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

caffeinated-carp Yeh feel like I’m being a picky sod here but that knocking noise will end up doing my head in

I don’t think it’s picky at all, and whilst probably a small chance, if it is indeed caused by a loose fixing, it could loosen over time. Locking a LM PF in especially on a new gasket requires a fair bit of force.

As @BrewLiam says the drip tray doesn’t affect things much.

It’s just a bit of a shame, even the flat head screws on mine arrived turned perfectly vertical in line with the sides of the machine. I guess if they’re dealing with unseen levels of demand there’s inevitably going to be a little bit of rushing down the production line. On the other hand I’m just the kind of nerd who notices that stuff and most people wouldn’t care.

caffeinated-carp

Ernie1 Locking a LM PF in especially on a new gasket requires a fair bit of force.

You’re not wrong there!

Ernie1 even the flat head screws on mine arrived turned perfectly vertical in line with the sides of the machine

hahaha ok so yes I’ve noticed the lack of screw alignment on the Micra so maybe we are one and the same. Mine are all over the shop :) I’ll maybe not tell them about that, they’ll think I am certifiably insane ;) but that said, it’s the little things right?! I really do believe that, you see something that someone has done which they possibly didn’t have to (like lining screws up) and you think, wow that’s awesome - you didn’t have to do and you did so hats off to you.

Instead I’ve got one that sounds like the suspension is falling off ;)

caffeinated-carp

BrewLiam Yeh I mean the drip tray I’m not insanely fussed about, though I do find it annoying that I’ve owned 4 other machines ranging from probably £300 up to £1.5k new (I bought the more expensive one second hand) and they’ll all been, well they’ve all been straight! it seems an odd thing to have to say to LM but I sortof expect it all to be straight! I was looking at an ECM as well as the Micra and it feels that the ECM would have had a much higher build quality which is a shame.

Ernie1

Yeah it’s a fair expectation. As I keep harping on about the Mini was perfect.

I guess it’s similar to when VW released the UP or the Audi A1, BMW 1-series etc. These entry points typically involve some compromises somewhere.

Functionally though it should be 100% solid so I’d get onto them about that group knocking sound.

Ernie1

I’d also hope there’s some reps from LM reading this and as @Cuprajake said, there’s reports similar on other forums too so hopefully they’ll pick up on it.

MattH

caffeinated-carp So no that noise is not right at all - should be no noise - something does sound loose.

The tray I find a bit flexible - though the frame itself seem strong (i realise that makes no sense) but seems level - i am thinking of getting some pads to just fit in the groove so it does not rattle as much.

Damn its a real shame its been such a mess 🙁

MediumRoastSteam

Given the price of those machines and their relative simplicity, it doesn’t give confidence when users report those issues. One thing is being picky when you know you got a great deal on something (e.g.: DF64 grinder) - another is to be picky when the customer pays well over £3k for something that, should it have been put on a different case with a different badge, it would be priced very differently.

If it were me, I would be very picky and get back to the retailer ASAP. A product like that should be perfect.

caffeinated-carp

I’ve contacted them, let’s see how we go. Hopefully a bit more expedient this time around!

DavecUK

caffeinated-carp I never did say I got my new machine about 2-3 weeks ago now, just been a bit mad busy with travel and work etc. So, questions for all you Micra owners, do you get this noise when locking the PF

I don’t have one but have seen them at exhibitions, the knocking sound isn’t normal as @Cuprajake said something sounds loose. It could be a simple job of tightening a securing bolt.

Drip tray misalignment, it’s a possibility that the frame is slightly warped, rather than an issue with the drip tray itself because of the way these things are manufactured. Not certain but it’s a possibility that should be considered.

Dusk

You wouldn’t expect a wonky drip tray on a machine that costs a few hundred pounds so I think it’s definitely something to point out. Increased demand shouldn’t lower their build standards.

Dust

caffeinated-carp

I had a misalignment issue with my tray. The biggest bug bear for me was when trying to tare the scales the drip grill would dip down on one corner, not a lot ,but enough to annoy.
Hubby first though the front panel may have been out of whack but quickly discovered that was fine.
He played around a bit and found out the magnet between the tray and the bracket underneath was the problem, he said it was a bit too big height wise, so he just carefully bent the bracket down a little bit to compensate and she now sits perfectly.

Not sure if this would help but it could be worth a look.

DavecUK

Dust Welcome to the forum, hope this is the OP problem.

Dust

DavecUK

Thank you.

If not, it may help someone else.

Cuprajake

Finance me

Code for 10% off the Micra mecra

Mikeyb

Hi guys just got my black micra this afternoon.

Dialled in very quickly (3rd shot).

Everything is aligned as it should be and no knocks from the porta filter.

Overall I’m as happy as a pig in the brown stuff.

Most importantly the wife likes the look of it.

Steam power is really powerful (kept it on 2).

So far so good.

Ernie1

Mikeyb

Some strong sticky pads on the feet there to keep it from sliding down the vertical work surface 😉

Congrats on the new machine, looks great!

Mikeyb

Ernie1 yeah don’t know what happened. If you squint your head it looks okay. 😉

MattH

Mikeyb And now it begins, scales,cups,screens,baskets,tampers,gadgets etc !

Ernie1

Update on the tamper front. Sadly Torr don’t have any convex bases in stock for a while so going to wait.

I did some reading up on convex tampers because I couldn’t work out how a tamper that very clearly wasn’t even close to the right size for the basket could work so well. Turns out (and I’m stating the obvious now I’ve realised) it pushes the coffee out toward the edges to reduce the chance of edge channeling.

BrewLiam

Ernie1 I was looking on there again this evening trying to decide between one and a Pullman I’ve seen.

I was going to ask how you got on with ordering one. Still much prefer the look of the Torr.

Ernie1

BrewLiam

The guy from Torr was really helpful and emailed pretty quick, he did say if I wanted a flat base one it could be dispatched now or I could wait 4-6 weeks for a convex one.

I said I’d wait as I am keen to stick with convex.

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