sign to indicate a lack of water - which I’ve learned some people do have that notification, while some like myself do not. Which is weird.
Both displays work for what they are, but from an intuitive use perspective, I do prefer the Bianca.
The Bianca also has some unique modes like pre-infusion, low flow start, low flow finish, and brewing temperature offset. More details on those modes are available in the full Lelit Bianca review.
STEAMING
These machines are both incredibly capable of steaming milk nonstop or back to back. The Profitec does have more steam power than the Bianca when both are set to the max temp which is great for large pitchers.
However for home use, it makes minimal difference and I am perfectly fine with both.
The Profitec does win in one area and that’s the included rubber bits on the steam wand and hot water valve - it’s a nice simple little touch on the machines.
Both also have a very maneuverable steam wand that, unlike the Rocket Appartamento, does not scratch the front panel of the machine.
ESPRESSO
You can get great espresso from machines like the $500 Flair 58 and Gaggia Classic Pro or even sub $200 Flair levers.
Where things change is in consistency and how repeatable your shots will be. I’m happy to say that with both of these machines, you’ll have fantastic repeatable shots.
One thing I will touch on is the comparison between how you can control the shots on each machine.
With the Bianca’s flow control, you have this paddle which has a little more of a limited range compared to the Profitec’s knob. I compared the numbers in my Profitec review but I’ll throw it up here again for comparison.
Like mentioned earlier, the Bianca V3 does also have a new feature from the V2 called low flow which is designed to almost acts like a sort of electronic version of the paddle where you don’t need to use the paddle it to get replicable results if you say enjoy shots that start or end with a lower flow.
So, in that regard, the V3 Bianca does have a few extra neat features compared to the Profitec.
CONCLUSION
So which machine is right for you?
I think it really depends on how you intend to use these machines. The Bianca V3 has some new unique features that add some automations to things you can do manually on both machines like pre-infusion and low-flow starts or finishes; while the Profitec is much more manual.
The Profitec does win the build quality, steam power, and if I didn’t care for those automated modes - this would probably be the machine I’d stick with.
But, because I am a fan of and use those automated features on my daily workflow - the Bianca is staying on my bar.
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