It was mentioned in the Micra thread that maybe we should have a LM thread now that there's more than just one of us! A space to share photos/findings/tips/tricks and other observations about the joys of owning one of the frankly brilliant yet totally marmite machines. I'll start with a few things I've noticed after about 6 months of owning the Linea Mini. Firstly the joys of ownership haven't faded one bit. It's still an absolute pleasure to own and use. Coffee - It's so unbelievably forgiving. I'm not sure if it's the temp/pressure consistency or what but even shots that I fully expect to be terrible are often great. There's been times my tamper has had a drop of moisture on and ruined the puck but the shot still extracts fine. Build quality - Seriously, this thing is just so rock solid, no flex on the panels, everything feels robust and weighty and there's something special about the polished stainless PF over the chromed brass I've had before. I also really like having a machine that isn't chrome/stainless - no more fingerprints, smudges and smears! Warmup time - I have mine on a smart plug and it's steam ready in well under 10 mins, even less for just coffee. LM App - I've never used this or felt a need to. Steam - I set this to 1.5 and find it to be the perfect balance of power and ease of use for 2 flat-whites worth of milk. The factory setting is 2 I think and I found it a handful with smaller pitchers. Water tank location - It's really great to be able to leave the tank connected and just pour water in. I think because of the location of it, I've also never had the fishtank smell I've had on machines where the tank ends up at a higher ambient temperature due to it being closer to the boiler. Maintenance / cleaning - I never really minded the cleaning and maintenance of an E61 but it's definitely quicker/easier on the LM. Modifications - I bought the wood kit originally but ended up returning it and now just have the LM walnut PF handle. I think in it's standard guise, it's just a great looking machine and doesn't benefit from the wooden accents. It can look amazing if you go full [Specht](https://spechtdesign.com.au) but otherwise I think it looks great as it. Rotary pump - It's no quieter than the Bianca but still a huge plus. [URL=https://i.imgur.com/9dEiOWN.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/9dEiOWN.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/lDDfsQA.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/lDDfsQA.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Well as mentioned I ordered a grey/silver micra on Wednesday and it should be arriving Monday morning. The space is setup for it - though I am hand grinders only at the moment 😂 [URL=https://i.imgur.com/xcxyk69.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/xcxyk69.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Found this about differences in screens - (short answer not alot 😂) https://youtu.be/-gLbnSzDvEI

And a guide to changing your paddle etc on the micra - good videos if you want to see it taken apart. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKjP9MFOttsxnZLOWt14AehVGEk248_8

I hadn't seen that, not much difference at all! The LM screen is great and mine also looks new after 6 months. On that note, this is a really great little tool for making cleaning a little easier and quicker. Not at all crucial as a stubby screwdriver and group brush does the same job but it's a nice to have for sure! https://www.artpressodesign.com/product/espresso-machine-58mm-group-head-cleaning-tool/ I'd say give the stock screen and baskets a good go first. I've never quite understood it but there's a trend where people get a brand new machine and start changing the baskets and screens immediately. The standard stuff is very good in this case!

@"Ernie1"#164 In terms of upkeep/cleaning what schedule do you follow ? And if you are going away for a few days - do you do anything specific like emptying the boilers/tank as much as possible ? Cheers matt

@"MattH"#p42125 I've seen contrasting advice from LM on cleaning. I suspect the instructions might be aimed at commercial use as it advises flushes with cleaner every day... but my process is as follows - (I make about 2-4 espressos day and top up the water with Waitrose Lockhills once a day.) **Daily** - just briefly flush the group (not backflush) between shots and I'll rinse the PF under the group after the last shot of the day. Some people like to backflush with water each day but I've never seen the need or any negatives from not doing it. **Weekly** - Empty / wipe tank (whilst connected) with a damp cloth (no detergent). Remove screen/screw and wash with dish soap, also wash PF properly. Wipe group under screen and use brush to clean around the seal. Baskflush 4x 10 secs with water. Drain 500ml from steam boiler, run steam for 20 seconds and properly wipe down wand. We use oat milk exclusively so easier to clean wand. **Monthly** - Soak PF in Puly Caff (or LM cleaner), backflush with Puly Caff, remove water tank and clean with dish soap (NOT with Puly Caff!!), rinse everything properly and repeat weekly cleaning routine above. I'll also run a shot of espresso through and discard it after properly cleaning. **Yearly** - I haven't got to this point yet but I'll be replacing screen/gasket, removing lid to inspect, clean as above. Some more info here: https://au.lamarzoccohome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/cleaning-procedure.pdf If I'm going away then yep, I just empty tank and drain boilers as fully as possible and then do a weekly style clean when I'm back.

@"Ernie1"#p42127 Thats brilliant 🤩 thanks.

'Nordic Edition' Mini announced. Nicely done! [URL=https://i.imgur.com/gVWJ73g.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/gVWJ73g.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/I1pTFpr.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/I1pTFpr.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://i.imgur.com/XEwGsfe.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/XEwGsfe.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I saw all the “live” streams on youtube and wondered what was going on as it seemed like a bunch of screensavers 😂 - makes sense now…. But 5.8k 🤩

@"MattH"#p42156 Yeah! Slightly odd way of revealing it but nice animation. Crazy amount of money but considering the regular mini with the maple parts is like £5100 I guess £700 for a good paint job and metal badges isn't too obscene.

La Marzocco Owners Chat (All welcome!)

Ernie1

It’s not good at all. As above at this price point everything, including service should be absolutely top notch.

My guess is that they’ve not seen the demand they’ve seen for the Micra before and have had to quickly ramp up production. I know some people have been waiting ages for their machines.

I’d be interested to see how many Micras they’ve sold vs the first few years of the Mini, I bet it’s a huge difference.

MattH

caffeinated-carp Thats awful Mate - hope it gets sorted….

caffeinated-carp

MattH Ah cheers, at least it was just some cosmetic stuff, I feel almost guilty being annoyed at it but it’s more the lack of service rather than the original issue!

Oh whilst I’m here, something I’ve noticed with the LMLU - tiny really, does your blind basket really not fit well? My VST basket fits perfectly fine in the LMLU portafilter but the original blind basket for backflushing - whenever I put it in it pings out the PF spring!

BrewLiam

Odd question maybe, but have people removed the little lock sticker from the group head?

@caffeinated-carp I just tried my blind basket and it doesn’t pop out easily. I can’t see it being and issue, but also it’s nowhere near as locked in as the 17g basket.

Ernie1

BrewLiam

Yeah I pulled all the stickers off immediately. If you’re planning to, best to do it early as once it they’ve been heated a few times they’ll be messy to remove.

Disclaimer being to remember which way the portafilter locks in and that the group will be hot… 🙃

@caffeinated-carp yeah the blind basket isn’t the best fit in mine either, takes a real slap to get it seated. I’ve had similar with previous machines, I suppose precision isn’t a priority on a blind basket.

BrewLiam

What do you guys do if you’re not going to be using your machine for a week or so?

MattH

BrewLiam Well not actually gone away yet - and I am sure someone will chip in - but I intend to empty out the main tank as much as I can via the hot water tap. Once the low level kicks in - I will empty the tank, rinse it and leave it until I am back. Probably a good time to run a back flush before emptying the tank as well..

The latest firmware I think added additional time so that if you were in the middle of a shot when the low water alert kicks off it would wait 30 seconds to allow your shot to hopefully finish. Not sure if this could be used to help get as much water out as possible. ?

Ernie1

BrewLiam

I was just away for 10 days or so. Drained both boilers, removed PF and emptied tank.

Then when I came back I removed/washed the tank, let the boilers fill and then ran a Puly Caff (or LM equivalent) backflush as per the detergent instructions. Made and discarded a coffee and then was good to go.

MattH

Ernie1 How do you drain the brew boiler ? Is it just by running the water through the brewhead ? ( though the Micras is tiny)

Ernie1

MattH

Good question! To be honest I’m not sure running it til it stops is actually draining it. I’m also not sure there’s a need to drain a brew boiler unless there’s a risk of it freezing. Provided fresh water is run through it a few times on return I think it’s probably ok.

I think properly draining it is actually a bit more involved.

MediumRoastSteam

MattH How do you drain the brew boiler ? Is it just by running the water through the brewhead ? ( though the Micras is tiny)

The brew boiler is always full and cannot be easily drained. Some machines have drain valves. The other way is to remove a fitting and siphon the water out. Just be careful when draining boilers manually as you risk burning the heating elements at the next start up If they are not covered with water. So you can either remove the heating element wired or refill the boiler manually first.

If you just want to replace the water in the brew boiler, just keep drawing water from it, usually by twice or three times the boiler’s capacity.

MattH

Evening all - quick question.. any tips on what can apply to a drip tray to stop the rattling.

I did see some mentions on the old forum - but the eBay links are dead.. Some sort of foam tape I assume would allow the tray to sit better ?

Cheers

Matt

prezes

MattH something like this can help https://www.diy.com/departments/transparent-pvc-bumper-dia-12mm-pack-of-20/1725417_BQ.prd?storeId=&&&gclid=CjwKCAjwvpCkBhB4EiwAujULMhg74NlETCyxZCF1h8J5m3DngxngdgcWQoPdHLtD0L8Zf6Hl-HmdGxoCuO0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

BrewLiam

I’ve had a look around and can’t find anywhere definitive. I also don’t have the tools to accurately measure. So, does anyone know the diameter of the stock 17g basket that comes with the Linea Micra?

Or, another way the answer - what diameter tampers are people using? I’m looking to upgrade from the one that came with it.

MattH

I use a 58.5 tamper - has worked fine with all the other baskets I have used

BrewLiam

MattH the answer I wanted, cheers Matt!

Ernie1

I use the convex one that came with the Mini. I love it. The base is the best tamper I’ve had. The same cannot be said for the handle but I’m hoping it’s possible to change it.

It definitely looks too small for the basket but doesn’t seem to negatively affect the output.

BrewLiam

Ernie1 I do like the La Marzocco one, agree the handle could be better. I just want a snugger fit. I always end up with grounds up the side of the basket with this one.

Ernie1

BrewLiam

Do you reckon the handle is removable? I’ve not had any success by hand but I’d be willing to stick it in the vice if it is actually removable. Seems hugely unlikely it’s one piece cast. Especially given the different finishes.

If I can get the base off I’ll get a handle turned.

Ernie1

I’ve been trying to order a Torr tamper as they do a convex 58.4mm for LM but their payment processor is obviously down.

Have emailed to find out what’s up but they look like nice tampers.

https://www.torrtoys.com/shop

MattH

Ernie1 They look great - but I will not buy anything else…. Honest

BrewLiam

Ernie1 yeah this 58.4 convex one does look good. And on the scale of ‘crazy expensive for a tamper’ and ‘cheap and cheerful’ it seems to fall somewhere in the middle. Plus, white handle for white LMLm 👌🏻

Systemic

Ernie1 Have emailed to find out what’s up but they look like nice tampers.

Jens produces some great tampers. Bought two 58.4mm couple of years back but ended up having to wait a long while before receiving them. Communication can be hit and miss.

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