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We stock, sell and service the ECM Synchronika II from our Brisbane workshop, so this review comes from pulling shots on it and rebuilding it on the bench — not from reading a spec sheet. At $5,849 on sale (or $6,849 RRP) it sits squarely in the prosumer dual-boiler bracket alongside the Bezzera Duo DE, Profitec Pro 700 and Rocket R58. The short version: if you want a true E61 lever experience, German build quality that lasts decades, and the option to add flow control later, the Synchronika II is one of the best machines money can buy at home.
One thing to clear up first, because nearly every older review online gets it wrong: the Synchronika II does not take 30 to 40 minutes to warm up. That's the old E61 reputation, and it doesn't apply to this machine. ECM fits heating cartridges inside the E61 group, so it's shot-ready in around 6.5 minutes. That single fact removes the biggest objection people have to an E61 machine, and it's where this review starts.
The Synchronika II is a true dual boiler. Two independent stainless steel boilers — a 0.75L brew boiler and a 2.0L steam boiler — each with its own PID, so brew temperature and steam pressure are set and held separately. That's the baseline for any serious machine at this price, and the Synchronika clears it comfortably. (If you're still weighing up whether a dual boiler is the right architecture for you, start with our HX vs dual boiler guide.)
At the heart of it is the E61 group head — the commercial-derived group that's been the benchmark for hands-on espresso for sixty years. The difference here is the cartridge fast-heat system: heating elements built into the group bring it up to temperature actively, rather than waiting for hot water to thermosyphon up from the brew boiler. The result is the E61 ritual — the lever, the preinfusion, the feel of a proper machine — without the long wait that ritual normally costs you.
Running the whole thing is an OLED control panel. From it you set both PIDs, program active and passive preinfusion, check the shot counter, and use auto on/off scheduling and an eco mode. Set the machine to switch itself on before you wake up and it's at full thermal soak by the time you reach the kitchen. It's a silent rotary pump machine, and it can be plumbed straight into your water line or run from the ~3L tank.
The other thing worth knowing about up front is the upgrade path. The Synchronika II accepts an optional OEM ECM Flow Profile Valve — genuine flow control and pressure profiling, fitted to the group. Most machines in this bracket give you no path to flow control at all; the Bezzera Duo DE, for instance, has none. If you think you might want to experiment with profiling single origins down the track, the Synchronika gives you somewhere to go.
So the three things you're really paying for are the fast-heat E61 group, two independent PID-controlled boilers, and a genuine flow-control upgrade path — wrapped in a German-built stainless machine designed to run for decades.
Here's what the fast-heat E61 group actually buys you in the cup.
Warm-up. The group is ready to pull a shot in about 6.5 minutes from cold, thanks to the cartridge heating. For a full thermal soak — worth it before back-to-back sessions, when you want the whole group mass evenly saturated — give it 15 to 20 minutes, or just let the OLED scheduler bring it up before you're awake. Either way, you're drinking good coffee far sooner than the E61's reputation suggests.
The group purge. This is still an E61 machine, so the technique matters. On the first shot of the day, a short group flush — a second or two of water through the group before you lock in the portafilter — settles the temperature and clears any condensate sitting in the group. You'll see it run clear and steady. It's a small ritual, and for a lot of buyers it's the point: the Synchronika rewards hands-on attention in a way an automated machine doesn't.
Consistency. Once it's at temperature the Synchronika holds it shot to shot, which is exactly what you want when you're pulling two or three in a row. The OLED preinfusion options — both active (pump-driven) and passive (line-pressure) — let you ramp the shot gently before full pressure, which helps with even extraction and is genuinely useful on lighter roasts.
The flow-control ceiling. This is where the Synchronika separates itself from one-touch dual boilers. Fit the OEM Flow Profile Valve and you can manually shape the pressure across the shot — start slow, build, taper at the end. For buyers chasing the most out of single-origin beans, that's a path the Bezzera Duo DE simply doesn't offer. You don't have to fit it on day one, but knowing the ceiling is there matters when you're spending this much.
The Synchronika's steam side is one of its real strengths: a dedicated 2.0L steam boiler running on its own PID, completely independent of the brew side. That independence is the whole point of a dual boiler — you can brew and steam at the same time with no temperature dip on either, because neither is borrowing heat from the other.
Two litres is a lot of steam boiler for a home machine. Where a 1L boiler — like the one in the Bezzera Duo DE — is ample for one to three drinks, the Synchronika's larger boiler gives you real headroom for back-to-back milk. If you're texturing four, five, six jugs for a crowd, that extra capacity is what keeps the steam dry and powerful instead of trailing off. Service pressure runs up to 2 bar, and the wands are insulated no-burn — you can hold them while you texture.
For most households the practical upshot is simple: pull your shot, swing straight to the wand, and steam properly textured microfoam while the next shot extracts, with no waiting and no pressure sag. If milk drinks are a big part of your routine, the 2L boiler is a genuine reason to choose the Synchronika.
ECM machines are built in Germany — "ECM Manufacture" in Milan-adjacent precision terms means stainless boilers, a stainless chassis, and roughly 30kg of mass that doesn't budge on the bench. These are machines built to run 20 years and more with regular servicing. The fit and finish is among the best in the bracket; it feels like the serious piece of equipment it is.
On the Australian side, the Synchronika II carries a 2-year warranty through the Espresso Company AU distributor, and we service them in-house at our Brisbane workshop. That's worth being straight about, because it's where the Synchronika differs from the machines we import ourselves. We hold Bezzera parts here in Brisbane, so a Bezzera repair has the shortest possible parts line. ECM parts come through the distributor — they're available and well supported, but the lead time is a step longer than for the brands we stock in-house. It's not a reason to avoid the machine; it's just an honest practical difference to factor in.
What we actually see on Synchronika IIs on the bench: they're reliable. The main preventative issue is boiler scale, which is true of any dual boiler — and it's entirely avoidable. Run the machine on filtered or softened water and descale on schedule, and the things that age a machine early simply don't happen. We strongly recommend water filtration on any machine at this level; it's the single biggest thing you can do to protect the boilers and the group. With clean water and routine service, a Synchronika at the 5, 10 and 15-year marks is a re-gasket-and-go job, not a rebuild. You can read more about how we look after these on our Brisbane service and repairs page.
The point is that a machine is only as good as the parts and people behind it. A grey-import Synchronika bought cheaper from overseas lands you with no local warranty and a long parts wait when something goes. Bought through us, it comes with the distributor warranty, in-house service, and a workshop that knows the machine.
The ECM Synchronika II is a genuinely excellent machine, and we recommend it without hedging — for the right buyer. It's the E61 dual boiler we'd point you to if you want the hands-on lever experience done properly, with the warm-up problem solved and room to grow into flow control.
Buy the ECM Synchronika II if: - You want the E61 lever experience with fast heat-up — no 30-to-40-minute wait - You want the option to add flow control or pressure profiling later - You make a lot of milk drinks and want the headroom of a 2L steam boiler
Consider the Bezzera Duo DE instead if: - You want one-touch volumetric dosing and a touchscreen workflow - You'd rather press one button and walk away than make the shot by hand - You want the shortest possible line to Australian importer parts and service
We've put the two head to head in detail at Bezzera Duo DE vs ECM Synchronika if you're choosing between them.
If the Synchronika is on your shortlist, the best thing you can do is come and pull a shot on it. Visit our Brisbane showroom, or call us on 1300 550 927 and we'll talk you through it. For the wider ECM range, see our ECM espresso machines guide, and you can check current pricing and availability on the ECM Synchronika II shop page.
The ECM Synchronika II uses ECM's fast-heat system — heating cartridges inside the E61 group bring it to shot-ready in around 6.5 minutes. For a full thermal soak (recommended for back-to-back sessions), allow around 15–20 minutes or use the OLED scheduling function to auto-on before you wake up. Either way, the "30–40 minute E61 warm-up" reputation does not apply to the Synchronika II.
Yes — two independent PIDs, one for the brew boiler and one for the steam boiler, with settings accessible via the OLED display. The OLED also handles active and passive preinfusion, shot counter, auto on/off, and eco mode.
Both are dual boiler machines in the same price bracket. The Synchronika II is a lever-operated E61 machine — it rewards hands-on technique and has a path to add flow control or pressure profiling. The Bezzera Duo DE uses a heated group with one-touch volumetric dosing — it is built around automated repeatability. We've compared them in detail at Bezzera Duo DE vs ECM Synchronika.
Yes — Coffee Machine Specialist is an authorised ECM dealer and services Synchronika IIs in our Brisbane workshop. Current pricing and availability are on our ECM Synchronika II shop page.
The ECM Synchronika II is one of the best E61 dual boilers you can put on a home bench, and we stand behind every one we sell. The best way to know if it's right for you is to see it in person — book a showroom demo in Brisbane, pull a shot, and feel the fast-heat E61 for yourself. Or browse the ECM Synchronika II in our online store. Questions? Call us on 1300 550 927.
