Definitely the most compact E61 I've been able to find yet! I have since gotten the knockbox accessory for the Specialita and it makes the footprint of my setup that much tidier; no excess items strewn on the surface, all where they need to be :)
Did the same upgrade myself. La Pavoni to the MaraX when it first became available in Europe. Absolutely love the machine. I along with a number of forum members like to stretch out the shot time as it has such a slow built-in pre-infusion which is great.
Yeah I think it was a pretty reasonable and affordable upgrade path! I usually get a tasty shot withing the ordinary 30 second window, even with the preinfusion, but I think your point is a good one, it reminds me of the Slayer machine's long long shots! Curious to play around more with the temp settings as well as some longer shots as you said. I'm sure there's more for me to unlock with this machine.
@@alexwalshaw yea the Slayer is a good way of thinking of it! I did the water mod last night to redirect the OPV water back to the pump instead of dumping it into the drip tray. Now I’ve done that I’ll probably install a flow control valve. Never ending tinkering 🤣
@@Armedcor was it hard? I had another guy telling me about that mod and I really like the idea! The OPV wastes so much water and for a non plumbable machine it makes the difference! Curious to do that mod myself
@@alexwalshaw no actually it was fine! Very straightforward. Took me about 10 minutes altogether I’d say. It’s a massive upgrade. Saving a lot of water.
Congrats on your new purchase. I just placed an order for mine today. It is shipping in January. I am looking forward with following your journey with this machine!
Definitely an increasingly popular pairing. For the money I think each machines respectively is the best you can get for the home. Not cheap though, all together, but those two purchases come with pretty much everything you need to make coffee from zero (included tamper, baskets, cleaning etc) so that's cool. It's quite the investment though, I don't mean to dissuade you but if it's your intro to making coffee in the home I would honestly find a lower starting point as learning the basics on kit like this is quite daunting, not to mention a big blow on your funds should you no longer want to pursue making coffee at home.. But if you are familiar already, and you have the funds, definitely a worthwhile setup!
very well made and nice to watch video, thanks. I'm still using my little over two year old quickmill 0820 but thinking about buying a used lelit mara x. or a ascaso duo PID because of the thermoblock haha.
Thanks for sharing! I have been using a La Pavoni Stradivari for a year and a half and was thinking about an upgrade, and with limited counter space the Mara seems the best option.
I get by! It takes a bit of force to just pull the machine on it's rubber feet, but I don't have a particularly hard time. I'll be moving soon, and one of the things I definitely want to do is get some felt pads to replace the rubber as that'll make maneuvering the machine a whole lot easier.
I've had the Comandante paired with the Cafelat Robot. Yesterday I ordered your setup Eureka/MaraX. I will keep the Comandante for filter coffee. Robot will go to eBay, I suspect. It served me well.
Quite the upgrade path. I had a 1980s La Pavoni prior to this machine and used my dad's Virtuoso until I got the eureka! All really impressive machinery. I'm sure now that James Hoffman has reviewed the MaraX, it will become a hot topic haha
Hi friend! regarding your cleaning routine daily/weekly/monthly.... Do you have a routine? I haven’t done a back flush yet since I don’t know if one has to wash the shower screen before back flushing so that no dirt will come into the internals of the machine...? That is why I ask...
Most of the time, I don't do a backflush every week, but it really depends on how many drinks you are making. you don't need to wash anything before backflushing, since that's sort of the point of doing it. just make sure the screen isn't covered in coffee before starting and you'll be fine. maybe do it once every week, or if you don't use it that much maybe every two weeks.
About 20-25 minutes. If you switch it on at the right time before your morning routine (if you have one), then it should be ready to go by the time you want to use it. :)
I saw a few of your videos when doing my research for the machine! I'll definitely try and make more videos of my practice with the machine as the learning curve between this and my old Pavoni is so high! Looking forward to it :]
I am wainting for mine. So I watch video every evening lol. The diference for me is I ordered the Lelit grinder. Easier for the local services. Thank for sharing 😃
Nice video! Congrats on your upgrade. To be honest, I think with a La Pavoni you can truly distinguish yourself as a pro, more then with this automatic machine. Of course you can change the brew pressure with this machine, but you will never be able to follow a different flow than what is programmed by the factory. With the manual machines like your La Pavoni you can, and you can absolutely taste the difference in your espresso! From my point of view the real upgrade would have been adjusting a brew pressure monitor (available online) on your former machine and make your manual espresso skills next level :) However, this new machine is a beauty! Extra points for the double gauge btw! You are so right that ordinary machines only provide tank pressure, which is not as important as brewing pressure. Take care and I wish you many great espressi! :)
I think I did about two full turns from zero and then dialed in from there? There's a few Specialita dialing in videos on here which would be more informative than myself haha
@@bolarsen3983 I mean, at the moment my grinder is maybe around 1 or 1.5 dialed in, but it really all comes down to the bean. Some beans are bigger or smaller depending on there Varietal or roast level, y'know? So it's almost impossible to say any single number on this grinder is the only one to use
I didn't really consider it as it's in an entirely different price bracket for me, but functionally as an E61 machine I'm sure it's quite similar. The way the Mara does it's pressure is not a typical flat 9 bar shot, it ramps in pressure, so that could be a slight difference to consider.
So admittedly I've actually moved to another country! I've been so busy with life stuff to finish but I'm actually back in my hometown for a few weeks so I plan on making some updates on living with the Lelit! Should have something together this week I hope :) sorry to keep you waiting
I'm not actually too sure on that. I know that there are versions of the Mara with a digital PID which are a bit older, but the PL62X is the one I bought because it is the newest version as well as the new type of heat exchanger tech that is inside. This version also technically has a PID in the form of its brew/steam priority modes as well as a switch below the drip tray that adjusts temperature in 2° increments. You have some tweaks you can make to temp with those two switches, but obviously only within a certain degree.
@@alexwalshaw Thanks for the reply. Didn't realise that the newer version didn't have a digital PID display. Recently bought a de'longhi coffee machine and have decided I wanted a 'proper' esspreso machine so was looking at this and the rocket appartmento 👍
@@markrees6792 yeah if you check out Lelit's website, there are a number of Mara models, some newer than others and some with different features, but the PL62X which I have is the latest of those. Delonghi's Dedica is probably the only one of their range worth buying in my opinion, due to its formfactor and wand upgradability using the V1 Rancilio steam wand.. but yeah if you're looking to move into prosumer HX machines I definitely think the Mara X is a good option if you're located in a region that you can find one; I had a few comments from people in other countries outside the US saying they're over $1800 which is way too much for this machine. Feature wise, I think Lelit beats out the Apartamento and comes in at a lower price, but the Rocket definitely has some gorgeous details like the polish and the switches, though perhaps not worth the extra few hundred dollars. All subjective though, do what suits you best!!
Mara X has built-in PID, but no display. You can set it up by mechanical switch under the tray. In the coffee priority mode you can set it up to 92, 94 and 96 Celsius. There is also steam priority with 3 levels of temperature
I've been eyeing this one. mostly for the stainless steel boiler inside ( no copper, brass or aluminum ) ONE thing i am curious about is the portafilter. Its said its a 58mm unlike their crappy 57mm ( no idea what idiot came up with that though ) Anyway does that portafilter CURVE in at the bottom when you look inside it. Meaning the SIDES dont go down dead straight, half way down it becomes like a hill?
Yeah it's a tank of a machine for sure in terms of material use but also how much it squeezes in! So since this is an E61 group, you can rest assured it is a true 58mm basket, but to answer your question it is flat at the bottom! The Mara X comes with 4 baskets. The single basket, as you should expect, is quite curvy and does 8-11 grams I think. Then there's the traditional double which does 14-18, and has ridged sides but is still flat at the base. The triple or 18-21 basket also has ridged sides. Lastly, it has a blank basket for backflushing. Since it is an E61, you can easily swap any of these baskets with any other kind of standard 58mm basket, be it from VST, IMS or any other reputable company if you wanted to I think. Hope this helps!
I got mine from 1st Line Equipment, they're a coffee supply based in NJ, and since I'm located on the east coast it made sense to buy from them as the shipping cost is lower. But I'm pretty sure there's a few other US retailers who carry Lelit machines.
Well I've had it for about a week now, making lots of coffee for myself and my dad, which is something you couldn't do so easily on the Pavoni (overheating after a single pull). I would always get a tasty shot and great steamed milk from the Pavoni, but I think the ability to go shot after shot on a semi-auto is definitely a plus! Takes longer to heat up, obviously because it's a larger machine. I think if you're making more than one drink at a time, the La Pavoni is a tough sell, but if it's just you and you enjoy the wild variance of the lever espresso machine and enjoy messing around with different pressure profiles, it's definitely a great machine for that. The Mara X is one of the cheapest prosumer E61 machines I could find on the market today, so if that's more your thing I think it's great for that. It's an amazing heat exchanger and I've been enjoying it a lot so far :) my friend and I have been planning to meet and do a short high production quality video together on it, but it's little difficult given the ongoing pandemic and getting covid tests before seeing eachother again y'know? Strange days indeed.
@@alexwalshaw I have been doing my research and came across many people complaining about the overheating with the La Pavoni after a couple of shots pulled. As I was doing my research, La Pavoni and Lelit were two brands that really caught my eyes due to their look, availability, and price point. I think they really offer something for people who would like to enjoy better coffee at home without having to break the bank. I am not saying they are cheap but you know many commercial grade machines go well over a thousand or more. Anyway, thank you very much for your comment and I look forward to your future videos!
@@jeongwoohyeon9464 Interesting notes on the overheating. In my experience so far, just running a quick cooling flush between shots actually keeps the temperature under control quite well. I think you can get a thermometer probe attachment for the group head which would definitely be useful to know what kind of temperatures we're really getting besides the PID's preset temperature modes! I'm not sure where you're located, but it's interesting to me that Lelit is a brand you have availability and access to, because here in the US it's actually a bit difficult to find coffee resellers who carry Lelit machines. I found one in NJ which was close to me called 1st Line Equipment who carries Lelit machines so that is who I bought it from. I agree though, these machines are not cheap but WAY more affordable than most comparable E61 and prosumer HX and dual boiler machines. the Mara X's dual probe HX system was also one of the reasons I was interested in this machine, so read into that too if you're curious. I feel like it's too soon for me to say if this machine is truly worth its price tag, but so far I am enjoying it a lot! I hope I can put some more thoughts together as time goes on.
@@alexwalshaw I am located fairly close to Italy and that's why I see many Italian espresso machines available such as La Pavoni, Lelit, Bezzera, ECM (though as I understand, this brand is technically German - despite the relatively short history, they are producing some of the finest machines in the market. German technology I guess ;) ) I still don't know much about coffee and espresso machines - more I read, I feel like am lost in a rabbit hole that is so vast. I feel so ignorant for all these years I was preparing and consuming coffee without putting much thought into. I must say, I do enjoy making coffee now that I don't do it for living anymore. I never understood why these commercial espresso machines cost fortunes but I get it now. It's truly amazing. For those who anticipate and demand a good cup of coffee with a click of a button at relatively lower cost, it may seem outrageous to spend so much money on a cup of coffee but they will never be able to appreciate a great cup of coffee. Indeed, Mara X offers so much at such appealing price point - like you said in your review, some of the more expensive machines, more often than not, offers so much less than Mara X. Some offers truly amazing technology but then we are looking at a price tag that is double or triple.. so in a way, we already know that Mara X punches way above its weight. What it will all come down to, in my opinion, is how snobby we, coffee maniacs, will be in the future. It's very hard to go back to lesser quality cup of coffee. Anyway, thank you for reviewing and keep the videos coming!
@@jeongwoohyeon9464 awesome to know you have access to all those brands so readily, it must be quite something being in espresso's country of origin :) I totally agree about the plethora of information which lies in the the specialty coffee world, but I guess you can say that about any kind of passtime couldn't you? When you start peeling back the layers of understanding, where do you stop?! Everybody's got their "thing", for us and for many it is specialty coffee, and for others they are perfectly at peace with their cup of joe that they get from a coffee chain or from their Keurig machine. I would love if us coffee nerds could convert the world onto specialty coffee, be it in the form of pour overs, decent french press, or even the huge leap which is espresso, but after a while I know that everyone has their own set of priorities, for some coffee is just not one of them. Thank you for your comments, your investment into my video means a lot and I really enjoy the conversations I've been able to have with other coffee enthusiasts here! I hope I can make some more videos, and hopefully some with a higher production value!
That's a really cool machine. I often find myself gawking at their website and looking at all the updates the company pushes out. I can imagine it must be a blast to use and monitor all the data, I could have a field day just pulling shots and changing brew profiles, but for the sake of simplicity (and budget) I landed with a trusty E61 machine :) please enjoy it for me!!
@@AM2PMReviews hmm, interesting. Wasn't aware of the quirks, but I suppose the more complicated a machine becomes, more faults will follow suit. Get involved in their forums or something, you are just as much a developer as you are a customer to help iron out the kinks in a company as small as Decent.
@@alexwalshaw oh yeah the Diaspora is incredible. It’s just a lot to learn if you want to get nerdy. I am an Apple guy so learning android is weird and also TCL files are how the presets run. So it’s just a lot of unknown things. I will do a full review soon.
Hate it! Just kidding, yeah it's an excellent machine. I wish it didn't take so long to heat up (like 20+ minutes depending on how cold my house is in the morning lol), or I wish there was a way for me to turn it on remotely like some more premium machines. But it's an excellent no frills device, makes great coffee :)
@@ja798 that's also possible yes. Like a smart plug or something I can control via a timer or on my phone. Can program the outlet to turn on instead of a machine with that sort of functionality baked in.. I suppose with today's smart home tech it shouldn't be all that complicated!
@@alexwalshaw you could sync it up with your phone alarm. Turn the machine on 30 min prior so that it's nice and hot when you get out of bed. I presume that the machine has a power switch that can remain in an on state. Can you confirm? Thanks for the info!
@@ja798 yeah it's just got it's main power button on the front! After talking with you about it, it's kind of a stupid feature to pay a premium for isn't it? Haha
There is about a 10 second ish low pressure pre-infusion around 2 bar before ramping up to 9 bar. I know there is a pressure control you can adjust inside the machine with a wrench, but I'm not too sure if you can adjust it's pump pre-infusion which it does from the factory without installing one of those pressure profiling paddles which come on their higher end E61, the Bianca. I don't know a whole lot about the paddle, but I know they sell it separately online if people wanted to do those mods to their Mara machine.
@@sebastrem05 yes if your machine is plumbed you will be able to pre infuse from line pressure. If you are using water tank/reservoir there is not preinfusion. Unless you add modification to control flow rate.
I liked the smaller chassis of the Mara. And I didn't have an extra $1600 lying around. Definitely a nicer machine with more features, but I didn't need and couldn't afford them.
Wasn't easy parting ways with it, I'll tell you that! Being a college student though = not having enough money to afford keeping everything. Maybe sometime in the future I'll pick one up again :]
@@jm7720 not sure where you're located, but I bought mine from 1st Line in NJ and it was only $1350.. I spent a long time saving money from cafe jobs and other odd things in between along with selling my old La Pavoni to afford this one. No doubt it's an expensive machine, but if you play the cards right and manage your money, it's definitely attainable for people my age!
@@alexwalshaw Ah im in Canada. Its priced at $1945 plus tax on top. Damn lot of money but yeah its nice and probably worth it. Not sure if i can pull the trigger on something that expensive right now.
@@jm7720 I agree it's not cheap. I've spoken with a number of reputable coffee sellers and they regularly cited that these machines are "exclusive" or hard to sell and they prefer to just sell their other known brands like Rocket, Rancilio and the rest... Which more times than not are more expensive than the Mara X.
Step one, get bottomless portafilter Step two get a distribution tool Step three change your stock shower screen to precision screen Step four get a new scale that hario one is very inaccurate Step five upgrade your basket to either vst or ims basket Enjoy
Step one: enjoy the imperfections first ;) I'm kidding, I know all of those tools will greatly improve extraction and will definitely look nice too. I'm coming from a 80s La Pavoni which I did all of those mods too, definitely worth it :) I've been reading about the differences between IMS and VST for this machine, so don't worry, those upgrades are definitely in mind and on the list, just enjoying it as it is now.
@@AzizIzgin There's loads out there which are decent these days! I made another video on a pretty decent scale which is only $12 USD! doesn't have a timer, but you can always just use your phone as a timer or count in your head haha but there seem to be other affordable kitchen scales with timers out there with many good reviews! just scour amazon and see which one you like the most!
You're too hard on yourself! That was pretty good for a first attempt with a new setup. I'm eyeing a Mara X myself!
Perhaps, I am my own worst critic, I know that for certain
Glad you're enjoying it too, great machine for the price.
Love how compact, sleek and powerful it is, i have specialita myself paired with flair but also considering a machine like this.
Definitely the most compact E61 I've been able to find yet! I have since gotten the knockbox accessory for the Specialita and it makes the footprint of my setup that much tidier; no excess items strewn on the surface, all where they need to be :)
Did the same upgrade myself. La Pavoni to the MaraX when it first became available in Europe. Absolutely love the machine. I along with a number of forum members like to stretch out the shot time as it has such a slow built-in pre-infusion which is great.
Yeah I think it was a pretty reasonable and affordable upgrade path! I usually get a tasty shot withing the ordinary 30 second window, even with the preinfusion, but I think your point is a good one, it reminds me of the Slayer machine's long long shots! Curious to play around more with the temp settings as well as some longer shots as you said. I'm sure there's more for me to unlock with this machine.
@@alexwalshaw yea the Slayer is a good way of thinking of it! I did the water mod last night to redirect the OPV water back to the pump instead of dumping it into the drip tray. Now I’ve done that I’ll probably install a flow control valve. Never ending tinkering 🤣
@@Armedcor was it hard? I had another guy telling me about that mod and I really like the idea! The OPV wastes so much water and for a non plumbable machine it makes the difference! Curious to do that mod myself
@@alexwalshaw no actually it was fine! Very straightforward. Took me about 10 minutes altogether I’d say. It’s a massive upgrade. Saving a lot of water.
@@Armedcor oh wow that's good to know, I'll have to look into it soon! Are there parts that I need to buy or is it a simple reroute?
Congrats on your new purchase. I just placed an order for mine today. It is shipping in January.
I am looking forward with following your journey with this machine!
"I'm a maniac. I really want that number."
Me too, pal. Me too.
I'm considering the Mara X and Eureka Specialita combo myself, they look great.
Definitely an increasingly popular pairing. For the money I think each machines respectively is the best you can get for the home. Not cheap though, all together, but those two purchases come with pretty much everything you need to make coffee from zero (included tamper, baskets, cleaning etc) so that's cool. It's quite the investment though, I don't mean to dissuade you but if it's your intro to making coffee in the home I would honestly find a lower starting point as learning the basics on kit like this is quite daunting, not to mention a big blow on your funds should you no longer want to pursue making coffee at home..
But if you are familiar already, and you have the funds, definitely a worthwhile setup!
Lelit William pl72 also a good grinder, with industrial size 64mm flat burrs
very well made and nice to watch video, thanks. I'm still using my little over two year old quickmill 0820 but thinking about buying a used lelit mara x. or a ascaso duo PID because of the thermoblock haha.
Thanks for sharing! I have been using a La Pavoni Stradivari for a year and a half and was thinking about an upgrade, and with limited counter space the Mara seems the best option.
How is filling the tank? My space is very similar to yours, with a cabinet directly above the machine.
I get by! It takes a bit of force to just pull the machine on it's rubber feet, but I don't have a particularly hard time. I'll be moving soon, and one of the things I definitely want to do is get some felt pads to replace the rubber as that'll make maneuvering the machine a whole lot easier.
I've had the Comandante paired with the Cafelat Robot. Yesterday I ordered your setup Eureka/MaraX. I will keep the Comandante for filter coffee. Robot will go to eBay, I suspect. It served me well.
Quite the upgrade path. I had a 1980s La Pavoni prior to this machine and used my dad's Virtuoso until I got the eureka! All really impressive machinery. I'm sure now that James Hoffman has reviewed the MaraX, it will become a hot topic haha
Hi friend!
regarding your cleaning routine daily/weekly/monthly....
Do you have a routine?
I haven’t done a back flush yet since I don’t know if one has to wash the shower screen before back flushing so that no dirt will come into the internals of the machine...? That is why I ask...
Most of the time, I don't do a backflush every week, but it really depends on how many drinks you are making. you don't need to wash anything before backflushing, since that's sort of the point of doing it. just make sure the screen isn't covered in coffee before starting and you'll be fine. maybe do it once every week, or if you don't use it that much maybe every two weeks.
@@alexwalshaw now I’m a part of the family bruh 😎
th-cam.com/video/qtiV3aLvYQM/w-d-xo.html
@@AzizIzgin welcome to the club! I enjoyed your videos!
Great video , heating time on this Machine ?
About 20-25 minutes. If you switch it on at the right time before your morning routine (if you have one), then it should be ready to go by the time you want to use it. :)
I have the same combo, machine grinder and i love it. Do more video please!
I saw a few of your videos when doing my research for the machine! I'll definitely try and make more videos of my practice with the machine as the learning curve between this and my old Pavoni is so high! Looking forward to it :]
@@alexwalshaw happy to ear that. I am still learning thing’s with this machine. I will be looking forward to more videos 😊
I am wainting for mine. So I watch video every evening lol. The diference for me is I ordered the Lelit grinder. Easier for the local services. Thank for sharing 😃
@@sebastrem05 I hope it come soon. Yes local service is always the best.
Nice video! Congrats on your upgrade. To be honest, I think with a La Pavoni you can truly distinguish yourself as a pro, more then with this automatic machine. Of course you can change the brew pressure with this machine, but you will never be able to follow a different flow than what is programmed by the factory. With the manual machines like your La Pavoni you can, and you can absolutely taste the difference in your espresso! From my point of view the real upgrade would have been adjusting a brew pressure monitor (available online) on your former machine and make your manual espresso skills next level :) However, this new machine is a beauty! Extra points for the double gauge btw! You are so right that ordinary machines only provide tank pressure, which is not as important as brewing pressure. Take care and I wish you many great espressi! :)
Install flow control then 😉
How long from 0 where burrs goes together are you ? did you make alignment on your burrs ?
I think I did about two full turns from zero and then dialed in from there? There's a few Specialita dialing in videos on here which would be more informative than myself haha
@@alexwalshaw wild i am 2 numbers from zero and i still can get 15g ind and 30g out in 25-30 sek.
@@bolarsen3983 I mean, at the moment my grinder is maybe around 1 or 1.5 dialed in, but it really all comes down to the bean. Some beans are bigger or smaller depending on there Varietal or roast level, y'know? So it's almost impossible to say any single number on this grinder is the only one to use
Did you consider the Profitec Pro 500 as an alternative? I am considering both and wondering what people think about the two?
I didn't really consider it as it's in an entirely different price bracket for me, but functionally as an E61 machine I'm sure it's quite similar. The way the Mara does it's pressure is not a typical flat 9 bar shot, it ramps in pressure, so that could be a slight difference to consider.
Any updates now you have had the machine a while?
So admittedly I've actually moved to another country! I've been so busy with life stuff to finish but I'm actually back in my hometown for a few weeks so I plan on making some updates on living with the Lelit! Should have something together this week I hope :) sorry to keep you waiting
How much extra is the Mara X with built in PID? Any reason why you didn't go for that?
I'm not actually too sure on that. I know that there are versions of the Mara with a digital PID which are a bit older, but the PL62X is the one I bought because it is the newest version as well as the new type of heat exchanger tech that is inside. This version also technically has a PID in the form of its brew/steam priority modes as well as a switch below the drip tray that adjusts temperature in 2° increments. You have some tweaks you can make to temp with those two switches, but obviously only within a certain degree.
@@alexwalshaw Thanks for the reply. Didn't realise that the newer version didn't have a digital PID display.
Recently bought a de'longhi coffee machine and have decided I wanted a 'proper' esspreso machine so was looking at this and the rocket appartmento 👍
@@markrees6792 yeah if you check out Lelit's website, there are a number of Mara models, some newer than others and some with different features, but the PL62X which I have is the latest of those. Delonghi's Dedica is probably the only one of their range worth buying in my opinion, due to its formfactor and wand upgradability using the V1 Rancilio steam wand.. but yeah if you're looking to move into prosumer HX machines I definitely think the Mara X is a good option if you're located in a region that you can find one; I had a few comments from people in other countries outside the US saying they're over $1800 which is way too much for this machine. Feature wise, I think Lelit beats out the Apartamento and comes in at a lower price, but the Rocket definitely has some gorgeous details like the polish and the switches, though perhaps not worth the extra few hundred dollars. All subjective though, do what suits you best!!
@@alexwalshaw cheers dude 👍
Mara X has built-in PID, but no display. You can set it up by mechanical switch under the tray. In the coffee priority mode you can set it up to 92, 94 and 96 Celsius. There is also steam priority with 3 levels of temperature
I've been eyeing this one. mostly for the stainless steel boiler inside ( no copper, brass or aluminum ) ONE thing i am curious about is the portafilter. Its said its a 58mm unlike their crappy 57mm ( no idea what idiot came up with that though ) Anyway does that portafilter CURVE in at the bottom when you look inside it. Meaning the SIDES dont go down dead straight, half way down it becomes like a hill?
Yeah it's a tank of a machine for sure in terms of material use but also how much it squeezes in! So since this is an E61 group, you can rest assured it is a true 58mm basket, but to answer your question it is flat at the bottom! The Mara X comes with 4 baskets. The single basket, as you should expect, is quite curvy and does 8-11 grams I think. Then there's the traditional double which does 14-18, and has ridged sides but is still flat at the base. The triple or 18-21 basket also has ridged sides. Lastly, it has a blank basket for backflushing.
Since it is an E61, you can easily swap any of these baskets with any other kind of standard 58mm basket, be it from VST, IMS or any other reputable company if you wanted to I think. Hope this helps!
@@alexwalshaw Nice.
Where did you buy it? I am looking for one but I cannot seem to find any
I got mine from 1st Line Equipment, they're a coffee supply based in NJ, and since I'm located on the east coast it made sense to buy from them as the shipping cost is lower. But I'm pretty sure there's a few other US retailers who carry Lelit machines.
How do you like the Mara X so far? and how would you compare it to the La Pavoni?
Well I've had it for about a week now, making lots of coffee for myself and my dad, which is something you couldn't do so easily on the Pavoni (overheating after a single pull). I would always get a tasty shot and great steamed milk from the Pavoni, but I think the ability to go shot after shot on a semi-auto is definitely a plus! Takes longer to heat up, obviously because it's a larger machine. I think if you're making more than one drink at a time, the La Pavoni is a tough sell, but if it's just you and you enjoy the wild variance of the lever espresso machine and enjoy messing around with different pressure profiles, it's definitely a great machine for that. The Mara X is one of the cheapest prosumer E61 machines I could find on the market today, so if that's more your thing I think it's great for that. It's an amazing heat exchanger and I've been enjoying it a lot so far :) my friend and I have been planning to meet and do a short high production quality video together on it, but it's little difficult given the ongoing pandemic and getting covid tests before seeing eachother again y'know? Strange days indeed.
@@alexwalshaw I have been doing my research and came across many people complaining about the overheating with the La Pavoni after a couple of shots pulled. As I was doing my research, La Pavoni and Lelit were two brands that really caught my eyes due to their look, availability, and price point. I think they really offer something for people who would like to enjoy better coffee at home without having to break the bank. I am not saying they are cheap but you know many commercial grade machines go well over a thousand or more. Anyway, thank you very much for your comment and I look forward to your future videos!
@@jeongwoohyeon9464 Interesting notes on the overheating. In my experience so far, just running a quick cooling flush between shots actually keeps the temperature under control quite well. I think you can get a thermometer probe attachment for the group head which would definitely be useful to know what kind of temperatures we're really getting besides the PID's preset temperature modes!
I'm not sure where you're located, but it's interesting to me that Lelit is a brand you have availability and access to, because here in the US it's actually a bit difficult to find coffee resellers who carry Lelit machines. I found one in NJ which was close to me called 1st Line Equipment who carries Lelit machines so that is who I bought it from. I agree though, these machines are not cheap but WAY more affordable than most comparable E61 and prosumer HX and dual boiler machines. the Mara X's dual probe HX system was also one of the reasons I was interested in this machine, so read into that too if you're curious. I feel like it's too soon for me to say if this machine is truly worth its price tag, but so far I am enjoying it a lot! I hope I can put some more thoughts together as time goes on.
@@alexwalshaw I am located fairly close to Italy and that's why I see many Italian espresso machines available such as La Pavoni, Lelit, Bezzera, ECM (though as I understand, this brand is technically German - despite the relatively short history, they are producing some of the finest machines in the market. German technology I guess ;) ) I still don't know much about coffee and espresso machines - more I read, I feel like am lost in a rabbit hole that is so vast. I feel so ignorant for all these years I was preparing and consuming coffee without putting much thought into. I must say, I do enjoy making coffee now that I don't do it for living anymore. I never understood why these commercial espresso machines cost fortunes but I get it now. It's truly amazing. For those who anticipate and demand a good cup of coffee with a click of a button at relatively lower cost, it may seem outrageous to spend so much money on a cup of coffee but they will never be able to appreciate a great cup of coffee.
Indeed, Mara X offers so much at such appealing price point - like you said in your review, some of the more expensive machines, more often than not, offers so much less than Mara X. Some offers truly amazing technology but then we are looking at a price tag that is double or triple.. so in a way, we already know that Mara X punches way above its weight. What it will all come down to, in my opinion, is how snobby we, coffee maniacs, will be in the future. It's very hard to go back to lesser quality cup of coffee.
Anyway, thank you for reviewing and keep the videos coming!
@@jeongwoohyeon9464 awesome to know you have access to all those brands so readily, it must be quite something being in espresso's country of origin :)
I totally agree about the plethora of information which lies in the the specialty coffee world, but I guess you can say that about any kind of passtime couldn't you? When you start peeling back the layers of understanding, where do you stop?!
Everybody's got their "thing", for us and for many it is specialty coffee, and for others they are perfectly at peace with their cup of joe that they get from a coffee chain or from their Keurig machine. I would love if us coffee nerds could convert the world onto specialty coffee, be it in the form of pour overs, decent french press, or even the huge leap which is espresso, but after a while I know that everyone has their own set of priorities, for some coffee is just not one of them.
Thank you for your comments, your investment into my video means a lot and I really enjoy the conversations I've been able to have with other coffee enthusiasts here! I hope I can make some more videos, and hopefully some with a higher production value!
I see where you have placed the machine, do you really have space to refill the water tank or do you need to move the machine a bit to refill?
I move it each time unfortunately. But I think if I put felt feet on the bottom instead of rubber it'll be a lot easier.
Sweeeet. I just got my DE1Pro and love looking at other setups.
That's a really cool machine. I often find myself gawking at their website and looking at all the updates the company pushes out. I can imagine it must be a blast to use and monitor all the data, I could have a field day just pulling shots and changing brew profiles, but for the sake of simplicity (and budget) I landed with a trusty E61 machine :) please enjoy it for me!!
@@alexwalshaw yes it’s overwhelming at times and I hate the Bluetooth disconnecting about twice a month. So it’s not without it caveats
@@AM2PMReviews hmm, interesting. Wasn't aware of the quirks, but I suppose the more complicated a machine becomes, more faults will follow suit. Get involved in their forums or something, you are just as much a developer as you are a customer to help iron out the kinks in a company as small as Decent.
@@alexwalshaw oh yeah the Diaspora is incredible. It’s just a lot to learn if you want to get nerdy. I am an Apple guy so learning android is weird and also TCL files are how the presets run. So it’s just a lot of unknown things. I will do a full review soon.
@@AM2PMReviews looking forward to it :) good luck
Do you still like it after 2 months?
Hate it! Just kidding, yeah it's an excellent machine. I wish it didn't take so long to heat up (like 20+ minutes depending on how cold my house is in the morning lol), or I wish there was a way for me to turn it on remotely like some more premium machines. But it's an excellent no frills device, makes great coffee :)
@@alexwalshaw Can you turn it on with an external wall socket timer?
@@ja798 that's also possible yes. Like a smart plug or something I can control via a timer or on my phone. Can program the outlet to turn on instead of a machine with that sort of functionality baked in.. I suppose with today's smart home tech it shouldn't be all that complicated!
@@alexwalshaw you could sync it up with your phone alarm. Turn the machine on 30 min prior so that it's nice and hot when you get out of bed. I presume that the machine has a power switch that can remain in an on state. Can you confirm? Thanks for the info!
@@ja798 yeah it's just got it's main power button on the front! After talking with you about it, it's kind of a stupid feature to pay a premium for isn't it? Haha
Is there a pre-infusion on this and can it be adjusted?
There is about a 10 second ish low pressure pre-infusion around 2 bar before ramping up to 9 bar. I know there is a pressure control you can adjust inside the machine with a wrench, but I'm not too sure if you can adjust it's pump pre-infusion which it does from the factory without installing one of those pressure profiling paddles which come on their higher end E61, the Bianca. I don't know a whole lot about the paddle, but I know they sell it separately online if people wanted to do those mods to their Mara machine.
No. Unless you're not plumbed in there is no preinfusion function with this machine.
@@kondko on the web site: "heat exchanger E61-type group with mechanical pre-infusion Heating of group". It isn't pre-infusion?
@@sebastrem05 yes if your machine is plumbed you will be able to pre infuse from line pressure. If you are using water tank/reservoir there is not preinfusion. Unless you add modification to control flow rate.
It is really quiet compared to my Breville Dual Boiler. Nice set up man 👌
Thanks! :]
I have just gone from the la pavoni to the lelit mara x
An increasingly popular upgrade path :) enjoy it!
why didn't u go for the bianka?
I liked the smaller chassis of the Mara. And I didn't have an extra $1600 lying around. Definitely a nicer machine with more features, but I didn't need and couldn't afford them.
yooooo this makes me want to drink coffee.
Looks incredible! Good choice!
the sound in the right ear is cliping, just a heads up :)
Didn't hear it on my end.. maybe a youtube thing? Sorry for the trouble
@@alexwalshaw I'm pretty sure its a cameraman-touching-the-microphone thing :) Kinda unpleasant with headphones
@@jackaw1197 probably. Thanks cameraman, I guess I don't pay him enough (I don't pay him.. it's my dad)
Holder is probably pretty cold for shot) Solid update
Maaan never sell a La Pavoni always a great wild card down in your basement!! ;)
Wasn't easy parting ways with it, I'll tell you that! Being a college student though = not having enough money to afford keeping everything. Maybe sometime in the future I'll pick one up again :]
@@alexwalshaw A college student that can afford a $1.975 machine. What student are you? No student has that kind of money
@@jm7720 not sure where you're located, but I bought mine from 1st Line in NJ and it was only $1350.. I spent a long time saving money from cafe jobs and other odd things in between along with selling my old La Pavoni to afford this one. No doubt it's an expensive machine, but if you play the cards right and manage your money, it's definitely attainable for people my age!
@@alexwalshaw Ah im in Canada. Its priced at $1945 plus tax on top. Damn lot of money but yeah its nice and probably worth it. Not sure if i can pull the trigger on something that expensive right now.
@@jm7720 I agree it's not cheap. I've spoken with a number of reputable coffee sellers and they regularly cited that these machines are "exclusive" or hard to sell and they prefer to just sell their other known brands like Rocket, Rancilio and the rest... Which more times than not are more expensive than the Mara X.
Hey
Moar coffee machinessss
Step one, get bottomless portafilter
Step two get a distribution tool
Step three change your stock shower screen to precision screen
Step four get a new scale that hario one is very inaccurate
Step five upgrade your basket to either vst or ims basket
Enjoy
Step one: enjoy the imperfections first ;)
I'm kidding, I know all of those tools will greatly improve extraction and will definitely look nice too. I'm coming from a 80s La Pavoni which I did all of those mods too, definitely worth it :) I've been reading about the differences between IMS and VST for this machine, so don't worry, those upgrades are definitely in mind and on the list, just enjoying it as it is now.
Step six... Give advice when asked for it.
What scale do you recommend that is not too expensive?
@@AzizIzgin There's loads out there which are decent these days! I made another video on a pretty decent scale which is only $12 USD! doesn't have a timer, but you can always just use your phone as a timer or count in your head haha
but there seem to be other affordable kitchen scales with timers out there with many good reviews! just scour amazon and see which one you like the most!
HX = Amazing science but old.
The vid starts at timeline 5.0.
Americans drink their espresso too long