La Marzocco - GS3 (available as MP and AV)

I know not exactly in posted budget- but I had that exact decision, chose to wait and save a little longer and just got a used GS/3-MP. Couldn't be happier, not too much tech, but enough pressure control to do 95% of whatever you'd ever want to do. Then right after can make lattes for 10 guests without profiling and no setting changes.

I have a gs3. Takes 1 hour for everything to get to temp. Yes it’s an inconvenience if you want coffee right now and it’s off. I have it plugged into a smart plug that turns on at 6am everyday so when I’m up it will be up to temp. 

Don't get a GS3 AV. It's a waste of money and will not give you any better espresso than a Mini or Micra.

Former obsessed barista here lol i know how you feel :))) Almost eveything you say rings lelit bianca v3, the rotary pump, nice steam, flow profiling, except for the part about saving the profiles, that would be Decent DE1 territory. i don’t see myself with a LMLM at home, although I absolutely adore Linea in a cafe setup, it is just reliable, I wanna play around at home and need profiling (maybe GS3 but I don’t like the aesthetic tbh) Personally I would be happy with a gaggimate modded rancilio silvia but i don’t know if it would withstand 20 shots a day. I have also heard great things about WPM Primus but definitely doesn’t have the charm of a cafe workflow machine

Grinder is a hard ask, perfect grinder technically would be a Sanremo X-One, but it is huge and financially only good sense for a shop (it replaces 3 grinders so at about 8000€ not too bad), coupled with a Sanremo espresso machine and a RO with remineralizing filter for water. Told my misses about this one and she was a little concerned I was contemplating it. Keeping home aesthetics and size in mind and if I would only want one grinder I’d probably get an EG-1 or Monolith flat Max. Currently have two grinders though, one with hopper (83mm burr) and one single dose for my decaf/specialty drinks. Which I would be unlikely to drop as single dosing I won’t do for groups or in the morning, a large burr gbw grinder would be my choice. For the espresso machine, a Sanremo you or LM GS3 would offer everything I would want, but honestly a simple flat profile machine with good pid and dual boiler like a LM Mini R or a Micra is good enough for me already. Micra does come with some short comings, the reduced height is a little annoying at times. Mini r was too big for my counter though.

I have a LaMarzocco GS3MP and large cups won't fit either. I use a 14 oz Ember mug which is too tall to fit on top of the scales on the drip tray directly into the cup. Had to get creative. I remove the drip tray, set a plastic cup upside down on the inside of the drip tray, put the scales on top and then my cup on top of the scales. Yes, it's a PIA but have been doing it for years. I only make one cup a day and the quality of the drink justifies the effort. In my opinion. LaMarzocco products will last many years if cared for properly.

I think you made a great choice as well. I have owned my GS3MP for 4+years and other than installing a steamer repair kit that's it. Warm up time is around 20-30 minutes. It turns on about 30 minutes before I get up and is ready. I have owned a lot of espresso machines but this one is the most reliable.

Absolutely is. I have a power strip on the back of the coffee station and each of the plugs is named whatever machine is plugged into it. “Hey Alexa, turn on the Lelit.” “Hey Alexa, turn on the GS3.” “Hey Alexa, turn on the Gaggia.” I don’t bother with the Bambino since it is a thermal jet and is ready in like 3 seconds, but those smart plugs are game changers for E61s

GS3 AV owner. Definitely not for everyone. They require precise water, parts are not inexpensive, and regular maintenance. Do those things and I think it’ll last the rest of your life. The ioT board upgrade and LaM app make controlling the power on schedule (5am) standby (5pm) easy, and controlling pre-infusion time, shot volume (pulses) quite easy. Once dialed in, the coffee is delicious. Plumbed in, for me the workflow is lovely. It’s a bloody tank.

Hot take incoming: 16 or so years ago I bought a LM GS3 for home use from Chris Coffee. It was huge, took a long time to heat up, and was extremely unreliable. After nearly a year of issues, Chris Coffee with their insanely good customer service took it back, gave me a refund and suggested I get a La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi II - as it was also a light commercial double boiler, has volumetric dosing, adjustable temp via PID, and had a ultra fast 5 min warm up. It was way less $, so I went with it. 15 years later, I’m still using it, it’s been completely trouble free - and I just recently replaced the main brew portafilter gasket - not because it needed it, but because I was worried it would eventually melt into the machine or be a nightmare to get out. It wasn’t and took less than 5 min to swap out. It has never once been serviced - and I only had to open the side panels twice, once to install the pre-infusion chamber and once to inspect the boilers for scale build up (it’s never been descaled - nor needs it - but I use re-mineralized RO water) and clean the flow controller. I also find the deeper 53mm pucks more forgiving than the 58mm portafilters in the LM, and the espresso and milk drinks taste every bit as good. I just bought a new machine earlier today, not because I needed it, or the La Spaziale has let me down - it’s simply a case of FOMO on new gear, I have a new espresso grinder showing up in Nov and after 15 years I want a machine change for change sake. When looking at a new machine - I didn’t even consider an LM. They look nice, and it’s a storied brand - this cannot be denied, but it’s 2025… for the money there are better options. No ill will towards the brand, and by all means if you love the design and it will make you happy/excited to see and interact with daily - follow your dream.

Hot take - the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi II does everything a LM does - but doesn’t require nearly as much service and has volumetric dosing. Mine is now 15 years old - and in that time I’ve only changed the brew head gasket once (a few months ago) and had to clean the flow restricter once (also a few months ago). Aside from that - zero issues, zero service required. It replaced a LM GS3 I had constant issues with (back then they weren’t as reliable as they are now) and I really didn’t notice a drop off in cup - but I did appreciate the \~5 min or so warm up time on this La Spaziale. Now they have some models like the [Lucca 53](https://ratiocoffee.com/products/lucca-a53-espresso-machine?srsltid=AfmBOopP42XHbPSyUHvhnAEyNZC7dTtdP__n1tCcfKkUcEhEI_9Y9_-a) with a more modern front panel and you can order it with wood side panels and such. https://preview.redd.it/tc2ck6fqgxcf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12d12274661ff0cd67525fade051469c12e3c7d9

You’re asking for fire by posting this here lol. I’ll say this, I’ve had a few espresso machines from a shitty hand me down to a $7000 GS3 from La Marzocco. I got an OL Nespresso a month or two ago and I’m happy. It started to feel like a chore making espresso, cleaning the machine, prepping, always ensuring I have fresh coffee, the right water mixture… it made it a chore and I stopped enjoying coffee. The Nespresso is great for me. I can make a quick cup of coffee that’s good enough for most days. If I want a really good cup i go to the cafe. The only caveat to this is make sure you buy an original line Nespresso - NOT the virtuo! The OL uses the mini pods and actual pressurized water to get as close as possible to espresso. Let me know if you have any questions