It was certainly a pleasure to work with the La Marzocco GS3 up close for a week. Thanks again to Peter Guiliano for the loaner, and of course the supply sponsors I mentioned earlier. Keep in mind when reading this epilogue that my observations are based on only a very crammed week, while the
Buyer's Guides represent months of daily use and measurements.
Most of all, I'm surprised how little that I was surprised; if anything, I'm a little disappointed. Although the machine met all the performance claims I've read, the same feeling one experiences after having seen a critically acclaimed film befell me, the feeling that anything less than
absolutely mindbogglingly fantastic misses the mark. Most assuredly I cast an eye about the kitchen and listened carefully. Never did I hear a chorus of angels heralding the birth of a new espresso from the GS3's grouphead, nor did I see a heavenly glow envelop the room. That's the risk of unnaturally heightened expectations -- specifically my expectation that the
exceptional espresso "ceiling" would rise under the mystical powers of the GS3.
Photo courtesy of Mark Prince (flickr)
A couple weeks ago Sean Lennon and I talked about his modifications to the Brewtus, as documented in the
Brewtus Compendium. He remarked that none of the modifications he made fundamentally changed the espresso machine's maximum potential, rather they increased the frequency of superior results. That was the impression that lasted with me throughout the week with the GS3. It was easy to pull good espressos on day 1 and very good espressos every day thereafter. Once or twice I thought the ceiling might move upward. Looking back on it, more realistically it was a case of the serendipitous "once a month" near godshot arriving, arguably with the aid of the GS3's predictable, solid performance.
Re-reading Chris'
conclusion, I'm impressed how balanced it is despite his clearly effusive enthusiasm. His soundbite length analysis is excerpted below:
malachi wrote:Pros:- State of the art temperature stability,
- Incredible ease of use,
- Wonderful espresso,
- Amazingly compact (and even portable),
- Does not place limits or constraints on the barista,
- World class components and technology.
Cons:- Very expensive,
- Not semi-auto,
- "Functional" aesthetic.
Edit: Removed "Steep learning curve for milk steaming" since it has since been addressed
His advice about who should and who shouldn't consider the pricey GS3 resonated with me:
malachi wrote:I figure there are probably two groups of home users who should consider the GS3. The first group is the seriously obsessive home espresso freaks. By this I mean the people out there who have already paid Schomer for his training course and consider the money well-spent. I mean the people who plan family vacations around espresso. I mean the people who have extensive cupping logs. If you are the kind of person who is passionate about coffee and wants to truly understand espresso as best you can - cost be damned - then the GS3 is your dream machine. And if you can afford it, you should buy it. It will free you to truly explore the boundaries of your abilities and your understanding. The second group are those who have more than ample funds, love coffee and simply want a very, very good cup of espresso every morning without too much muss or fuss.
Interpreting the results of the poll
What does your typical espresso rate? suggests that nearly half of the HB membership thinks their daily espressos are at least "very good." Arguments about the accuracy of self-evaluations and meaningfulness of numerical designations aside for a moment, the poll shows that the majority are pleased with their results. It begs the question: How much
more would they be pleased with the results if a brand-new GS3 arrived in their kitchen, and would they agree the incremental improvement was worth the sticker price? Would a consistent improvement of one-half point (from midway between good/very good to a solid "very good") be worth more than four grand? Or would an increased frequency of the higher portion of the spectrum they already know today be enough?
Jim commented offline his often-repeated observation is that there is no jump from an E61 box to something better that will be nearly as dramatic as going from a Silvia to an E61 box.
My gut reaction is that his observation holds true in the GS3's case too, despite my agreement that the GS3 tops every performance-related category noted in a
Buyer's Guide conclusion (
Exceptional Espresso,
Morning After,
Cappuccino Lover's). Then again, my viewpoint may be constrained by having only one week to experiment. Given a few months' time, perhaps I would have "unlocked new understandings about espresso" as Chris did, thanks to the GS3's temperature accuracy and precision.
Photo courtesy of dublinbarista and Mark Prince (flickr)
In contrast, I didn't share Chris' enthusiasm for the GS3's usability. Perhaps, as Greg mentioned earlier, it may take "some getting used to", though I've used plenty of espresso machines that seemed well adapted to how I like to work, not vice-verse. Subsequently I would dock its
Convenience / Features score due to the ungainly layout of the steam arm / steam arm toggle / brew button array. I'm hopeful that a smart product ergonomics design engineer will revisit the prototype control panel layout too. It's bank of same-sized buttons offer poor visual clues and no tactical clues to their different purposes. I was almost ready to place a big piece of masking tape near the correct button (if you look closely at the extraction videos, you'll notice that I hesitate for an instant as I confirmed which button to press
). I have a nagging feeling that the focus on performance and reusing existing components trumped refinements one would have expected in a groundbreaking home espresso machine. Then again, it's a prototype, it may change in the final version, right?
Do I plan to add myself to the waiting list? Despite some quibbling above, it's really,
really tempting. The forgiveness factor is very good. The beast clearly intends to kick butt in the WBC temperature torture test. You can tweak brew temperature with confidence and speed. It's a cappuccino loving locomotive and the velocity / volume of the steam balance is a true joy. And the compactness? Heck, I've reviewed prosumer espresso machines that would seem cramped in the same quarters the GS3 calls comfy. Were that not enough, the wife even gave me the green light to build an espresso bar in the rec room ("Don't complain if the kids bust one of your precious cups!").
So what's my answer?
No thanks.
(to be continued...)
