Let me give a bit of background over my question in order to make it easier do understand what are my doubts. I’m from Brazil and I’ll be going to the UK for a period of a week in late September this year. I’m willing to buy an home espresso machine and take it back with me. I’m feeling brave enough (hahah) to do this because we simple are really poorly supplied of buying options here.
At first, I was pretty sure on choosing the Lelit Mara X, however after reading a lot of posts on other forums it made me question this certainty of mine. Of the Heat Exchangers options I think this would be the only one I would choose because of the temperature stability and the no flush approach. I’m open to suggestions of HX machines with similar approach that I’m unaware of.
To me being able to fine tune and dial the espresso is my priority as I usually have 2-3 milk drinks during the week and maybe more 2 on weekends and probably 2 or 3 more espresso shots/day.
Besides that the Lelit Mara X would really fit my budget (right on point). I also thought of a well constructed SBDU but I think I would get tired of the workflow when making milk drinks (I thought about the ECM Classika PID and the Bezzera Unica PID - I heard some complaints from a friend that owns a 2014 Unica about the PID from the Unica not being really accurate).
Other options I thought was about the Lelit Elizabeth (would still fit my budget with some stretch), the Profitec PRO 300 (here the stretch would be way more) and the Profitec PRO 400 (but I guess this just another regular HX machine with some sort of PID control over the steam boiler).
To be taken seriously in consideration is being able to easily repair any problems at home (this point makes me think about the Mara X as there plenty of review about this on line and also an Youtube Channel showing how to fix a lot of problems on it) and ideally that it wouldn’t present problems soon after I bought it (this point is the one I feel insecure about the Mara X). After all that I’m still tempted in choosing the Mara X.
If you guys could offer me some insights about this, other options I haven’t thought about and your considerations I would be extremely thankful.
P.S.: Sorry for my rusty English