I can think of some reasons why it's worth more than your average prosumer machine. Better build quality, faster steaming, super fast temp adjustments, easy to adjust temp wheel versus the fussy buttons on most PID's. Does that make it worth $4,500? I guess that depends on what's important to you.

The 4000-5000 price tag nor the 6000+ for the GS/3 cannot be rationalized by a PID, boiler, a bunch of hydraulics etc. although these are all vending machine grade (super reliable and consistent).

You'll understand the value in 4-6 years time when you'll call up LM due to house filling up with steam, and instead of trying to force a MkII down your throat they'll say: "we saw the problem and fixed it from SNxxx. This is the list of parts available for a bit under $100".

The fact that after 6 years of ownership I talked LM into a special software version for myself and Dick is the reason that suddenly, the 6k spent over the years was worth it. And as time progresses, the price per annum decreases.

Inside it is new. I peeked inside the boilers and they look new. It is indeed a machine for life.

Serial Number 000001 How amazing is that. Enjoy it

Oh, I forgot one other reason why this machine might be worth the asking price, and it's the most important one. Better shots.

I think there's a subtle but noticeable difference between most prosumer machines and a true commercial machine when it comes to shot flavor. I don't know why, but even though I feel like I can pull a pretty good shot on my e61 double boiler machine at home, my shots still lack some of the complexity of flavors I taste when I go to a really good shop. Even though I'm using fairly high end gear and excellent beans, a shop like Verve will consistently pull a shot that just has more distinct, complex layers than a shot from my machine.

I think that's what Chris Tacy is talking about when he says that the Mini is more like a commercial machine for the home. From what he describes, you can get the same results with the Mini that you'd get from a high end commercial machine, whereas with a standard prosumer machine you'd have to work much harder to get those results, and you might never get them. That's the kind of performance difference that might justify the added cost of the Mini versus a standard prosumer DB.

You could even look at the Mini as a relative bargain, since it's about $2,500 cheaper than a GS3 and you get similar performance (albeit without the extra bells and whistles).

All that said, I still hope that the real world price of the Mini drops a bit. I can see spending in the $3,000 range for a machine like this, but $4,500 is a tough pill to swallow.

Beezer wrote:All that said, I still hope that the real world price of the Mini drops a bit. I can see spending in the $3,000 range for a machine like this, but $4,500 is a tough pill to swallow.

+1, I'm really keen on the Mini but hoping the price comes down a bit, in which case I might take the plunge.

Beezer wrote:Anyone shopping for machines in this price range would expect to be able to choose plumbed in or reservoir as options.

I don't have access to any numbers on this, but I would be very surprised if this were true. The machine is sized to sit on a kitchen counter, and most consumers in this price range are not interested in drilling through their granite (or marble, concrete, solid gold or what have you) surface, installing new plumbing and a filtration system.

The espresso from the mini has been terrific. Never produced this flavorful at home before. In fact, I don't recall ever having better anywhere else. I don't get out much. So, of course I'm pleased. On the other hand, I'm completely in over my head when it comes to steaming. The steam power of this machine is overwhelming me. Usually drink espresso, but I'm making more milk based drinks now to try to retrain myself. I'm used to lazily steaming over 40s to a min at a time. With the mini, it's more like 15-18s.

I know you just got the machine, but how long do you think it will be between fill-ups of the reservoir? I'd also be interested in what those who have experience with preinfusion on the GS/3 have to say about the Mini's preinfusion, or lack thereof.

There's definitely a learning curve for steaming when going from a mid-level consumer machine like a Gaggia (which is a pretty anemic steamer even for its class) to a prosumer or full commercial machine. I suspect it will take a few gallons of milk for you to get used to the new found power of that beast, which is comparable to the big commercial units. The good (or bad) news is that, once you get used to it, it will make everything else seem incredibly slow and weak in comparison.

...most consumers in this price range are not interested in drilling through their granite (or marble, concrete, solid gold or what have you) surface, installing new plumbing and a filtration system.

This is true, I'm sure, but I still think there are plenty of folks who shop for machines in this price range who would want to plumb in. And a lot of them have the money to hire someone to do the installation for them if they don't want to do the work themselves.

Anyway, I'm not talking about making the machine plumb in only, but rather just having the option of going either way. There are plenty of machines that cost a lot less that offer this feature, so why can't LM? I suspect that they figure most of their potential customers don't want to plumb in, but I have to question that. Seems like most of the folks here, who are the prime candidates for getting a Mini, like to plumb in their machines, so why not give them that option?

As previously said, the Linea will be able to be plumbed in later, once the kit has been released. This was planned from the start.