Profitec Drive Espresso Machine: User Manual

In this manual, you should find everything you need to operate and maintain your Profitec Drive espresso machine.

Please read carefully before operating your dual-boiler rotary pump espresso machine. Check out our website for specifications for the Profitec Drive Espresso Machine, including accessories and other details. For setup information, please take a look at the setup guide.

Getting Started:

After reading through the Profitec Drive setup guide, test your water. Espresso machines have specific water requirements. There are two primary considerations: filtration and hardness. Please carefully read about the importance of water in espresso to understand how water affects your espresso machine. For further learning, check out Coffee School's Water 101

Note: It's essential to test your water, filter, and soften to obtain 35-85 ppm to avoid scale and damage to your machine. RO (reverse osmosis) or distilled water does not contain enough mineral content and could cause issues with your machine. The SCA Water for Brewing Standards explains what's needed to obtain water suitable for your machine and coffee.

Technical Details:

Please look at the spec table on our product page for a complete list of technical details.

When you're ready to start pulling shots, check out our Espresso 101 section to learn about steaming milk, latte art, our suggested starter espresso recipe, grinder dial-in tips, and much more!

Adjusting the PID

To enter the PID menu, press and hold both buttons briefly. Use the down button to cycle through the menu options. To select a function, press the up key. Now, you can use the up and down buttons to change the desired values.
In the PID menu, you can adjust the brew temperature, turn the steam boiler on/off, adjust the steam temperature, pre-infusion, eco mode, cleaning reminders for backflushing, reset reminders, advanced user settings, filter change reminders, timer to set a daily on/off schedule, clock set, tank mode for using reservoir or plumb-in modes, temperature unit, temperature offset, and enable fast heating.
Please refer to the user manual for more information and instructions on PID settings and adjustments.

Using flow control

The Drive comes with a pre-installed flow control device.
If you want to operate the machine at the stock flow rate, move the paddle from its closed position with the pump running 1 ¼ turns. Note that opening the flow control valve all the way, or two full turns, doubles the machine’s flow rate, which we do not recommend.
A playground of flavor awaits you when experimenting with flow control. Explore our overview video for a starter recipe.

Switching from reservoir mode to plumb-in mode

Enter the PID menu and enable advanced user settings.
Choose the tank mode option and switch to plumb in mode.
Locate the black ball valve switch near the rotary pump inlet and turn to the on position.
Attach the braided line to the pump inlet and prepare the connection to your water source.
For more information on plumbing in your espresso machine, check out our recommendations for water quality and a setup video for our water filtration and softening system.

Additional Resources:

For help dialing in your equipment or pulling shots, check out the articles below or contact our coffee experts and technicians.