Expobar Minore to La Marzocco Linea Mini

[Davie]

I love the look of the Linea Mini. I have heard great things about it, and I really want one.
Current set up is a Minore and Kony, which I am happy with, however most of you would know what it feels like when upgrade fever hits.

I pretty much make exclusively milk based drinks, only on the weekends and about 4 - 6 a day. The Minore is a little weak with its steam, however I can still get nice results.

I recently upgraded the grinder from a mini e to the Kony and I must say that has made a huge difference in consistently of my pours. I'm now looking at the last upgrade to the Linea Mini.

If any owners of the Linea Mini who previously had a E61 could comment I would really appreciate it. I have heard that it will produce a different taste to the E61 however will this be noticeable in a milk drink?

I love the build quality and the look, and if I can now get that extra 2-3% in the cup I would be happy.

I have yet to see one in the flesh, which I am planning to do this week.

[TC]

Hi Davie,

Yes- the LM is a really nice machine. Great steam and temp stable. The biggest differences you're likely to notice are the quality of finish and the fact that once it's up to pressure, it's ready to roll.

The gotcha with it for me is that the paddle is a con. It's just a switch and there is no preinfusion. Once modded to deliver a true preinfusion, you have a completely different machine which is every bit as good as a GS3. For mine, LM should have delivered that on day one.

We have a modded black one on our bench and it's for sale if you're in Melbourne.

Chris

[Davie]

Thanks Chris.

I have read about the "faux" paddle. I think that the preinfussion mod is something that I might look at down the track. I'm pushing the budget at the moment.

I really have my heart set on the stainless steel version.
I'm based in Melbourne and going into the La Marzocco showroom later this week, However going forward I would definitely be buying through one of the sponsors.
I'm not in a position to buy just yet as I am trying to sell one of my cars to offset the cost. Can you also confirm the mini will not go up in price on April 1st.

[TC]

Can you also confirm the mini will not go up in price on April 1st.

Yes- I have the official pricing sheet for April 01.

The mini is the only machine in their entire range which has not increased in price..

[Davie]

Thanks Chris.
I was considering a GS3, but I think it is out of my price range now. I have heard very good things about the mini, that it compares very favourably to the full size Linea's.
I'm also looking forward to having a rotary pump after many years of vibration pumps (Silvia and Minore) and good steaming power.
Do you know what the lead time is on a stainless steel version?

[TC]

Do you know what the lead time is on a stainless steel version?

My experience is anywhere from unobtainable to tomorrow it seems. All depends on who I ask...

[Lukemc]

Hi Davie,

Yes- the LM is a really nice machine. Great steam and temp stable. The biggest differences you're likely to notice are the quality of finish and the fact that once it's up to pressure, it's ready to roll.

The gotcha with it for me is that the paddle is a con. It's just a switch and there is no preinfusion. Once modded to deliver a true preinfusion, you have a completely different machine which is every bit as good as a GS3. For mine, LM should have delivered that on day one.

We have a modded black one on our bench and it's for sale if you're in Melbourne.

Chris

Modded black one for sale Chris............

Do I put up my modded Strega for sale? I've always wanted a LM at home.....

[Davie]

I got to have a play with the Linea mini today and I have to say I am impressed. I really want one of these in my kitchen ��. I went down to the La Marzocco show room and they let me pull some shots and steam some milk. It really does have powerful steam, and the taste of the shot was much superior to what I have ever pulled on the Minore, I'm not sure why this would be, however it tasted closer to some of the best cafes I've been too.
It is such a solid well built price of equipment. The feel of the valves and paddle feel heavy and well weighted. They also look a lot better in the flesh. Im sold��.

[TC]

Modded black one for sale Chris............

Do I put up my modded Strega for sale? I've always wanted a LM at home.....

You're welcome to come have look Luke

[fcoffee]

LM is great durable machine...no doubt it has a reputed name in the commercials....

[Davie]

I placed an order for one this week through Rick Bond of the Coffee_Machinist. It's around a 4 week wait for stock to come in. I feel like a young kid waiting for his/her Christmas present.
After reading Ricks comments on his web page about the Mini and the mod that he does to add preinfussion I couldn't resist.
At this stage I am not going for the mod, however it's good to know Rick can perform this later down the track if needed.
I'll post some photos of my set up once I receive it.

[TC]

They really are terrific when souped up...

Call it LM Slayer

[Davie]

My Linea Mini arrived this week. I set it up and this morning and finally got to pull some shots.
It took a while for me to dial in the grind (250 grams) and the last one I just had was the best I have ever made at home.
Thanks to Rick Bond the Coffee Machinist for getting this awesome machine to me.
First impressions are that this really is a scaled down version of a commercial machine. Everything feels so solid and it is so quiet. Steam power is unbelievable, and the end result is perfectly steamed silky milk. The stainless steel is has an exceptional mirror finish. La Marzocco have changed the wheel slightly from previous models in that it has only 96 degrees marked on it then plus or minus as per the attached picture. It also came with some really nice LM branded cups.
I honestly couldn't be happier with the machine.

[v1nh]

Beautiful machine there Davie! Does the Kony pair well with this machine?

[Davie]

The Kony is a fantastic grinder. I upgraded to the Kony early this year from a Mazzer Mini. Compared to the Mini the Kony produces a different taste and mouth feel (I even notice the difference in milk based drinks). The only downside is the amount of grind retention. When trying to dial in a new grind setting you then have to purge a fair amount of ground coffee to get to the new setting.
I'm still getting used to the Linea Mini. As I said above, I pulled a great shot on Saturday, then on Sunday I struggled to repeat the same result (not bad, just not the same as I prepared the day before).
I'm looking forward to this weekend when I will have some time to pull some more shots, and play with shot times etc.
It's strange coming for the Minore which had a really long pre-infusion time, up to 8 seconds before anything appeared from the portafilter (using the naked), to the LMLM where the pour appears after about 2 - 3 seconds. I am going to try slowing the grind and see what difference that has on the taste.