Are you looking to upgrade your home coffee machine for excellent temperature stability and consistent coffee? But have no idea where to start? Then this article Lelit Mara X may be worth your reference! Documented here are fascinating options worth considering.
As a heat exchanger (HX) espresso machine, the Mara X continuously circulates water through the boiler, ensuring you always have fresh hot water ready to brew. This avoids water sitting idle in the brewing boiler, resulting in a decrease in brewing quality.
In this sharing, I will share my experience using Mara X, focusing mainly on:
Introduction to Lelit Mara X Espresso Machine
The Lelit Mara X is a well-built, mid-priced espresso machine made in Italy. It features a sturdy stainless steel boiler and commercial-grade headers for durability. It uses an E61 group head to deliver water to the handle, although it lacks a true E61 pre-soaked stem. Pre-soaking is still achieved via a spring-loaded system.
Some key features include:
- 1.8 liter boiler capacity
- Flow control propeller (optional)
- Adjustable brewing temperature setting
- 120 seconds of heating boost after brewing
- It occupies a small space and is very suitable for baristas to adjust different recipes.
- The unique pipeline design greatly reduces common problems with heat exchangers.
Prices range from HKD$9,900-$18,000, depending on your needs. It's certainly an investment for a prosumer grade machine, but the price is reasonable because you'll enjoy a very high-quality espresso experience.
A closer look at temperature behavior
Temperature stability is a common problem with HX machines. Lelit Mara X uses a dual probe system to monitor boiler temperature. One at the top and one at the brew water entry point. This provides greater accuracy than relying solely on steam boiler temperature.
In daily use, I found the out-of-cup temperature to be impressively consistent throughout the brewing process. The three brewing temperature settings work very well with their settings - low, medium and high. In addition, when the machine is idle for a long time, the temperature rise trend is not obvious, which allows me to continuously and stably produce Espresso. Even at parties and events, I can easily produce coffee shop quality at home.
However, I still recommend that you turn it off when not in use, because you never know whether the constant heating in the espresso machine will cause an early factor in the aging of the machine.
In-depth Understanding of Heat Exchanger Technology
In addition, you will see above that I keep mentioning heat exchanger technology (HX) because it is very important for a good espresso machine. It works by using hot water from a steam boiler to flow through pipes. Heat the fresh water to the appropriate extraction temperature. This thermosiphon effect provides a continuous supply of hot water.
In contrast, the extraction water in dual-boiler models will sit idle in the boiler, causing mineral precipitation and reducing coffee quality. Heat exchangers solve this problem.
Mara X uses a reverse heat exchanger design to further improve temperature control performance. The cold water pipes and hot water pipes are arranged in reverse directions to fully utilize the heat energy of the boiler and avoid overheating problems.
Lelit Mara X enhances coffee texture with Flow Control
The Lelit Mara X can be additionally upgraded with an adjustable flow control, allowing precise pre-wetting and gradual pressure analysis. This can help subdue bitterness and avoid lane separation.
The standard pump ramps up to full pressure in 7-8 seconds, which is great for darker roasts, but lighter roasts may benefit from a faster ramp.
Turning off Flow Control in the early stages of extraction can extend the wetting time of the coffee powder. Then open gradually to avoid leaks and local channels. Turning off the Flow Control again at the end of the extraction can reduce the bitterness and improve the body. Different coffees require testing different flow curves, which requires some experimentation and practice. But Flow Control can indeed enhance the taste.
However, please note that Flow control can be used to limit the water flow, but it cannot be completely closed. According to the official statement, the maximum flow rate is about 4 ml/second.
Lelit MaraX V2's milk coffee and brewed coffee
In terms of coffee quality, Lelit Mara X V2 can brew balanced and delicate coffee without excessive bitterness. Slow pressure increase smoothes out darker roasts. The light roast may lack some layers, but the value overall is still good.
The steam power is sufficient even when the dedicated steam mode of the body is not used. It can easily pump milk and create a very beautiful "latte art" on busy mornings. There is no problem in handling the continuous demand. When you get up in the morning at home, if you want to drink it with your family, you can also brew it for them together.
Daily use and maintenance tips
- When dispensing shots, wait for 2-3 minutes before extracting the next cup. The temperature will be more stable. Of course, you can continue to dispense cups. However, if you have very high temperature requirements, then 2-3 minutes is still worth waiting.
- Do not let the machine idle for more than 2 hours, it will naturally overheat.
- Regularly use a steam wand to clean the oil stains and keep the steam pipes clear.
- Disassemble and clean thoroughly once a year to prevent mineral deposits, otherwise maintenance will be troublesome.
- Wipe the water outlet with a cleaning cloth or towel weekly. E61 group head), keep it clean.
- You can use coffee machine cleaner for deep cleaning every month to prevent grease buildup.
- Completely dismantle and clean once a year to remove scale buildup in the pipelines and plate heat exchangers.
Finally, my thoughts on using the Lelit Mara X V2 espresso machine
The Mara X is one of the best espresso machines I have ever used. Innovative dual temperature probe provides excellent thermal stability. Quality construction and components make this machine durable.
For the price, one might prefer competitors that start up faster, consume less energy, and have simpler maintenance. However, if you want an espresso machine with excellent temperature control, then the Lelit Mara X will be your best friend and can provide you with cup after cup of delicious coffee.
About product details:Lelit MaraX V2 PL62X Espresso Machine [Hong Kong Original Licensed Product] | One year maintenance] | Coffee Stage coffee stage (mycoffeestage.com)
