Thanks for your review and latest data on machine finish. What's lead time like now on stainless micras?

Contemplating taking my pro300 to work and replacing with micra at home now.

I've been looking at a Micra as an upgrade from my tricked out Silvia Pro, mostly for more steam power. The screwy arm is messing with me though, I'm very used to the full length wand on my current machine... Do we have any opinions on that or should I just pony up for a Mini (and figure out how to fit that behemoth on my counter)?

The included pitcher with the Micra works perfectly fine with the shorter steam wand and it is actually slightly larger than the pitcher I've been using for the last 12 years.

I see the Micra steam wand as a solid non-issue unless you are trying to use a 20Oz pitcher and making massive milk drinks. I find it akin to hopping into a new car with a manual transmission and adjusting to the engage point of the clutch. Maybe it engages a little closer to the floor than you're used to, but if you know how to drive a stick you adapt to it and quickly move on. Same thing with the wand. I have a very long and straight wand on the GS/3. If anything, the bend in the Micra wand actually helps, because it basically ensures that the tip is submerged at the right level for perfect microfoam.

Cheers!

- Jake

Jake_G wrote: I see the Micra steam wand as a solid non-issue unless you are trying to use a 20Oz pitcher and making massive milk drinks. I find it akin to hopping into a new car with a manual transmission and adjusting to the engage point of the clutch. Maybe it engages a little closer to the floor than you're used to, but if you know how to drive a stick you adapt to it and quickly move on. Same thing with the wand.

Yep, this ^^

It took me a few days to get used to the shorter wand and now I don't even think about it. The included LM pitcher or a small WPM one works fine.

I've had my Micra for a couple months now and it's been rock solid. Such a great machine.

I do feel for anyone who has the non-polished backplate. I don't know if LM just had some issues sourcing parts or maybe they are making a post-production change in manufacturing. That's sort of a bummer, and it seems random.

AGramata wrote:Yep, this ^^

I do feel for anyone who has the non-polished backplate. I don't know if LM just had some issues sourcing parts or maybe they are making a post-production change in manufacturing. That's sort of a bummer, and it seems random.

I'm expecting to receive my Micra within a week, from a distributor though not straight from LM. Fingers crossed. Will report back.

It's like getting the Civic Type-R for the acceleration and dealing with the smaller cockpit. You'll always miss the headspace of the full-size Accord, but you'll adapt. I end up doing things like tilting the pitcher to get extra bit of clearance, which I would not have done on the BDB. But the steam wand is so fast even on Level 2 that it's worth it, and actually more forgiving in terms of producing a quality microfoam, even though the steam power freaks you out and seems hard to control at first.

The Civic Type R has more headspace than an Accord. No sunroof and the seats were lowered - done for helmet clearance and a lower centre of gravity .

To stay on topic, I'm not thrilled with the Micra's steam arm length and the lack of stiffness of the wand's ball joint. However, my Club has an even shorter arm, and yes, one adapts.

Avatar checks out. The Micra will be my second espresso machine, supplanting my Europiccola. I can only hope the extra steam power will be like when I upgraded from an Integra GSR to S2000.

I have the Orphan Espresso 1-hole tip on my Europiccola with the pressurestat set at 1 bar. If that's a GSR, then the Micra's steam power is an LS1.

Hopefully going from pro300 to micra would be like my move from gsr to e46 m3.

/car talk