Hello All,
I am new to the specialty coffee world.
For the last 7 years only using De Lounghi bean to cup without any clue of the this type of coffee.

I bought LMLM as impulse purchase and now after roaming around cafes here in Kuwait I decided to sell the machine and buy something that will allow me to do more besides the plain vanilla 9 bars.

And here i need your help!
Quick note : my home step-up is in the living room and no access to the plumbing. So if the machine requires that i will install to lagre 10L water reservoir for it

I was thinking of La Marzocco Leva X single group however the shop in Kuwait didn't recommend that for the following reasons;
- they claim its hard to use
- The lever needs a maintenance every 2-3 months
- The quality of the cup is nice but not great
They recommend to get a slayer machine.

Another gentleman told me to get a speester kees Van machine ( im not familiar with it however its within the same price range of the Slayer in Kuwait)

Best,
Wahab

Can you maybe tell us what you want, which style of espresso you prefer, which grinder you use. Because there is no best espresso machine. There is maybe the "best" espresso machine for you. But you can not generalize anything in this prize range. All of them are great machines and nobody should argue this. Also the lmlm is a great machine.

I'm not sure about the copyright issue of posting pictures from websites here, but all three are visually stunning machines. For anyone who has not seen them, go check them out online.

Thank you all.
My current grinders are Eureka Oro XL and KafaTek Monilith MC4.

And i dont have the LMLM just got it sold.

Our drinks for only espresso and my wife lattes

Best

Jeff wrote:As hinted, it really comes down to what you're looking for out of the machine. All will produce very good coffee.

Interesting comment on the [La Marzocco, I assume] Leva. From what I've heard from someone who has both skills and "certified" taste, the Leva is a notch above its competition in the cup. Of the three you've listed, it is the only one I have seriously considered in the past decade, based on that person's opinion. They were very difficult to obtain in the US and very expensive.

The comment came from shop selling both Machines " LaMarzocco leva & Slayer" and i took seriously since the slayer is cheaper by 1000 Kuwaiti dinars " around USD 3,300

If it's going to be a show piece, I'd get either the Leva or an Idro-Matic Speedster, but they both take very deep cabinets or preferably a bar where you can see all sides. KVW makes extraordinary machines, well designed and built pieces of art. I'd call LM and talk to them about the Leva to see if in your environment they really recommend that much service. There's little feedback here about the machine as I can only think of one or two people who have them, though as pointed out earlier, one of them seems to think it's in the realm of as good as machines get at making espresso and he's one of those people you listen to. But sadly none of them will fit in my space without way to much compromise.

Ilshamali wrote:Thank you all.
My current grinders are Eureka Oro XL and KafaTek Monilith MC4.

And I don't have the LMLM just got it sold.

Our drinks for only espresso and my wife lattes

Best

I mean this in the nicest way but this is not helpful. Please tell us which kind of roasts you want to use. What's the style of espresso you are looking for. Do you want thick syrupy shots or do you want to have as much clarity as possible or something in between? What were you missing in the shots that you had from your LMLM? In which direction should your next machine be an upgrade. I hope you understand my problem. I really want to help, but the information you have given does not give a hint. Also, if I would pay so much money, I would like to test all of the machines. Maybe your Seller can make you shots on the Leva and Slayer, so you know which one you prefer. Furthermore, I guess money is not an issue with the machines you are looking at. So maybe directly contact Kees and see if he can make you the espresso machine of your dreams.

I got it now ! I prefer medium roast - big time on the body and thickness- not a big fan of ligh body which was the Linea Mini. Tomorrow i have an appointment to try the Leva and the slayer