Totally understand.
But incase you are interested, Etsy has hoppers for NZ.
Upgrade from L Elizabeth to Bezzera Top Matrix MN (FC) worth it?
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Not gonna miss a chance to play Devil’s advocate for anyone considering a LM! (Doesn’t happen often 😅).
If you want lightning fast warmup and (in my opinion) best in class temp stability and build, hard to beat the LMs.
However check the cup clearance on the Micra and also you’ll obviously get no flow control without expensive mods.
Came from a Bianca and have had my LM almost a year, one of the best things I ever bought!
kfiatos Why is LM better than Bianca?
Having had both I can’t really say it’s ‘better’ for everyone because I still think the Bianca is by a margin the best machine under £2k. I’d buy another if I was buying at that price point.
Depends what’s important to you as an end-user.
Aside from the rock-solid build and liking how it looks, the ‘during shot’ temp-stability makes for incredibly forgiving, incredibly good espresso. People under-estimate the effect of stability during the shot and just think the LM stability refers to its ability to make back to back coffee (not really that useful in a home setting).
Also maintenance / cleaning is a lot easier on the LM but again, just comes down to what’s important to you.
pluses and minuses to all machines, and better is subjective as above,
does the brewing pressure gauge show shot pressure or pump? as in if you did a turbo would it show 3 bars?
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
i know they can mod them, but taking a drill to a 4k machine, is crazy for even me haha
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
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Yep same here, there are some cool mods but yeah, I wouldn’t wanna be hacking up a 4 grand machine.
There’s a neat EMP mod which replaces the pump and controls flow via the paddle but it’s something wild like 2k so you may as well just buy a GS3 MP or a used Slayer.
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I was intrigued by the same idea (not sure if you were looking at 30.coffee as well), but after some research I decided against it. the reason - the discussion on Matrix MN and Duo died down quickly on home-barista, and not on a very positive tone.
My reasoning is that it is either not popular enough, or it is not that interesting - people buy one an stop talking about it. or both.
I learned my lesson - stay with the most popular products. that way you get much better help, support and parts along the way. unless you want to change your espresso machine every other year.
delta76 My reasoning is that it is either not popular enough, or it is not that interesting
but then again, if you buy a machine and does everything you want it to do, and it does well - why do you need to talk about it?
like you with Elizabeth ;)
most people will just enjoy it and go on with their lives, but we have a few enthusiasts who will keep the conversation going, helping new owners (or maybe old ones). sharing tips and tricks etc. I have been considering ECM Synch and Lelit Bianca, and while Synch almost had my money, the community around Bianca won me over.
delta76 - Yep. Fair enough. Understand. Although, I’m not sure Home-Barista is the best place for those sort of enthusiasts 🤣. I always felt like you had to have some sort of crazy equipment in vogue in order to be able to talk about it. Normal stuff doesn’t get much attention there.
This is a complete guess but geographic pricing may be a factor in the machines that get discussed there.
I know the Bianca used to be comparatively far more expensive in the US for example (may still be). I don’t know the numbers but I think the likes of Lelit/ACS have a far higher user base in Europe and HB seems to be predominantly US based people.
I don’t participate there, at least not fully. Google led me there as I search for the machine. So that make the experience more tolerable i guess. My biggest pet peeve with them is that a forum in 2023 that looks and feels the same as 2010. Very hard to navigate :). The bianca user experience thread there has some very useful information, but it is a pita to read through with their paging
Ernie1 Are there any quirks to LMLu that makes you regret buying? Trying to justify the cost of LM.
I showed Mini (cannot find Micra on display right now) and got high WAF :) I like the build quality of the LM. That mini was few years old but still looking good… Didn’t have chance to pull shot but it can’t be worse than Elizabeth ;)
I will check my budget options and if not now then someday LM time will come and right now I’ll try to hold on to Elizabeth (I will do PHD on Steam valve if needed).
second this
i have my LE almost 2 years now (bought it mostly because the V3 thread on coffeeforumsuk). everything has been fine. except for the steam wand that has been working but quite weak steam power. I tried to unclog the tip but unsuccessfully. until recently I was somehow smart enough to remove the tip (boys it was so round and slippery), found a deformed tip of the PTFE tip, which block one of the holes. cut that off and voila, strong, consistent steam ever since.
so I suspect LE has some common “Italy build quality”, i.e. some quirks and small QC issues that can be ironed out. the machine otherwise is solid and can make great espressos as machines twice its price
wow, from LE to LMLM. That is like 4 times more expensive. if you have the fund, and got wife’s acceptance, go for it.
Just be mindful of drip tray clearance for cups esp if using the double spout pf.
Other than that they seem a very reliable machine,
I’ve alway held off the LM for the same reason I didnt go bezzera, I like to see what’s happening at the group and use flow control, this led me to the Bianca originally and back again to a V3 over a Micra, so just think of you need or want flow control or want to do different style shots or use high flow baskets with lighter roasts, you will be some what pulling blind.
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
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Yeah I have the Mini. The Micra wasn’t out when I got mine but I always suggest people go for the Mini if they have space. If I was buying now with the Micra budget I’d look for a used Mini.
Whilst you’re still getting the build quality from the Micra, there are some compromises. Much less headroom under the group meaning some cups won’t fit under with a scale.
As @MediumRoastSteam pointed out the steam wand on the Micra is quite short so steaming smaller quantities of milk can be tricky in certain pitchers.
The water tank is also less accessible from what I hear.
I love the Mini. I haven’t regretted it for a second. It may be limited in features but it does what it’s suppose to do very very well;
Warm up quickly (about 8 mins) steam milk very quickly and most importantly pull consistently excellent shots. As above, temp consistency is a factor I hadn’t appreciated as much until I experienced how conducive it is to good output.
Sounds a bit silly but you realise why it’s so simple when you start using it, because it just seems to make good coffee, so you worry about the variables less. I know it’s still just a machine and can’t fix terrible grind/prep but it’s forgiving enough that it seems to matter less. This has to be tried to see what I mean.
The build quality really is excellent. It all feels very solid and sturdy, no sharp edges and panels are an heavy gauge. You can be quite heavy handed with it. I also just like the geometry of the LM portafilters.
Minor thing but wiping out/cleaning a water tank that is shallow and rectangular with the whole lid off is a lot quicker and easier than the tall deep tanks used on most other machines.
It’s still a very expensive machine but it’s the only one I’ve had that I feel like I won’t change. No interest in a Slayer and the GS3 is too big.
You’ve also got a machine from a 100 year old company that’s been basically unchanged for nearly 9 years and access to the LM service network should you need it.
13 days later
I got Linea Micra a week ago and absolutely love the machine… On Elizabeth I could easily get non drinkable shot (for example when dialing in) but cannot get undrinkable shot (unless I choke the machine) on La Marzocco. Steam power is just incredible comparing to Elizabeth. Even tho I am loosing preinfusion I am really happy with LM. Using the same coffee and basket had to go finer on the grind with LM and I wonder why