Got hooked when I was on a job where there was a 2 group Cimbali and grinder that I could use. Rationalized getting a home setup due to the high cost at the coffee shop I liked -- still buy their beans!

I have an Elektra MCaL which i got because i thought it would be a little more robust and easier to maintain than a la Pavoni. (I've been maintaining my mother's la Pavoni machines for decades). I'll only do lever machines.

I use an OE Pharos grinder because it's easy to stash away in a NYC kitchen and because it doesn't wake up my wife.

another_jim wrote:For lattes, the LMLM is just about the ideal home machine, since it has a large steam boiler you can jack up to 2.5 bar. If I had your setup and was interested in exploring straight shots, I'd look at modifying it with flow control (there are several kits) and getting a single dosing grinder so you can experiment with different coffees.

The LMLM it is indeed the ideal home machine. I have been able to produce exactly and consistently the different espressos/lattes from different shops I used to frequent to. I would say that if you are someone just looking to have really good coffee at home, copying brew parameters from your chosen coffee shop, you can definitely do it using this setup (Mazzer + LMLM).

another_jim wrote: BTW, if I had a straight up, no cost choice flow control machines, I'd prefer the moded LMLM to a flow control GS3 for the simple reason that the LMLM is bulletproof, and the GS is anything but.

Interesting recommendation and wasn't what I was expecting at all (in a good way). I was actually thinking about this but realized that the mod might not be as good as the GS3 but now I'm reconsidering. So you're saying I can do Slayer like shots now?

I just spent a week on Holiday in Austin and had the pleasure of using a LMLM with a "Jake Valve" installed between the HX and the Integrated Brew Group and it was an absolute pleasure to pull shots on.

And yes, Slayer shots were easily reproduced on the LMLM, but I found myself preferring shots that used emulated line pressure at 3 bar.

Thanks for sharing that. I wonder if that means the upcoming app update to allow line pressure when plumbed will be game changer if you can plumb the machine. The LM keeps getting better.

I started drinking Starbucks white chocolate lattes 20+ years ago. I then decided I could use ESE pods to make better lattes, caramel macchiatos, and such. I got a krups pump machine and later a Starbucks barista machine. I found that I could choose different pods that gave different tastes, different so-called cream, and flow rate. This was good enough for my liquid coffee ice cream tastes. I stayed using this for about 10 years.

A little more than 10 years ago my Starbucks barista started acting up so I found Home-barista.com and found a Vibiemme DoubleDomo on clearance. Within a month or so I got a Fiorenzato Doge grinder on clearance. For the first time in 10 years I was able to make real espresso from fresh beans. This started my real espresso journey.

I liked to pull three shots a day. I decided that I would taste every shot without milk or sugar. I tried a lot of different espresso blends. I found that I like darker classic espresso roasts. I started drinking them with no milk then no sugar when trying to reduce my calorie intake.

Back to my espresso setup. I started to realize that the three shots pulled with the same filter baskets, the same coffee, the same grinder, and the same prep tasted different. I began searching for reasons of the variation and then started customizing (optimizating) my espresso machine. I made it much more consistent and then helped my brother to mod his Gaggia classic to similar consistency. I was happy with my VBM and my espresso.

However, I like to tinker and learn so I bought a La Graziella lever to play with and after using a PID to stabilize its temperature I got some good shots. I didn't like how small were the shots, the filter baskets, and the portafilter. I started to desire a commercial lever machine but would never be able to afford one.

One day I saw a condor spring lever group for sale here. I bought it immediately then went on a quest to build a machine around it. I kept improving and iterating to improve the temperature consistency from shot to shot.

I now have what is effectively a saturated group double boiler lever. It is closest in function to the ACS Vesuvius Leva which is the machine I would buy if buying new, now.

I get bored easily. Having a variety of options satisfies my need to explore.

Got hooked on espresso during business trips to Europe.
Started with a basic $100 DeLonghi, no grinder. Did that for 2 years.

Bought a workhorse used Mazzer Major grinder for @$300
Later upgraded to an HX E61 machine. Wanted an espresso machine that was 'on display', wow factor. Enjoyed some variability in results based on technique, etc. But wanted solid build quality.

Plumbed machine as I could access a cold water line in basement and had room for a filter setup.

Moving to a new home now, so I sold the grinder for $300, have a new one on order that I can fit under the counter.

Trying to see if I could more easily plumb the machine or may go back to reservoir water...don't feel like spending $$ on a plumber again.
Thought about upgrading the machine as it is 7 years old, but I also don't want to sell it for next to nothing and get into another $2,500+ machine

My coffee journey began in earnest after I got married and started drinking drip (gasp!) coffee on goose hunting trips. I did not like it at all, but when you're waist deep in freezing water in a bar ditch and it's snowing, even hot water would be welcome! Years later, my wife and I started travelling to Hawaii regularly and I found that I liked 100% Kona coffee and started drinking it regularly.

Business trips to London and Seattle got me hooked on espresso. I was travelling 60 - 80k air miles a year doing artistic demos all over the U.S. and espresso was my drink of choice. I was travelling too much to get stuck in back then (I was only in town two days a week), but when I retired that all changed.

My home setup came after months of researching various equipment options and since this was my first espresso machine, I wanted something that I would not outgrow quickly. I also wanted to explore flow profiling. That limited my equipment choices and my further requirement that it be an Italian machine and grinder, limited my choices even further.

After much thrashing about with my options (and a few failed orders due to supply chain issues), I bought a Dalla Corte Mina espresso machine and a Mazzer ZM grinder. The Mazzer is setup with 151B burrs currently. I drive an Italian car and I really wanted an all Italian setup to pull my shots. I also like the fact that Dalla Corte is a family owned business. My wife asked me if I was finished buying equipment for the espresso bar and I said, "Not yet!"

I'm still hooked on the idea of getting another Mazzer ZM setup for pour-over (with my 151F burrs) using my beloved 100%Kona beans. I'm also set on getting a big Italian conical grinder as well to play with, as I explore flow profiling and to see how the cup changes from a flat burr to a big conical. One of my friends said you have not lived until you try an Italian lever machine, so that will no doubt be the last major equipment item I get. That should keep my well stuck in for the next decade or so!


Cheers!