Breville - Anna PL41LEM

OK, if I'm being fully honest, I had this exact machine and I upgraded and I have not regretted it since. If you're only using it for espresso, it's not worth the upgrade, but if you're wanting to use it for steam wand and consistency within shots, it's worth the upgrade. I had to Lelit anna 2 and then I upgraded to a Sanremo You in October 2024. if you have the extra money and you'll use it every day i say do it!!! if not, you could always upgrade to the Bianca that's a great machine but again the steam wand is gonna be the exact same as the Anna.

I am even less experienced but like you did the research on line and for retirement present bought the LELIT Anna 2 and the DF 54. I love them both. Have only used about 20 bags of beans from various roasters but am really pleased with both. Have had no problem with the 57mm purchases either. For the price point it’s a no brainer. Just like you the PID was the real winner that I didn’t have to install. That’s not my interest. It gives great coffee. Simple to use and simple to clean. I do let it heat up for 20 minutes and found that helps. But it’s no biggie as I am retired. And others may say it’s not necessary. But I think for a mid point machine you can’t go far wrong. The two together cost me £750

If you like Gaggia, don't get the Evo. It has the coated boiler that flakes off AKA "Boilergate". Get the latest model Gaggia Classic E24. Breville Bambino Plus is usually priced about the same as the 840 but is a more modern design. Anna is a great quality machine but has slower warm up and longer transitions between brewing and steaming than Breville. You can't go wrong with any of these choices as long as you get E24 instead of Evo.

Bambino Plus will be the easiest to use. Anna will make the best espresso. E24 will be the longest lasting. However, if you are handy with plumbing and electricity, the E24 can be modded to make even better espresso than the Anna. It's your choice.

I know! lol. My wife has been super and gifted me the grinder for Christmas. I also considered the Lelit Anna but was put off by the lack of control over pre infusion etc. The Gaggia is great if it works for you. I was just put off by the need to invalidate warranty in order to get anything out of it.

I went from a Lelit Anna to a Lelit Bianca and, without changing a thing about my prep process or grinder, the difference was night and day. My worst shot with the Lelit was better than my best shot with the Anna. I've had it for almost 3 years now and it remains the best purchase i've ever made.

There are better and cheaper gooseneck kettles out there. We have a Cosori that cost a third of the Fellow and is just as fast and accurate. If you’re only doing the occasional milk drink, the Mara X is crazy overkill. You’d perfectly fine with a single-boiler machine like a Lelit Anna. And the DF54 is fine for medium-dark and dark roasts but if you want lighter you should go with the DF64V or another grinder with flat burrs.

I have the same machine and never have any issues in heating delays between espresso and steam. Just let the machine itself heat the water in the boiler as you say. The Lelit Anna is brilliant.

My Lelit Anna has the same switches and its my favorite thing about it. Newer models have buttons.

Mine started acting up a few weeks ago, pressure oscillating, weird noises all around. Descale and a backflush, and it was chugging just fine the next morning.

To be honest, I feel my late dedica fits in your description as well. Of course the dedica is priced quite cheaper, but it's not a proper espresso machine if we consider it doesn't come stock with single wall baskets. And there is a reason there are no official single wall baskets/porta filter, it doesn't deliver hot enough water. You need to run a couple of empty cycles to warm up, and even then, the results are not so great. I currently have a lelit Anna, which is probably the most different machine to OP's Ninja. Italian all metal machine with little flashy features (except for the PID). But I still consider OP's choice a legit one, and I am sure in the right hands they can make much better espresso than I can.

What about a second lelit Anna!