Lelit Elizabeth PL92T in Review: Dual Boiler from 1,050 Francs

The Lelit Elizabeth PL92T is applying with strong test performance for the title "Best dual-boiler espresso machine for beginners." We are positively surprised and feel validated nonetheless. Because Lelit is going the extra mile with the Elizabeth even in dual-boiler espresso machines and doing many things right. That's why our view of the Lelit Elizabeth is similarly positive as our earlier test of the two-circuit Lelit Mara X.

The Lelit Elizabeth is one of many dual-boiler espresso machines we have tested and will continue to test. To see an overview, click here.

Overview: Lelit Elizabeth Dual-Boiler

The Lelit Elizabeth is one of the most affordable dual-boilers on the market. In Switzerland, prices range between 1100 francs at major online platforms and 1600 francs in local retail. In Germany, the Lelit Elizabeth is available from 1050 euros. That's really inexpensive!

Many dual-boilers start at prices of more than 1800 francs or euros, which makes the Lelit Elizabeth's price all the more competitive. Pointing out that these prices are realized due to high volumes and especially through online retail doesn't change anything: the Lelit Elizabeth is very affordable for a dual-boiler!

At the same time, it comes with a backpack of features and refinements that much more expensive models don't have. Various pre-infusion modes, a shot timer, and thoughtful controls make the Lelit Elizabeth an exciting espresso machine for entering the dual-boiler class!

Lelit Elizabeth at a Glance

Don't want to read the entire article? Then find the most important strengths and weaknesses of the Lelit Elizabeth summarized here.

Facts

• Dual-boiler with PID temperature controller and vibration pump as well as pump manometer.
• The Elizabeth weighs 12 kilograms, is 32.2 cm wide (with portafilter), 38.2 cm tall, and the body is 26 cm deep. If you account for the portafilter and the protruding power cable, the Lelit Elizabeth reaches a depth of 43 cm.
• The drip tray holds 1.4 liters.
• The water tank has a capacity of 2.5 liters. The machine cannot be connected to mains water.
• Steam boiler volume: 0.6 liters (can be switched off)
• Brewing boiler volume: 0.3 liters
• The machine's housing is made of brushed stainless steel.
• Lelit is an Italian manufacturer and belongs to the Breville Group.

Strengths of the Lelit Elizabeth

• The Lelit Elizabeth combines the strengths of a dual-boiler espresso machine with a comparatively affordable price. The separately insulated boilers allow precise adjustment of the espresso machine for its two main purposes: preparing espresso and steaming milk.
• The temperature of the Lelit Elizabeth is constant once the machine is properly warmed up. This is the case after more than 20 minutes of heating time.
• The Lelit Elizabeth PL92T has low power consumption of approximately 0.13 kWh for 5 double espresso shots with heating without the steam boiler. With the steam boiler on, we measure 0.24 kWh.
• The steam performance of the Lelit Elizabeth is good. It rolls powerfully but heats slowly, which allows for a long rolling phase and thus creamy foam. The boiler can be regulated up to 145 degrees Celsius.
• Practical shot timer to see the pour time in seconds.
• Two different pre-infusion modes that offer plenty of flexibility to get the perfect result from every espresso.
• Clear LCC (Lelit Control Center) for controlling the machine and displaying the shot timer. Additional functions for machine control and programming in expert mode.
• Good basket with 18-gram capacity included.
• Programmable buttons that can also be used for automated flushing and cleaning programs.

The Lelit Elizabeth PL92T allows control at various levels. On the surface, you can program temperature and, for example, pour times. Pre-infusion settings are also possible. Through advanced controls, many PID details can be adjusted. At this level, few manufacturers allow access.

Weaknesses of the Lelit Elizabeth

• The build quality of the machine could be higher. The stainless steel body feels thin compared to other dual-boilers.
• The portafilter is functionally good, but not balanced. The plastic of the handle feels cheap.
• A plastic tamper is included, but it's not suitable as a tamper.
• The plastic steam wheel feels like a transitional solution and reflects the lower quality of the portafilter handle.
• In various places, the Lelit Elizabeth has relatively sharp edges that can cause unpleasant cuts in everyday use.
• The machine becomes quite loud when the water level in the water tank is too low. The pump itself is fairly quiet.
• The water tank feels like a remnant from an earlier era. Unlike the Lelit Mara X, water is not drawn from below but through tubes that need to be re-threaded after each refill.
• The warm-up time is 20 minutes for the machine to truly reach temperature. The machine itself indicates readiness earlier, but this doesn't match our measurements.
• The optimal temperature is reached when the machine has been running longer. Therefore, it's important to know your own machine and work with a local dealer to check and adjust the current actual temperature.
• The buttons sometimes don't respond sensitively.

Low Power Consumption Without Steam Boiler

Compared to other dual-boilers, the Lelit Elizabeth has relatively low power consumption with the steam boiler switched off. However, note that the power is measured here for only a 15-minute protocol. At that time, the machine wasn't fully up to temperature. So the actual power consumption will be slightly higher, though still relatively low. It's not comparable to some thermoblocks that achieve power consumption of only 0.1 kWh. Yet approximately 0.13 to 0.15 kWh is also a good result. We will repeat the power measurement without the steam boiler with an operating time of 20 minutes.

With the steam boiler on, we measure 0.24 kWh, which matches the result of the Rancilio Silvia Pro X. With many dual-boilers, we reach high values of more than 0.35 kWh in the comparison measurement.

Warm-Up Time of the Lelit Elizabeth PL92T

We've read quite a bit about the short warm-up time of the Elizabeth. We don't agree. At 10 and 15 minutes, the PL92T hasn't yet reached target temperature. We recommend warming up the machine for at least 20 minutes.

The Lelit Elizabeth really is in its comfort zone when it's been on longer. Our measurement with the WBC protocol shows this too. We have the feeling that the machine was optimized for the goal of "running for 1 hour." This seems only marginally suitable for everyday home use. Because at least we very much like to have an espresso when the machine has just reached temperature. After that, in everyday use, we turn the machine off after the shot and turn it back on a few hours later for the next espresso.

To be precise: the Lelit is already within the temperature corridor earlier. However, it becomes truly stable in the factory programming when it's been running longer. Possibly this can still be adjusted through the advanced LCC settings.

The measurements were made with the Lelit Elizabeth's factory standard settings. These were: KPc 2.0; KIc 0.04; KDc 1.0; BC 30; KPs 2.0; KIs 0.00; KDs 20.0; BS 30; Ec 10; Es 0; F01 1; Tr 0

These settings can be controlled in the advanced settings of the Lelit via the LCC. Lelit provides everything here to adjust many details in the behavior of the PID and controls. You can also set the length of the pump phase in the pre-infusion. Dave Corbey provides a good explanation in a blog post. We will discuss the adjustment options in a further video and also check the temperature of the Lelit with the settings suggested by Dave.

Pre-Infusion and Espresso Quality

Even in standard mode, the Lelit Elizabeth allows us to brew good espresso. When the machine is well heated, we get good results. However, we set the machine two degrees higher if we want to drink espresso 20 minutes after turning it on!

Additionally, the espresso machine allows the use of two different pre-infusion modes. First, with the steam boiler on, we can use the steam to provide gentle pressure on the coffee puck after stopping the pump for 3 seconds up to 20 seconds.

On the other hand, a kind of blooming pre-infusion can be run. For this, the steam boiler must not be running. Now the pump stops by default after 6 seconds of operation and then enters a definable pause phase.

Advanced Pre-Infusion Settings

The stop phase of the pump can be defined for both modes in the advanced settings. Here's how to access the menu:

BLS1 stands for Button 1 and BLS2 stands for Button 2. The following number defines the activated phase of the pump before the steam pressure pre-infusion. In the example above, we chose 3 seconds, which seems like a sensible value.

BLP1 sets Button 1 for the blooming pre-infusion and BLP2 sets Button 2. In the example above, we chose 6 seconds before the pump stops.

In both modes, the activated pump time is subtracted from the total set pre-infusion time. So if we choose a ten-second pre-infusion in the menu, it will be 7 or 4 seconds respectively, since the pump pressure time counts as part of the pre-infusion.

Effects of Pre-Infusion on Different Espressos

We played a lot with pre-infusion and tried the modes with different espresso roasts and times. The possibilities here are immense. We got better results with the steam pressure pre-infusion. Especially lighter roasted specialty coffee espressos became sweeter and more balanced because of it. In the video test, we taste, for example, Toca from our bio project partner in Mexico.

With a darker roasted robusta espresso, the difference was small—it ran well even without pre-infusion. The Lelit Elizabeth offers with its adjustment options a playground for curious coffee aficionados. However, it also carries the risk of getting lost. In that case, a step back to the standard profile makes sense.

New: Lelit Elizabeth 3 with Pagaia

At the World of Coffee 2026 in Brussels, Lelit showed the Elizabeth in a new version. Lelit calls it Elizabeth 3, and it brings Pagaia with it, that little lever for controlling flow rate that we first tested on the Lelit Mara X3. Pagaia doesn't mechanically control a valve; it electronically regulates pump power. So you control the flow, and pressure results as a consequence.

For the Elizabeth, this is more than just an attachment. Earlier, we describe how cumbersome adjusting pre-infusion is through the advanced LCC settings, with BLS1, BLP2, and second values that are subtracted from the total time. With Pagaia, it becomes a lever movement.

And the Elizabeth 3 goes even further than the Mara X3. It additionally has a pressure sensor whose value is displayed, and two buttons that each store a profile with multiple stages. A gentle pre-infusion at low pressure, then the second stage, then the third, callable with a button press. This is the point that really interests us: on the Mara X3, flow profiling is manual work and thus not reproducible; on the Elizabeth 3, it would be storable. However, there's also no volumetric or time control here.

Lelit indicated a price increase for the Pagaia function of 300 euros at the Brussels show.

Steaming Performance

The base pressure of the steam boiler is rather low. However, the temperature can be increased to 145 degrees Celsius, and then the Lelit Elizabeth really becomes fun for steaming. It rolls powerfully without heating up too quickly. This allows for a long rolling phase and is the prerequisite for very good milk foam.

Particularly for those starting out with milk steaming, the Lelit is an interesting choice from a steaming perspective as well. The long rolling phase helps break down the larger bubbles created during inexperienced steaming.

Only the steam wheel frustrates a bit every time we start steaming again. But there will certainly be some nice upgrades from tinkerers soon.

This rotating wheel controls the steam for milk steaming. We received a tip from the community that there are nice custom-made wooden versions, turned in small series.

And what are your experiences with the Lelit Elizabeth? Feel free to write them to us in the comments.

By the way, this also applies to this machine: we bought it, we conduct our tests independently, and we test to the best of our knowledge and conscience.