La Marzocco Linea Mini Espresso Machine

I began researching prosumer style machines in November. My Linea Mini from La Marzocco replaces a 19-year old Starbucks Barista. This machine is great for someone who wants to take their at home espresso and latte game to the next level. Key features: industrial design, yet feels right in the home, excellent steaming capabilities with a dedicated steam boiler and wand, ability to tweak parameters like boiler temperature and pre-brewing time. Lastly, it is just beautiful to look at. I'm giving this a high rating based solely on its capabilities and design. I'm not sure the price matches for what it does and perhaps it is a bit steep. Yet, I wanted a system that was functional and had long term reliability for my family's "daily driver" as we make as many as 4-5 espresso drinks a day.

I absolutely love the Linea Mini - its the focal point of the kitchen! I have a large family, and we like to host, so I’m confident that the Linea Mini will be able to handle making back to back espressos! Initially, I purchased the plumb in kit and soft water filtration from Clive, and I didn’t have the part needed to connect these to my machine. After some hassle of hunting down the correct part, Clive surprised me with an order of 3 bags of coffee! I was also sent a second double sprouted portafilter instead of a bottomless portafilter, and Suzy assisted in sending out the correct item. I’ve now had a couple weeks to dial in delicious espresso, and I’m continually amazed at the quality and consistency of the Linea Mini.

Excellent espresso machine. Upgraded from another commercial machine that I had used for a few years. The LMLM is well built and can handle the abuse of a commercial setting. I found myself being overly delicate with my previous machine. It took a few weeks to transition, but I can say with confidence that this is my "forever espresso machine". It is expensive, but is truly worth the price.

A great addition to our coffee addiction!

Love it every day Piece of art and engineering marvel Feel blessed to have one So grateful

We upgraded from a couple of other prosumer espresso machines that served their purpose of introducing us to the world of espresso, and we could not be happier choosing this beautiful, commercial-grade machine. Not only does this machine look gorgeous in our kitchen, it also pulls consistently delicious shots and is easy to use with its straightforward controls. Being able to brew espresso and steam milk at the same time as well as pulling back-to-back shots especially for milk-based drinks thanks to its dual boilers is an absolute game changer!!! The massive steam boiler is very powerful and appears to have endless steam. The Linea Mini may not have a built-in shot timer, but the connected app has a shot timer that automatically begins and ends with each shot letting you know exactly how long it took to pull the shot. If you are on the fence deciding whether to purchase this machine, don’t hesitate, just buy it. You will be happy. We also want to thank Paul, Hannah, Jess and everyone at Clive Coffee for being very knowledgeable about all their products, offering personable and professional customer service and for their patience in answering our questions with this purchase as well as a grinder to pair with this machine. You have a customer for life!!!

I think that most people love their espresso machines…until they don’t. Maybe driven by features or looks or gear acquisition syndrome. My prior machine was the Lelit Bianca. A beautiful price of chrome Italian art with two boilers and flow control. Changing machines for me was driven by simplicity, connectivity and that little LaMarzocco logo on the portafilter handle. :-) The machine is everything I hoped it would be. It’s built like a tank (except for the plastic waste water tray. The workflow is simple. I’m loving the network connectivity. I open an app on my phone to start the boiler. The amount of stream power this machine produces is incredible to me. I can make a dozen after dinner drinks in a row and not run out of steam. Oh, and La Linea is a sexy beast. I opted for the wooden accessories in walnut. I’m making great espresso and have no buyers remorse on the $$$ splurge.

Amazing experience from the beginning. This was a great upgrade! Making lattes has never been quicker and more effective. This machine is simple to use for any user although the steam power takes some getting used to. The simplicity and feel is unmatched. I also purchased a lot of wood upgrades before the machine even arrived.

Great and powerful machine. Smooth transition with the help of Clive . They help me with a trade in . Perfectly fit under the kitchen cabinet with plenty of space for a grinder . The workmanship of LaMarzocco speak for itself. Well built with room for upgrade with cosmetic. Definitely will be buying more from Clive . Clive cover all the shipping cost.

The machine definitely would get five stars for its style and the app functionality. The app is actually quite impressive. Couple things that kept me from giving five stars are the following. At this price point, not having a direct plumbing kit included is absurd. To make it even worse, paying for the kit does not include installation by La Marzocco. It actually was shipped in a separate box and I was told to find someone to install it. Was it hard? Not really, but taking a brand new machine apart (it literally does require it to install the kit)on day one is kind of dumb. My other disappointment is having plastic part inside of the portafilter. I’ve had several espresso machines that cost half as much and all had stainless steel portafilter. At this price point, I shouldn’t have to worry about microplastics getting into my espresso shots.

The linea mini takes making home espresso drinks to a completely different level. We all know this machine or its multi group head equivalents from the coffee shops we frequent…or used to frequent. If you are a competent home barista, buy this machine, get third wave mineral packets and distilled water and a solid grinder, and you will probably never want an espresso drink out agan.

Why is it so important to wait before posting a review, yes first impression best espresso machine ever. . . . except that after 3 months we are now unable to use it as the sensor for the water tank is malfunctioning, contacted clive 12 days ago and still no way of fixing it. Spending that much money on an item we should have it fix super fast or have a easy solution. We never had issue like that with other machine a lot less expensive. very disappointed and frustrated

Excellent machine, even better buying experience.

I love this machine. The espresso it makes is better than what I’ve had at most coffee shops in Portland, Oregon and the coffee in Portland is amazing. The steam wand is also so powerful. I steam milk in less than 20 seconds. Just really impressed. I also enjoy that I can schedule using my phone. It’s always ready to go first thing in the morning and goes on standby automatically. I hope the machine lasts a long time. Time will tell.

It’s the Ferrari of expresso machines! Get it!

Quality problem with boiler from day one that was not addressed. For this kind of price there is better value for sure.

I’m not an expert in pulling espresso shots but I know good espresso. I was able to pull amazing shots right away. Get one and you won’t be sorry!

It is a great espresso maker

This thing is a refined workhorse. As long as it had a water supply it keeps pumping out shots and steaming, simultaneously. Very well built, high quality. Looks great and feels great.

I am clearly biased in that I learned to pull espressos on the bigger La Marzocco Linea, and with the Mini I felt right at home. The only negative is that I'd actually prefer a timer for the shot vs. the lever (like its bigger brother), beyond that, I'm extremely pleased with the purchase. It's powerful, dependable and practical - the bottom water tank is a winner if you have low counter space and cannot plumb it in. The app is also a nice addition, especially for remote power-on and general usage stats. And yes, it's a beautiful machine, which doesn't hurt. Get a second portafilter, everything else is included and straightforward to set up.

I upgraded from an already top-notch machine I'd had for 7 years - the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi. But the differences are obvious. The Linea is built so solidly, with no fussy electronics, it's really a joy to use and the overall experience in making espresso is important. The shots are far more consistent and better extracted given the rotary pump and I suspect more even temperature control. Texture more than flavor I think is the bigger difference since the La Spaziale is a fine machine. The only problem I'm having is that the steam wand is so powerful, it is very hard to get properly steamed silky milk in low volumes, ie for one latte. Clive Videos aren't helping much despite following instructions carefully. It is just very tricky not to inject too much air and have foam instead of not just stretched milk, though by varying the power of the steam I'm gettting some improvements. You don't need 'latte art' to have a great latte or macchatio or cappucino though, the Italians did without it for decades! And the lattes and macchiatos with the Linea have been outstandingly good.

Such a well-built machine, a real workhorse for me!

The machine—fantastic! Clive—awesome (except for being in the dark for a while, before the machine was shipped). The rest is up to you—if you can’t make a drink to your liking with this machine; it’s not the machine!

So far, it’s all it’s meant to be: solid, quiet, efficient, easy to use. The steam wand is much more powerful than my last machine. It’s actually smaller on the counter than my last machine, and easier to fill because I can access the reservoir without having to take it out of the machine. In combination with the Acaia Lunar scale, it’s really easy to make good espresso.

A truly amazing machine. Have fun every day every time I make coffee. Steamer is out of control powerful :) strongly recommend.