Features and Benefits
• 175ml brew boiler (filled via heat exchanger)
• 3 Litre steam boiler
• PID
• Rotary pump
• Compact, with dimensions of 35.7cm wide, 45.3 deep & 37.7cm tall
• 2.5L Water Tank (Can be plumbed in)
• Brew Paddle
• No-burn steam wand
• Dedicated hot water tap
• Adjustable brew pressure
• App Connectivity via Bluetooth & Wifi
• Brew pressure gauge
• Steam pressure gauge
I have to admit, when I first used the Linea Mini, although I thought it was a stunning looking machine, and a great user experience, I did wonder initially if maybe it was somewhat style over substance.
It's clearly a solid, incredibly well built machine, and gorgeous to look at, but then the app was a bit clunky (I believe it's been improved since), the brew paddle which I'd just assumed would give the user flow control, doesn't - and I found the water tank to be a bit of a pain to fill.
But after using it for a bit, before I sadly had to give it back (I had it for a while on loan so I could review it) I realised that I'd missed the point.
This isn't a machine that is made for everyone, it's a classic, iconic machine, a home version of a classic commercial espresso machine, one that many people who are or who have been baristas, are familiar with.
So it's made for a specific user, it's not made for everyone.
There are beautiful, iconic sports cars that many drivers look at, and think "hmmm, that looks nice", but many "normal" drivers, myself included, would probably get in one of these cars and think "wait, I paid all that money, where's the Sat Nav, where's the heated seats, where's the driver assistance?".
Actually I wouldn't quite say that because the driver assistance in modern cars drives me nuts, every time I drive past a bush it jumps into crash alert mode!
But I think you know what I'm getting at, some cars are drivers cars, they're sought after by the people who just can't get the idea of owning that specific car out of their head, and the same is true with the LMLM.
If you're someone who wants the latest creature comforts, you're probably not going to be craving the Linea Mini quite so much as someone who the Linea Mini is really made for.
So in my humble opinion, the people who the La Marzocco is really made for, probably wouldn't even question whether it's the right machine for them or not.
They may question whether spending this much on an espresso machine may lead to a divorce ;-), but if being able to afford and justify the cost isn't a problem, I think most people who buy the Linea Mini just know it's the right machine for them.
Negatives?
It is possible to point out a few cons of the Linea Mini, but before I do, I think it's important again to point out that these are really only cons if you're not really the kind of espresso machine user the Linea Mini is made for.
The Brew Paddle
The brew paddle looks like it should control the water flow, and it can if you mod it, but out of the box it doesn't, you just slide it one way to start the shot, and slide it the other way to stop.
Whether or not I think this is actually a negative depends whose shoes I stick my size 10s into.
If I'm thinking along the lines of someone who just wants classic espresso with little fuss, then I don't see this as a negative at all, in fact pulling the shot by sliding the brew paddle is one of the nice things about using a machine, and one of the things that distinguishes it from other machines.
If, on the other hand, I'm stepping into the wellies of someone who has launched themselves head first into the pressure profiling rabbit hole, who wants a brew paddle to give them flow control, then yes I can understand someone like this wishing that this was a feature out of the box.
I can also understand the comments along the lines of "The Lelit Bianca is about half the price and has a flow paddle out of the box", and that's true.
If you're shopping based on value for money, given that the Bianca is also a dual boiler, with a rotary pump, and with flow profiling, then the smart money would probably go towards the Bianca.
But if anyone is questioning that decision, it's probably because they want the LMLM, because it's such a solid and stunning machine, so if it's the Linea Mini you want, yes there are alternatives, but none of them are quite the Linea Mini.
There are various modding kits on the market which do turn the LMLM into a flow profiling machine, so if that's something you want to do, it's certainly possible.
The Water Tank
This is a rotary pump machine, so you can plumb it in, so most people will probably do that rather than using the water tank anyway.
I found the water tank a bit of a pain to fill, you have to remove the drip tray, and I just found it quite an annoying experience.
The App
I found connecting my phone to the app and staying connected, to be quite difficult, but I believe this has been fixed, and to be fair I thought the app was great once I was connected.
For me, the app is a must, when it comes to controlling the brew temperature, as I didn't find the physical adjustment wheel to be the easiest thing to use. Scheduling on and off times, and being able to turn the machine on and off from my phone, and adjust the auto stand by time, I found really useful.
Is the LMLM Your Perfect Espresso Machine?
I think most people will know at this point if the Linea Mini is for them or not.
In fact if you've read all the way through the details and you've still not thought "what am I doing, why would I spend this much on a machine that isn't the most advanced, most modern machine on the planet?", then you probably know in your heart that the Linea Mini is the machine for you, but your head is trying to talk you out of it ;-).