I own two Le'Lit PL041s. The first was scored on eBay in 2006, used but perfect, for $230. The second was bought new in 2007 from HiTechEspresso as an upgraded PID unit, for $400 (dsicounted as first one sold). I use one daily and keep the other for a back-up.
I love both of mine. They are sometimes referred to as the "poor man's Silvia," but that's not true. While Silvia uses heavier-duty commercial parts, the lighter group head on the Le'Lit heats up much more quickly, in part because the group head is bolted directly to the boiler, rather than offset as in the Silvia, and also because of the 1050-watt heater. Though the "ready" light goes on after about 2 minutes, the portafilter isn't too hot to touch until the 5-minute mark, still blazingly fast from a standing start.
Direct bolting of the group head to the boiler also effectively minimizes temp surfing on the Le'Lit. While the PID is cool, I don't notice any difference in shot quality, crema, or flavor between the PID'd unit and the non-PID'd unit. I never feel any need to temp-surf on the non-PID'd machine.
The design is tried-and-true, and the Le'Lit makes delicious doubles with its 14-gram basket. Stick with 14 grams, though, since under- or over-dosing don't help any. The 3-way solenoid makes backflushing easy.
The only problem I've had with either of my Le'Lits is that they tend to eat through portafilter head gaskets quicker than I'd like -- about a year -- so I keep spares on hand from 1st Line. I drink 3-4 Americanos per day, and the mechanics remain flawless after three years of constant use. The fill hole on the 2-liter (68 oz.) plastic reservoir was a bit small, so I cut mine larger. The easy-view water level on both sides is a nice feature.
Steaming and frothing milk is amply powerful, although not up to the instant on-demand or raw strength of HX or DB units. (Disclosure: I don't steam anyway, preferring to drink long-pull Americanos with half-and-half that are nuked in the microwave. Good microfoam is possible, however, if that's your thing for cappas or lattes.)
The PL041 has the same kind of squarish industrial design as the Silvia, with a mirror-finish stainless-steel skin and nicely rounded corners (no sharp edges). Very pleasing aesthetically, with a remarkably compact footprint that will fit in most any kitchen. Same scale as my Ascaso i-Mini and Roma grinders. |
