Synchro 2 Group

Cafes and hotel bars that want a traditional machine with genuine presence tend to land on the Synchro 2 Group. Italian-made and offered in red, black or white, it is designed to sit front of house rather than hide behind a back bar, and the engineering underneath matches the finish.

Settle this before anything else

If your site has no trained barista, or coffee is a convenience rather than a reason people visit, an automatic machine gives more consistent results with far less staff dependency. That comparison is worth making before you commit, and our guide to traditional espresso against bean to cup sets out the trade in staffing, drink quality and daily routine. This machine assumes a dedicated barista or a trained front-of-house team, and it suits coffee shops where espresso is the main event, restaurants and pubs serving coffee through a service, and hotel breakfast bars where two groups have to keep pace with a morning rush. If a traditional machine is the right call, the rest of the commercial espresso machine range covers compact, two and three group options.

The boiler

A 14-litre copper boiler holds a deep reserve of heat, so recovery stays quick when orders arrive in waves and steam pressure does not sag halfway through a milk jug. That reserve is what lets the machine hold its pace when a coach party arrives at once.

Pre-infusion at both groups

Both group heads feature direct pre-infusion chambers, wetting the coffee before full pressure arrives to give a more even, better-balanced extraction. It is a machine that rewards someone who cares about the coffee, and one that will expose a team that does not.

Boiler, groups and finish

• Two group heads with direct pre-infusion chambers for steadier extraction
• 14-litre copper boiler with managed heating for stable brew temperature
• Twin stainless steel steam arms for two baristas at once
• Separate hot water outlet for teas and americanos
• Raised groups and a lowered drip tray that accept large takeaway cups
• Choice of red, black or white bodywork to match your interior
• Italian build quality with a finish that wipes down quickly
• Two years of warranty cover as standard
• Plumbed and filtered water, drainage and a confirmed electrical supply required

Milk, and the drinks it unlocks

Twin steam wands are what turn this into a full menu machine. Two baristas can texture at once, so flat whites, cappuccinos and lattes keep moving through a rush rather than queueing behind a single arm. The barista editions of oat and soya alternatives are worth stocking, because standard cartons foam poorly and slow the line.

Tall cups and tea

The raised groups and lowered drip tray mean tall takeaway cups sit under the spouts without a juggling act, which matters on a site with a strong takeaway trade. The separate hot water outlet covers tea and americanos without occupying a group head.

What installation involves

A traditional espresso machine is a fixed installation, not an appliance you plug in. It needs a plumbed and filtered water supply, drainage for the waste tray, an electrical supply confirmed in advance, and a counter built to carry a substantial machine without flexing.

Bar geometry

Plan the bar around the workflow as well as the machine: a grinder within a quarter turn of the group, a knock box beside it, and clear reach to the steam wand from the serving side. Get that geometry right and a two-group bar feels twice as fast. Since this machine is meant to be seen from the customer side, the layout is on show as much as the bodywork is.

Training your team

This is the honest trade-off against an automatic machine. Traditional espresso is a skill: dosing, distribution, tamping, reading a shot as it runs and adjusting the grinder as the day and the weather move. Budget for proper training at handover and refresher time whenever the team changes, because the machine is as capable of poor coffee in untrained hands as it is of excellent coffee in good ones. The upside is a ceiling no automatic can reach.

Backflushing, descaling and water

Keep a routine of daily backflushing and periodic descaling to protect the boiler and hold flavour consistent. Group baskets and portafilters need soaking, steam wands purging after every jug, and shower screens and seals checking on a regular cycle. Filtered water is not optional here, since scale in a copper boiler is cumulative and expensive to put right, and our guide to limescale and water filtration sets out what to fit and why. Pair the machine with a matched commercial grinder as well, because it does as much for the cup as the boiler does. Our team can advise on grinder pairing, water treatment and an ongoing servicing arrangement that suits how your hospitality venue trades.