Lelit: all espresso machines and grinders in our test

We've tested ten Lelit machines so far: the single boiler Victoria, the two-group Mara X in three generations, the dual boiler Elizabeth and Bianca, plus four espresso grinders. We purchased each of these machines ourselves, as independent espresso machine testing is the foundation of our work.

On this page, we compile what we've measured: which Lelit suits which needs, where the brand is strong and where it falls short on its promises.

We are a coffee school in Basel and the Ruhr region, with our own roastery, three cafés, and deeply integrated work with coffee farms on various continents. We measure espresso machines and grinders according to our own protocol: heat-up time, temperature deviation across multiple shots using KM and WBC protocols, power consumption in kWh, and for grinders additionally retention, grinding speed, dosing consistency, and particle distribution in a laser diffractometer. You can find the exact details in the Espresso Machine Test Protocol and the Espresso Grinder Test Protocol.

Lelit: from irons to prosumer portafilter machines

Lelit is not an old espresso machine dynasty. The company was founded in 1986 in the province of Brescia by Maria Bellini and her husband Edoardo Epis. The name is an abbreviation of "L'Elettrodomestico Italiano", and initially they produced steam iron systems. Lelit still makes irons today, around 30,000 units a year.

The founding date itself is not clearly documented: English-language Wikipedia lists 1986 and Baitella near Brescia, the Brescia daily newspaper Bresciaoggi lists 1986 and San Vigilio di Concesio, and Breville's takeover announcement lists 1985 and Castegnato. Castegnato is the current location.

Coffee machines were added as a second business line, developed by the founders' sons. Sources conflict on the exact timing: Bresciaoggi dates the start of espresso machine development and production to 1992, while English-language Wikipedia names 2002 as the beginning of focus on semi-automatic portafilter machines. Both could be correct if we distinguish between early machines and strategic focus.

What matters to us is a later date. Only in 2017 with the Bianca and 2019 with the Mara X did Lelit enter the prosumer market—the segment between household appliance and commercial machine. These two models alone establish the brand's reputation to this day.

After that, things moved quickly. Revenue rose from 13 million euros in 2019 to 39 million. In 2020, Lelit sold 48,000 espresso machines and expanded its workforce from 80 to 230 people within a month to meet demand. Today the company employs nearly 200 people, and the Castegnato plant ships over 50,000 coffee machines annually.

The Breville takeover

On March 11, 2022, Australian Breville Group announced it would acquire 100 percent of Lelit. Purchase price: approximately 113 million euros, half in cash, half in Breville shares at 27.64 Australian dollars with a five-year holding period. The transaction was completed in early July 2022 after the previous parent company Gemme Italian Producers srl transferred the coffee business to a new Lelit srl.

The founding family and parts of management switched to the Breville side. At the time of the takeover, Emanuele Epis was CEO of Lelit; according to Wikipedia, his brother Mauro Epis now heads the company.

Breville CEO Jim Clayton put it this way, in our translation: "The acquisition of Lelit brings together the two great coffee cultures of the world, Italian and Australian." Marketing speak, certainly. What's practically relevant is something else: Breville also owns Baratza. This means espresso machines and grinders from the specialty segment sit in the same group, and Lelit gains access to Breville's distribution networks outside Europe and numerous Breville patents. This is evident, among other things, in the integration of the Pagaia feature, which builds on a Sage patent.

Production continues in Castegnato. Whether it stays that way remains to be seen. For you as a buyer today, this means: Lelit is Italian manufacturing with Australian ownership, not a rebranded sourced product.

How Lelit organizes its product lines

Lelit's model names are first names; type designations are PL numbers. This seems arbitrary but follows logic through the brew group. Three lines sit alongside each other:

The 57-millimeter line with in-house group comprises the entry-level models Anna (PL41), Anita (PL042, with built-in conical burr mill) and the discontinued Grace (PL81). Common features are a 250-milliliter brass boiler, a three-way solenoid valve, and an adjustable overpressure valve. We're currently testing these machines. The test is more involved because we've had to develop our own temperature sensor specifically for these machines.

The 58-millimeter line without E61 group comprises Victoria (PL91), Kate (PL82), the discontinued Glenda (PL41PLUST), and the dual boiler Elizabeth (PL92). The Victoria has a 300-milliliter brass boiler; the Elizabeth has a 300-milliliter brew boiler plus a switchable 600-milliliter steam boiler.

The E61 line with a 58-millimeter group modeled after the Faema E61 consists of the heat exchanger Mara X (PL62X) and the dual boiler Bianca (PL162T). The Bianca runs an 800-milliliter brew boiler and a 1.5-liter steam boiler; the Mara X has a 1.8-liter boiler. What makes this brew group technically special is explained in our article on the Faema E61 Brew Group.

Model overview: what we've tested

We haven't tested the Anna PL41TEM, Anita, and Kate yet. Anna and Anita are in progress. Additional measurements for the Bianca V4 and the 2026-introduced Pagaia versions of Elizabeth and Victoria will follow in late 2026 and early 2027.

Which Lelit should you buy?

The question "which Lelit is the best" leads you astray. The models differ primarily in what drinking habits they're built for. So we organize by need.

You drink mostly straight espresso, one to three a day

The Victoria PL91T is enough. A single boiler with PID, 10.9 kilograms, 23.5 centimeters wide, for around 800 euros. Measuring by the WBC protocol over 14 shots, we see a standard deviation of 1.28 degrees, which is acceptable for this type of machine. What you accept: 23 minutes heat-up time and a mode switch if you want to steam milk afterward. The steam power is low, but that's typical for a single boiler. For a cappuccino on the weekend, that works; for four in a row, it doesn't.

You regularly make milk drinks and don't want to wait

Then you need separate circuits. The Elizabeth PL92T is a true dual boiler with 300-milliliter brew boiler and switchable 600-milliliter steam boiler, starting around 1,050 euros. The steam boiler can be regulated down to 145 degrees; it steams powerfully while heating slowly. After 20 minutes the machine is up to temperature, though it claims this earlier. Power consumption is low: 0.13 kWh for five double espressos including heat-up without the steam boiler, 0.24 kWh with.

For us it's the best entry-level dual boiler machine we've measured, with the potential to outperform significantly more expensive machines. The price is a thin stainless steel body, a plastic handle, a plastic steam knob, and a water tank that's awkward to fill.

The alternative is the heat exchanger Mara X. It's up to 10 decibels quieter than comparable dual circuit machines and at 22 centimeters is exceptionally narrow for an E61 machine. In Switzerland the list price was 1,490 francs; in the EU we found numerous offers under 1,000 euros. In return, you need to understand the brew priority modes, otherwise the machine brews too hot.

You want to dial in the extraction profile

The Bianca V3, for over 2,000 euros. It has a mechanical paddle and additionally an electronic low-flow mode, a rotary pump at 8 to 9 bar, which we measure at 61 decibels. Via the paddle you control flow from about 2.5 grams per second at the 6 o'clock position to just under 6 grams at full open, while the electronic low-flow sits at 1.5 to 1.7 grams per second and 3.1 bar.

The temperature values are the best in the entire Lelit range: 93 degrees target temperature with one degree deviation, 0.99 degree standard deviation in the KM protocol after 17 minutes and 0.69 degrees in the WBC protocol after one hour. And despite the E61 group, it reaches temperature after 17 minutes—8 to 12 minutes faster than the E61 average. On consumption, the large steam boiler shows: 0.133 kWh for five espressos, but 0.43 kWh once the steam boiler is running.

The point of the Bianca is that you can run it in two modes: as a solid E61 machine without thinking or as a profiling machine where you control flow on every shot. It grows with you, which is why we recommend it to beginners too. At 27 kilograms and 50 centimeters deep it does need space though.

You want flow profiling but cheaper

Then the Mara X3 for 1,699 euros is nearby. Flow control works well; the lever adjusts from 6 to about 3.5 milliliters per second, and the pump drops to under 50 decibels in the process. In the KM protocol, which reflects everyday use at home, temperature management is adequate.

In the WBC stress test over 14 shots, however, we measure a temperature window of 7 degrees. We clearly rated this as a failure in the test. For a machine in your kitchen this matters less than for commercial use, but if you regularly pull many drinks in succession, you're better off with a dual boiler. In the KM overall rating the machine lands at 50.2 out of 100 points. So for a 500 euro surcharge over the predecessor you get flow control.

You're looking for a Lelit grinder

Here we need to pump the brakes. The two Fred models PL044MMT and PL043MMI had the broadest main peaks at 336 and 349 micrometers in our first test field of 24 directly compared grinders. The best grinder there was at 180 micrometers. You taste that: the espresso tastes ragged, the acidity stands alone. We can't recommend the Freds for straight espresso.

The William PL72 is another case. Its grind is good; the coarse peak at 227 micrometers is narrow. The problem is adjustment: after a change, the grind setting doesn't reliably return to the same point. It does have a characteristic we haven't seen in any other grinder. It empties itself completely, 18 grams in, 18 grams out. If you already own a PL72 and like to drink different coffees side by side, you should run it exclusively in single dosing mode.

The Lelit Steve has been the successor to the William since 2026 and costs from 469 euros or 499 francs at specialty retailers. It does some things much better: 30.3 grams in 10 seconds, 81.8 decibels with a pleasant grinding sound, a main peak of 243 micrometers and a fine peak of 39.4 percent—lots of body and a distribution that broadly covers dark to medium roasts. Two things have gotten worse or stayed the same. Empty grinding no longer works; the grinder retains 5.2 grams of temporary retention, so single dosing is out. And the play in the grind adjustment has stayed: after running Ristretto and Lungo and back to the original grind setting, the same recipe runs in 14 to 15 instead of 25 seconds. If you stick with one bean and refill it repeatedly, you'll do fine; everyone else won't.

If you have free choice, check our overview of the best espresso grinders. We've now tested over 100 grinders, so the selection is much larger than when we tested the Lelits. The Freds are quite usable for milk mixed drinks because milk cushions flavor imbalance.

Distribution and specialty retail

Lelit doesn't sell directly but through specialty retailers, online shops, and Amazon. According to Bresciaoggi, the Amazon channel was a significant driver of rapid growth, which is unusual for a manufacturer in this price segment.

For you as a buyer this mainly means: prices vary widely. For the Elizabeth we've seen prices in Switzerland ranging from 1,100 francs at large online platforms to 1,600 francs at local retailers, with a German entry price of around 1,050 euros. Price comparison is more worthwhile here than with other manufacturers.

We ourselves don't sell espresso machines. In individual tests we name specialty businesses where we'd recommend buying because they know the machines and can service them themselves. If you buy through a marketplace, you don't have that contact person.

Comparison table: our measurements

All values are our own measurements from the linked individual tests, not manufacturer specifications. A dash means we didn't collect that value in this test.

* Prices at the time of testing and meant as guidance. Lelit prices vary significantly in retail.
** Heat-up plus one espresso in espresso mode.
*** Heat-up plus five double espressos respectively. The first value without, the second with steam boiler engaged.

Temperature measurements in comparison

Temperature management separates the field much more clearly than price. So here separately:

Which protocol matters depends on how you use the machine. The KM protocol measures everyday use at home: heat up and pull individual shots. The WBC protocol measures sustained load over 14 shots and is mainly relevant for commercial use. For a dual circuit machine in your kitchen, therefore, the individual shot is what matters, not the stress test. We explain both methods in the Espresso Machine Test Protocol.

Frequently asked questions about Lelit

Is Lelit still an Italian company?

The brand and manufacturing are Italian, the owner is not. Since July 2022, Lelit has belonged to the Australian Breville (Sage) Group. Production continues at the plant in Castegnato near Brescia; the founding Epis family remains with the company.

Which Lelit is the best espresso machine?

By our measurements, the Bianca V3, if budget and space allow. It has the best temperature management in the entire Lelit range and the shortest heat-up time among E61 machines. For about half the money, the Elizabeth PL92T is the more sensible choice if you mainly make milk drinks. For straight espresso on a small budget, the Victoria is enough.

Lelit Mara X or Elizabeth?

The Mara X is quieter, narrower, and works with the E61 group—so with thermal inertia. The Elizabeth has two real boilers, is up to temperature in 20 minutes, and is more confident with steam, but is less well built. If you make many milk drinks in a row, get the Elizabeth. If build quality, noise, and footprint matter more to you, the Mara X.

How long does a Lelit take to heat up?

We measured: Bianca V3 17 minutes, Elizabeth PL92T 20 minutes, Victoria PL91T 23 minutes, Mara X3 24 minutes. The Bianca is thus the fastest despite the E61 group because its brew boiler is insulated. With all machines, expect that sustained temperature stability comes later than brew readiness, which the display indicates.

What's the difference between Mara X V1, V2, and X3?

V1 and V2 are technically nearly identical; you identify V1 by the red logo. There are differences in control logic, which is why some machines were shipped with instructions from the other version. The Mara X3 is a bigger jump; it brings Pagaia, electronic flow regulation via a lever, and costs 1,699 euros. Temperature-wise it behaves similarly to the V2, but flow control adds another layer that can affect temperature. Details are in our tests for the Mara X and Mara X3.

What does Pagaia cost?

For Elizabeth 3 and Victoria 3, Lelit told us in Brussels there's a 300 euro surcharge over the version without the lever. The Mara X3 has Pagaia built in; it costs 1,699 euros and thus about 500 euros more than its predecessor. None of the three models offers volumetric or timed dosing.

Are Lelit grinders recommendable?

For straight espresso, by our measurements only to a limited degree. The two Fred models scatter too widely. The William PL72 grinds well but won't reliably return to the same grind setting, and it's mainly worthwhile for existing owners in single dosing. The Steve goes furthest: its particle distribution carries a good espresso, but grind adjustment stays imprecise and single dosing doesn't work. If you mainly drink cappuccino, you can also work with the Freds.

Is a used Lelit worth it?

For E61 machines, yes, because the technology is well documented and parts are available. Watch for scale, the condition of seals at the brew group, and which generation you're buying. With the Mara X, version matters quite a bit—it determines how you operate brew priority.

Which Lelits haven't you tested yet?

Anna PL41TEM and Anita are in progress. The Kate is still outstanding. Additional tests for Bianca V4 as well as Elizabeth 3 and Victoria 3 with Pagaia will follow.

We purchased all machines mentioned in this article ourselves. None of the linked tests was requested or authorized by Lelit. We haven't sold espresso machines for three years. The measurements in both tables come from individual tests of the Victoria PL91T, Mara X V2, Mara X3, Elizabeth PL92T, Bianca V3, Steve, William PL72, and Fred PL044MMT and PL043MMI.