Lelit Mara X: The Best Espresso Machine for the Money 

One great feature we forgot to mention in the video: The preinfusion! This machine has an automatic preinfusion that's a very slow ramp up to full pressure, allowing you to grind much finer and prevent channeling. Anything else we missed? Let us know in the comments!

I've watched a lot of reviews on this machine and this one has been the best. Straight forward and showed a lot more detail than others. Thanks

Most honest and complete review I've seen on this great machine.

Really enjoyed the review. It was very personable and easy to digest. I appreciate the straightforward and honest feedback for those of us interested in this machine. Cheers

I have been using the Mara X for six months now and your review is right on the money! It’s a great machine. The pro and con of your review are exactly what that machine offer! Time for a nice latte to start my day 😋

I have just bought this machine and you touched everything perfectly.Thanks for the great review and the video❤

So lucky I chose this machine in the shop because the reviews were fine and I liked the looks! This machine is a beauty!

Thanks for the video. You've done a good job of explaining the features and specifically why the brew mode is unique and important. The feet are delicate for such a heavy and expensive machine. The rubber bumpers guiding the drip tray makes removing the drip tray a little bit of a challenge, but I think the bumpers are there for noise reduction along with a host of other noise reduction features. You didn't like the hot water dispenser, but you didn't mention if that is a problem of this design or all E61 HX designs. I can't imagine other E61 HX machines drawing the water from anywhere else, so I suspect all similar machines would have the same problem. It takes a while to heat up, so it's worth noting that this machine is timer friendly. If you use a timer on your AC wall outlet, the mechanical power switch on the PL62X ensures that the machine is "ON" when power is applied at the AC outlet. I have owned the v1 version for over a year and love it, and agree that it's probably the best implementation of a E61 heat exchanger design. You can always buy better feet or a better portafilter, but the patent pending "brew mode" PID is what really sets it apart.

Excellent review!

Thank you for your great video and explanations, it was very informative and helpful. We bought this machine yesterday and very happy with it (after upgrading from Gaggia Brera). One question - what did you mean on the cons about the bar pressure settings?

I have the 1st gen and it’s a joy to use. Pair with a decent grinder and you’re in coffee heaven.

Is the brew mode position 1 or 0? Thanks for the nice walkthrough!

Hi man, just wanna say thank you and it is such a good well thought-out review, definitely gonna pay more attention to this channel now. I was upgrading from my gaggia classic and was thinking on getting appartamento for a long time (2 years haha) because the price gap kinda make me hesitant. I was looking looking around for other option below the price range and nothing really caught my eye, I want an upgrade but also not an overkill as I only make 3-4 cups a day max (dual boiler is not what im looking for). Then I saw this video and kinda give me the last push to finally get this mara x v2. I dont mind the starting wait time, the steam power and pressure consistency is an upgrade from my gaggia, and the looks man, damn, cant say much more than that. Anyway, thanks again and hope you continue making videos in the future. Cheers!

To whom It concerns. I have a MaraX and fully agree with all the above. I also had a Bianca and several other machines ranging from Kees van der Westen (Speedster to my opinion one of the best machines in the world) to many vintage Faema machines (Lambro, President & e61). This new Marax is probably best value for money and makes absolutely great espresso’s. (I am waiting for my Odyssey Argos)) What I am missing (in all machine tests) is the need for fresh roasted beans as pre condition and good grinder. As I have my own coffee brand fresh beans are no issue and in term of grinder, I have many (good’ol MK K30ES to Ceado e37s, but lately, after adding a eureka specialita next to it (size:-) and super quality) I recently added an Eureka Oro. I am in love and yes all machines have pro’s&con’s. This SD is perfect for low dialy consumption (2 doubles each morning). Thank you for great test. I wonder Why in Europe this is €1200 and in US $1700. Or is this not US?

We have the v2, absolutely wonderful machine.

I own one for about a year now and I LOVE it! The feeling that you have an e61 professional coffee machine at home in such an affordable price and (in my eyes) a beautiful e61 classic look is awesome! I have something that bothers me I was starting to look at the gicar output of the machine and I've read that the V2 (black logo) with the updated gicar suppose to have another important parameter there which is the pump stat (0 off 1 on) the strange thing is that my V2 doesn't show this extra parameter. Is it possible that not all V2 got upgraded gicar? Are there subversions of the V2? Hope you have some extra info about that or you have a suggestion of who might help me with that because if the gicar isn't as the V2 suppose to have I ask myself what else can be different?! Maybe the opv upgrade haven't really been upgraded (I see some water in the tray every now and then when the machine is heating up, not too much...) Thx and sorry for the long comment 😬

Thanks for sharing. I'm very interested by this Mara. But I wonder how long does it take to warm the machine ?

Thank you and I confess a bias toward the Lelit Mara X. The produce info flagged ~24 minutes warm up time but I find it ready in 15 minutes easy

Good review. However, I have had the MaraX for a year and love the forward directed doble side portafilter. Also, the little rubber bumpers of the tray are not a problem at all. I agree with the hot water spout. I could perfectly live w/out it. If I need hot water, I take it from a cattle. This is the best machine for the money and looks great.

Fantastic review. I really like that you were so thorough in discussing the possible concerns one might have For the feet issue… there are fiber furniture sliders a5 home depot that would work I think I might use the water tap to heat cups before extraction I really like the narrow design since double boilers are too big for my limited counter space

So honest and in a true “i dont give a f.k style! Live it completelly

I saw in another review the hot water dispenser is useful If the pressure on the steam is low (say 0.5 bar) which can happen and you want to make a shot and steam milk at the same time then you can just pull a bit hot water into a cup, The the machine is heaten up a little more, thus heating the pressure up to for example 1.5 bar, which is better. And besides, the hot water also warms your cup in the meantime.

Piece of art.

Looks like very nice expressive machine. How do you place it toward Bezzera Magica PID?

It's a great machine, for sure - I owned a V1 up until recently. I swapped it out for a Silvia Pro, though, because I wanted more steam power and faster heatup time (the MaraX is 30 minutes, the Silvia pro is about 15).

hello do you think this unit can be used in a small coffee ahop that serves 30 to 80 cups?

hey this video was super helpful. when I eventually upgrade from my GCP, the lelit MaraX is top of my list (with the profitec pro 400 narrowly behind) and that is large part due to this video. I think you really making a compelling case for why its the best user experience / build for the price. friendly suggestion: in future videos, can you adjust the camera's aperture to include both you and the machine in focus at the same time? Great content otherwise! thanks

Thanks for the quality review. I’m torn between the Mara X and the Profitec 400. Seems like main difference is Mara X has 2 temp sensors while Profitec has just one. Profitec has pre infusion while Mara X doesn’t? Love to get your view on how those two machines compare.

Would be definitely one of the best HX machines(definitely the most innovative one) on the market without it's issues. The Olab Silent green pump, the boost mode as well as the "PID light" are cool features in general, but those features are not executed very well. The pump is prone to fail, the boost mode can lead to boiler overpressure with only the safety valves safing the machine from total deconstruction and the PID modes basically are all too hot except for the lowest temp stage. I hope Lelit fixes all these issues, because with those features functioning properly(PID levels beginning with 91°Celsius, no more temp sensor/mainboard issues/updated pump) , the Mara X would be an awsome very well priced HX E61 machine.

I am debating between this one, the Diletta Mio & Ascaso UNO. Any recommendations?

I like Americano's, would you recommend this machine? Or have another suggesting, based on the fact that you don't like the water dispenser?

Actually, there's one scoop I find myself using. The scoop that comes with a Hario V60 is great.

It looks pretty great however what are all the plastic tubing inside it? When I see the inside of Profitec or ECM everything seems to be copper or steel whereas this has loads of plastic tubing. Can I also ask, how would it compare to Profitec P400, potentially Profitec P500 PID, ECM Mechanika Slim VI and Rocket Apartmento TCA? Thanks

how would you compare the MaraX with the Elizabeth?

Something often goes overlooked is that heat exchange espresso machines draw fresh water from the reservoir whereas dual boiler brew boilers can have stale reheated brew water that is less than fresh. It might be ok in a cafe that is pulling a few hundred shots a day, but for a home user thermoblock and heat exchange systems offer a fresher alternative to dual boilers. This approach as been taken with the Ascaso Baby T and Decent to name 2.

Nice review. What is the brand/model of the bottomless portafilter you are using? I've been looking for something similar (with shiny end of handle) but am unable to find anything below affordable wit that design. Thanks!

Dear sir, would you make a quick review for model FIORENZATO BRICOLTTA single group head.

After the 30min sleep mode happens. How quickly does it take for the machine to heat back up?

Are you sure the reason for the play at the start of the steam and water knobs isn't because they're non compression valves? In which case you shouldn't be tightening them up. You should stop closing them once steam stops. The play is to avoid you overtightening

Question? If the gold cup standard is 205 with the coffee cut medium. Then, would the packed coffee need a rougher grind or a higher brew temperature? Seems redundant to me to cut coffee medium for a non flower taste and pack the coffee tight. Just asking.

What would be the next best Thing for a lower Price with E61 ? Any Suggestion?

Mara x can also accept a flow control upgrade which I like having...

The 10 bar pressure is set because there is 1 bar being lost in the way tobthr group head. I installed a group head pressure gauge and found it always 1 bar below the pump pressure.

Still hesitating to upgrade to this from my Gaggia Classic Pro.

Loved your watch IWC ?

Nice Video. I bought it in Germany for 949€ 🤣

Hi, would you recommend this for a small coffee shop?

How long does it take to heat up? Does eco mode help reduce the heating time or not?

You forgot another important feature! There is a Steam boost mode on the Mara X V2. If you are in any mode (it's most useful in brew mode) and you pull up the handle and immediately turn it off, the boiler heats up and you have 120 seconds of steam mode.

May I know the warm up time , as in how long must i wait before i can start to brew?

Hello. Nice review but according to the logo, it is the v.2, so you or this other video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hGYGBo0G-DY.html is wrong about the coffee mode and the temperature settings (what you are describing is the v. 1 settings) ... Also, I don't plan on using the hot water either, is it not possible to leave it UNDER the lever?

It’s gonna be this one or the ecm classika pid

I do have one comment. The water tank. I have over head cabinets. Id have to pull the unit out on those rubber feet everytime. And my worry is splashing getting everywhere with the water reservoir. Also I was wondering what seperates the water reservoir from the rest of the machine.

if its same price with sage db , which one would you choose?

I got this because of the scoop

I was considering this machine until I saw a post here 5 months ago. It was said this machine can cause electric shock. That's not good. Something that simple in any machine in this time and age shouldn't be shocking anyone.

So: Profitech 400 or Lelit Mara X ?

Nice reciew but i would've liked that you made yourself an espresso an taste it.

I bought this recently and they've made some updates (the feet now no longer screw in but actually pop off if dragged so that you can easily put them back in instead of them getting torn, they fixed the drip tray so it doesn't have bumpers anymore but a different, less anxiety inducing mechanism to hold it on). I really like this machine because I am pretty strictly a milk-drink coffee drinker and I've never used a better steam wand that also doesn't bake and cake the milk when the spout hits air for half a second. The most valid complaint in this review is the hot water wand. Really unnecessary, and kind of takes the joy out of the lever to pull the shot because, if you're like me, you like to keep the wands tucked in when you're not using it, which means moving it out of the way every time. However, I do drink the occasional Americano, so, it has its purpose though I kinda agree that I have an electric kettle for a reason (and it doesn't take 20 minutes to heat up). I will say though that I bought this setup, plus the mignon grinder and a scale and it'll probably take me a year and half to strike even from walking down to the local coffee shop. It's expensive. I'd only purchase if you really want to control your espresso or you drink multiple coffee drinks a day Also, yes, please stop with the coffee scoops! They're cheap, they're garbage, and who uses them with an espresso machine????

Is this v1 or v2?

Ha ha,I just saw what looks like someone in love with this machine 8n the first 2 seconds

I would have bought this without question. But does the 57mm portafilter ruin it?

How does this compare to rocket apartamento

Don't you want the hot water spigot to be able to flush the limescale out of the boiler? Honestly, that's all it's good for anyway. You certainly wouldn't want to drink anything out of a boiler concentrated with limescale. It would make your coffee or tea taste like liquid chalk. Also, if you don't like the spigot, just take the outer screw that holds the spigot on and take it to a plumbing store or a plumbing supply house. Match the threads to a copper screw and straight pipe combo. Put that on and now you have a high volume flush pipe with no restrictions. Use some Simichrome or Brasso, give it a good polish and Bob's your uncle. Just be careful because it gets wicked hot when you're flushing the boiler and the water can give you 3rd degree burns.

My understanding is that V1 had steam boost mode and Hx mode and V2 has coffee priority mode and steam boost mode. It might have been better if V2 came out with 3 settings with coffee priority mode, steam boost mode and Hx mode. Steam boost mode boosts the heating element after the brewing starts so that the user is able to steam at a higher pressure for 120 seconds after the brew lever is raised.

The knob should never be turned that way, simply stop turning it when the steam stops. That way it's also easier to start the steam (less turns).

Reminds me of Wayne's World... "I don't even own "a" gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I going to do with a gun rack?" Lol

do not get stressed about a drip tray

You can unscrew the spout. I have different parts to suit. Too many parts for me. Apartmento is for me.

Must have a tiny reservoir

I keep my mara x on a plastic tray for sliding

Might want to mention user can shut off default shut-off after 30 minutes. This shutoff is annoying since user has to reboot machine and wait 15minutes for thing to heat back up...better that the machine stays hot and ready to go. And so turn this auto shutoff "feature" off...

I think Izzo and VBM are better build quality than the Lelit!

A very nice review! But why are you talking about an „E61-styled“ brewhead? It IS a Faema E61 brewhead... You're giving the impression that Lelit copied it!

I have this machine just over two years. It has provided two electric shocks recently. Lelit won't repair. Buyer beware.

If you actually had coffee in that mug it would've been all over your shirt, lol.

You can do as good with a cheaper machine.

Look like a lot of plastic tubing coming off the boiler and not much copper or stainless steel tubing.

The US price is absurd. $1,699 plus tax. These are sub €1,000 in Europe including (19-24%) sales tax! Lelit, give me a break - these cost almost DOUBLE what they cost in Europe.

Not sure if I should trust a man who's fondling an empty coffee cup

Breville dual boiler is so much better for many reasons.

mara x's biggest problem is the espresso brewing temperature, which is close to boiling because it's a heat-exchanger

Lost me at 35 seconds in.........

This review is too long, they guy annoying and doesn't know most of what's he's talking about.