Zuriga E2, La Pavoni Casa Bar, and Profitec GO Compared

Four compact portafilter machines, four very different answers to the same question. The most important difference isn't at the top of any spec sheet, but for most people it decides everything: one of the four can't froth milk.

Upfront, two things, so you know where you stand. First: of these four machines, we only carry the two La Pavoni. We don't sell the Zuriga or the Profitec – we're comparing them anyway because in Switzerland they regularly end up in the same shortlist. Second: all the figures below come from the manufacturers. Where sources contradict each other or something is missing, we say so.

The Question You Need to Answer First

Do you drink milk-based drinks?

Steam Wand: The First Deciding Factor

The Zuriga E2 has no steam wand. It's a pure espresso machine. Zuriga offers the sister model E2-S for that, which can produce steam. So if you drink cappuccino or flat white, the E2 simply isn't the right machine for you – no matter how good it otherwise is.

The other three can do milk. On the Casa Bar, the wand is chrome-plated brass; on the Casa Bar PID, it's stainless steel with a cool-touch sleeve; on the Profitec GO, steam runs through a rotary valve, supplemented by a hot water function.

Is It Called the Profitec GO, GO 2.0, or GO 100?

At the manufacturer, it's simply called the GO. Neither "2.0" nor "100" appears on Profitec's product pages.

The additions come from retailers. "GO 2.0" distinguishes the revised version from the first one – Profitec itself announced the revision but calls it "the new GO" and kept the model name. "GO 100" traces back to the internal item number; the manual runs under "GO 10100," and spare-parts dealers list the machine as "Pro100."

In practice, this means: when you come across "GO," "GO 2.0," and "GO 100," they usually refer to the same machine. The original version is still listed as clearance stock by a few retailers, where it's called "GO 1.0." The figures in this article refer to the current version.

How Do the Four Differ Technically?

"Not specified" means: we couldn't find a manufacturer figure for it – not that the feature is missing. For the Zuriga E2, the manufacturer's own sources also contradict each other: the product page states 9 kilograms, the manual states 9.5; for pressure, the product page says "15 bar, reduced to 9 bar," while the manufacturer's journal says "16 bar."

What Does "No Boiler" Mean for the Zuriga?

That the water isn't preheated in a container, but heated as it flows through. Zuriga writes that the machine "no longer needs a boiler"; heating happens via a unit the manufacturer calls the Z2, with the brew group and steam side heated separately.

In practice, that means two things. First: a minute and a half of heat-up time – the biggest gap in the whole comparison; the Profitec needs around seven minutes. Second: according to the manufacturer, the temperature is regulated more than ten times per second, with a deviation under 1.1 degrees, but at a fixed 93 degrees that can't be changed.

Whether that's an advantage or a drawback depends on how you work. If you also want to adjust the temperature during espresso dial-in, you can do that on the Casa Bar PID and the Profitec GO – not on the Zuriga.

Why the Portafilter Makes the Difference

Why 55 Instead of 58 Millimeters Matters

Three of the four are at 58 millimeters, the common standard. Only the Casa Bar without PID has 55 millimeters. That sounds like a trivial three-millimeter difference, and in practice it's the point where the accessory market splits.

Precision filter baskets, tampers, distributors, and dosing funnels are available for 58 millimeters from many manufacturers. At 55 millimeters, the selection is noticeably smaller. What that gets you in concrete terms is covered in Precision Filter Baskets and Precision Tampers.

Is the Extra Cost for the PID Version Worth It?

The question plays out differently than the name suggests. The difference between the Casa Bar and the Casa Bar PID isn't just the temperature control. According to the manufacturer, six things change at once:

Then there's the weight: 13.3 instead of 8.0 kilograms. That's not an end in itself, but a sign of more metal on the inside – which is generally helpful for temperature stability.

In our shop, the La Pavoni Casa Bar and the La Pavoni Casa Bar PID cost around 600 and 950 francs respectively.

What the Profitec GO Does Differently

It's the most richly equipped of the four – and the only one where you can adjust the brew pressure without opening the housing. Profitec fits an externally accessible expansion valve and a pump pressure gauge from the factory.

Add to that switchable pre-infusion, a shot timer, an OLED display, a hot water function, programmable on and off times, and an ECO mode. That's an unusual amount for this price class.

The trade-off is the design: the GO is a single boiler with a 0.3-liter brass boiler, so you brew and steam one after the other, not at the same time. And with a heat-up time of around seven minutes, it's the most patient of the four. It doesn't use an E61 brew group but a ring brew group – which is why it manages with 12.9 kilograms, while E61 machines from the same maker weigh over 20 kilograms.

We don't currently carry the Profitec GO. We're including it in this comparison because it factually belongs here – not because we want to sell it. We couldn't find two figures from the manufacturer: the PID's adjustment range in degrees, and a rated pump pressure in bar. The often-cited value of 9 bar comes from retailers, not from Profitec.

How Much Space Do the Four Need?

At 17 centimeters wide, the Zuriga is the narrowest, and with a 700-milliliter tank, the smallest. It's clearly built for small kitchens where the tank gets refilled fresh every day.

At 21 centimeters, the Profitec GO is narrower than both La Pavoni machines, but at 36 centimeters it's the deepest – which matters if you have a tight wall cabinet above. The Casa Bar PID, at 37 centimeters, is the tallest.

For maximum cup height, Zuriga states 8 centimeters. For La Pavoni and Profitec, we couldn't find a manufacturer figure – if you use tall glasses for latte macchiato, measure beforehand.

Which One Fits Whom?

What none of these rows tells you: which one makes the better espresso. That's decided in large part by the grinder, and more decisively than by the machine. If you have to cut costs somewhere, cut the machine before the coffee grinders.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Comparison

Does the Zuriga E2 have a steam wand?

No. The Zuriga E2 is a pure espresso machine without steam. If you want to froth milk, you need the sister model E2-S. Both La Pavoni Casa Bar machines and the Profitec GO have a steam wand.

Is the Profitec really called GO 2.0?

No, not at the manufacturer. Profitec consistently calls the model just "GO." The names "GO 2.0" and "GO 100" come from retailers: "2.0" distinguishes the revised version from the first one, and "100" traces back to the internal item number Pro100. There's only one current model.

What distinguishes the La Pavoni Casa Bar from the Casa Bar PID?

Considerably more than the temperature control. According to the manufacturer, the boiler (steel, 0.22 liters, versus brass, 0.3 liters), portafilter (55 versus 58 millimeters), power (950 versus 1320 watts), weight (8.0 versus 13.3 kilograms), and steam wand (chrome-plated brass versus stainless steel with cool touch) all differ. The PID version also has a shot timer.

Which of the four has the most features?

The Profitec GO. It comes with PID, a pump pressure gauge, switchable pre-infusion, a shot timer, an OLED display, a hot water function, programmable on and off times, and an externally accessible expansion valve for adjusting brew pressure. At 12.9 kilograms, though, it's no lightweight either.

What brew temperature does the Zuriga E2 have?

93 degrees, fixed and not adjustable. The manufacturer states that the temperature is measured and regulated more than ten times per second, with a deviation under 1.1 degrees. The Casa Bar PID is set to 92 degrees from the factory and can be adjusted; for the Profitec GO, we couldn't find an adjustment range in degrees.

Which machine is ready to use fastest?

The Zuriga E2. The manufacturer states a minute and a half, because the machine doesn't have to heat up a boiler but heats the water as it flows through. Profitec states around seven minutes for the GO in Fast-Heat-Up mode. For both La Pavoni machines, we couldn't find a manufacturer figure for heat-up time.

Which portafilter diameter is better?

Not better, but more practical: 58 millimeters is the common standard, for which filter baskets, tampers, and distributors are widely available. The Zuriga E2, Casa Bar PID, and Profitec GO have 58 millimeters; only the Casa Bar without PID has 55.

Are these machines certified to the SCA standard?

This can't be documented for any of the four. The SCA-350 standard for espresso machines exists, but the Specialty Coffee Association's public list of certified devices includes only home brewers and grinders. Neither Zuriga, La Pavoni, nor Profitec appears on it.

Which of the four should I buy?

That comes down to four questions: do you need milk foam, how much space do you have, do you want to set the brew temperature yourself, and how much matters to you in terms of ease of use? Without milk and with little space, a lot speaks for the Zuriga E2. With milk and a tight budget, for the Casa Bar. For 58-millimeter accessories and adjustable temperature, for the Casa Bar PID. For the most features and tinkering-friendliness, for the Profitec GO.

Now What?

The most honest next step is to get your hands on the machines instead of reading spec sheets. Our showrooms in Bern and Zurich have machines you can pull shots on yourself – and in the workshops, we'll go through it together.

How to dial in your espresso afterward is covered in Espresso Dial-in. Which bean suits it, you'll find in our coffee beans. And why a thick crema says nothing about quality is covered in the espresso article. We are United by Coffee – no matter which of the four ends up on your counter.

Sources and Context

• Zuriga E2: product pages ZEEU401 and ZEEU402, Generation 2 manual, and the manufacturer's journal on the second generation, all on zuriga.com. Missing steam wand and distinction from the E2-S: Zuriga Support.
• La Pavoni New Casabar and New Casabar PID: product pages on lapavoni.com for the Steel and Black variants, as well as the range overview "Manual coffee machines."
• Profitec GO: product page and blog post on the revised version at profitec-espresso.com; manufactured in Milan according to the manufacturer's "Handmade" page. The names "GO 2.0" and "GO 100" come from retailers and can't be verified with the manufacturer.
• Heat-up time of the Casa Bar PID: retailer figure, not a manufacturer figure. For the Casa Bar without PID, we found no figure at all for heat-up time.
• Not found: pump manufacturer for all four machines, the Profitec GO's PID adjustment range in degrees, rated pump pressure of the Profitec from the manufacturer, the GO's housing material according to the manufacturer, and figures on pressure gauge and cup warmer for the Zuriga.
• For the Profitec GO's boiler volume, several retailers state 0.4 liters; the manufacturer states 0.3. We follow the manufacturer's figure.
• SCA-350: the standard for espresso machines exists, but the Specialty Coffee Association's public list of certified devices includes only home brewers and grinders. Certification can't be documented for any of the four machines.
• We don't carry the Zuriga E2 or the Profitec GO. Prices for both La Pavoni machines are from our shop as of when this article was written; the respective product page is authoritative.