La Marzocco stands for cult espresso machines that captivate the barista scene. With the La Marzocco Pico, the Florentine manufactory introduces its first in-house grinder development for the home barista. We tested the espresso grinder and presented it in the video.
La Marzocco approached us before the market launch and requested a video. As always, we purchased the Pico ourselves (around 1,160 Swiss francs), and there was no advance preview or editorial specifications. All measurement values come from our test protocol for espresso grinders – the Pico is grinder number 52 in the field.
Buy La Marzocco Pico
The following specialist retailers carry the La Marzocco Pico, and we can recommend purchasing a grinder from these businesses. They all offer to adjust the grinder's offset.
Germany: Stoll Espresso, Lücke Technik
*We search for specialty partners on your behalf, from whom we know they provide excellent work and service. We are in close contact with the retailers. These are affiliate links. If you order through this link, it won't cost you more, but we receive a small commission that we invest in new testing equipment. We continue to work on finding competent partners for you in the DACH region.
What do we test in the Pico?
Our test protocol for espresso grinders is clearly defined. The Pico is grinder number 52, which we examine according to our established measurement protocol and place in the context of espresso grinders in the home segment. With the La Marzocco Pico, we are also interested in comparing it to La Marzocco's own definition, which positions the grinder in relation to the Linea Micra and Linea Mini. Find out more about the brand in our La Marzocco overview.
What does this mean? We expect a design language that matches the iconic form of the two espresso machines. La Marzocco stands for high-quality components and longevity. Particularly the Micra is a modern interpretation of a dual-boiler espresso machine. So can we also expect innovation from the Pico? Let's take a closer look.
A La Marzocco Linea grinder?
We stand in front of our Pico, and it's sitting next to the Linea Micra. And frankly, we're taken aback. Because from the front, the relationship to the Linea series is only recognizable on the sides. The front of the Pico is designed in high-quality-looking plastic, but doesn't take on the color and formal language of the Lineas. Not even one of the best portafilter holders changes that.
Only when we stand behind the grinder and espresso machine – the perspective that many café guests have on the other side of the counter – does the unmistakable "La Marzocco" in red on the white Pico mark the relationship to the Linea series. From the back, the grinder is well executed, even if the angles and edges represent its own interpretation.
But at home, we usually stand in front of the machine, not behind it. In that sense, the design decisions seem reversed here. However, if you have your grinder standing in the middle of a kitchen island, for example, you'll definitely make an impression.
The resemblance of the La Marzocco Pico to grinders like the Baratza Sette or Swift Mini is unmistakable. Both were developed by Etzinger, the latter on behalf of La Marzocco. While La Marzocco emphasizes that the Pico is an in-house development, these grinders probably served as models for the inspiration of form and implementation of the grinding mechanism.
Purring kitten and dosing consistency
As we expect from a La Marzocco device, much about the Pico is well executed and shows in its functions. What stands out is the repeatability of the extraction amount. While other manufacturers now integrate scales into grinders for this purpose, the Pico delivers the set amount of coffee with a standard deviation of just 0.07 grams from shot to shot. At a target value of 18 grams, we consistently measure 17.9 to 18.0 grams, with just a single outlier at 17.8 grams. This is remarkable and ranks among the best we've measured in home grinders.
At nearly 73 decibels, the grinder is also among the quietest espresso grinders in the home segment. If you're noise-sensitive or live in a thin-walled apartment, you can definitely consider the Pico – your first Sunday coffee won't wake anyone.
In 10 seconds, the Pico grinds about 20.5 grams of coffee, and for 18 grams of espresso grind size it takes about 9 seconds. This is a medium value in the field of grinders we've tested: not super fast, not super slow, but a decent, everyday-usable speed.
2.2 grams of retention is also a good value. Not very good, but good nonetheless – and strong for a dosing grinder with an inverted conical burr set. The coffee falls practically straight down, with little sticking to the star that holds the inner cone. The Pico has no crevices where coffee accumulates: the retention is purely temporary. At 20 grams in the basket, a good 2 grams of residue from the previous shot is a fraction that makes barely any sensory difference.
Is the Pico a single-dosing grinder?
Short and clear: no. While La Marzocco includes a dosing cup and a matching holder. But if you pour 18 grams of beans in the top and grind them out, you won't get the same 18 grams back. At 30 seconds of grinding time, we measure a single-dosing loss of 1.6 grams per grind. Practically speaking, with single dosing you're just replacing the retention – that's enough for a clean bean switch, but not for gram-accurate single dosing. So the Pico doesn't meet our single-dosing requirements. It's designed as a dosing grinder with a bean hopper, and that's exactly where it excels.
Temperature: silence has its price
While the low noise level clearly speaks in favor of the Pico, it also has a consequence. Little grinding noise escapes to the outside because the grinder has few openings and therefore ventilates poorly. This leads to heating on the inside, which is reflected in the temperature of the ground coffee. Over six consecutive shots with 30-second intervals, the Pico heats up by roughly one degree to 38.7 degrees. But it already starts at 37 degrees, which is a high initial value. Sensorially, we notice flavor changes from around 40 degrees. The Pico just barely doesn't reach this value in the protocol, but it comes close in continuous operation. For that reason, we'd advise against high-frequency use – the Pico apparently isn't built for that. Five grinds in the morning, however, is absolutely no problem.
Construction: 39mm conical burr and thoughtful handling
The Pico is equipped with a small 39mm conical burr – a further development from in-house manufacturing, related to the principle of the Swift, which was once developed jointly with Etzinger. It grinds at 700 to 800 revolutions per minute and is relatively quiet in the process. At 8.3 kilograms in weight and dimensions of 15 centimeters wide, 28.5 centimeters deep, and 39 centimeters tall, it's compact and sits solid on the work surface.
The grind size adjustment is not stepless, but stepped – and deliberately so. The main clicks run visible along the scale, with several fine intermediate steps in between. One click changes the extraction only in small steps, making adjusting pleasantly fine-tuned without jumping over five seconds of extraction time per click like some hand grinders do. Adjusting is done comfortably from the front, even while seated. Since buttons and display are also on the front, the Pico can also be easily operated by smaller people or from a wheelchair.
Among the best aspects of the Pico is the locking mechanism of the bean hopper. It holds 350 grams and closes very easily without crushing beans, as happens with many grinders. When you remove it afterward, no beans fall out of the chute, and the hopper can be easily put back on – something that's far too rare in espresso grinders. In the chute between the burrs and bean hopper, only about 9 grams of coffee remain. This is the amount that would need to be ground out or removed during a bean switch – a very low value that makes switching beans much easier. While we can't recommend the Pico as a single-dosing grinder, it's really good for bean switching with a hopper.
Three buttons on the front control the grinder. They're easy to program, and a display in red radio-style shows the setting. You can program a one-portion and two-portion setting, plus a manual run on the third button. The controls are intuitive, the display and buttons are reduced – no unnecessary menus. One criticism: the display only shows which portion is stored when you press the button, a bit of a blind date with the ground coffee. If you know the grinder, you don't mind. The hidden main switch on the underside is practical: it also turns off the small standby dot that otherwise glows constantly.
We really like the portafilter holder. 58mm portafilters can be clamped in very stably and don't slip during grinding. The ground coffee falls without clumps, centered into the portafilter. Crumbs landing outside? We can't find any. That's really well done.
Taste and particle distribution: lots of body, little finesse
Let's get to what it's really all about: the espresso in the cup. We blind tasted the Pico with our Apas espresso, a naturally processed Brazilian coffee from the APAS cooperative that we know from countless tests. In the cup, the espresso shows lots of creaminess and lots of body – heavy, dense, with distinctly cocoa and chocolate notes. It emphasizes the dark sides of the coffee, with acidity noticeably receding. A darker, body-forward interpretation then, not a delicate, acid-forward presentation.
We measured the particle distribution in cooperation with the Coffee Excellence Center at ZHAW using the Retsch Camsizer X2 – with the same standard recipe on the Apas espresso that we use for all other espresso grinder tests. In the comparison curve you can see the Varia VS3, which was measured together with the La Marzocco Pico in September 2023. Thanks for the support from the Coffee Excellence Center at ZHAW.
At espresso setting, the median (x50) is around 320 µm. The fine portion (particles smaller than 100 µm) is around 27 percent – relatively high. And the width of the main peak, meaning how uniform the coarser particles are, we measure with double verification at 346 and 350 µm. From experience, we classify anything over around 320 µm as broad, so the Pico clearly falls on the broad side. What's remarkable is the combination: a broad main peak and simultaneously a high fine fraction.
Based on this curve alone, we would have expected an aggressive, acidic, "scattered" espresso. But that's exactly what it wasn't. Our interpretation: the high fine fraction masks the sharp acids and pushes body to the foreground. What the measurement makes appear heterogeneous, works in the cup as density and heaviness. This matches our sensory impression – we described the espresso as intense and full-bodied before we even saw the curves.
For practice, this means: the Pico is a grinder that strongly supports body. For classic, body-forward and rather dark roasts, it's in its element. If, however, you want to bring out delicate, complex, and light, fruity coffees with clear acidity, you won't find the right tool here – the range is noticeably limited. Its espresso potential depends heavily on your own roast preference: if you like dark and strong, you'll be happy; if you want to play the full range of light coffees, probably not.
Strong is the grind size replicability. In the adjustment test, we moved from the espresso setting to coarse and back to the same point. In terms of timing and amount, the grinder behaved identically afterward, and the particle curves of the starting and return points practically overlap (x50 around 320 µm both times). If you adjust the grind size, you can reliably return to your espresso setting.
Frequently asked questions about the La Marzocco Pico
Does the Pico have a conical or flat burr set?
The Pico grinds with an inverted 39mm conical burr (conical) from in-house manufacturing. The compact conical burr is partly responsible for the low retention because the ground coffee falls straight down.
How quiet is the Pico?
At nearly 73 decibels, it ranks among the quietest espresso grinders in the home segment. This is a real selling point if you don't want to wake anyone early in the morning.
Is the Pico a single-dosing grinder?
No. At 30 seconds of grinding time, 1.6 grams remain in single-dosing operation. The Pico is designed as a dosing grinder with a bean hopper. However, the low chute residue of about 9 grams is very convenient for bean switching.
Which coffees is the Pico suitable for?
For body-forward, classic espressos. Through its broad main peak and high fine fraction, it delivers lots of body and creaminess, while sharp acidity recedes. It's less suitable for delicate, light, and fruity coffees.
Does the Pico match the Linea Micra and Linea Mini?
From the back, yes – the red "La Marzocco" lettering marks the relationship there, and the set looks like it comes from one mold. From the front, where you usually stand at home, the plastic front doesn't really pick up on the Lineas' color and form.
Is the Pico worth its price?
At around 1,160 Swiss francs, you're paying noticeably for brand and design. Technically, the Pico does many things well and is very strong in certain disciplines. But there are grinders between 500 and 800 francs that also deliver – some even with single dosing. Ultimately, whether the overall package is worth the premium to you is your decision. It's best to try out the grinder in this price segment beforehand.
KM rating: the Pico in numbers
We apply the test criteria of our measurement equally to all espresso grinder tests. This is how the La Marzocco Pico ranks:
Test results: La Marzocco Pico
Assessment according to the KM test protocol for espresso grinders. All measurement values obtained by us. The low retention is green, the single-dosing performance is red: during extended grinding, the Pico retains 1.6 g – this is the core criticism. The particle distribution intentionally does not factor into the color rating because it depends on the roast.
Technical specifications at a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | approx. 1,160 Swiss francs (MSRP, as of August 2026) |
| Burr set | 39 mm conical burr, inverted |
| RPM | 700–800 rpm |
| Operating mode | Dosing grinder with bean hopper (not a single-dosing grinder) |
| Grind size adjustment | Stepped, main clicks with fine intermediate steps |
| Grinding speed | approx. 20.5 g / 10 sec · approx. 9 sec for 18 g (espresso) |
| Noise level | nearly 73 dB |
| Grinding temperature | 37 °C (first shot) to 38.7 °C (after 6 shots) |
| Retention | 2.2 g (temporary) |
| Single-dosing loss | 1.6 g (at 30 sec grinding time) |
| Dosing consistency | 0.07 g standard deviation (target value 18 g) |
| x50 (espresso setting) | approx. 320 µm |
| Fine fraction (< 100 µm) | approx. 27 % |
| 60% peak width | 346–350 µm |
| Bean hopper | 350 g |
| Residue in chute (bean switch) | nearly 9 g |
| Weight | 8.3 kg |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 15 × 28.5 × 39 cm |
| Scope of delivery | Dosing cup, magnetic portafilter holder |
Further reading
How the Pico compares to other grinders is shown in our comprehensive espresso grinder comparison. If you're looking for a true single-dosing grinder, you'll find more suitable candidates in the single-dosing grinder comparison from 500 to 1000 Swiss francs. And if you want to put the Pico next to a machine: here you can find the Linea Micra and Linea Mini R.
As always, we purchased this grinder ourselves. La Marzocco asked for a video before the market launch, but there were no editorial specifications or advance preview.
