# Which Entry Level Lelit?



## antinwales

Hi All

My 12yo DeLonghi B2C has failed, so I'm looking at upgrading the system with better grinder and espresso machine (already have a filter machine)
Grinder seems straightforward (Vario or Mignon Spec) and Lelit seem great value.

But how far do I go?

The Anna has the PID and pressure gauge I want, the Grace has the LLC.
But both are 57mm, so would need the Lelit 57mm Naked PF which is a steep £49.

The (rarer) Glenda PL41LUST has 58mm portafilter, E61 grouphead and basic PID, but hard to find.
The Victoria hasLLC, 58mm, but at £800 I seem to have crept up in price somewhat.

My current thought is the Grace & Grinder offer at BB, but with bottomless PF, and 57mm tamper, I'm well over £1000.
But that would give me everything I might need, so the 57mm PF maybe isn't a problem.

I'm using this post as a way to clear my head, and wondered if anyone thought this seemed sensible.

Best wishes


----------



## MediumRoastSteam

antinwales said:


> My current thought is the Grace & Grinder offer at BB, but with bottomless PF, and 57mm tamper, I'm well over £1000.
> But that would give me everything I might need, so the 57mm PF maybe isn't a problem.


 If you are not fussed about 3rd party baskets, portafilters, distribution tools, etc, etc... then 57mm should be no problem. Just there's a lot more 58mm stuff out there.

The Glenda - PL41PLUST https://espresso.lelit.com/product/34 - Does NOT have an E61 group head. However, it has accessories compatible with E61, namely portafilter, baskets, and group gaskets - but NOT the shower screen. Apart from the PRO line which sports the E61 group, all the other machines have a ring group.

I have the Elizabeth - also equipped with a ring group - and it's a great machine.


----------



## Nleng

The Grace & grinder combo sounds like a good option for you. £1000+ is a lot of money but this is likely an investment you'll hold on to for some time.

Whilst the Anna looks like a solid machine, I personally think being able to control the brew temperature is essential for getting the most from your beans. Especially if you are trying different roast levels.

I also think, due to the cost, you'd be wise to purchase from a reputable retailer (like BB). Which would eliminate the Glenda and Victoria models.

The Grace does have programmable pre-infusion. But I heard the Victoria's pre-infusion wasn't great so they may well share the same issue.

Ultimately, at the £400-800 price point you will have to make some trade-offs for functionality. It's really down to what features are important to you and what you are willing to sacrifice.

I was in the same position as you but ended blowing my original budget and going for the Elizabeth. I'm sure i'd be very happy with the Grace but I'm also glad (for my requirements) I went with the Elizabeth.

I haven't purchased additional portafilters, baskets or shower screens and I'm able to make nice drinks with all the stock equipment (with the exception of a metal tamper). I plan on gradually buying extra equipment overtime as my knowledge, workflow and technique improve. I think it is important to prioritise getting the right machine over starting off with all the accessories you've got your eye on.

Good luck on your coffee journey and welcome to the forum!


----------



## MediumRoastSteam

If you want to treat this as an "investment", then be aware that the majority of us would also be asking the same questions regarding the 57mm portafilter, meaning that you will also have a more restricted audience too.


----------



## Rincewind

antinwales said:


> ...My 12yo DeLonghi B2C has failed...


 Wow, you can't argue with an innings like that, certainly had your money's worth....good luck with whatever you decide to purchase. 😋


----------



## MediumRoastSteam

Rumpelstiltskin said:


> Wow, you can't argue with an innings like that, certainly had your money's worth....good luck with whatever you decide to purchase. 😋


 Think is... When @antinwales buys a proper espresso machine - not this automatic nonsense - it's all a massive slippery slope, you will be wonder how did you ever managed to have drunk coffee from *that thing* for so long... and upgraditus can kick in soon after that, even after buying shinny new kit  .

There is a cure for upgraditus: Buy your machine and grinder and don't come back to coffee forums ever again. 🙂


----------



## Rincewind

MediumRoastSteam said:


> ...There is a *cure for upgraditus*: Buy your machine and grinder and don't come back to coffee forums ever again. 🙂


 or tear that credit card up :classic_laugh:


----------



## BiggieBig

I had the Lelit Anita and brought it many years ago. When Lelit wasn't even known for coffee machines. It was a good starting point and kept me happy for many years.

many years on with the urge to upgrade I was going to purchase the Kate and came to the conclusion it wouldn't warrant much of an upgrade. Hense the Elizabeth / niche route.

hense depends on your budget and what stage you are at with you expression.

Built in Lelit machine with a grinder is a cheap alternative but perfectly adequate. However you would be limited with a fixed grinder. 
As mentioned I would say a PID is a must. The rest depends on what stage your at.

worst case is resale value is good for these machine so you could always sell to upgrade at a later stage.


----------



## antinwales

Thank you all for your careful advice.

I have slightly firmed up on this, and the family are surprisingly keen on the blue Eureka (despite my belief "You can never have too much chrome").

I tend to buy lower end of good for my other interests (guitar, amplifier, car, watch, that sorta thing) and don't feel upgrade-itis there. The trick is finding where the lower end of good is.

Normally I'm happy to buy an underused, pre-owned toy (guitar, car, watch) but that doesn't seem to be an option here. People don't seem to sell barely-used good coffee kit.

Thanks again.


----------



## MediumRoastSteam

antinwales said:


> People don't seem to sell barely-used good coffee kit.


 There's been a few occurrences. You don't see if very often, but they do exist. There's been a few MaraX sold here which were not even 6 months old. Given that Bella Barista offers a transferable warranty of 2 years, it's a pretty safe option if the item originally came from there.

As an example...

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/57609-mignon-manuale-black/?do=embed

Good luck with your new coffee journey. Don't forget good quality roasted beans, the most important thing!


----------



## Zorkin

I was in a similar position in dec upgrading from an old delonghi I have had for years. Ended up getting the eureka specialita in orange ( beautiful thing and a great grinder ) and a Lelit Victoria. The Victoria was 700 pounds so about 300 pounds cheaper than the MaraX and I was not sure what I was after. I find it to be a really straight forward and very friendly machine for a first time user. I suspect the grinder may be the reason, but it took only a few tries before I was making coffee I was happy to drink, and now I am really enjoying it. It is 58mm with pid and compatible with lots of gear , warms up fast , good milk steamer has pid and in general seems like a very capable well put together machine.


----------

