The new La Marzocco Linea Mini-R is not new, but with many revisions. It is not just an update of the previous Linea Mini , but replaces it. We had the opportunity to test the Linea Mini-R before its international market launch. As always, we bought this machine and don't hold back with our opinion.
La Marzocco knows this and still accepts it without having any influence on the result of our test. Sometimes the feedback is positive, such as with the Linea Micra. Sometimes mixed or rather negative, like with the La Marzocco Pico.
We appreciate that La Marzocco informs us about testing a machine before its launch. So you know from the start what we think about the machine. And for us it is an honor to be among the first in the world to test a machine.
What has changed with the La Marzocco Mini R?
La Marzocco remains true to itself with the Mini-R line. The machine builds on the strengths of the old machine and revises some functions and, above all, the design.
- Shottimer : The machine now has a reference length display located in the front above the paddle.
- The Haptics and that design of paddles and knobs have been revised. These are now matt black, which looks and feels better.
- The metal plate behind the brewing group on the Front is in the color of the entire machine . This looks much more harmonious, fits the unit of the machine and previously had to be purchased additionally from other providers as individualized work.
- The machine is prepared to be connected to the La Marzocco Acaia scale and above Brew by weight to offer.
- The Rotary pump pressure can now be adjusted from above with a screwdriver. The adjustment is integrated into the cup shelf.
- Completely Revised pre-infusion function , even without a mains water connection. Described in more detail below in the article.
- Modifiable portafilter with plastic spouts, as seen and discussed on the Micra.
- Revised app and functionality without internet or wifi connection once calibrated with app.
- The Temperature wheel on the side has disappeared.
And otherwise? The Linea Mini remains the Linea Mini. The main changes inside are the pre-infusion, some changes in the pump area and the associated volume reduction. Removing the drip tray and the water tank has also been revised, based on the function on the Micra and is now easier.
Who is the Linea Mini-R the right espresso machine for?
The Linea Micra has shifted the logic of the single-group machine range. The Linea Mini used to be the entry-level espresso machine from La Marzocco, but was now presented in the Micra a real La Marzocco for significantly less money and yet with a good price-performance package.
The Micra heats up quickly, has relatively low energy consumption and everything you need to deliver good espresso and milk foam. In addition to the lower price of under €3,500, what sets it apart from the Linea Mini is that it has significantly less horsepower under the hood.
For the For quality-conscious home baristas, the Micra is a great introduction into the world of La Marzocco espresso machines. The Linea Mini, with a price of over €5,000, suddenly found itself in an argumentative vacuum. Who is this machine actually suitable for?
Because anyone who really wants power and performance from a single-group espresso machine often digs deeper into their pockets and invests another 1,500 euros more to own a La Marzocco GS3. With this machine at the latest you will be a home barista have arrived at home in the area of gastronomic quality.
The introduction of the Acaia scales integration opened a clear distinction between the Linea Mini and the Micra (which will therefore never be officially retrofitted with a scale). When the scale is connected, the Linea Mini brews via weight detection. This feature was presented last year and was already available as an upgrade for the previous Mini. With the Mini-R the connection is not only native but improved.
And what is the positioning on the market?
Today, the Linea Mini-R not only wants to be the espresso machine for the home barista, but also performs as a single-group espresso machine in the catering industry with the integrated scale. This is a common use case for the Mini in many smaller specialty coffee shops, especially in Asia.
In our test, we therefore tested in detail whether the Mini-R can meet this requirement.
- Is it also, especially with the revised pre-brewing , the perfect espresso machine to brew sophisticated light roast specialty espresso?
- And last but not least: with the Mini-R, La Marzocco has now arrived at a time where fewer power consumption is playing an increasingly important role for many home baristas?
Espresso performance and temperature consistency
The quality of espresso is what every espresso machine must be measured against. The most important criteria for this are: Temperature stability , even over several shots, is well implemented Print performance as well as the easy adjustment of the pressure. Other criteria include: supplied Sieves, as well as one Even distribution of the brewing water .
Temperature and heating time with steam boiler
Let's start with temperature constancy and readiness. What's impressive is how quickly the La Marzocco Linea Mini-R gets up to temperature. For us, the temperature readiness test takes several days because we let the machine cool down completely between each measurement cycle and only check again the next day to see whether faster heating is possible. With the Linea Mini-R we were able to determine a heat-up time of 10 minutes. We recommend rinsing the portafilter for 20 seconds after 10 minutes to warm it up thoroughly. The brewing boiler signals readiness after just 8 minutes. However, it is recommended to wait two more minutes.
After 10 minutes the KM temperature protocol and then the WBC protocol measured. With the KM temperature protocol, five covers are made one minute apart immediately after heating up. With the WBC protocol, after one hour of standing time with the machine running, 14 draws are measured according to the World Barista Championship protocol. The “idle” time, i.e. the time between purchases, is increasingly shortened. Despite the small boiler, the LM Mini-R showed a standard deviation of 0.74 and 0.76 degrees for the KM protocol a very good result with the steam boiler switched on.
The WBC protocol has a frequency that simulates the highest possible espresso performance in a café. You can't work faster with a single-group machine. In any case, when it comes to temperature consistency, the La Marzocco Mini-R is suitable for any mass handling scenario.
Pressure and espresso quality
The same can be said for pressure consistency. The machine showed over all the covers no notable abnormalities . This was evident in our test in very good espresso covers that left nothing to be desired. We brewed different espressos, tested different recipes and were able to achieve very good espresso results by using a good espresso grinder and careful puck preparation.
Thanks to the relatively small brewing boiler, which sits directly above the brewing group, the brewing temperature can be adjusted quite quickly. To do this, the temperature is changed via the app. Water should be drawn for around 20 seconds to stabilize the temperature and then used at a different temperature.
Steam boiler off causes problems
To make it very clear. The function to deactivate the steam boiler turns out to be unusable in our tests. We point this out so clearly because the option exists in the app. Yes, the Linea Mini-R can in principle only be operated with a brewing boiler. However, we did not reach the target temperature after 10 or 20 minutes. In fact, we had to set the temperature 3 degrees higher to even get to brewing temperature. However, this was by no means as constant as the temperature of the brewing water when the steam boiler was switched on. At both 93 and 96 degrees the temperature in the cover dropped significantly.
At the end of the article, see the graphic of the espresso being made with the steam boiler switched off at 96 degrees.
Lather until the doctor comes
While the brewing boiler has a surprisingly constant brewing temperature of just 200 ml and shows that La Marzocco can do it smartly, the steam boiler is more of a demonstration of power and anachronistic attitude.
Yes, the machine delivers 1.9 bar and the steam just shoots out of the lance. We are actually big fans of a lot of pressure and set steam boilers to the highest possible level. With the La Marzocco Mini-R, level 3 is almost too powerful even for professional barista Michel Indelicato. A few seconds are enough to heat up the steam and rotate it.
In Basel we measure the steam power performance by whether a machine would withstand the “hot shock” demands of the carnival. And what should I say? Gives me a Mini-R and drops me off in the middle of the Cortège. I will deliver.
Why anachronistic?
We have also seen good steam performance from machines with significantly smaller boilers and, above all, with less energy consumption. The La Marzocco Linea Mini-R joins the ranks of power-guzzling machines. With an electricity consumption of 0.38 kWh for 5 double uses including heating, it is one of the worse espresso machines in terms of energy consumption. Things only get significantly better if we leave out the steam boiler. 0.13 kWh is to be booked here for the covers including heating. However, due to the performance difficulties mentioned above, this good value can hardly be used as a value. The machine lacks the crucial three degrees of temperature to meet our requirement for heated machines.
Design and value
“Finally,” you want to shout. With the lower front panel, the entire machine is now designed in the style of the color variant. What Woodpecker design or Deon previously had to be retrofitted, is now part of the machine. And the revised paddle, the rotating handles of the milk lance and the water supply are not only visually consistent , but convey value .
The shiny look of the controls always bothered me with previous La Marzoccos Linea Minis. These felt a bit cheap and cold. The matt look and slightly rough feel convey a pleasant touch.
The Water tank and the drip tray can now be easily removed and retain their large capacity. The drip tray has a float on the plate, which was introduced into the Micra and which we know from many cheaper espresso machines. This makes it easy to see whether it is time to empty the drip tray. However, the drip tray of the LM Mini-R is so large that hardly anyone will wait that long until this large drip tray is full. Before the drip tray is full, its enormous capacity makes it more of a biotope and mosquito nest.
The stainless steel flow regulators now used in the pre-brew area of the machine are a welcome update and promise less calcification inside the machine.
And then there is this one Shot timer , which now shows the duration of the espresso brewing on the machine. La Marzocco has - finally - responded to the community and created a beautiful display of the espresso delivery time. The look is similar to the number representation La Marzocco Pico . It is simple, reduced to the bare essentials and, with its understated display, fits well into the image of the machine.
Modular portafilter
But let’s get to the elephant in the room: the portafilter. What we found to be a harmonious addition to the concept on the La Marzocco Micra with its extremely short heating time and good energy performance, seems more like a foreign body on the Linea Mini-R. The reason for this is that the plastic of the 1 and 2 spout is visually similar to the plastic of the earlier controls. It's shiny. The machine has now completely switched to matt as a design and color element.
For everyone who doesn't know the portafilter before or now: La Marzocco has so far delivered two high-quality stainless steel portafilters: the Linea Mini. One was intended for receiving 1-series salaries and the other for 2-series salaries. Instead, there is now the Micra portafilter, which saves on material, has two plastic rotating attachments and can also be used as a bottomless portafilter without an attachment. The latter is smart and in principle it is also smart that the portafilter has to heat up for less time because less material is used and the plastic is hardly conductive. So little temperature is lost to the plastic spout.
But the Linea Mini-R, with its The claim to also play a role in gastronomic setups seems incorrectly equipped with the modular portafilter. The good 14, 17 and 21 sieves as well as single-portion sieves that are also included in the scope of delivery do not make this any better. If I really have to take a lot of shots, then I don't want to use the plastic attachment, but rather a powerful and resilient stainless steel portafilter like before.
The modular portafilter on the Mini-R is also a nice thing for home use. Of course, the stainless steel portafilter can be purchased and supplemented. Which brings us to the accessories in this article.
An Acaia scale changes the mini
The most important and best upgrade for the Mini is the Bluetooth scale adapted by Acaia for the Mini. The scale is such a central addition to the La Marzocco Mini that it should actually be an integral part of the package. Because even if you already have an Acaica scale today, you will need a new one in order to use the Mini-R's range of functions. (Unfortunately, this is the case, as only the LM Acaia scale can be integrated into the app and Linea Mini.)
The scale is connected to the app and thus to the espresso machine via Bluetooth. The connection actually works without any problems if there are no problems. For us it worked reliably on the first day, on the second day the app bit and kept crashing when connecting, and on the third day the performance was good.
If the scale is connected, the output quantity can be entered as a weight value via the app. What's very good is that the scale also communicates with the machine when the app is not activated. The last weight selection entered is recalled by the machine when the paddle is operated.
When a new scale is connected to a machine or a change is made from one espresso to a significantly different one, the accuracy of the scale control will fluctuate more. However, after a few drinks, the scale levels out well and then delivers the amount in the cup with an accuracy of approx. 0.5 grams. That's good precision.
However, a good flowmeter is also able to achieve such precision. In principle, the scale should have strengths when working with pressure profiles or different flow speeds. However, these functions are not provided for in the La Marzocco Mini-R.
Criticism of the integration of the scales
The integration of a scale into the Linea Mini process is therefore only half convincing to me. In principle I like the idea. However, compared to good volumetrics, the Linea Mini-R doesn't convince me.
- The grammage selection can only be changed via the app and not directly on the machine. With the GS3 I simply press the 1 or 2 portion button to select a different volumetric.
- The accuracy of the scale is not superior to volumetrics, at least with our pre-release firmware and software.
- The workflow with the scale is a workflow with the scale. Although the scales tare well and precisely shortly after the cups are set up and the cover is started, the scales must first be positioned and the cups must be placed.
And now we come to the drip tray, which was provided to us by the manufacturer. (We bought the machine and scales.)
The drip tray and the rinsing drain
The scale drip tray has one recessed recess for the scales. And honestly: we would never buy it! While the process with scales on the normal drip tray is almost a habit from working with other espresso machines without volumetrics, pulling the scales out of the inlet feels like finger acrobatics. On the normal drip tray we slide left or right with or without cups. Complete.
Yes, both La Marzocco and Acaica confirm that the scale should withstand the temperature when rinsing. But at least we can't manage to rinse 90 degree hot water over a 400 euro scale. This just feels wrong!
And this is where I get hung up on the whole scale and “brew-by-weight” issue. For me, La Marzocco missed a great opportunity with the Mini-R to integrate the scales into the suspension of the drip tray. Just as we know from grind-by-weight grinders or espresso machines with integrated scales.
The scale drip tray and the scale, which can be connected via Bluetooth via the app, also feel like they were thrown in a bit later in the Mini-R, as was the case with the La Marzocco Mini without R.
The catering process with the scales
For me, good volumetrics or brew quantity programming is a prerequisite for an espresso machine to make sense in the catering industry. That's why I've recommended the GS3 from La Marzocco in the past when it came to a single-group espresso machine.
The The integration of the scales complements the machine in a useful way , so that it can in principle be used well in a café environment. Of course, you can also work in a café without volumetrics and with manual stopping. However, I have experienced too often that, especially when I was working alone in a café, guests or other work prevented me from standing 25 seconds before the espresso ran out. Accordingly, I may have missed the moment when I would have had to stop the espresso manually.
The scale now helps me to do exactly that very precisely. However, in the 15 years that I have built and managed cafés and coffee houses, another criterion for an espresso machine has been added. I want espresso machines for my cafés that are easy to use and require no additional handling, especially when used at high frequencies. Cafés only really make money when there is high frequency. That's exactly when it matters. Then we cover the high costs that arise during the hours of cleaning, getting the café ready in the morning and closing it in the evening. That's why I choose espresso machines that perform at exactly that moment. And that's why I would continue to choose the GS3 over the Linea Mini-R for a gastronomic context without hesitation. Because the process with scales, balancing the espresso cups on them and pushing them to the side again to rinse, are simply too many micro-steps for a quick and reliable process under stress.
If the scale were integrated below the drip tray (like the Decent Stand) or in the suspension, the Linea Mini-R would be an interesting alternative.
The Paddle - style or heavy legacy
Yes, I like the paddle too. By the way, I think the new paddle is really elegant and the changing angle of the paddle is also impressive. And yet I'm also unsure about the paddle as to whether it really makes sense overall in the new Brew-By-Weight espresso machine. Because: it doesn't go back. The supply stops cleanly via the scale control. But the paddle remains in the left position. Because we didn't stop the cover with the paddle.
Let's put it this way: if La Marzocco had designed a really new espresso machine, thought about new functions and designed everything from scratch, then I doubt the La Marzoccoe Lina Mini-R would look the same as it does today. If with paddle then it would automatically retract the moment the machine stops. Or the different weight amounts would be equipped with buttons à la GS3.
Or would the La Marzocco Linea Mini-R then destroy the GS3's market position in the same way that the Micra did for the Mini? This may be. Because what could the GS3 do better than the Linea Mini-R? Let's take another look at how good the temperature stability under frequency and also the foaming performance of the Mini-R were.
Let's play the idea further: The Linea Mini-R would have an integrated scale below the drip tray or the scale would have been sensibly integrated. This would put the GS3 under a lot of pressure. So now the question is, what would distinguish the GS3 in the future? What about, for example, advanced flow speed control, savable pressure profiles or adaptive control. We could think of a lot for the La Marzocco GS3.
App control and connection
The La Marzocco app ranks as one of the better espresso machine apps alongside numerous rather poor apps. The LM app doesn't make any big leaps either, but what it delivers depending on the machine is solid. With the Linea Mini-R it is Setting the temperature in tenths of a degree jumps, 3 pressure levels of the steam boiler , one Pre-infusion and pre-infusion (both described in the next chapter).
It can also be done Espresso machine start time program. The machine might start earlier on Mondays and not until 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. However, this function is probably more interesting for models like the GS3. The Linea Mini-R, with its short heat-up time, gets up to speed quickly.
If the scale is connected to the app and machine via Bluetooth, the volume of the scale can also be saved in 0.1 gram increments on two programmable virtual buttons via the app interface. Once the scale, machine and app have grooved together, the interaction between scale and machine also works without the app. The last set dosage amount is then reproduced.
The rinsing function of the Linea Mini-R can also be adjusted. If the paddle is activated briefly, the espresso machine rinses for a defined period of time. A nice feature to flush with some time reduction.
The app has a rather slow transmission to the machine. It takes around half a second for settings such as changing the temperature or changing the volume amount to be transferred. This feels nostalgic in times of immediate response from programs, like commands in Windows XP, but it is bearable. The login and account requirement is more annoying. Yes, you heard right.
In order to be able to use the app and therefore also the espresso machine, you first need one La Marzocco user account. This is created either via an email address or a Google account. What was extremely annoying in the past is still annoying today. After all, the machine now works without WiFi once it is configured. In any case, this is a good development step for the app!
Pre-brewing and pre-infusion
If the Linea Mini-R is connected to the mains water, which is also possible as the installation of the wastewater pipe, the Pre-infusion option unlocked. When pre-infusion is activated, the coffee is pre-wetted using the water pipe pressure, which in many households is around 3 bar. So the pump is not activated and the full brewing pressure is applied to the cake. You can choose the pre-infusion time yourself. In this way, a more uniform extraction is supported, especially with poorer puck preparation or mills with more pronounced clumping.
Pre-infusion is a type of pre-wetting and is carried out slightly differently with the La Marzocco Linea Mini-R than with other espresso machines. The pre-infusion basically consists of activating the pump for a definable time. So full pressure is built up and delivered to the coffee cake. A break time can then be set. For example, we can deliver water for 3 seconds, then pause for 6 seconds, and then deliver brewing water again with pump pressure.
What is special about the design of the Linea Mini-R is that the pre-infusion water is not relieved by integrating a second solenoid valve. We will investigate what more precise taste implications this has in a separate series of tests. The espressos we have purchased so far, both with and without pre-brewing, have been excellent.
Conclusion La Marzocco Linea Mini-R
La Marzocco has made an effort to find a good intermediate place in the machine park between the Micra and GS3 with the Linea Mini-R. And the Linea Mini-R has also become a really good espresso machine. I would choose it over many other espresso machines on the market because it performs so well, is powerful and also looks good. And not just because La Marzocco is on the front (see also article on Delonghi takes over La Marzocco .
Taken on its own, there is a lot that is really, really good about the Linea Mini-R.
- Very good steam performance
- Very good temperature stability
- After calibration, good volume consistency when using the scale
- Improvements such as integration of a shot timer, use without WiFi (once connected), etc.
And yet the missed opportunities are important. While legacy problems such as the temperature wheel have now been resolved, others prevent the machine from being completely redesigned. Although that wasn't the goal, the superficial integration of the scales or the function of switching on the steam boiler seem like they were added later without going deep into the design. The workflow with scales could be so much better if they were neatly integrated underneath the drip tray. The steam boiler can be switched off and thus save electricity, but the temperature performance of the La Marzocco Linea Mini-R is suddenly second class. But if an elite manufacturer suggests to me that this function is possible with the “switch off steam boiler” function, then we also expect performance there. We already criticized this sharply with the first version of the Baby T Plus and it needs to be addressed just as clearly here. Ascaso reacted back then and revised the coupling of the steam boiler and thermoblock. Let's see where La Marzocco and the Linea Mini-R are headed.
In any case, we will now play with the pre-infusion a bit and add to this article again when the time comes.
