# La Marzocco GS3



## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

Just really looking for advice first.

I'd love one of these machines but may be a way off yet, but a question to owners old and new.

If you could chose again, would you go for the auto or manual paddle?

Not into pressure profiling myself so if the gods did shine on me, just wondered what the general consensus would be.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

How do you know your not into pressure profiling ?

Would you be plumbing ?


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## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> How do you know your not into pressure profiling ?
> 
> Would you be plumbing ?


Ok, well never tried p/p.

If like to plumb in but probably just use the 3l tank as the worktop is going to be Quartz, so don't think I'd get away with drilling it.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Well does volumetric appeal then ?


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## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

To be honest Boots, it doesn't, just really love the looks of the GS3 and since I started my journey it's been my hope to eventually own a LM.

That's why I'm just seeking advice.

I own a QM Verona and do love it, but always wondering what I'm missing out on with the LM.

Don't even have a clue what volumetrics are tbh.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Jason1wood said:


> To be honest Boots, it doesn't, just really love the looks of the GS3 and since I started my journey it's been my hope to eventually own a LM.
> 
> That's why I'm just seeking advice.
> 
> ...


Worth investigating then .... that is one of the main difference between paddle and not paddle ....( AV and MP )

Pe infusion may be effected by not plumbing , tbh i am guessing at this ...

They are alot of money new and quite rare second hand , probs get a handle on what your potentailly paying £1000's for .

Yes i love the look too btw .. if your fine with just wanting one , thats cool , it may not make any better coffee than the machine you have now tbh

The group head is different design to an e61 > saturated group ... i think you have some reading and research to do ...


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## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

Yeah I think I have.

Just thought an owner could shed a little light on it.

Still fairly new to all the different variations to espresso.

Just about got the hang of getting a nice decent espresso (most times)

Thanks for the help and advice.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

@DavidBondy has AV @coffeechap has MP

Ill shut up now, they can give you proper long term owner experience


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

By the way Jason , whatever you do , don't look at the Specht custom stuff


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Don't forget me! Right,not being controversial, but I suspect the vast majority of GS3 owners have little or no idea about really making coffee, but do have pockets deep enough to buy one. Their reward is lots of ohms and aahhss from others as this is probably the most desired machine among home users.

The Auto that I had. You have to learn to set the buttons to dispose an amount of water, then the shot stops automatically. Fantastic when it works which mine did till I wanted to change the output and I could not figure it out. The plus sides that there is also an on/off button giving you full manual control.

The Manual comes in 2 versions. The basic lets you flip a paddle but you have absolutely no way off knowing what it is actually doing. There is then an MP Strada version which has more bells and whistles but Coffee bloke will tell you all about that.

Jason, as I know you I can confidently say the Auto is for you if you down that route. Buy new. There is a German site selling them for £3800 or so but they will not send to the UK and you also need to consider warranty as every machine in the UK passes through LM UK although there are a couple of firms (Mullmans or something like that) that had accounts before LM UK were around.

Good luck with your hunt. Having been there and done it, would I buy another.......possibly but it would have to be the right deal!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Jason1wood said:


> Just really looking for advice first.
> 
> I'd love one of these machines but may be a way off yet, but a question to owners old and new. .


Not an owner, and never will be, I could have had the chance of picking one up for trade price many times, but it's not a machine I would want to own. Mine is purely a technical maintenance performance perspective...not looks.


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

dfk41 the name you are looking for is Mulmar foodservice solutions and the guys name is Enzo based in Hatfield. A really nice geezer but not cheap.


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## Jason1wood (Jun 1, 2012)

Thanks guys.

David (@dfk41)

That's what I was looking for. Wasn't sure I needed all the bells and whistles.

Will be quite a few months until I'm in a position to look into this but appreciate all your help.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

@dfk41 i thought someone who knew what all the buttons actually did might help Jason a bit more


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> @dfk41 i thought someone who knew what all the buttons actually did might help Jason a bit more


Well, you are wasting your time asking Bondy.....he and I went to the same school!


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> he and I went to the same school!


School of hard knocks or School of life?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Daren said:


> School of hard knocks or School of life?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


neither, the school of having no idea how to set GS3 Auto buttons of course.......he may claim differently but personally I would doubt that!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

It's not a pressure profiling machine

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

MP with Strada mod is - or at least it allows for manual adjustment of brew pressure via the paddle, but not recordable and repeatable pressure profiles.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Needs a good bit of modding though.

Don't know what I'd go for, love volumetrics but having proper control of preinfusion is ace.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Jason, I have used both and had the mp strata conversion model for over a year now, does it it make better coffee that your Verona, well I believe mine does! Once you master the art of what to do with the paddle then you can achieve a lot of different kinds of shots. The plus pony to a gs3 is that it he the most temperature stable group out there and is a pleasure to use, the steam wand is superb and it has a nice low profile. I preferred mine to the AV but is it worth the extra money over the Vesuvius? Debatable, but that is down to your preference.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

coffeechap said:


> Jason, I have used both and had the mp strata conversion model for over a year now


Don't you mean you've been looking after my next machine for over a year now?


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> Not an owner, and never will be, I could have had the chance of picking one up for trade price many times, but it's not a machine I would want to own. Mine is purely a technical maintenance performance perspective...not looks.


Could you share some more light on that Dave?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Simple, the Vesuvius is an all round better machine


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I'd rather have a GS3 than the Dalek though


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> I'd rather have a GS3 than the Dalek though


It's k9 not a dalek


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> I'd rather have a GS3 than the Dalek though


I was suggesting the answer Dave would give. There is no arguing really. Technically the Vesuvius rains all over the GS3 but the GS3 is much prettier. Since the Vesuvius was designed you would have thought they could have considered some aesthetics


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## coyote (May 23, 2014)

There is no two different GS3 MP model...only one as I know...

But there is Strada modification for GS3...which is step more after you get MP version....

My suggest if you can choose,then take the MP version...

Gs3 give you options to change variables while you experiments with different coffee....

But also there is cheaper and also good coffee machines for home..but gs3 is yard for playing...


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

The Vesuvius might be the better machine but i'd rather have a GS3. It's got the want factor whereas the Vesuvius...doesn't.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> The Vesuvius might be the better machine but i'd rather have a GS3. It's got the want factor whereas the Vesuvius...doesn't.


totally agree.....


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

In my book 'coffee the drink' to my taste counts.

Have never been influenced by the looks of a machine & that's the truth


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

ronsil said:


> In my book 'coffee the drink' to my taste counts.
> 
> Have never been influenced by the looks of a machine & that's the truth


Quite so.

It's there to MAKE coffee, not INVITE OUT for coffee


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

So, is the GS3 one of the worlds top selling machines because it makes good coffee?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> So, is the GS3 one of the worlds top selling machines because it makes good coffee?


It doesn't make bad coffee .... ( that would down to the operator > beans > water > )


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

dfk41 said:


> neither, the school of having no idea how to set GS3 Auto buttons of course.......he may claim differently but personally I would doubt that!


Indeed I do claim otherwise! I don't know, I take a bit of time off and when I come back to the forum I find I am being rubbished! The AV is so simple that even an independent financial advisor could programme it!

I did own the GS/3 Strada which is now owned by Mr Hyde and I found that the biggest problem was the sensitivity of the paddle (by which I mean that the movement required to turn the microswitch on and off was tiny). I was glad to do a swap with him for the GS/3 AV previously owned by Mr Kidd (who declared it impossible to programme).

I did not find that at ALL! All you need to do is to RFTM about twenty times and play with the machine. The biggest problem is that you're programming the time that the pump is on then off then on again then off again (if you include the pre-infusion). If you are not absolutely consistent in your puck preparation (especially tamping) then you're going to get differing results. It took a while but I am 100% happy with the machine. I have it serviced annually by the local LM engineer and we spoke about how they (the engineers) set the machine up. If it is not right then physician heal thyself - it isn't the machine!

I have owned both machines and I do echo Dave Hyde's view about the stability of the group and the steam power (although I rarely make milky drinks!). So, in summary .. I have owned a GS/3 MP (Strada) and a GS/3 AV. Would I change? Not is 100 years! I am also 100% happy with my Terra-nova Versalab M3 grinder and I use a OCD and Mahlgut to prepare my home-roasted Old Brown Java. I am totally content and have no plans to change anything in my set-up.

David


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Welcome back you old fart!


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

dfk41 said:


> Welcome back you old fart!


I would say that it takes one to know one but I wouldn't be so disingenuous!

David


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## EricC (Apr 25, 2011)

Having owned both for three years apiece, I would definitely go for the Manual Paddle even with its higher maintenance demands, much more tactile.

Eric


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