tahoejr wrote:Plumb In Kit

I was a bit concerned about the lack of details around the plumb in option when the Linea Mini was introduced as well. Earlier this month I got an email reply from La Marzocco's Scott Callender that the plumb in option would be no more difficult than the GS/3 and than an announcement of the kit would be coming out shortly. Target timeframe for shipment was around September so Scott was suggesting getting comfortable with the machine with the reservoir and then making the mod later.

Will the plumb in kit include a way to plumb out the drip tray or are you stuck with manually dumping it?

Not sure if the plumb in kit will include the necessary materials, but the drip tray was clearly designed with plumbing the machine in mind. The bottom of the dray is designed to drain the water to the back of the tray where there is a threaded hole and plug to attach the drain line. So all you should need to do is to unthread the plug and thread in the drain hose.

See the picture of the drip tray in this post.

How does the stainless steel finish of the linea mini compare to the regular LM linea? Seems from the pictures that it is a highly polished stainless steel. The regular linea has a more opaque finish it seems but I have not seen the linea mini in person to really tell.

The Mini's stainless is highly polished and mirror-like.

Marshall wrote: If I were shopping now for an upgrade to the Mini's price range (or above), after trying the machine out at the Expo, I would buy the Mini.

As would I, after hands on at the LM-on-the-Road demo last week. The Mini is the easiest machine I've ever touched to bond with. Admittedly, Ryan (one of the LM team) had already dialed in the grinder fairly well. But I pulled fine espresso with no fuss at all from shot 1, and the lack of stuff to do was refreshing.

Marshall makes a critical point: a lot of the tweaks and concerns expressed by serious enthusiasts may contribute significantly more to their personal enjoyment than to objective quality. This is not limited to coffee lovers - it pervades enthusiasm of every flavor, and it can make things much worse for the unsuspecting or the non-savant. Take, for example, all those knowledgeable car enthusiasts who've lowered their vehicles in pursuit of better handling, only to discover that they can't get up their own driveways without scraping the paint from their front spoilers and have to turn around at speed bumps so they don't nail their shiny exhausts.

The Mini may well join the ranks of "lasting stuff that needs no tweaking to make you happy", like McIntosh, Thorens, Martin, Viking, Patek etc.

Good analogy. No light for burner on, no clock, no timer nada bells or whistles on my 15 year old Viking. And a true joy to cook on.

bluesman wrote:... Take, for example, all those knowledgeable car enthusiasts who've lowered their vehicles in pursuit of better handling, only to discover that they can't get up their own driveways without scraping the paint from their front spoilers and have to turn around at speed bumps so they don't nail their shiny exhausts.

In defence of knowledgeable car enthusiasts, lowering a car usually reduces handling. Lowering (of a street car) to the point of unusability is generally done by those lacking knowledge and wanting to look the part.

An equivalent espresso example is a local food emporium that dumps pre-ground Lavazza into the doser of their "titan-class" grinder. (They dose as designed. Two thwacks for a double.) Nice lever machine, and the baristas pour good latté art. All the right appearances., but...

To get back on topic, the Linea Mini reminds me of the Elektra Sixties 1-group. Similar price, similar lack of fancy stuff (well, I haven't seen the insides of the revised Elektra), similar why-would-one-buy-one, and no doubt similar "presence."

baldheadracing wrote:In defence of knowledgeable car enthusiasts......

Knowledgeable enthusiasts of anything need no defense. And their opinions and advice are both correct and well-intentioned. But when that advice is adopted by less-knowledgeable enthusiasts unaware of the compromises and consequences, the results are often less than pleasing (and, occasionally, disastrous).

FWIW, I've been a builder and SCCA racer (C-sedan, FV) for decades. I was once thrilled to have been invited (along with my vintage club, VSCCA) to join VARAC and come race my H-mod LeGrand Mk 3 at Shannonville after I restored it. My daily driver, a bone stock Scion FRS (aka Subaru BRZ or Toyota ft86 around the world), is another simple device like the Linea Mini. It'll never come close to its functional limits in my hands on public roads, will last for many years with appropriate attention, offers more than most drivers could ever use and appreciate, and does amazing things in the hands of a truly skilled user. Can it be made "better"? Of course it can - but at significant cost and not without sacrificing something that might have deterred change if recognized, e.g. ease of use, reliability, longevity, ride comfort (OK - maybe the term "ride comfort" doesn't really apply...), ease of maintenance etc.

The Linea Mini as it is right now will probably join the ranks of the simple greats, e.g.:

OK, I understand, thanks.

FWIW, I understand a bit about the FRS. A Torsen as standard says a lot. Due in part to Scion' generous contingency program for Solo2, there are quite a few being driven in anger around here (stock, except for the Prius tires - but that is one of those sacrifices that you are talking about).

BTW, I invite you to come out to our club's next race, the Ted Powell Memorial at Calabogie http://www.mco.org/wordpress/2015-mco-r ... weekend-2/ VARAC will be there http://varac.ca/events/august-2223-2015 ... ial-races/ I just came back from our May races, I was in the pace car - which was an FRS competitor, the Civic Si.

baldheadracing wrote:(stock, except for the Prius tires - but that is one of those sacrifices that you are talking about).

I don't know what everybody complains about - they taste all right to me.....