We see a whole load of woffle, both on this forum and many others regarding coffee machines. AT the end of the day, you do your research then buy a machine because it is either within budget or it ticks your individual boxes. But what is the differentials? All coffee machines have boilers of some sort to produce hot water and steam, both needed in the coffee making process. Some will heat up faster than others, but so what? A lot of machines have timers and if they do not you can use a wifi plug. Some have saturated groups…..so what? Most home users do not leave their machines on all day and if they do, they are usually not cafes, serving 2 to 4 drinks a day. Does a saturated group make any difference to the taste of a shot. Some folks buy badges and therefore will only buy a badge, regardless. So, what are the things that are important to making a shot. Presuming that your shot preparation is good and that you have a grinder that can do your machine justice, what else really matters. The ability to control group and water temperature is nice and can affect the taste. The ability to adjust bar pressure is nice. But, what is the single most important thing…….the coffee. How many folks have equipment costing thousands of £'s, then spend £20 a kilo on commodity beans (yes, I certainly do but I have wasted hundreds on fancy sounding beans and had decent grinders and just accept my tastebuds are inferior). There is nothing wrong with buying what you fancy. If you could do a blind tasting of a coffee made on several top end prosumer machines it would take a very clever man to be able to identify the machines. So the thought that one machine makes a better cup than another…..does it? The exception to this though, is the 58mm puck versus the 53/4 mm puck. The latter produces a much narrower, deeper puck and no, I am not a scientist but depth means the water travels further through the coffee. The original Italian machines were all this size, until someone invented the E61……….

I’m aware people probably gloss over my posts because I’ve got a machine a lot of people assume are purchased solely for the name… one thing to note on this is firstly, I purchased my first coffee machine 20 years ago, a Gaggia Classic and have had maybe 5 or more machines since. The badge isn’t important to me. Also, 99% of people in my family and friends have no idea who LM is, and really the only people who even know I have one are people on this forum! I’ve no desire to impress people. On the saturated group…(or whatever the actual tech is called because it’s not officially saturated on the Mini/Micra) I personally think it’s a better group that’s more forgiving. I say this having had it side by side with my previous E61 machine. On a perfect day, with perfect prep and perfect beans, you would get an equally good cup. But what makes say a Lelit Bianca better than a Rancilio Silvia? The temperature stability… in turn, for me, what makes a Linea Mini ‘better’ than an E61? The temperature stability. I’ve lived with and owned both, side by side. If I didn’t think the LM was great, I’d have sold it. I’m fortunate enough that if I thought a £10k machine would be better for me, I’d buy one. It’s not money stopping me from upgrading, it’s that the machine is perfect for me. And I’ve learned that from 20 years of experimenting and various machines. But the key is that’s my take. Other people might love their Streitman lever, their profiling E61, their bells and whistles auto-profiler… it’s whatever works best for you. I think the issue with the LM is the price. If it was £2k, a lot more people would have them and love them. But because of their price, and the connotations of buying expensive things, people write them off as overpriced snake oil. I don’t know why people are surprised… practically m every decent coffee shop on the planet has a LM machine. There’s a premium for the name, certainly, but it doesn’t make it any less of a great machine.

> @"HarveyMushman"#p73427 But what makes say a Lelit Bianca better than a Rancilio Silvia? It does not, other than beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For the record, I was not having a pop at you. I simply mentioned LM (having owned a GS3) since to many, they are held in high esteem. It is the same in every sector you care to mention. Cars…..one person buys an electric, the next a diesel…..choice is a good thing

> @"dfk41"#p73428 For the record, I was not having a pop at you Sorry yes I didn't think that but see how it looked likeI thought so! I just wish more people could try a Linea Mini for a while in the home and I do wish it was cheaper and more accessible as I really do think it's a great all-round machine for people who don't want profiling. It's hard to explain but I'm seemingly able to throw any badly prepared puck in it and get a decent result out which I haven't been able to do before. I'm not one of these people who meticulously prep the puck and I'm often in a rush between meetings to make a couple of coffees. I'd love the AV functionality from the GS3 though.

@"Cuprajake"#p73430 Actually me [URL=https://i.imgur.com/QzQsp6H.jpeg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/QzQsp6H.jpeg[/IMG][/URL]

@"Cuprajake"#p73435 ive had mine 33 hours longer than yove had yours; Approximately 🥰

Coffee machine differentials

Cuprajake

HarveyMushman I’m aware people probably gloss over my posts because I’ve got a machine a lot of people assume are purchased solely for the name

100% totally vain ;)

HarveyMushman

Cuprajake

Actually me

Dusk

I’d love a LM but I could never justify the cost (also the WiFi connectivity puts me off as I like the idea of a dumb machine). But the build quality and relative simplicity are a real draw for me. A lot of people like tech and the ability to fiddle so would inevitably go for something different. I also like the idea of a Decent but I can’t imagine them still going strong in 20 years time.

If we were all able to properly test all the options available to us then we’d probably buy very differently but it’s not possible. We have to purchase based on specifications, reviews and inevitably our own personal bias will come in to play(whether logical or not…).

HarveyMushman

Dusk

Indeed. Another reason I think the ‘original’ version is preferable. I’ve never used the wifi functionality and the boilers on mine are controlled with physical controls.

Bella Barista have showroom but I think as with everything you need to live with something for a while before you can decide it’s right for you.

Trying to make a ££££ purchase based on internet browsing or a 10 minute trial isn’t ideal.

Cuprajake

@Dusk thats a great idea for a poll - how long have you owned your machine, i doubt many would have long term with out upgraditus

Adrianmsmith

Cuprajake ive had mine 33 hours longer than yove had yours; Approximately 🥰

Adrianmsmith

I went to bella barista a few tears ago .

They were showing how good the lmlm was. I just kept thinking how cramped it looked and how id manage ti use it with my Denby mugs under that group .

They said the rockets were particularly pretty and people who turn up in full biking gear usually prefer them.🫣

At that time i purchased the Synchronika anniversary edition.

Loved it for a while prior to moving on to the ACS’s

I can’t see me changing again (this year), but id have a nurri or Decent if ACS were no longer available. LMLM would be way down my particular list.

I do like the enthusiasm of LMLM owners on here and Reddit but cant quite see the excitement .

Luckily theres a lot of choice as we are not all the same 🤪☕

InfamousTuba

Adrianmsmith They were showing how good the lmlm was. I just kept thinking how cramped it looked and how id manage ti use it with my Denby mugs under that group .

This is the most annoying problem I have had using the linea mini, especially using a spouted portafilter and a scale. I also don’t really like the water tank being behind the drip tray if it is being used to make a lot of coffees.

I do really enjoy using a linea mini, it is well built and the older models are very simple feature wise in a nice to use way. I do hope they update the GS3 so i can convince my boss to upgrade our event machine, I did suggest a spiritello but I don’t think that will happen.

HarveyMushman

InfamousTuba This is the most annoying problem I have had using the linea mini, especially using a spouted portafilter and a scale.

Is this on the Mini or the Micra?

I’ve not had any problems fitting cups under using a scale and when I used to use the spouted.

Admittedly I’ve not tried anything larger than a flat white cup though.

I can see why it’s frustrating to remove etc but I’m a big fan of where the reservoir is, it means it doesn’t stay warm for ages and encourage the grime to build up between washes.

Edit: just tried with a mug and yeah you have to tilt it to fit under. I can see that’s annoying if using spouts and a big mug.

InfamousTuba

HarveyMushman

On the mini, I think from 2015. It is fine for flat whites but takeaways or latte cups can be awkward. It is a small problem and most of the time I end up pulling espresso into a cortado glass then transferring them.

The reservoir is not a problem for when I have to make 4-5 drinks but making 20+ drinks in a row makes it less convenient, I like top fill boilers that don’t need you to remove the drip tray like the eagle one. The eagle one does has a tiny reservoir which is it’s own problem.

Jason1wood

Now searching everywhere for a decent local Mini. Think that’s what I want. Especially as her indoors likes the look of them. 🤣

HarveyMushman

InfamousTuba

What I will say about the reservoir is that the ‘low water’ sensors are set ridiculously high, it’s basically half full still when the light is flashing.

I guess a lot of owners plumb in.

Jason1wood

HarveyMushman stop putting me off haha

All the ones for sale are other end of the country and don’t fancy getting it couriered

HarveyMushman

Jason1wood

Yeah I don’t blame you! When I picked mine up from Bella Barista the guy trollied it out on its palette and we both lifted it into my car.

Didn’t consider the fact I’d have to then get it from the car to my kitchen single handedly sans trolley.

Needless to say I didn’t bother going to the gym that day!

Adrianmsmith

Jason1wood

@dfk41

Ask David to loan you his Evo whilst he practices his filter!!

That may change your mind 🥰🤭☕🤪

chlorox

LM is expensive but I would not say no to accepting a LEVA X if somebody wanted to give me one for free LOL

Adrianmsmith

chlorox yes, but, i think we would all agree, that is a rather different proposition than a LMLM 😎

And for the price we could have an Evo2 AND Vostok. Paolo may even hand deliver and install them 😎

Jason1wood

Adrianmsmith I’ve had an invite to pop over which I’ll be taking him up on. Never even thought about a lever machine as out my budget and more importantly, way above my expertise haha

Adrianmsmith

Jason1wood

actually, thats where everyone is wrong.

No expertise required

Wish id had one years ago.

Very easy and repeatable .

Very little to learn.

They are vastly under hyped.

And no, i dont work for ACS!!

Jason1wood

Adrianmsmith I’m willing to learn, lend me a couple of grand……🤣🤣🤣

Going to have a Google of a lever now. I’m hopeless at decision making, my head gets turned very easily. I’m a complete coffee ‘slut’ 🤣🤣🤣

chlorox

Adrianmsmith

All spring levers are very easy to use. And it is a lot more interesting to pull and release a lever than push a button to turn on the 9 bar pump.

dfk41

Jason1wood Is there a servicing issue with LM machines. I know the chap I sold my GS3 to who is a coffee lever expert tried to get a service kit a couple of years ago to be told they did not supply them and it had to be bought through and fitted by an LM service agent. Obviously I am not talking about group seals but it is a thought Jason. I still maintain that if you lined up 4 coffees made identically on 4 different machines, that you would not have a scooby doo……the same applies to 9.9 out of every 10 mere mortals. If you buy a Porsche, be prepared for Porsche garage servicing costs