Lelit Mara X – Temperature Tips

The temperature control of the Lelit Mara X differs from all other dual-boiler espresso machines. With our tips, the Lelit Mara X becomes a very precise and reliable espresso machine with many advantages. Anyone who uses the Lelit Mara X like a traditional dual-boiler will have difficulty controlling the temperature.

The Lelit Mara X has already been extensively tested on our test bench. It also performed well in our extensive dual-circuit comparison . The ability to switch between brewing and frothing priority is particularly impressive.

Brewing priority and frothing priority on the Lelit Mara X

The foam priority mode (side switch set to 0) corresponds to a dual-circuit machine with the Faema E61 thermosyphon principle and PID. A temperature probe measures the temperature in the steam boiler and initiates heating if the steam boiler is not running at the desired temperature. The steam boiler itself transfers heat to the brewing water flowing through a separate pipe using the heat exchanger principle.

Temperature control is therefore imprecise and varies, for example, when a lot of water is rushing through the heat exchanger. At the same time, the thermosyphon tends to overheat if left idle for a long time. This is one of the reasons why adequate rinsing is necessary before brewing espresso.

Lelit recognized this problem and remedied it with a second temperature sensor. This sensor is located in the heat exchanger and monitors the incoming temperature, heating accordingly. However, this principle also has some pitfalls. In our first test, we pushed the temperature above the target temperature by rinsing between shots. This will likely happen to many who already have experience with dual-circuit machines.

Temperature management in brewing priority

Hidden behind the drip tray on the Lelit Mara X is the temperature control, which is divided into three levels. These levels control the following temperature range.

• Level 0: 90 – 91 degrees Celsius
• Level 1: 91 – 92 degrees Celsius
• Level 2: 93 – 95 degrees Celsius

It takes some time for the Lelit Mara X to build up the temperature and the temperature rises during brewing.

The temperature levels of the Lelit Mara X.

The temperatures shown were achieved by brewing according to the following protocol. Rinsing was performed after each espresso, not before. We always gave the espresso machine two minutes between brews to allow the temperature to stabilize. With shorter brew times, we observed a drop in temperature, as shown in the following graph.

The interval between brewings was shortened, resulting in a lower brewing temperature.

We had great success with this principle. However, the Lelit Mara X did lose its rhythm during a longer session—which is hardly typical for everyday use. A longer "stabilization phase" of at least 15 minutes was necessary afterward.

Switching between brewing and frothing priority also takes at least 15 minutes.

However, since frothing in Brew Priority mode works almost equally well as in Foam mode, we don't see any reason to switch to that mode. The only reason might be that you prefer to use the Lelit Mara X in the traditional way, like many other dual-boiler machines on the market.

The Lelit Mara X's intelligent solution is truly clever and compensates for some of the typical problems of dual-circuit thermosyphon machines. It's worth adapting your rhythm to the Mara X.

Temperature control at home via Coffee Sensor

We've long promised to compare the temperature in the thermosyphon with that of our portafilter. We screwed in the handy little thermometer from Coffee Sensor again for the measurement. Then we started brewing.

Initially, the coffee sensor is set to a temperature two degrees higher, then settles at approximately 1.5 degrees higher and further away. With this knowledge, you can make very useful improvements to your espresso machine with a sensor. This is especially useful with the Lelit Mara X, as you know exactly whether it's currently in the right range or perhaps has broken out.