Linea Micra - A Mini Linea Mini

Ernie1

Still a pretty wildly expensive machine for the specs but could be good for those who really want the Linea experience without the space required. Not that it’s a ‘small’ machine (12 × 12 × 15) but a lot smaller than the Linea Mini.

Apparently warm-up time is 5 minutes due to the smaller boilers. Convertible portafilter is interesting, not sure if it’s still a 58mm group as I presume if it is the PF might be compatible with other machines.

https://international.lamarzoccohome.com/en/linea-micra/

DavecUK

Ernie1 Apparently warm-up time is 5 minutes due to the smaller boilers.

Sadly that can’t be correct….fastest could only be around 9-10m

Cuprajake

awh its so tiny,

Ernie1

It’s SO much smaller than the LM! I just saw a photo of them side-by-side on Home Barista.

Plastic spouts on the portafilter… that’s an interesting choice on a £3k machine.

Also I only just learned the LM portafilters are stainless rather than cast which makes sense now, I wondered why the design of the ‘rest’ on the bottom looked a little unusual but I guess it has to be machined rather than cast brass.

Ernie1

DavecUK

I read it here. The LM does warm up incredibly quickly, brewing in 10 mins (steam in 15) but 5 seems pretty ambitious.

https://dailycoffeenews.com/2022/11/10/la-marzocco-launches-its-first-purely-home-machine-the-linea-micra/

DavecUK

Ernie1 Yes, I’ve never been able to make a group transfer enough heat to the portafilter to beat 9 or 10 minutes….The portafilter is the main issue….as the point on the group where it locks is the slowest to heat up and transfer heat.

whinmoor85

DavecUK That’s why the spouts on the portafilter are plastic according to La Marzocco, helps it get to temp quicker.

Lance mentions it here at 4 mins.

hornbyben

It does look cute, and certainly a smaller steam boiler makes sense for a home setting, especially the way energy costs are going. You still need a decent size wallet to justify though

DavecUK

whinmoor85 Then it must be true.

Cuprajake

Smell bit of bs there myself.

It’s a naked pf with a plastic spout, which is removable how does that differ from any other naked pf?

CoyoteOldMan

Cuprajake Mass. I just weighed the double spout of the Leva: 402 g (metal parts only). The naked is 288 g, so it will take (all else being equal) 30% less time to heat up.

Plus, a plastic bit on the inside of the metal ring insulates its internal surfacse, whereas a naked metal lump tends to radiate and convect a lot more. Does it account for the time-to-temperature being half of the ‘Mini’ (and as low as 5 minutes)? I have no idea, but some decrease in time is reasonable, I’d say.

Cuprajake

Just finished watching the vid,

Personally I don’t mind the look of the lineas,

But at £3200 it’s a grand over a Bianca, I would struggle to see past it and if I were spending that I’d prob go the extra £600 for the big version.

It’s a strange price point machine really.

MediumRoastSteam

Boil 200ml of water in the kettle. Takes 30 seconds. Pour it over the PF. Job done.

PortafilterProcrastinator

Interesting internal pics here:

Says pulling shots in 6-7 mins.

Del_UK

If it’ called the Micra, does that mean it’ll be used by elderly people who don’t pay attention to what they are doing, it’s lights will never be on even when dark and eventually handed down to a teenage relative who will ditch it into a hedge?

(seriously though, it is cute, but the price!?)

Ernie1

It does seem an odd price point and offering. The market seems to be people who desperately want a LM but haven’t got the space.

I’m under no impression there’s a markup for the brand, but the thing that struck me about the LM is the build quality. It’s leagues ahead of any machine I’ve owned and whilst that doesn’t affect the quality of coffee, along with the fact it’s a company that’s been around for almost 100 years I can see the justification for some premium on the pricing.

However, the Micra feels like it should be at least £500 less.

I’d imagine the LM is going to get an imminent price increase because as @Cuprajake says, for £600 more the LM seems the obvious choice of the two.

Ernie1

https://www.home-barista.com/blog/la-marzocco-linea-micra-espresso-machine-review-t83283.html

Steam in 6:45 apparently.

At today’s energy prices you’d only have to use it for a week and you’d have saved the cost of electricity in warmup time to justify the £4k!

MediumRoastSteam

Ernie1 Steam in 6:45 apparently.

At today’s energy prices you’d only have to use it for a week and you’d have saved the cost of electricity in warmup time to justify the £4k!

it’s about the amount of energy used to achieve the warm up, not the time. :-)

If something warms up a boiler in 1 hour using 1KW and another does the same job in 10 minutes using 1KW… Then there’s no savings there.

Doram

Ernie1 At today’s energy prices you’d only have to use it for a week and you’d have saved the cost of electricity in warmup time to justify the £4k!

I’m all for saving, so I’ll put an LM on my shopping list, right after the air fryer.

Alternatively, one can get solar panels. ;-)

CoyoteOldMan

Ernie1 No - and the post from MediumRoastSteam lacks two ‘h’ - as in

“If something warms up a boiler in 1 hour using 1KWh and another does the same job in 10 minutes using 1KWh”

then the conclusion holds. The power of the element is one thing; how long the power is used for is the energy required.

Ernie1

I didn’t realise that!

So if two machines have a 1.6KW draw (what the Bianca and LM have) and one takes 10 mins to warm, the other 20, the cost of power to the user is the same?

Apologies if that’s a stupid question, I’ve no idea how electrical current works.