(GPGT)Espresso machine hoot

[Lazy_Tiger]

appreciate your replies. I'm looking at the Lelit Anna as well for the build in PID but it has a non-standard 57mm pf.

Yes that does limit its use later on when wanting to explore ims or VST baskets for light roasts. Can’t do long preinfusion too for light roasts unlike lever machines with non-58mm baskets.

Perhaps can consider a Silvia but upgrade with a PID later on.

 

[idjekyll]

Please let me know at anytime when you want to let go of the Robot. Thanks!

Check out carousell. I'm the only one selling a white Cafelat Robot with additional accessories.

 

[wook2000]

My advice would be to hold on to the Robot alittle longer , and compared against the machine which you have bought. Generally machines at your budget range thermal stability is a big issue.

 

[idjekyll]

My advice would be to hold on to the Robot alittle longer , and compared against the machine which you have bought. Generally machines at your budget range thermal stability is a big issue.

I get what you're saying but I'm going with a basic tier machine cause I dont have a lot of counter space. I also don't make a lot of espresso back to back and minimal steaming too. I'm not a very discerning coffee drinker as well but from the many reviews of the classic 2019 and silvia, i think it fits my needs perfectly. I'd love to go hx or double boiler too but at the moment it's too overkill for my needs. right now at least. Actually the robot fits my needs now but i don't enjoy the 'manual' part. too lazy i guess.

 

[patryn33]

appreciate your replies. I'm looking at the Lelit Anna as well for the build in PID but it has a non-standard 57mm pf.

What about Glenda?
https://www.totalespresso.com/products/lelit-glenda-pl41plus-t-single-boiler-with-pid?

 

[SNAG]

What about Glenda?
https://www.totalespresso.com/products/lelit-glenda-pl41plus-t-single-boiler-with-pid?

Or the Grace. That comes with a PID and inbuilt shot timer.

 

[Bastos80]

appreciate your replies. I'm looking at the Lelit Anna as well for the build in PID but it has a non-standard 57mm pf.

Would advise to focus on 58mm + PID. If you can DIY, even very mildly, Silvia+PID is great. Otherwise Lelit.
For unconventional PF size, have you considered Breville? I find these great for beginners & coffee lovers who are not geek enough about machines.

 

[jordanlah]

Hi All,

Was googling for an espresso machine and stumbled upon this wonderful thread. Would really appreciate if any can give any recommendation.

I'm looking at upgrading from my heavily modified Delonghi Dedica (changed pump, steam wand) . Was looking at the Ascaso Dream PID but not sure if anyone in Singapore carries it and would service it should anything happen. (It's a hefty investment! )

Some requirements I'm looking at:
- Small and compact (my kitchen has limited space)
- non-pressurized basket (preferably 58mm for nice tampers)
- single hole steam wand (I'm using a rancilio silvia steam wand on my delonghi now)
- Hopefully better brew pressure than my delonghi, as it is now not able to push and keep up with my Breville grinder

Really appreciate your time and if you could point me in the right direction!

Hi all, (sorry for long post!)

After researching and mulling over a month, I finally pulled the trigger and went for the Lelit MaraX!

A big shout out to all the helpful forumers here, esp SNAG, Lazy_Tiger - your invaluable inputs have definitely pointed me in the right direction and had a direct influence on my purchase decision. Thank you!

All that was left was choosing who to buy from in Singapore:
1. Cowpresso [warranty 6 months]
2. The Gluons (carousell user: dt1717) [warranty 12 months]
3. Highlander Coffee [warranty 18 months]

The Gluons sold the cheapest, but after chatting with the seller, I found out he is actually based in Malaysia and currently quarantined there.

Highlander Coffee was the only one with a showroom, so I arranged to see the machine to try it out. Phil, the owner and manager of Highlander was very patient in finding out my requirements, and advised me what are the machines I could look at. But after pulling a shot and steaming milk from the MaraX myself, I was hooked.

As it was a hefty investment, I decided to go with Highlander coffee as I wanted the peace of mind and someone to be able to service the machine many years down the road. I just take the price difference as "extended" warranty I'm purchasing.

The highlander staff delivered the machine and set it up to make sure the machine was working and there were no leaks etc before handing over. If you've read about the early production sets - perhaps because of the weight and initial packaging - some MaraX didn't arrive working properly out of the box (https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/lelit-marax-t61215-210.html )

Just wanted to share my whole buying experience, hope it can help someone else who is also walking a similar journey as me. Thanks for your patience.

Enjoying amazing shots at home now!

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Hi all, (sorry for long post!)

After researching and mulling over a month, I finally pulled the trigger and went for the Lelit MaraX!

Congratulations! I bought my previous machine from highlander as well. You won't go wrong with the 18 month warranty because espresso machines are like light bulbs. The fleet can be very high quality and reliable but sometimes you may have one or two machines with parts that will just fail earlier than the average. If you are not keen to service yourself then its good to have a longer warranty.

I have no experience with marax but its pid implementation looks interesting. Do let us know what you think of the marax after running it in.

For PID machines, I find the pid is over-offset because our ambient temperature is much warmer that in western countries. I usually run my PID temperature cooler than what is recommended by the roaster to get a more balanced taste with less bitterness and harsh acidity. Perhaps your machine will have a different experience because the temperator probe is at the boiler end while the slayer is at the group head.

Now only need to get god tier beans!

 

[jiahao99]

Hi all, (sorry for long post!)

After researching and mulling over a month, I finally pulled the trigger and went for the Lelit MaraX!

Congrats on the upgrade! Could you share how the MaraX is like? Like comparing it with your old machine? Im thinking of upgrading my 2 year old Breville Infuser within the next 12 months and am considering either the MaraX or Profitec 300

 

[SNAG]

Hi all, (sorry for long post!)

After researching and mulling over a month, I finally pulled the trigger and went for the Lelit MaraX!

A big shout out to all the helpful forumers here, esp SNAG, Lazy_Tiger - your invaluable inputs have definitely pointed me in the right direction and had a direct influence on my purchase decision. Thank you!

All that was left was choosing who to buy from in Singapore:
1. Cowpresso [warranty 6 months]
2. The Gluons (carousell user: dt1717) [warranty 12 months]
3. Highlander Coffee [warranty 18 months]

The Gluons sold the cheapest, but after chatting with the seller, I found out he is actually based in Malaysia and currently quarantined there.

Highlander Coffee was the only one with a showroom, so I arranged to see the machine to try it out. Phil, the owner and manager of Highlander was very patient in finding out my requirements, and advised me what are the machines I could look at. But after pulling a shot and steaming milk from the MaraX myself, I was hooked.

As it was a hefty investment, I decided to go with Highlander coffee as I wanted the peace of mind and someone to be able to service the machine many years down the road. I just take the price difference as "extended" warranty I'm purchasing.

The highlander staff delivered the machine and set it up to make sure the machine was working and there were no leaks etc before handing over. If you've read about the early production sets - perhaps because of the weight and initial packaging - some MaraX didn't arrive working properly out of the box (https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/lelit-marax-t61215-210.html )

Just wanted to share my whole buying experience, hope it can help someone else who is also walking a similar journey as me. Thanks for your patience.

Enjoying amazing shots at home now!

Hello fellow MaraX user!

I'm very happy with the MaraX. There are very comprehensive reviews out there, but a summary:

Pros

1) The machine has an interesting twist on the HX design, such that it doesn't require temperature surfing/cooling flushes. For shot extraction, there's some coarse-grained temperature control for shots (ranging from 92-96 degrees?), but its stabilized to +/- 1 degree.

2) Decent 15-20mins startup time. The boiler is made of stainless steel. On startup, the machine over-pressurizes up to 2.5bar to accelerate heating, before stabilizing into 1.5 bar (and subsequently 1 bar). 1bar might be weak for steaming but it's designed for the user to pull shots first. Once the shot is pulled, the boiler quickly kicks in to pressurize up to 1.5bar. If you need steam power right at the start, you can set to "steam priority mode" aka the classic HX design - but you'll require a cooling flush.

3) Pretty linear and gradual pre-infusion, although it can't be configured. Lever to first drop is around 10 seconds. Some folks have tried installing the Bianca manual pressure profiler, but not sure if it makes a difference.

Cons
1) The MaraX has a drop in tank and doesn't have a OPV return hose. So the OPV water gets wasted into the drip tray. Some folks estimate a ~30ml discharge for every 36-40ml output shot.

2) This is a 2 tip steam wand with stabilized pressure at 1.5bar. Steam pressure might not be powerful for some, but it's perfect for me.

 

[chikyblink]

1.5bars not strong enough? My VBM 1 bar is already strong enough for 1 cappuccino amount of milk. I tried tuning it to 1.2 bars and the vortex it creates almost reaching the top of my jug

Sent from HUAWEI CLT-L29 using GAGT

 

[jordanlah]

Congrats on the upgrade! Could you share how the MaraX is like? Like comparing it with your old machine? Im thinking of upgrading my 2 year old Breville Infuser within the next 12 months and am considering either the MaraX or Profitec 300

Hi jiahao99,

It is still early days for me with the MaraX... it is my first week. My previous Delonghi was a thermal block, so the biggest adjustment would be to wait for the machine warm up. The Delonghi takes about 40 secs, the MaraX boiler would take about 15-20min to be ready for first pull. I've connected the MaraX to a dlink smart switch controlled by google home, so it gets going the minute I awake every morning.
The trade off though, in the shot taste, the ability now to be able to push lighter roast and get very complex-tasting coffee - it's amazing.
The Delonghi could only handle very dark roast... and usually would choke when the grind setting is too fine. All other roast level would end up too acidic or unpalatable. With the MaraX, it is almost impossible to choke. Its preinfusion and ramp up pressure ensures that it can keep up with the best grinders out there.

The MaraX is a relatively new machine launched in March 2020 with many industry-leading designs generating a lot of interests and positive reviews. At its price-point, I think it would be hard to find another contender with the same functionality and design.

 

[jordanlah]

1.5bars not strong enough? My VBM 1 bar is already strong enough for 1 cappuccino amount of milk. I tried tuning it to 1.2 bars and the vortex it creates almost reaching the top of my jug

Sent from HUAWEI CLT-L29 using GAGT

I think it all depends on a few factors:
- amount of milk to be stretched
- size of jug
- steam tip (single hole, double hole etc)
- angle and position of steam wand

When I'm preparing flat white for 150ml cup - the steam pressure at 1bar is more than enough. When I'm preparing for a 300ml cup, and using a bigger milk jug - it takes longer and harder to maintain a silky smooth foam. I'll still need to practice for sure, perhaps it's my skill limiting it.

 

[purpleberry]

Hi jiahao99,

It is still early days for me with the MaraX... it is my first week. My previous Delonghi was a thermal block, so the biggest adjustment would be to wait for the machine warm up. The Delonghi takes about 40 secs, the MaraX boiler would take about 15-20min to be ready for first pull. I've connected the MaraX to a dlink smart switch controlled by google home, so it gets going the minute I awake every morning.
The trade off though, in the shot taste, the ability now to be able to push lighter roast and get very complex-tasting coffee - it's amazing.
The Delonghi could only handle very dark roast... and usually would choke when the grind setting is too fine. All other roast level would end up too acidic or unpalatable. With the MaraX, it is almost impossible to choke. Its preinfusion and ramp up pressure ensures that it can keep up with the best grinders out there.

The MaraX is a relatively new machine launched in March 2020 with many industry-leading designs generating a lot of interests and positive reviews. At its price-point, I think it would be hard to find another contender with the same functionality and design.

Marax looks good. How much did you get it for? I went to the website and the price is not available. Looks like an Italy family brand like Bezzera.

 

[MarkoBGD]

Hello guys,

just to say hello and join the thread. My third year in SG, coffee enthusiast for 10 years now.

I started with Gaggia Classic and Super Jolly, moved to completely refurbish 1974 Olympia cremina (never gonna forgive my self for selling it). From Europe I moved to SG bringing my Mazzer major and La Scala Butterfly, sold that after 2 years here.

Since last January my equipment is:

Niche Zero grinder
Lelit Bianca

I enjoy trying new coffees. Most of the time I enjoy Ethiopian cofees, but a cup of great Columbia or Guatemala is always welcome.

In terms of machine I would live to have a mont or two to play with Decent, but all in all I am very satisfied at the moment.

 

[SNAG]

I did a GH/KH test on my water before, and both are less than 50ppm. I still use a water softener pouch as a precaution, but wonder if our unfiltered tap water will lead to scaling issues.

And so, a follow up post. GH/KH/PH readings as follows:

1) Tap water : 53/27/6.8
2) Filtered filter (via Pur faucet filter) : 53/27/6.8
3) Filtered + softened water (Pur + Oscar Bilt) : 22/22/7.0

Tests done with API GH/KH kit at 10ml resolution, PH tested with Macherey-Nagel test strips. These are titration tests but should be fairly accurate.

 

[jordanlah]

Marax looks good. How much did you get it for? I went to the website and the price is not available. Looks like an Italy family brand like Bezzera.

Hi purpleberry,

You can whatsapp Highlander staff at +65 62261686.

 

[purpleberry]

Hi purpleberry,

You can whatsapp Highlander staff at +65 62261686.

Thanks. Have you played around with its pressure and temperature?

 

[jordanlah]

Thanks. Have you played around with its pressure and temperature?

Hi purpleberry,

I did not install the flow control gauge to control real time brewing pressure, so can't play with that.

Been trying the 3 temperature settings, and depending on the beans and roast levels, it can really open up a variety of tastes depending on the temperature.