Used La Marzocco Linea Mini Pricing
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Aznboi331
Hi! I am looking to buy a Linea Mini!
I have an opportunity to buy a used version for $3350. One year old with the app enabled features and have a few questions.
1. How risky is it to buy used? I know LM has a good technician base and it is fairly easy to get new parts, but at this price tag, I'm a bit nervous. What do I need to check for?
2. Does the warranty transfer owners (since the machine is one year old)? How does that work?
3. It's my first espresso machine and I want to learn the basics. A few things to note
-I know a good grinder is crucial (I am willing to spend around $1k here), but this is strictly about the machine.
-I have hopes of learning the craft and pouring shots for myself at home
-I frequently host dinner parties/gatherings of 8-15 people and would love the option to make drinks for everyone. Most of my friends and myself are milk drinkers.
-I love to bake and hope to do a small pop-up selling baked goods and espresso.
-I have a non profit where we volunteer early AMs to provide food for the elderly. I would like to offer espresso to the group of 20-30 volunteers one Saturday a month (if I can hone my skills enough)
There are two schools of thought here:
-go cheaper and learn the basics before upgrading. However, I hear the counter is that less expensive machines are inconsistent and you could do everything right and still pull a bad shot
or
-get a machine like an LMLM because they are well built and consistent. This way you it is easier to diagnose what you are doing wrong. On the flip side, I hear you can get a machine that does just as good as the LMLM for a lot cheaper (Profitec, BDB, etc - however I am not purchasing the LMLM at full price, so not sure how much this holds).
Does anyone have recommendations on if this is too early in my espresso journey to get this machine? If I end up hating it, would the LMLM have a decent resell value?
PS - any home/commercial grinder recommendations would be helpful as well! Current looking at the Atom 75!
Thank you all!
I have an opportunity to buy a used version for $3350. One year old with the app enabled features and have a few questions.
1. How risky is it to buy used? I know LM has a good technician base and it is fairly easy to get new parts, but at this price tag, I'm a bit nervous. What do I need to check for?
2. Does the warranty transfer owners (since the machine is one year old)? How does that work?
3. It's my first espresso machine and I want to learn the basics. A few things to note
-I know a good grinder is crucial (I am willing to spend around $1k here), but this is strictly about the machine.
-I have hopes of learning the craft and pouring shots for myself at home
-I frequently host dinner parties/gatherings of 8-15 people and would love the option to make drinks for everyone. Most of my friends and myself are milk drinkers.
-I love to bake and hope to do a small pop-up selling baked goods and espresso.
-I have a non profit where we volunteer early AMs to provide food for the elderly. I would like to offer espresso to the group of 20-30 volunteers one Saturday a month (if I can hone my skills enough)
There are two schools of thought here:
-go cheaper and learn the basics before upgrading. However, I hear the counter is that less expensive machines are inconsistent and you could do everything right and still pull a bad shot
or
-get a machine like an LMLM because they are well built and consistent. This way you it is easier to diagnose what you are doing wrong. On the flip side, I hear you can get a machine that does just as good as the LMLM for a lot cheaper (Profitec, BDB, etc - however I am not purchasing the LMLM at full price, so not sure how much this holds).
Does anyone have recommendations on if this is too early in my espresso journey to get this machine? If I end up hating it, would the LMLM have a decent resell value?
PS - any home/commercial grinder recommendations would be helpful as well! Current looking at the Atom 75!
Thank you all!
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Jeff
- Team HB
Personally, I'd take a Micra at home over the Linea Mini. The Micra is a joy to use and is very forgiving. It is also sized for a home kitchen rather than a catering environment. It should be able to handle small parties, perhaps better than your patience in pulling multiple milk drinks.
For grinders, a lot will depend on what you are looking for in the cup, as well as if you are planning on using a hopper-fed or single dosing. In my opinion, a hopper-fed grinder only makes sense if you're going to stick with the same blend day after day, week after week, and have a relatively high turnover rate, perhaps 5 to 10 cups a day. The hoppers don't seal, so the coffee tends to go stale faster than it would in a sealed container on the counter. You also have to purge through the stale grinds from the previous session, as well as any time you make a grind change.
Some (relatively affordable) grinders that I would consider pairing with a La Marzocco Micra include:
* Option-O Lagom Mini (likely not suitable for parties)
* Niche Zero (for classic espresso only)
* Zerno (still relatively new)
* Option-O Lagom P64
I think the Atom 75 is a good choice if you're looking for a traditional hopper-fed grinder.
Here are a couple reviews by the H-B team:
La Marzocco Linea Micra Espresso Machine Review
Lucca Atom 75 Espresso Grinder Review
Edit: If you're pulling shots for 20-30 people, I'd buy a used Super Jolly and put some new Mazzer burrs in it, in addition to a good grinder at home. The Atom 75 may be sufficient or may heat up with time and drift in grind. It will probably be a lot of oversized milk drinks if you're in the US.
Edit: I got pretty good at pulling shots and steaming milk over the years. I'm probably around two minutes a drink. If you like playing bartender and spending a half hour or hour behind the bar at your home parties, you might enjoy playing barista. If so, the LMLM may be a better choice. I start to lose patience around four milk drinks, definitely by six. I don't know your style, but I'd think about if playing barista is really something you'd enjoy enough to drive your machine decision.
For grinders, a lot will depend on what you are looking for in the cup, as well as if you are planning on using a hopper-fed or single dosing. In my opinion, a hopper-fed grinder only makes sense if you're going to stick with the same blend day after day, week after week, and have a relatively high turnover rate, perhaps 5 to 10 cups a day. The hoppers don't seal, so the coffee tends to go stale faster than it would in a sealed container on the counter. You also have to purge through the stale grinds from the previous session, as well as any time you make a grind change.
Some (relatively affordable) grinders that I would consider pairing with a La Marzocco Micra include:
* Option-O Lagom Mini (likely not suitable for parties)
* Niche Zero (for classic espresso only)
* Zerno (still relatively new)
* Option-O Lagom P64
I think the Atom 75 is a good choice if you're looking for a traditional hopper-fed grinder.
Here are a couple reviews by the H-B team:
La Marzocco Linea Micra Espresso Machine Review
Lucca Atom 75 Espresso Grinder Review
Edit: If you're pulling shots for 20-30 people, I'd buy a used Super Jolly and put some new Mazzer burrs in it, in addition to a good grinder at home. The Atom 75 may be sufficient or may heat up with time and drift in grind. It will probably be a lot of oversized milk drinks if you're in the US.
Edit: I got pretty good at pulling shots and steaming milk over the years. I'm probably around two minutes a drink. If you like playing bartender and spending a half hour or hour behind the bar at your home parties, you might enjoy playing barista. If so, the LMLM may be a better choice. I start to lose patience around four milk drinks, definitely by six. I don't know your style, but I'd think about if playing barista is really something you'd enjoy enough to drive your machine decision.
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Aznboi331 (original poster)
Thank you for the advice! Yes I want to actually play the role of barista and have thought about picking up a part time on the weekends to try to learn more about the coffee shop scene.
Did you have any advice on the buying a used LMLM? I think I'm in the ballpark of buying the LMLM used vs a new Micra for the value of being able to serve more people (as it's around the same price).
Thank you!
Did you have any advice on the buying a used LMLM? I think I'm in the ballpark of buying the LMLM used vs a new Micra for the value of being able to serve more people (as it's around the same price).
Thank you!
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bostonbuzz
I would take the case off and poke around. If you see no leaks and scale deposits that's a great thing. It could mean there are lots of scale deposits but no leaks... Water can wreak havoc inside a machine in no time. Ask about the water and get a clear answer. Ask about if they have changed anything like the steam wand seals, solenoids, vacuum breaker, etc. Not because they need changing per se, but to see how they work if they haven't been replaced. I.e. the steam valve feels great and the vacuum breaker works great and is original then that's a good sign.
The good news is that if you are handy and organized you can replace every component that fails in a LM machine. I just spent a bit less than you on parts alone for my GS3 which was in nightmare condition.
The LMLM was sold originally for much less than it is sold for now. Maybe they don't know that and are just knocking 25% off what they bought it for? The bad news is that it's probably sold already while you're reading this since they go fast.
The good news is that if you are handy and organized you can replace every component that fails in a LM machine. I just spent a bit less than you on parts alone for my GS3 which was in nightmare condition.
The LMLM was sold originally for much less than it is sold for now. Maybe they don't know that and are just knocking 25% off what they bought it for? The bad news is that it's probably sold already while you're reading this since they go fast.
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