I picked this up last week from BB and wanted to spend a few days with it before I posted first impressions.
I’m hugely happy with it. It’s a machine I’ve wanted since they came out. Having frequented the third-wave shops as they popped up in East London in the 2000s/10s, the Linea and a Mazzer was such an iconic site on almost every coffee bar. Of course, coffee has moved on a lot since then but my workflow is still very much of the time - on-demand dosing of medium and dark roasts. I’ve dabbled with single dosing and lighter, profiled shots but I always come back to the simple, chocolatey espresso I’ve enjoyed for many years.
I just wanted a workhorse that, paired with the Super Jolly would provide many many years of use.
Of course there are so many better options for the money and far better grinders than the Super Jolly, but for me, this is the ideal setup.
Things I like -
It’s so unbelievably well made and most surprisingly well finished. No sharp edges, flimsy steel or chipped paint. None of that matters in terms of the coffee of course but it’s certainly a quality product.
Steam pressure is amazing, even having lowered the pressure, with the included steam-tip I can steam milk in a matter of seconds.
Water tank - as you can see in the photos the kitchen boiler makes top-fill tanks a bit of a pain.
Group LEDs - a tiny detail but it’s nice to illuminate those great (and not so great) extractions.
The included convex tamper. I’d not used one before but it’s nice to use.
Warm up time and auto sleep.
Things I don’t like -
The ‘breakaway’ spout on the spouted PF. What’s the purpose of that? I don’t use the spouted PF but seems like an odd design decision.
The cost of accessories -
£650 for the walnut accent kit?! No thanks.
The boiler temperature wheel feels a bit of an afterthought.
Overall though, very happy!
