About to buy La Marzocco Linea Mini. Is FOMO on pressure profiling justified? - Page 2

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
stump007 (original poster)
Posts: 122
Joined: 3 years ago

#11: Post by stump007 (original poster) »

Thank you all for your comments.
Arafel wrote:Order a Specht Design LMLM. The have two mods available:
Would you happen to have a link? :?: I checked Specht's website but it seems the mods they provide are only cosmetic. Maybe I missed it.
dominico wrote:Most lever machines have a pressurized boiler and steam wand.

Only the ones that don't provide their own water source or have an open boiler don't, but they are actually in the minority as far as lever machines available.
You are right! I just had robot/flair in mind but it's true others have it. I could consider a Cremina... but I guess I should add consistency is also important to me.
jdrobison wrote:Why the hyperbole? If it's not for you, it's not for you. But 99.9% of the world isn't having coffee discussions on an internet forum in and enjoyable pursuit of the best cup of coffee they can produce.
Yes, that's the point. Although YPuh's reaction is interesting . It seems anyone who has tried PP is an advocate? This is what creates my doubts. In fact I'm wondering if there's anyone who got a PP machine but doesn't use the feature so much.
jdrobison wrote:I added the Grafikus needle valve to mine since I brew almost entirely dense light roasts and the difference was worth it to me. But for only med or med-dark, I'm not sure.
Thanks good to know!
jrcdzn wrote:I was exactly in the same position last year. Nice bonus, what decision to make.

I pulled the trigger on LMLM, I have no regrets.

I like the simplicity and the built-in capabilities. I have not done any mods other than cosmetic switch out of the handles and other machine interfaces when pulling a shot. A friend made custom wood pieces.

Reasons for my decision:
1. I wanted a classic mouthfeel
2. I did not want to fuss with profiling, it was not important to me. I understand it and won't argue against the flexibility profiling allows. Just not a rabbit hole I am looking to go down.
3. Having the flexibility of changing temps was good enough. In my experience, if you can dial in your grind and keep it simple you can pull repetitive shots and enjoy a range of roast, blends, etc.
4. I pour about 3-4 shots a day.
5. On occasion, we host brunches for Family and Friends and I love being able to pull 10-12 shots/milk drinks in a row without issues.

I am one year in and while I may consider mods, I am always stoked to walk up and pull a shot or make a milk drink.

There are many options, in my opinion, any that allow you to enjoy the process are all equal. Enjoy the journey, enjoy your coffee!
Highly relatable, thank you for sharing your experience.

So in summary...
  • Today I do not "need" PP, but there is a possibility that the need arises as I experience light roasts
  • It seems that everyone with a PP machine raves about the function, hence the FOMO may be justified
  • I should probably just go with the LMLM since that's the machine I like
  • Good news is there are mods, although I hate tinkering with this kind of machine, I do have the option to add the Grafikus needle valve mod, or even just a flair/robot on the side to play with.

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Ypuh
Posts: 312
Joined: 3 years ago

#12: Post by Ypuh »

jdrobison wrote:Why the hyperbole? If it's not for you, it's not for you. But 99.9% of the world isn't having coffee discussions on an internet forum in and enjoyable pursuit of the best cup of coffee they can produce.
It's a bit of fun, something I'd tell myself when looking in the mirror days before I make a large purchase :wink:.

I'm the person who investigated (i.e. wasted) countless of hours on the subject, trying to convince myself it's not for me. You can probably quote me on this in a couple of years when I present to you my new pressure profiling machine convincing others they're missing out.

Don't feel offended. If you lived around the corner I'd be flocking to your place to test it out. In the meanwhile people without PP are probably fine without it. Knowing there is a Grafikus and similar mods are available definitely played a role in my purchase of my LM, altough I don't feel I need/want it yet (and when working-from-home ends, I might never).

@jrcdzn similarly describes my current take on coffee. I wouldn't call the LM machine simple though, in operation yes, but find it a quite innovative design with heavy duty commercial parts, large 3.5L steam boiler and integrated brew boiler in such a small package.
I don't want a Decent

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dominico
Team HB
Posts: 2006
Joined: 9 years ago

#13: Post by dominico »

stump007 wrote:I just had robot/flair in mind but it's true others have it. I could consider a Cremina... but I guess I should add consistency is also important to me.
The Cremina is not a spring lever; spring levers, such as a Profitec Pro 800, Bezzera Strega, Londinium, etc are very consistent; you just let the spring do its job.

That said, if you would like to play with profiling on lever machines (spring or not) you can do so in a consistent manner by pairing it with a smart scale and an app that shows the realtime flow profile. There are a few options on the market today that work with any machine where you can put a scale under the cup.
https://bit.ly/3N1bhPR
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?

Arafel
Posts: 161
Joined: 3 years ago

#14: Post by Arafel »

stump007 wrote:Thank you all for your comments.


Would you happen to have a link? :?: I checked Specht's website but it seems the mods they provide are only cosmetic. Maybe I missed it.
The way to get info is to contact Dan direct via the Start a Design Conversation on the Sprecht Link. The machine internal mods are created by Rick Bond. Here's a link to some of the explanations of his mods:

http://coffeemachinist.com.au/linea-mini-mod/

Here's a vid of the Slayer style mod to the LMLM:
Here's a YT vid of a Gear Pump mod LMLM pulling a shot:
I'm like you; I'm not a tinkerer. So I went to Dan and asked if they can build an LMLM with the internal mods, and that's when he explained both the needle valve mod and the gear pump mod.

pcofftenyo
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Posts: 354
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#15: Post by pcofftenyo »

I forgot to say that I have a spring lever (Ponte Vecchio Lusso). I forgot about it because its broken and I haven't used it since I got the LMLM.

I bought it when I had the Livia to test the waters. I think it makes decent espresso but the workflow isn't nearly as good as the LMLM.

As others have said, with the LMLM dial in the grind and go. No temp surfing required, plumbed in option is to die for compared to a pressurized tank or even a rear tank, huge drip tray that's preconfigured for drainage, and ability to use varying size and "quality" baskets (VST, etc).

Macmutant
Posts: 27
Joined: 2 years ago

#16: Post by Macmutant »

Ypuh wrote:It's a bit of fun, something I'd tell myself when looking in the mirror days before I make a large purchase :wink:.

I'm the person who investigated (i.e. wasted) countless of hours on the subject, trying to convince myself it's not for me. You can probably quote me on this in a couple of years when I present to you my new pressure profiling machine convincing others they're missing out.

@jrcdzn similarly describes my current take on coffee. I wouldn't call the LM machine simple though, in operation yes, but find it a quite innovative design with heavy duty commercial parts, large 3.5L steam boiler and integrated brew boiler in such a small package.
Thank you for addressing the exhaustive research struggle. Sometimes I wonder if my similar need for amassing every piece of information about a potential purchase is some kind of disorder. Not to make light of such things, I find that I just don't feel right if I'm not pouring over reviews and YouTube videos in search of the best new thing.

I'm looking at getting a Linea Mini, too. After ruling out the DE1Pro, it's really the only thing left. Interestingly, for me, it's the simplicity of operation, nostalgia from pulling shots on a La Marzocco machine in college, under-cabinet friendly reservoir, and sheer beauty of the machine. Functional art FTW!

I haven't pulled a shot in 15 years, but what the heck. Aren't you supposed to try to recapture your youth as you grow older?

stump007 (original poster)
Posts: 122
Joined: 3 years ago

#17: Post by stump007 (original poster) »

Arafel wrote:The way to get info is to contact Dan direct via the Start a Design Conversation on the Sprecht Link. The machine internal mods are created by Rick Bond. Here's a link to some of the explanations of his mods:
Ah I see, thank you for sharing! Too bad, in the meantime I already pulled the trigger on a "stock" LMLM :D
Macmutant wrote:Thank you for addressing the exhaustive research struggle. Sometimes I wonder if my similar need for amassing every piece of information about a potential purchase is some kind of disorder.
Sounds totally sane to me to mitigate any future buyer remorse through some homework ;)

drH
Posts: 891
Joined: 4 years ago

#18: Post by drH »

stump007 wrote:Ah I see, thank you for sharing! Too bad, in the meantime I already pulled the trigger on a "stock" LMLM :D


Sounds totally sane to me to mitigate any future buyer remorse through some homework ;)
Congratulations on the purchase! I'm sure you'll love it. Make sure to let us know how it goes when it arrives.

txxt
Posts: 79
Joined: 5 years ago

#19: Post by txxt »

stump007 wrote:Ah I see, thank you for sharing! Too bad, in the meantime I already pulled the trigger on a "stock" LMLM :D


Sounds totally sane to me to mitigate any future buyer remorse through some homework ;)
Stump, enjoyed reading about your decision-making. I found myself in a similar position and after a couple years decided that profiling of some sort was worthy of experimentation as my home roasting got lighter. However my temptation could not outweigh breaking the extended warranty I purchased to mod the machine.

While I do not regret my Strietman, the LMLM is tempting to keep in a way because of it's immense steam power and reliability. I just know at this point in my life it isn't used as frequently as such a beast should be :D

I hope it makes excellent drinks for you and treats you well! La Marzocco support is a fantastic help as well.

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