Le'Lit PL53 Stepless Doserless Espresso Grinder - Page 2

[HB]

This would be much more conveniently sized for a dorm room, but with the mini I know that I'm investing in a grinder that I won't get upgraditis with for a long time.

I hate to sound like an old-timer, but when I was your age, I was happy with a dorm fridge and going to McDonald's was a treat I could afford only once every few months. And you're asking about an espresso machine and whether a Mazzer will shoehorn into your dorm room?

This is what I have to look forward to when my boys are college age? Go for the 10% off coupon and the less expensive grinder. Save your money for something else like taking your parents out to dinner.

[aindfan]

This is what I have to look forward to when my boys are college age?

That depends how early they start taking part time (or summer) IT jobs.

Thanks for the tip, the Le'lit option was looking much sweeter given the price difference ($200<$500).

[jesawdy]

I hate to sound like an old-timer, but when I was your age, I was happy with a dorm fridge and going to McDonald's was a treat I could afford only once every few months. And you're asking about an espresso machine and whether a Mazzer will shoehorn into your dorm room?

I remember going to the Student Union and hitting the ATM machine for $5 at a time...

Thanks for the tip, the Le'lit option was looking much sweeter given the price difference ($200<$500).

Dan was kinda quiet about it, but it looks like you can save an additional 10% with a new years coupon code per the 1st-Line homepage AND this is introductory pricing. It's almost like making money!

[cannonfodder]

My roommate worked at Taco Bell part time and closed, so we had all the bean burritos we could stand. After a month, we had all we could stand.

I could make ramen noodles into a gourmet meal and was even known to catch a fish or two in a pond by campus and cook them over an open fire, but I like that kind of thing.

When I started in the IT field the information super highway was a two lane dirt road.

Fyi, when I started college, ATM was an asynchronous transfer mode and you got cash from the lady behind the counter.

[mikemar42]

So, this vs the Quickmill doserless grinder with stepless adjustment... what are the pro's and con's ? Anyone try both ? I have been looking at both and now can't decide.

Oh and I'm in college too, don't worry it's not a common thing for college students to buy $300 espresso grinders and $1,000 lever machines.

[aindfan]

So, this vs the Quickmill doserless grinder with stepless adjustment... what are the pro's and con's ? Anyone try both ? I have been looking at both and now can't decide.

I'm looking more closely at this one. Seems to be neater (in terms of grinding straight into the PF), the metal chute will probably help with static, and I'm assuming it does not have the problems with the finer grind settings giving the touching-burrs noise. Also, this one has conical burrs, so ___(insert benefit of conical vs. flat burrs here... something about lower motor speed perhaps?)___.

Also, this one is $100 less than the QM.

Oh and I'm in college too, don't worry it's not a common thing for college students to buy $300 espresso grinders and $1,000 lever machines.

Agreed. It is, however, common for my friends to wonder why I would EVER consider spending more than $20 on the coffee machine, $20 on the grinder, and why ordering fresh coffee online is such a big deal. It's a tough job to convince friends that I'm not crazy (giving them a taste of a cappuccino helps). Of course, having read this forum since last June, I am now switched over to the mindset that dropping $500+ on a Mazzer and $1500+ on a double boiler machine is not too insane. At the very least it has been done before (but not by me... yet).

[iginfect]

At one point I was considering the QM vs. Rocky for my office. At that time we were going to a pour over/filter for the staff and espresso for me. This change was a no sweat on my MM at home but Chris' told me to go with the Rocky, the QM would be a hassle to make big changes.

Marvin

[bsalinas]

I went ahead and purchased one of these. I ordered it yesterday at 9:00 AM. This morning at 11:30 AM, it was in my hands in Massachusetts (despite the fact that I just used free UPS ground shipping). I was very impressed.

I haven't had too much of a chance to use the grinder, but I figured I would post my first impressions.

First off- it is small. When I first saw the box from 1st Line, I was sure the order was wrong (we ordered 2 grinders- one for me and one for a friend but the box was just barely bigger than the box my Rocky came in)
But sure enough, we opened the box and there were the grinders. The grinder is definitely smaller than the Rocky (and it goes without saying that it is smaller than the Mazzer line). This also means that it will fit wonderfully on my cabinet.

The body is made out of bent sheet metal. It seems sturdy enough. It is not as beefy as a Mazzer or even a Rocky. The hopper does seem a tad bit fragile.

Basically, this grinder is very simple. You pull the hopper off, and there are the conical burrs. The front chute comes off (for easy cleaning, though one of the issues is that it seems a little hard to get it in and out). The path from the burrs to the chute is very short. There is a large on/off button on the side and a button in the front, which is pushed by the portafilter.

After setting it up, I began to ground coffee. I was very impressed by the quality of the grind. Despite being doserless, there is little clumping. The coffee seems as if it is coming out of the doser on my Rocky. I haven't used a Mazzer Mini, so I can't compare to that. In addition, the grinder seemed to be quite fast compared to the Rocky (this could just be because the burrs are new).

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the lid to the hopper. It has a lip on it, which means if you push it down, it will clear a lot of the grounds out of the chute. I am not sure whether this was intended, but it works quite well (much like the "ClickClack" mod for the Rocky). I might put some tape on the inside of the lip so it can get a tighter seal.

In conclusion, from my first impression, I like this better than either version of the Rocky. The grind seems to be a bit more consistent, it is easier to use, it is smaller, and it is cheaper. It does not look like it will be as durable as the Rocky (but then again it is not nearly as heavy, weighing in at under 9 pounds), but for home use this is fine. Basically, this grinder is designed to be used as an espresso grinder in the home. It achieves that design goal quite well.

When I get a chance, I'll do a side by side taste comparison with the Rocky.

-Ben

[jariten22]

I picked one of these up too; nice thing about being across the Hudson from 1st-line is that UPS delivers overnight Initially I was worried that it got damaged because it was making a bit of a chirpy (not quite scraping) sound that wasn't present in Dan's video, but Jim assured me that it seemed normal to him.

I'm still a newbie, with my first espresso machine just a couple of months old - one of the throngs with a starbucks barista from the holiday sale - so my impressions probably won't be as useful as some of the more experienced folks here. I had gotten a barista grinder (the solis 166/saeco titan clone) with my espresso machine, so that's my baseline for comparison. My observations about the grinder so far:
- it's really small, just a bit bigger than the barista grinder, so it fits easily in the same space
- the hopper is a pretty tight fit. The "cup" shape is almost horizontal at the neck, so beans can get stuck if you're doing just-in-time grinding
- the edges all around the case are fairly sharp and exposed
- the upper burr is housed in a black plastic carrier
- the grounds exit chute is very short, and the chute itself is a very tight fit that was slightly warping the top panel on the grinder I received
- approx. 4.2g of grinds are retained. Most of that is in the chamber (3 large plastic "push" vanes), about 1.2g of it lodges in the chute or in the exit area that is exposed when the chute is exposed.
- the grinder is pretty fast, compared to the starbucks one. I can rotate the basket in the portafilter to even out the distribution (which definitely dresses left), but I have to cycle off a bit or else it'll overflow too fast.
- Turkish or even finer (clay?) is possible - found that out by mistake when I got impatient trying to dial it in. The stepless adjustment is very fine - I lost track of how many turns it took to get from drip to espresso.

So far I'm very pleased with the grinder. With the New Year discount, it was quite a bargain. The small size makes it NY-apartment-friendly, but it's a bit on the noisy side. It's too bad that it's difficult to adjust for multiple methods, because it makes a much nicer tasting drip grind than my starbucks one!

[gmwoodturner]

I am in the market for my first grinder and noticed in one of the post that they are or will be available in Canada.
Could some one tell where I can purchase one in Canada.
Thanks for the great web site and all replies
Gary

[1st-line]

I am in the market for my first grinder and noticed in one of the post that they are or will be available in Canada.
Could some one tell where I can purchase one in Canada.
Thanks for the great web site and all replies
Gary

They are scheduled to arrive in the next week here:

http://www.coffeephilter.com

[zanderale]

Hello all....
I ordered one of these on Sunday, Jan 13th and it arrived Tuesday, Jan 15th. Nice ship speed (considering the free 7-day UPS ground option).

So, on to first impressions.

It is small. Way smaller than I expected. I wasn't disapointed at all, just surprised. I don't have the counter top-to-cabinet bottom limitation that a lot of people talk about so I imagine for tight spaces, this is your grinder of choice. I do own a commercial machine and it completely dwarfs the grinder. It is bright and shiny (nothing looks as clean and sleek as stainless) with simple switches and pieces. The hopper is a great size and the cord length is just fine. The hopper neck didn't quite fit in at first because the stainless hole in the top wasn't quite aligned with the hole in the black plastic burr carrier...no big deal, though. A little push here and it popped right in. There were some grounds (I assume they were grounds) in the burrs when I got it, but I am happy the factory checked it before shipping.

Grinding.

The noise is no louder than a blender. I think it is magnified in the video, because I thought it was going to be really loud when I got it. putting the lid on cuts a quarter of the noise down as well.
I was taken aback (probably because I am used to commercial espresso grinders) at the range of the burrs. It took me two whole turns to get the shot time down 3 seconds. I am much more accustomed to barely "bumping" the collar of a grinder to have that kind of range. All in all I used about a quarter of a pound dialing it in. I can see, however, if you were trying to go between drip, french press, espresso every day what a tedious task moving from one method of brewing to the other would be. You would literally have to count how many turns and write yourself a chart to do it efficiently. The grinds coming out for espresso were very nice and even (yeah, conical burrs!) as well as fairly fast. My only complaint is that I have a Brasilia Portofino so the portafilter is so deep, I have to tilt it back toward me to fill the basket. If I leave it level, the grinds build up in the chute and don't get to fall into the basket. If I had a slimmer PF (like astoria or La MAr) it would be no problem.

I picked up some Toscano from CC at Murky in DC to take home and dial it in. It was roasted on Thursday and was oh-so-yummy! After half an hour of tinkering, Anna and I were sipping some nice shots and making up some lattes (steaming my milk in a French press carafe...gotta buy a pitcher soon).

So a thumbs up to Le Lit for putting a damn good espresso grinder on the market that is a solid piece of equipment both in design and production. To have a brand new, conical burr, stepless, doserless, stainless steel espresso grinder for under 200 was only a dream until you guys rolled this out. Thanks and I look forward to many happy shots!

Alex

[1st-line]

It is small. Way smaller than I expected. I wasn't disapointed at all, just surprised. I don't have the counter top-to-cabinet bottom limitation that a lot of people talk about so I imagine for tight spaces, this is your grinder of choice. I do own a commercial machine and it completely dwarfs the grinder. It is bright and shiny (nothing looks as clean and sleek as stainless) with simple switches and pieces. The hopper is a great size and the cord length is just fine. The hopper neck didn't quite fit in at first because the stainless hole in the top wasn't quite aligned with the hole in the black plastic burr carrier...no big deal, though. A little push here and it popped right in. There were some grounds (I assume they were grounds) in the burrs when I got it, but I am happy the factory checked it before shipping.

Alex,

Thanks for the constructive feedback. It personally makes me feel good that a product can be delivered right the first time. I spent a lot of time with this grinder at home and with the manufacturer over the phone, via emails, and meeting them in Italy - BEFORE the product was launched.

I agree the grinder is small - it was intended to be very compact for the smallest of situations while at the same time delivering performance. Lelit has been provided a link to this site - so hopefully, they are watching the fruit of their labor, as well (as I did drive them nuts!).

As for the chute not fitting correctly, I am already advising Lelit to pay more attention to their cutting of the stainless steel hole made for the bean hopper. Once again, thanks for the constructive feedback.

[fifthgen]

Jim this is a great price of a capable grinder. Thank you for making it available. Your price for the replacement burrs is truly a breakthrough as well.

These burrs should outlast rocky burrs by miles. Conical burrs last and last. One reason is the increased cutting area.


I do differ a bit on your statement that stepless grinders are meant for espresso. Worm driven adjustment grinders certainly are meant for one brewing style, but the mazzer line can go from espresso to drip and back pretty quickly.

[ntwkgestapo]

I purchased one of these and got it yesterday. I've been waxing (well, not poetic! ), er, praising this grinder over in the "Getting to know the Gaggia Factory" thread. I HAVE found a problem with this tho..... My Americano is gone! Tasted so good, it didn't last! I've GOT to give a BIG thanks to Jim @ 1st-Line as this grinder fits in the space I have and does a GREAT job of grinding! Nice fluffy grind and NO static that I can see. Just GREAT! If you're space or budget constrained I couldn't recommend this grinder more highly! Again, Jim THANK YOU!

[Mike Panic]

Ordered 45 minutes ago - hoping my delivery time is as fast as everyone elses since im only an hour or so car ride from 1st-line....review will come shortly.

[1st-line]

For those who have been procrastinating, this is a heads up for our special introductory price on this grinder. Just to make everyone aware, this $199 pricing was on a select number of units.

Well, we are getting close to this point.... And, once these are gone, the pricing will go up to $229.

[ntwkgestapo]

One "Issue" I've had with the grinder so far, is... I've been unable to remove the doser chute. I've removed the screw (11mm socket fits just fine!) but don't seem to be able to get the chute off! I've been a tad unwilling to exert a LOT of force for fear of breakage. Once I see what's under there I'm sure I'll be "relieved" but the screw is tight (no finger tightening for this screw) and it just doesn't seem to want to come off... Maybe I'll try a bit more force tonight. Just want to be able to clean it out a bit...

[jariten22]

Steve - re: the chute, I just used force and yanked it off. It's stuck on tightly enough that you don't need to use the thumbscrew to put it back on solidly. In fact, I was unable/unwilling to bend the chassis enough to get the thumbscrew hole to line up enough to put it back in!

[Java Jones]

I got mine ordered, anyway . . . Jan. 25 -- about 12:01 AM PST.

I'd been all over the place on a grinder. Returned the Krups blade thingie. Returned a Starbucks Barista (static, won't grind coarse enough for press pot, nor fine enough for espresso). I looked at a Zassenhaus manual, Gazzia MDF, Rancilio Rocky (doserless) and a Mazzer Mini.

I don't do espresso. (Heresy! Heresy!)

I do press pot, moka pot, drip. Down the road I might go for a vac-pot. I don't entertain, don't have an espresso machine (although there's a Mazzia Factory G106 calling my name . . . )

I'm looking for a conical burr machine, low RPM, that won't static charge the grinds. Stainless is nice. I'm a nut for stainless. I particularly like that the "dump chute" on this rig is stainless and not plastic. My experience with plastic and grounds it that they generate static.

Stainless -- I like stainless, did I mention I'm a nut for stainless . . . in a compact unit for individual, small-volume use that's not going to take over my limited counter space.

I got a referral from another site . . . and the reviews here closed the sale. Jim sounds like the sort of business I want to give my trade to. When I take delivery, we'll write a review.