Why so few La Marzocco Linea Mini owners? - Page 4

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SolarUnderwood
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Joined: 9 years ago

#31: Post by SolarUnderwood »

I'd like to see an in the cup comparison between the Linea Mini, Slayer, GS3, Vesuvius, R58, and P700 to see if they land similar to their price points.

Any of the Linea Mini owners out there familiar with other DB machines and would be willing to shed light on some of the in the cup differences?

Beezer
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Joined: 17 years ago

#32: Post by Beezer »

I've been waiting for more user reviews of the Mini too. I guess I'm not surprised that there aren't many out there yet though. It's not a cheap machine, even compared to other high-end home machines, and as others have said, it may not appeal to a lot of the more gadget-oriented espresso fanatics. I do think it appeals to the kind of user who wants simplicity and quality, as opposed to something with maximum settings and features. It's more like listening to vinyl on a quality turntable and tube amp, instead of cranking up an MP3 on a high end digital system.

Personally, I'd like to get a Mini, but I'm waiting for (1) a plumb in kit to be available, and (2) a possible price drop. If the GS3 can be had for less than $6K, then the Mini should be priced somewhere between $3.5 to $4K. I'm willing to pay a premium for the LM name and the quality it implies, but paying nearly twice what the average e61 DB machine costs is a bit painful. I assume current owners paid the full $4.5K price and didn't get a reduced rate because the machine is still new to the market. Hopefully in a few months it will drop a bit, and then it will become a lot more appealing to me, and perhaps others as well.
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aecletec
Posts: 1997
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#33: Post by aecletec »

Marshall wrote:When you consider how many baristas in the best shops depend on their Strada's gicleurs for gradual infusion, and use the paddles as an on/off switch and the preinfusion gauges as hood ornaments, you really have to question how important line pressure preinfusion really is (I certainly do, although I use it 3 times a day).
I would argue that the goals of a barista in the best shops and those of home users might be different. Certainly many here criticise the espresso in highly rated shops, so perhaps their preferences are different, too.

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Marshall
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#34: Post by Marshall replying to aecletec »

True. The goal of most buyer's of high-end equipment is to make espresso half as good as it is from their favorite barista. They post all the time on HB and CG asking why their coffee still sucks after they spent all that money.
Marshall
Los Angeles

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aecletec
Posts: 1997
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#35: Post by aecletec »

Certainly we see beginners having that problem. I'm referring specifically to high skilled home users who prefer their espresso to that of cafes.
You did make me laugh, though, nice one ;)

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Marshall
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#36: Post by Marshall replying to aecletec »

I think LM has wisely avoided features that are dear only to a small part of their intended market. This has the benefit of making the machine approachable, instead of intimidating. Frankly, I consider myself part of their target audience.

If the Linea Mini had been on the market when I bought my GS/3 MP, I would have bought the Mini. I used it several times in April at the SCAA show and thought it was great. You can see me unintentionally photo-bombing a video of Scott demonstrating the Mini in Seattle.
Marshall
Los Angeles

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aecletec
Posts: 1997
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#37: Post by aecletec »

It's good to see that LM have successfully reached their target audience/niche, then!
I think I'd probably love the machine, at any rate.

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Mrboots2u
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Joined: 10 years ago

#38: Post by Mrboots2u »

SolarUnderwood wrote:I'd like to see an in the cup comparison between the Linea Mini, Slayer, GS3, Vesuvius, R58, and P700 to see if they land similar to their price points.

Any of the Linea Mini owners out there familiar with other DB machines and would be willing to shed light on some of the in the cup differences?
How would you get all those machines in the same room?

TheJavaCup77
Posts: 267
Joined: 10 years ago

#39: Post by TheJavaCup77 »

R58 and Linea Mini..

Maybe try to figure out how much of a difference is in the cup...

Does $4k land you better shots than $2-3k?

or maybe it's differences are about durability, simplicity and build quality?
It could be as complex or as simple as you want. It's the choice of the barista.

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bluesman
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#40: Post by bluesman »

Beezer wrote:Personally, I'd like to get a Mini, but I'm waiting for........a possible price drop. I'm willing to pay a premium for the LM name and the quality it implies, but paying nearly twice what the average e61 DB machine costs is a bit painful. Hopefully in a few months it will drop a bit, and then it will become a lot more appealing to me...
I've been thinking exactly the same thing! Oscar will just have to satisfy me until a LM becomes more affordable. As far as I can tell, he's in great shape after my rebuild a few months ago - but if something major should fail, I'd have a hard time "investing" $4.5k in a replacement when I could get a great machine plus a somewhat better grinder than my Compak K3 for less than that. I'd probably just go back to my Lelit and await a price drop on the LM if I couldn't repair Oscar for a few hundred $ in parts (which is unlikely).

But I do love the LM. My wife and I proudly wear the "La Marzocco On The Road" T-shirts given to us at the Philly LM intro at Ultimo - and I must say that we look great in green......