MediumRoastSteam Dave, if you speak to Lelit, can you plant in their heads that the most wonderful machine would be something with the functionality of the Bianca, but with a solenoid group (E61 with flow control or saturated without it?) 😍 (wishful thinking….) 😊
A solenoid group like the Minima would be much better with a flow control paddle, because there is also no preinfusion chamber to disable. The reason you don’t have it is you, influencers and retailers. Technically it’s the better solution, I suggested it over 5 years ago, to more than just Lelit (ACS and ECM). The problem is they are terrified of the negative marketing if using a solenoid group, even though it’s technically a superior solution.
The lack of real technical knowledge out there (especially in the influencer community) means people are likely to neg on the idea., thus affecting marketing. So the Minima remains one of the few E61 solenoid groups you can (as I have done, add flow control to).
As you rightly say the solenoid group is really easy maintenance and the Minima specific group has a vent solenoid that locks in and out like a bayonet lightbulb if it ever needs changing.