Coffee machine recommendations?

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#2920450 30-May-2022 15:51

After perusing what's out there, and discounting the Breville infuser due to it's size, I'm now stuck between the Ascaso Dream PID & the Lelit PL91T (Victoria)

Anyone have any advice either way? (I'm leaning more towards the Lelit due to it having a boiler, as opposed to a thermo block)

langi27

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#2930291 16-Jun-2022 11:02

I'd be very keen to hear people thoughts on the Lelit line up of single boiler machines. General experience issues, comments, likes, dislikes that sort of thing.

I too am close to a purchase and busy doing lots of research on the subject. I love the look of the Lelit machines and as a positive side note - Letlit has Wife approval.

Lelit Anna with PID is on special $1,119

https://www.espresso.co.nz/home-coffee-equipment/lelit-pl41temn-anna-pid-espresso-coffee-machine/

The biggest issue i see with this is the odd ball 57mm protafilter which limits any aftermarket portafilter options and also limits tamper options. (not a real show stopper but something that might annoy me if i cant get what i want later). I am keen to play around with temp control so like the basic PID functions that this machine will give.

then next step up is the Lelit Victoria for $1899

https://www.espresso.co.nz/home-coffee-equipment/lelit-pl91t-victoria-pid-espresso-coffee-machine/

This solves the 58mm portafilter option as well has more PID functions, build quality looks slightly improved better buttons and guages.

then the grinder, i see the Lelit Grinder (Fred) is added in as a combo or $449 as a standaone option. This is paired with both so assume that usign these together is Lelit recommendation as to what a good shot shold be for this price point.

https://www.espresso.co.nz/home-coffee-equipment/home-coffee-grinders/lelit-pl043-fred-doser-less-coffee-grinder/

I have zero experience with standalone grinders, but assume you get what you pay for. More $$$ = more better.

I also assume there is no point having a $2k grinder paired with a $1k machine, as the machine will be the limiting factor and vice versa.

This feels like a rabbit hole I need to go down.

tim360

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#2930389 16-Jun-2022 14:06

langi27:

I also assume there is no point having a $2k grinder paired with a $1k machine, as the machine will be the limiting factor and vice versa.

This feels like a rabbit hole I need to go down.

There's no hard and fast rule, but the general consensus amongst coffee geekdom is that you don't skimp on your grinder. A good machine will be limited by a poor grinder, however an average machine can yield excellent espresso with a good grinder. I've seen so many Niche Zero/Breville Bambino combinations that they can't all be wrong.

Yes it is indeed a rabbit hole, of the tasty and fulfilling variety, as opposed to the toxic, lose all your friends, variety.

Senecio

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#2930507 16-Jun-2022 18:10

I have the Lelit Mara X paired with the Eureka Mignon Specialita grinder.

I’m extremely happy with this combination. The Lelit is a beautiful machine to use, and to look at. It’s a considerable step up from the Rancilio Silvia/Rocky combination I had before.

langi27

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#2930513 16-Jun-2022 18:42

Senecio: I have the Lelit Mara X paired with the Eureka Mignon Specialita grinder.

I’m extremely happy with this combination. The Lelit is a beautiful machine to use, and to look at. It’s a considerable step up from the Rancilio Silvia/Rocky combination I had before.

This looks like a very nice setup, but beyond budget for me. I suspect once you get over the shock of spending the $$$ you don't regret buying a quality product.

Handle9

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#2930515 16-Jun-2022 18:44

Lelit make really good machines, especially for the money you spend. I would consider other grinder options, mostly because I don't know a lot about the Lelit grinders and haven't seen the same kind of reviews that I had for the Elizabeth, MaraX or Bianca.

I'm extremely happy with my Bianca but I paired it with the Eureka Mignon Specialitia, which a few of us have. It's not the perfect grinder but it's very good for the price.

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Handle9

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#2930516 16-Jun-2022 18:47

BTW it is very worthwhile to consider parallel importing yourself. For similar money to the Victoria above you could get the Elizabeth, which is a true dual boiler.

https://30.coffee/lelit-elizabeth-pl92t-the-new-double-boiler-machine-of-the-vip-line

langi27

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#2930519 16-Jun-2022 19:02

oh good stuff, didn't even think it would cost effective to ship form Europe with shipping costs but that looks to be well worth it.

Handle9

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#2930522 16-Jun-2022 19:06

Bear in mind you'll have to pay GST and maybe some other fees but it's well worth it IMO

I've used 30.coffee and espressocoffeeshop.com and they were both great (delivered to the Middle East but others have used them with success in NZ). @billgates bought his Elizabeth from another guy in Europe as well.

ShinyChrome

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#2930565 16-Jun-2022 20:39

langi27:

oh good stuff, didn't even think it would cost effective to ship form Europe with shipping costs but that looks to be well worth it.

You can read about my experience a few pages back here with ECS, but even though it cost me 40 euros to have my Specialita shipped here, the all inclusive price was still waaaaaaayyyy under what I would pay in NZ.

After 3 months with it, I can also wholeheartedly recommend it and I feel you would have to either have very specific requirements (single dosing etc) or spend a lot of money to replace it with something better. Before I had a decent grinder, I would have said that a machine with more pedigree than my Breville Infuser would have been an imminent upgrade, but like tim360 said, it really gets the best out of it (well, that I am capable of attaining anyway...).

When upgraditus takes a hold again, I'll have no hesitation about following Handle9's suggestion and look at a similar route for the price (although I must admit, those Profitec machines look mighty purdy...)

robertsona

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#2930648 16-Jun-2022 22:23

So I have a five year old LELIT PL81T Grace Single Boiler PID Espresso Coffee Machine (which I think may be a predecessor to the Victoria). It's used constantly, hasn't missed a beat and looks like it will carry on thus. And as pointed out, it's not a bad looking, compact bit of kit.

Having said that though, it is obviously at the lower end of the range and has some limitations or compromises - particularly with the single boiler. Luckily, I tend to prefer an espresso or long black in the morning. But having to wait for the temperature to get up for steaming does make for slow flat whites when they're asked for.

I have to admit that I frequently research/dream about a really good replacement - I often have a few Rocket or La Marzocco tabs permanently open in my browser...

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michaelmurfy

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#2930661 17-Jun-2022 00:51

So I decided to finally take the plunge and ditch Nespresso for a conventional espresso machine. I personally ended up going for the Breville Barista Touch mainly because I do like the convenience of an automatic steam wand (my Nespresso machine had this) and also grinder on an all in one platform.

So far, loving it. It has taken a fair bit to get the grind settings right but for people like myself who just want good coffee from a nicer looking all in one unit without having to worry about taking up bench space with a grinder and other accessories, it is a welcome addition to our kitchen.

The touchscreen I thought was potentially a gimmick but it guides you through calibration (grind settings, tamping etc) as well as saving settings for your favorite drinks. One drawback though due to it having the ThermoJet heating system vs a standard boiler is the fact it doesn't warm the group head. I mitigate this by running it under hot water but despite this it still pulls a really decent shot.

I've been using Dark Horse Coffee with my machine as they're just down the road from us.

No regrets at all moving away from Nespresso. I know this isn't anything special in terms of a Coffee machine (I considered getting a Rocket or similar) but I got a pretty good deal on it all things considering made better by having vouchers for the store I bought it from.

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sen8or

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#2930683 17-Jun-2022 08:07

You can cheat heating up the group head a bit by running 1-2 blank shots with the portafilter in before your actual extraction.

langi27

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#2930765 17-Jun-2022 09:23

I'm a bit torn between having a machine the regularly produces a decent cup like the Breville does and something that is bit more exotic like a Lelit, Giggia, Rancilio. (and they are considered mainstream brands in Europe) I've had a Breville machine and it was ok. The newer ones do consistently produce a good cup. However, there is a desire to have something a bit special, Breville do the mass market and that's fine. I keep looking at the Breville machines then go back to the Italian machines.

langi27

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#2930766 17-Jun-2022 09:27

Any strong opinions on

Eureka Mignon Specialitia vs Mazzer Mini Manual Grinders?

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