Currently running a Vetrano 2B with Evo PID and a Mahlkoenig K30 Vario.

Considering linea mini for the integrated brew group and its more stable temperature at idle and during the shot. I'm also intrigued by the quality of a La Marzocco machine. The only downside would be losing my shot timer that I can think of. I'm hoping for a cleaner mouth feel and more separated flavors I tend to see at my local shops new 3 group Strada

What does HB think? Is this an actual upgrade in the cup? Or just a upgrade for aesthetics and build and steam?

Personally, I feel like the Mini does provide clearer, better separated flavors than my old machine, an Izzo Alex Duetto II, which is similar to your Vetrano 2B. E61 machines seem to emphasize the mellow, chocolate notes of coffee, but sometimes at the expense of other, more subtle flavors. I can taste those flavors better with the Mini.

So yes, I believe the Mini is an upgrade in terms of flavor as well as build quality, steam power, etc. over an e61 machine. Of course, whether it's worth another $2,000 or so is another question, but that's something only you can decide.

I'm in a similar situation. If I were to upgrade my next stop would be a Speedster. However I'm not convinced the shots would be a whole lot better...

I can't responsibly consider anything more expensive than the Mini, so a 7k-9k dollar machine is not an option as much as I like the slayer/speedster.

The Vesuvius with programmable pressure profiles would be an option.

I'm familiar with it, just not sold on a souped up E61, seems kinda like my machine with a fancy pump.

I'd put the money in the bank and keep saving for a slayer.

I'm not sure I'm even interested in spending that much even if I had it at the moment, seems like most blind taste tests I've seen don't show any clear advantage to machines with pressure profiling.

There's a slayer at my favorite shop and they have a mod bar. They definitely taste completely different and I can tell which is which. Thinking that though, theres even less of a reason to upgrade to a mini.

sluflyer06 wrote:I'm familiar with it, just not sold on a souped up E61, seems kinda like my machine with a fancy pump.

In an incomplete simplistic way of looking at it the Vesuvius is a souped E61 group machine. However it uses a modified E61 group with the E61 group inherent pre-infusion defeated. And yes it uses a fancy pump with capabilities a standard rotary pump does not have.

I'm not sure I'm even interested in spending that much even if I had it at the moment, seems like most blind taste tests I've seen don't show any clear advantage to machines with pressure profiling.

I once had a similar ambivalent attitude towards profiled shots. An ambivalence based on lack of personal experience with shot profile capable machines. Couple years ago scored a great deal on a couple year old 3gr Cyncra and replaced the 4gr Linea at the Roastery. (Couldn't put it at our old main Downtown location because only had 30A 220v service.) The simple shot profiling I could do with the Cyncra was the beginnings of game changing shots for me personally and Compass. I soon had a few hard core shot customers who went out of there way to get a shot at the Roastery instead of Downtown. Now Downtown wasn't running a slouch, just a lowly 3gr WBC GB5, yet our most discerning shot customers where traveling to the light industrial wasteland Roastery digs for shots. AND I became dissatisfied with the shots I could pull at home with the same coffees same M7D grinder and my then QM V2B. The Cyncra shots where smoother, creamier and sweeter. Especially lighter roasted SOs. Few months later the Vesuvius landed in the US and I jumped on it to replace the QM V2B. And the Vesuvius proved to be an extremely capable shot profiling machine. Flash forward a year and the GB5 which had been intended for our new Downtown location that opened this past January but instead opened with a new 3gr Hydra.

You can't taste online write ups and what I've observed is quite often while it might be an experienced reviewer often as not they are not experienced when it comes to the shot profile machine they are testing or even shot profiling in general. It ain't the same. I just pulled an after work 62 second shot that was creamy, sweet and sang deliciously bright yet in a balanced way of a light roasted washed Idido Yirg'. Not some tight ristretto dribble of a shot like might be the norm on a standard machine for a drinkable shot this type of coffee. Just shy of full 2oz pull (didn't weigh it) with 22 sec pre-brew to first nekkid drop then 28 sec 9 bar ending 12 sec back reduced flow Slayer shot. Still tasting the wonderful linger. The type of shot I could not do with QM V2B or VBM DD or Linea or FB80 or GB5 etc.

Whether or not exploring this type of straight shot ecstasy is worth it for you to explore only you can decide.