Word_salad wrote:Has anyone tried putting the flow control from 1st line on the Mara? I'm pretty interested in doing this but definitely don't want to give up my thermometer for the pressure gauge. I've done a bit of digging around and there doesn't seem to be an easy way to measure both pressure and temp without some real DIY stuff.

So i guess my question is is the flow control paddle worth it without pressure sensing?
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(Side note I am a big fan of light roast for espresso so flow profiling is definitely an attractive option for me)

I was an early adopter of the flow profiling modification, installing it on a Mara. Here are a couple links on the topic. The first being where initial mods were made in the thread and the second where I got a bit more more serious with it all. It's been working great.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=54540&view=unread#unread

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=59045&view=unread#unread

I read these thread, you seem to be the only one to find an elegant solution! I'm just not sure if I'm read to take a drill the my machine. How difficult did you find all the modifications?

The modifications themselves were not overly difficult. That said, you need to be reasonably handy and have access to the right tools. The planning and materials research was the biggest part of it.

I've been away from the forum for a while while I transition into a new life with different place, different house, newly added tiny family members and training for a new midlife career. Through the last 2 1/4 years, my day has started with my Lelit Mara and Quamar M80. Still going strong. Still very happy with the purchase.

I sometimes get upgrade-itis, and look around. Yes, there's something about the aesthetic of an ECM or QuickMill that pulls me to them. But, would they really bring me any substantive improvement?

The profiling mod has been nice. I am not all that sure that it improved the objective taste of my shots. I do get the illusion of control from modulating the pressure delivery, and like a kid on a grocery store horsey ride, I think that I'm exerting control, which I like. Even wide open, the Lelit kit seems to restrict my flow from the unmodified OEM. Sometimes I just pull my shot on full open, and it is slower than stock, but that might actually improve it over the original. Regardless of whether I profile the shot or leave it open, I get great crema and the flavor I am looking for. I start with foaming two cappuccinos in cups, one diluted soy for my wife and 1% cow for me. I use the water dispensing wand to deliver some hot water to my wife's, as she goes a little more Americano.

All systems are working well. When I was in there replacing the one small leaking pump valve from two years ago, I added silicone sheet insulation wrapping all lines and hot parts that I could isolate. Again, no real proof that my changes did anything, but I get the illusion of participating. Water has great thermal stability, and I don't need to temperature surf. I deliver an ounce of water through the portafilter and into my receptacle Le Creuset espresso cup to preheat. That's it.

I've had my Mara S-T for almost 2 years now, and except for a small heating problem that I recently sorted out, it has been fantastic. The reason I'm writing is - about a year or so ago I read on one of the forums here about a device that is designed to quiet down the vibe pump a little. I bought one back then (for a little less than it is now) but never installed. This is the part:
https://www.chriscoffee.com/collections ... r-for-qm67
It's supposed to help cancel out some of the pump vibration. I went ahead and installed it today and am pleasantly surprised at the difference. The initial sound of the pump is a little quieter, but when the brew cycle ramps up to full pressure (~9 bar) it is almost totally silent. I'll give it a few days to see if it's a keeper.

Good to know. Thanks for posting this. Is it straightforward and easy to install?

Yes. You have to remove the pump, but not too difficult.

This is an FYI. If you need parts for your Mara, this is a good source:
https://www.lamacchinadelcaffe.com/

It's in Italy so the shipping is a little slower, but the prices and shipping costs are very reasonable, and they have an excellent inventory.

Yes, La Macchina are great! Have had a few parts orders with them in the past. In fact they had the pressure gauges that fit the E61 groups, before the Lelit kits came out with them. Also bought gicleurs there when I was working the profiling kit concept.

Randy, Here's the location of the external thermocouple since the pressure gauge in the flow kit replaces the erics thermometer. Just follow the drill path from the closure plug to the cam shaft area, then put the TC on the thinnest part so it's closest to the water path. I used high temperature aluminum tape to attach the TC and hide the path back to the side where I keep the readout (the "hidden" side of the machine for my placement.)

Hello everyone, I have been using the Mara Lelit a lot in the last year, (one with a PID and another without) and a can say, right of the bat that I'm really happy with this model.

Compact, effective, solid and well built. I read many times this post before buying and it really guided me well, thanks to this community < 3

I do agree that minimal temp surfing is required, but with a thermometer on the group head (a must) and a couple of tries, it is fairly easy to master, since the machine is VERY STABLE, consistent over time and easy to predict.

Sharing thoughts:

1- The only drawback I can see, and it is in no way a showstopper, is the frothing milk part. I was wondering how you guys work around it? By default the machine was setup to a higher temperature, making my coffee at around 210, with decent power and heat from the steam wand (and frothing was a little easier). Since I personally prefer my coffee a 200, I had to drop the boiler temp (with the PID version) to 242. This bring the grouphead temp (according the Eric therm) to a perfect 200 after being powered for a while with a flush and a wet rag on the group head. But, I also feel like this boiler temperature reduction also reduce the heat for the milk wand, making frothing slower and more difficult to achieve microfoam. I like my latte with 4oz, and I also find that this quantity is harder to get perfect milk with this setup. Any suggestions?

2 - A lot of people seems to enjoy the screen shower "upgrade" on this machine and I was wondering what is the real difference? I have a hard time explaining to myself how you can sell a machine at this price while a 30$ shower screen provide an upgrade? Why aren't they don't selling this with the machine, since this equipement is relatively high end stuff (at least not at a 30$ difference). Your thoughts / experience?

Thanks /Cheers!