Lelit vs Breville vs Sunbeam or other italian brands?
Which is best
https://eastlinkespresso.com.au/product-category/lelit-coffe…
Need a New Coffee Machine - Spend Upto $2,500 - Lelit?
Lali15 on 06/07/2023 - 08:34
Comments
I have a Lelit Anna (or a PL41 series of some description) as well for about 10 years and absolutely love it. Only had minor amendments that were needed. The one thing I don’t like is the 57mm group head (all else is 58mm) so you have to get specific parts. Would I buy one again over the Breville in that budget? Yes, any day of the week
For that budget though I’d try to extend it and get a Rocket Appartmento.
2.5K ?
As an addict I would say: Good coffee is half the joy. Drinking it in good company is the other half!
That's why I always have mine while browsing Ozbargain! :)
So OP can say, you are povo but I'm rich haha
Italians have a saying: Aqua fresca, vino puro….the rest is classified
But perfect water goes with espresso!
I have been using an Expobar Leva for the last 10 years or so.
E61 group and 58mm group head.
Never a problem making 2 espressos and one cappuccino a day.
List price is around $2,500 but you will find them at most places from around $2,200.Team it with a Breville Smart Grinder Pro and you're set for under your budget.
I also suggest that you buy a good tamper (I have the Jetblack Espresso PreciseFit flat 58.55mm one) and do one of the one-day courses on how best to use your machine.
https://coffeesnobs.com.au/ is a great place to ask more questions.
Finally, find a good local coffee bean roaster and work with them until you find the perfect beans for you.
Welcome to the world of great coffee!
Thanks for suggestions so far, we've had a Sunbeam Dual Boiler then currently a Breville BES920 for the the past 13 years, so now looking to scale up. If we spend less - its a bonus. But good coffee is the main aim!
I'm not feeling that 2.5K is going to net you a significant upgrade on your Dual Boiler to be honest. What exactly isn't that delivering?
I would probably invest that money in a great grinder instead, and then save for an end-game machine.I've been using a Rancilio Silvia for the past 8 years, and have decided I won't get anything else but a Linea Mini or equivalent. I think a BDB has even more longevity than my Rancilio as well. That's just my opinion, though!
Why "to be honest"?
Nice! Is it really yours though?
And doesn't that look crap on the kitchen bench?
Honestly the number of $2-$3k coffee machines on gumtree/marketplace is incredible.
Strongly recommend getting one off there. I've picked up a couple of all in one Jura's for $300 and a Gaggia for $150, all with less than 200 coffees on them.Even the barista grade niche ones like you've presented here pop up regularly
I also have a bes920 and occasionally browse around for eventual replacements when it finally dies. the expobar minore iv seems to be one of the cheaper double boiler
Italian-madeoptions out there FWIW, and reviews seem to be generally pretty good.edit: my bad, Expobar is Spanish not Italian.
Absolutely no experience with them but from specs alone, they all feel like side grades from the BDB until you get to the top end like the Bianca, Pro 700, Synchronika
I went from BDB (I just couldn't get over how much of an appliance this was to use), to ECM Mechnika VI Slim and couldn't be happier. Every time I so much as look at the machine it brings a smile to my face, let alone the weight and feel of everything, it brings a certain romance to making coffee, not to mention the improvements like 1.6 bar of steam power. From what I gather the Lelit Mara is just as functional, but not as attractive or quite as well put together.
I'd recommend the ECM Mechnika VI Slim if OP can stretch to 2.9k, otherwise for under 2.5k I'd get the Lelit Mara X.
did you have any issues going from a DB machine to a HX?
I was apprehensive of HX before I used it, but zero issues, only improvements. The HX in the ECM is a big 2.2L boiler with PID. The temperature stability is practically perfect, within 1c, does not need cooling flushes like non-PID HX machines, it can brew and steam back to back shots and the steam power is a marked improvement over the BDB. After using this machine, I see no reason to go for the extra cost and reliability concerns with an E61 DB that I was once considering.
@TRANCE: ah nice, cheers dude. might start thinking about HX machines a bit more seriously then for the future.
edit: wow just noticed you said it steams faster than the BDB, that is seriously impressive - always thought that that was the machine to beat when it came to steaming times, it absolutely crushes every other domestic machine i've tried.
Had a Lelit Victoria for a year or so
just off the top:
Pros
- fast heatup time
- 58mm
- PID with temp controlCons
- if you spill any water down the side next to the water tank it can short out the machine as the electrical connections are placed right in this area. Seems poorly designed in that regard but what do I know. I've shorted it numerous times, even including when I released too much steam into the drip tray (moisture must have got through as steam)
- my connections even corroded and machine stopped working - had to have it repaired
- takes a decent amount of time to get to 140 deg for steam from espresso temp. Longer than people online said.takes a decent amount of time to get to 140 deg for steam from espresso temp. Longer than people online said.
Tell us you didn't actually own:
a Lelit Victoria for a year or so
without telling us you didn't own one
That's over twice the cost! Not really increasing the budget a smidge!!!
It's totally worth it for the cute blue colourway …. it's like the1965 VESPA 125 VNB of coffee machines.
Whilst I appreciate the sentiment - 2,500 is pushing the budget :)
Anything which is considered as an upgrade on BES920 starts frtom around 4000 AUD.
I currently have a Lelit Mara X which I've owned for over a year. Been really happy with it. Has a compact form factor, good build quality and will last for many years if looked after and fed good water. Before that I owned a BDB for over 7 years. The Breville is the best bang-for-buck coffee machine out there. It's Achilles heal is longevity and in most cases will last about 3-6 years.
Those machines are pretty ugly. I think if you spend that much on a bench top machine for your kitchen it may as well look cool.
I've had a Lelit Mara for the last 8 years or so and it's been fantastic. Not too big, looks impressive on the bench and can easily handle making numerous coffees for guests. Only had one minor repair (a simple switch that cuts off the pump if the water container is removed) and a couple of services. My only minor gripe is that you need at least 20 minutes of the machine warming up the group head before you can make a brew. But that is what timer switches are for.
Don't forget to invest in a quality grinder. Don't cheap out on that part as poorly ground coffee (irregular grind sizes) cannot be overcome by any coffee machine.
Bezzera BZ10 is excellent value and quality for that price range. Heat exchanger, easy to clean and maintain.
I upgraded from a BDB to a BZ10 and have no regrets, but tend to agree with some of the other comments that you should consider investing in a better grinder instead. Moving from a Smart Grinder Pro to a Niche Zero was much more of a game changer for me…
We have a Rocket Appartamento and it's fantastic. Can be found for a smidge over your budget but worth it imo
https://www.espressocoffeeshop.com/en/
If you find something you like, and don't want warranty, you can buy it here. You'll have to request a promo code for a discount, but they seem quite reputable and helpful if things go wrong. I have friends who have bought their coffee grinders from here.
If you can get the profitec pro 400 for about 2500, it should last you your lifetime, if you take good care of it!
If you’re after a super-automatic, just press types with consistent taste and no hassle, highly recommended a Jura.
We use it on a daily basis, simple enough for my wife too.lol
Simply, so single
What grinder do you have , The quality of the grinder is will determine the quality of your coffee.
I found this review really helpful when we bought a machine. We went with the Breville Bambino Plus + a Porlux hand grinder.
Wow 2500 to 4k for a coffee machine. I have a dolce gusto and love it. Different worlds.
Lelit MaraX is what I went with in the same position and would do the same again. At the time it was the most temperature stable HX on the market with the dual temperature probes, not sure if others have caught up now though.
The Lelit Elizabeth is a dual boiler for a similar price, which would outlast the BDB by a long way. My mate has one but we can't tell the difference in the coffee between the two machines even though the Elizabeth has all those fancy pre-infusion functions and would be more temperature stable being a dual boiler. Steaming even seems better on the MaraX for some reason but both are good.
It may not be a factor for you but for some reason we both enjoy making coffee way more on the MaraX. I think it's because of the look, lever and knobs, etc Vs the appliance look and just pressing a button on the Elizabeth.
The BDB and the Elizabeth look like appliances on the bench but the E61 group head machines bring a smile to our faces when we use them.
For us the enjoyment of drinking coffee involves the whole process of making it. If you only care about the espresso in the cup then BDB would be best value from a taste/value point.Lelit Mara X owner here too. Excellent machine with a small footprint and super stable temp control. Can't fault it.
Only other I'd consider in this price range is a Wega W mini, purely because it looks great in matt black with wooden accents.
Save your money and get a LOW COST (Less than $100) Moka pot.
Also buy a LOW COST (Less than $100) coffee grinder to go with it.
My Moka pot is a Bialetti New Venus Induction, Stovetop, 18/10 Stainless Steel, 4-Cup Espresso bought for $65.00
My grinder is a Bodum BISTRO 10903-01AUS-3 bought for $100.95 on special.
I'm willing to bet that the coffee I make with this simple setup, tastes just as good, if not better, than with even the most expensive fancy coffee maker!
That might be going a little far, but it's definitely about the best value setup you can get (except Aeropress) and will probably beat entry level espresso.
if you don't have an existing setup then I'd go Breville Dual Boiler or Sunbeam EMM7200BK for $1000 with the Eureka Specialita grinder from Espresso Coffee Shop, they are like AUD$600 after conversion and shipping.
And another like few hundred on nice aftermarket accessories like Pullman Tamper, VST Basket, WDT tool, funnel, weigh scales, mats.
The accessories is for a 58mm basket so if you ever wanna upgrade the machine to like a Lelit, the accessories will fit.
I have the Lelit Anna ( https://www.jetblackespresso.com.au/shop/p/lelit-pl41tem/ ) for about 10 years and has been mostly good. Had to replace a couple of parts along the way, group head seals (normal) the front PID display and the main power switch. Was easy to do and no big deal. Otherwise cant fault it. Would probably go for a Breville with boiler and no grinder next time but space is a consideration and the lelit isn't too big.