kitt wrote:Mine sits at about 12-13 too, new machine. If you set the expansion valve below the brew pressure setting (9 bar) the drip tray will fill very quickly whenever pulling a shot or back-flushing

But thats a very interesting question now: when you adjusted the pressure to about 12-13 bar, does it mean that this is relatively stable after breweing? The pressure in my system is very volatile. So after pulling a shot it went to say 14 bar and afterwrds back to 10 and when not using it for a long time even to 3 bar. Can you confirm this behaviour? Our is yours stable?

Mine is quite stable. Will always sit at about 12 bar, even if it sits for hours. If I flick the paddle quick from on to off and not allow the pump to activate the pressure will drop to about 3.

A few questions/comments:

1. Steam boiler size - Have noticed a few threads mentioning that it is the same steam boiler as the GS3 (3.5L), but the La Marzocco site mentions that the Linea Mini has a 3L boiler. Does anyone know for sure?

2. Water tank size - Have noticed that the original reports of a 3.5L cold water tank have now died down, and I have measured that mine has approx 2L of useable water before the machine turns off the boiler elements. 2L is by filling until way past the Max water level line, ie until the cold water tank is slightly overflowing when the lid is put back on, so usable water to the max line is probably only 1.8 litres. I have even seen La Marzocco representatives talk about the "3.5L cold water tank" for it, so I personally wonder whether the 2L of water that you get before the low water light flashes and the boiler elements turn off is even intentional. Seems like from the LM interviews and product brochures mentioning 3.5L even LM thought that it was launched with a 3.5L water tank until users started reporting the smaller tank size? I find that I am refilling daily which is a pain, and would have loved this machine to actually have 3.5L of useable water before the low water light turns on.

3. Cup tray rattle - The cup tray vibrates the cups sitting on it quite a bit during a brew. Has anyone found an easy fix for this?

I don't know about the steam boiler size, except that it's more than adequate for any foreseeable jobs I would attempt.

As far the water reservoir, I agree that it's smaller than LM originally claimed. I'd say 2L is a good estimate. I was refilling it every day or two. At least it's conveniently accessed, so filling is not a big deal, but I believe my old Anita HX had a bigger water tank. Now I'm plumbed in, so it's not an issue anymore.

I saw in one of the threads here that someone put Dynamat under their cup tray to cut vibrations. He also lined the inside of the case with more Dynamat. Seems like that would help. I put one of those rubber mesh drawer liners on top of the cup tray to keep the cups from rattling, and it seems to help quite a bit. Overall, it's a pretty quiet machine, but I can see how you could make it even quieter.

Agree, the reservoir is far smaller than originally specified.

I don't get a lot of cup rattling. It's really quiet, especially compared to a vibe pump.

Not sure of the size of the steam boiler, but it is huge. If there's anything the LMLM has p l e n t y of it is steam.

As I wanted to find out what adjustment of the stepped wheel results in which brew temperature, I used a Scace device today.

My new machine is one for the German market that only has 96 °C as a reference point shown in the middle. Everything else are just vertical bars without values but at least every fourth of it is bold.

Here's what I discovered, starting from the first bar on the left side (--> blue = coldest):

• The first bold bar adjusts a brew temperature of 86 °C.
• Each bold bar represents a brew temperature difference of 2 °C.
• So every bar represents a brew temperature difference of 0,5 °C (surprise, surprise).
• While pulling a shot the brew temperature always peaks at the temperature value adjusted. For example, if you adjust the stepped wheel to show the 4th bold bar (starting from the left) in the 6 o'clock position the temperature will peak at 92 °C at 25s of your shot.
• A brew temperature of 96 °C is already reached when the wheel is adjusted so that the 6th bold bar (starting from the left) in the 6 o'clock position is shown.

To make it more accessible:

• 1st bold bar = 86 °C max.
• 2nd bold bar = 88 °C max.
• 3rd bold bar = 90 °C max.
• 4th bold bar = 92 °C max.
• 5th bold bar = 94 °C max.
• 6th bold bar = 96 °C max.
• and so forth

Here's the proof. Note: As the wheel does not snap into place well my 2nd and 4th adjustment is each off by +0,5 °C.

Just wanted to add my personal, extremely limited, initial experience with my new Linea Mini.

I currently am running a Vario-W with steel burrs alongside it (originally my brew grinder) but am picking out an espresso grinder as some of you may have seen on another thread I started - I think I've settled on the Compak E8, possibly from Londinium with Red Speed burrs (though with this experience below with my Vario I'm actually thinking that it is totally unnecessary to have this caliber of machine in-home and a 65mm flat grinder would do superbly...)

I have quite a bit of in-cafe barista experience and have been trained by a well-established roaster/shop so I have hundreds/thousands of reps under my belt already. I would not consider myself a "coffee professional" or even an "experienced barista," but I am not green at all.

Initially when I received the machine I tried to pull shots on it and was getting gushers with my Vario on 1E/F, so I figured that the steel burrs may not be compatible for espresso. Then I realized I had calibrated this particular grinder for a full range of drip-brewing (read: many turns coarser) and tonight just calibrated it back into the fine range to see if I could actually pull shots before I leave for vacation. Spoiler: it worked, and extremely well.

I have a bag of 1-2# of old (2 years!) beans from a Verve subscription that I over-ordered (1kg/2 weeks for 2 people lol) that I used to calibrate the grinder. I tasted a couple of the shots that I pulled of this old, stale coffee and they were not that bad. As in, I've been served much worse in the best cafes in LA (hometown). I proceeded to dial in a fresher, but still kinda old (roasted 6/22) blend from a local roaster and pulled a couple shots. I hit an "acceptable" output on my second shot so I decided to taste it and, lo and behold, it was awesome! It seems, with my novice barista skills, and less-than-ideal coffee and grinder setup, this machine can still produce a shot that tastes acceptable. I told my wife as I drank my drink that I would be 100% happy receiving that shot/drink (made a cortado) in a cafe.

Also, as is known, this machine's steam power is unreal for the home setting. I can make perfect, silky, sweet, textured milk in <10s. The machine I use at work (older Brasilia 2gr) is only half as powerful with a 8L+ boiler. Props to LM.

I set the rotary wheel to ~200F and adjusted the expansion valve pressure to 12bar (but it seems to keep climbing above it despite having been adjusted down 3 times). Using tap water filtered through a new Mavea filter. The machine is totally stock. Long story short, the $4500 price tag stings quite a bit, but I don't regret it at all. I'm hoping to be able to not only serve my friends awesome coffee in my home, but also to venture into pop-up settings as well. I am fully confident that the LMLM will kill it.

I asked this here before, and I asked in the "questions" section of one of the major USA distributors, if a USA 220v (IOW, ccommercial class) version is available. Crickets... Both here and at SCG. I tried to find out by googling, but all that ever comes up is specs for 110v. Which does not categorically mean they don't offer a USA spec 220v version.

Also, how plausible is it, to outboard the pump?

Yes, I know... 220v, plumbed, out boarded pump, might as well go with a proper commercial single group. Still... How plausible is it with the Mini?

-Peter

pcrussell50 wrote:I asked this here before, and I asked in the "questions" section of one of the major USA distributors, if a USA 220v (IOW, ccommercial class) version is available. Crickets... Both here and at SCG. I tried to find out by googling, but all that ever comes up is specs for 110v. Which does not categorically mean they don't offer a USA spec 220v version.

Have you tried calling LM Home? They are very accessible and would be the definitive authority on the availability of a 220v version.