@Juanjo - I love my Mara X, and I am sure I would love the Elisabeth as well. I understand your need to gather all the information in advance to make the best decision for you, but there is a limit to how much you can know from theoretical knowledge and other people’s experiences.
Your post puts a lot of weight on the difference between the two machines in terms of cleaning. You can simply answer that you can backflush Elisabeth with chemicals as often as you want, but when you do that with Mara you need to lube the cam. But is this difference so significant that it should sway you to one machine or another?
Both machines, or any other machine you will end up with, needs to be clean. The grinder too. If they won’t be, you will taste it in your coffee. A chemical backflush is something you do every few weeks (I do it once in six weeks, but I have read recommendations to do if every 3 months, and some do it less often). In the grand scheme of the coffee hobby, and all the things you need to do, it’s not a big deal in my opinion.
Advertised heat up time on the Mara X is 24 minutes from cold, and in my experience it doesn’t take longer for it to be ready. Elizabeth, if I remember correctly, is 17 or 18 minutes. If that’s important to you, then it is more significant than the cleaning in my opinion, as you will see this every time you turn on the machine. For me, however, this isn’t a consideration. I use a smart socket so the machine is ready for me in the morning. I just got into a habit of turning it on again when I sit down to have lunch, and it’s ready when I am done eating. For me it works perfectly, but if you drink many coffees a day, all spontaneous and unpredictable, and the difference between 18 to 24 minutes is significant for you - then Elisabeth will serve you better.
But you will, I assume, look at the machine and use it every day. It’s a hobby, and it’s there to give you joy. You said you loved the look of the E61 and lever. Will it make you enjoy the hobby more to look at an E-61 group and lift that lever every time you make a coffee? Because this is something you won’t get with Elizabeth. :-).
Sorry for not giving you a straight answer, but the truth is probably that they are both great machines. Both are capable of giving you good coffee (providing you learn to use and look after them). If you do, they will have a lot of similarities, and some differences, and choosing between them is a matter of personal preference. As it should cater to your preference, no one else will be able to answer that question for you.
