LONDINIUM - R24

It depends. I personally avoid anything with a pump. For instance, the [Londinium R24](https://www.londiniumespresso.com/products/londinium-r24) and Nurri Leva both use a pump for pre-infusion which is a deal breaker for me. The [ACS Levers](https://www.acs-espresso.it/en/vesuvius-evo-leva-timer-2/) tend to have a lot of electronics that I suspect would eventually cause grief. I avoid these levers, but for other they have features that they want. Traditional Levers like the Elektra Microcasa a Leva (MCAL) or Zacconi Riviera are wonderful machines, but use a small portafilter making accessories limited. To pull a double on these older style machines, you need to pull the lever down twice. Some people may not like this.

Yeah, Personally, I think the most forgiving dial-in -- and most versatility -- comes with hybrid spring levers. The pump pre-infusion, the ability to decide when to release the spring (based on time-to-first drip, basket fill-rate, etc), and the ability to modulate pressure by manipulating the lever -- all these let you adapt to a shot and gives you a good intuitive sense of where to adjust grind/dose, all in real-time. Yes, it's a manual process. I personally think it's easier (and more fun) than *programming* a machine at the crack of dawn. But, YMMV. That said, some Thoughts and Feelings ^(tm) about machines: **Bezzera Strega** - My personal runner-up, great value for money - But, requires some tinkering IMHO: - Fairly temp stable but needs a PID (fairly straightforward) - No OPV for pre-infusion; Ulka vibe pump is duty cycle limited to 11bar, which is too high for my tastes. I would prefer to replace the pump and install an (adjustable) OPV - no exhaust solenoid. Some crazy nut installed one, though, with a button no less! **Nurri Leva** - Well, I ordered one :P - Caution: uses La San Marco (55mm) grouphead. A dearth of accessories. **Londinium R24** - The original hybrid spring lever. - Incredible in cup - clumsy engineering and janky manufacturing. relies heavily on a british contract CM that is...not robust. **Profitec Pro 800** - A really well-executed dipper - A bit pricey? Lack of pump pre-infusion is unfortunate given cost - You can plumb in, but pre-infusion still limited to boiler pressure **Londinium Vectis** - Compact dipper style spring lever - great in concept, fast heat-up time - limited shot volume, needs lower doses, thin on body, great in-cup, small boiler which is moderate levels of ass-pain to re-fill. - launched during pandemic, has the QA woes to show for it. recent iterations have improved many of the issues plaguing it (defective grouphead casting, self-destructing pstats), but again relies on a contract CM that is not keeping up. **Odyssey Argos** - Spring or direct lever dipper style - Best bang for the buck of all time? - Basically unobtainium due to huge popularity/lead time. - temp stable via PID control of boiler pressure, comes at the expense of steam stability (but you don't care about milk steaming) - pain in the ass to re-fill the boiler - Very clever air bleed system enables multi-pull Fellinis to increase shot volume, without destroying the puck.

As the saying goes, You Will Eventually Own a Lever Yes, they seem to make the best tasting espresso. Yes, Achille Gaggia seems to have accidentally hit upon the best extraction profile in the 1940's when he first invented the spring lever espresso machine. Yes, it is notable that the most popular profile on the Decent is one that apes the Londinium's low-pressure preinfusion and declining pressure shot, by a country mile. Yes, I personally think we lost our way with the E61 and its flat 9-bar OPV + electric pump. Sure it improved temperature stability, came with a modest soft preinfusion ramp, and saved barista's shoulders and backs and workflows by replacing the effort with a button. But my favorite reason of all is a giant, steaming pile of irony: the ancient spring lever, it turns out, is monstrously good for ultra light roast espresso. You can prolong contact time with steam pre-infusion to push extraction, and the gentle pressure+temp decline ensures an even flow through finely-ground pucks. Sweet, syrupy goodness rains into your cup. I had a flair58, vectis, slayer and linea mini side by side for a while, with access to an R24 and Decent. The Flair made the best shots, hands down, but had the worst (most manual) workflow. The next best? R24 and Vectis, hands-down.

The Breville machines, I recall reading about a few years back. They were reputed to be quite impressive and incredible value, but I have no idea if they're still highly regarded today. I personally have my own ritual that \*does\* require at least 20 minutes each morning, including cleanup. (I have two double-shot lattes, though I'm not sure that's the right name. I use a fairly small amount of steamed milk, in about a 6 oz cup.). I absolutely love the process and the drinks, but I absolutely cannot recommend what I use to someone who's looking to start in espresso. Lemme use this as strong advice NOT to get into espresso. What I use: Londinium R24 lever machine, which is currently around $4k US. Kafatek Monolith grinder. I have both their conical and the flat, not the Max. I probably have $600+ in accessories, but the ones I use most are Lunar Acaia scale and Weber Workshops bean cellars. I also have a rather pricey vacuum sealing machine (not solely for coffee) so I can buy coffee in 5 lb batches and freeze it effectively. I have the espresso machine on a smart plug (HomeKit), so it fires up the machine about 40 minutes before I wake up, so everything is up to temp and ready to go. It turns out I am not a huge fan of super light roast coffees, so medium roast beans are on my menu. For those, the conical grinder is great. All that said... it's a lot. And it's fantastic. But I honestly think you should consider a much simpler process: making fantastic pour over coffee with a decent grinder (probably under $300), a decent kettle that can heat water precisely to the temp of your choice, and a simple Hario V60 (or equivalent) pour over "dripper." Focus on learning your technique and finding great beans. Do that for a year, then reconsider if you truly want to dive down the espresso rabbit hole. Perhaps some useful links: [https://youtu.be/1oB1oDrDkHM?si=W-uIpWE5vcKew4jD](https://youtu.be/1oB1oDrDkHM?si=W-uIpWE5vcKew4jD) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfNoNTjcRbE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfNoNTjcRbE) [https://youtu.be/YY5Fwj-tOAw?si=T7WBLS4nS-ks8qjF](https://youtu.be/YY5Fwj-tOAw?si=T7WBLS4nS-ks8qjF) If I haven't totally angered you with this response, feel free to ask any questions.

Anything beyond a decent spring lever machine. I don't need PIDs, or any other pressure profiling guff. The right group, boiler and spring combo gives me amazing espresso consistently, without having to think too much about it. If I need to sit and reflect on the taste, it's there when I need it. If I'm just banging it back, nothing changes. Same prep, same routine. I personally feel that's the ultimate in espresso enjoyment. For me, that's the Londinium R24, but even that's overkill. If the Vectis had been around when I got the R24, I would've gotten that instead.

When I talk to people about what kind of machine they want, it's always about what they're going to want in the future, not just now - particularly when it comes to machines you spend a lot of money on. Because for a machine at this price point, you expect it to last decades - and your life can change a lot in that time. I've been through many stages in my coffee-loving life. From my early days with one of the cheapest Breville machines you could buy, through to a single-boiler Barazza, building my own roaster and experimenting with my own blends, to much more complicated machines, and a massive Compak E10 on the kitchen bench, and now finally a much simpler setup. Life got complicated, but my love of coffee didn't - I stopped wanting to screw around with endless variables, and just wanted to be able to make great coffee every day. For my wife to be able to pull a great shot without feeling intimidated by the setup. To get consistent, flavourful coffee without much mucking around. I also found that I hated being without my coffee machine for weeks on end whenever it needed a service. That's how I wound up with a lever (great coffee without having to try too hard, but still enough room to experiment), and specifically the Londinium - supported DIY maintenance & repairs. Apart from the footprint, the R24 would be pretty damn good for your needs, has a hot water tap, by default the steam wand is on the right, and being a lever, will give you great joy with every shot you pull. And pre-infusion pressure is managed digitally, which you can change via the app. These days I'd prefer to go even simpler with the Vectis, but I'd lose one thing that I quite like - the water tap. That said - everyone's at a different stage of their journey and you should get the right machine for this stage in your journey.

When I talk to people about what kind of machine they want, it's always about what they're going to want in the future, not just now - particularly when it comes to machines you spend a lot of money on. Because for a machine at this price point, you expect it to last decades - and your life can change a lot in that time. I've been through many stages in my coffee-loving life. From my early days with one of the cheapest Breville machines you could buy, through to a single-boiler Barazza, building my own roaster and experimenting with my own blends, to much more complicated machines, and a massive Compak E10 on the kitchen bench, and now finally a much simpler setup. Life got complicated, but my love of coffee didn't - I stopped wanting to screw around with endless variables, and just wanted to be able to make great coffee every day. For my wife to be able to pull a great shot without feeling intimidated by the setup. To get consistent, flavourful coffee without much mucking around. I also found that I hated being without my coffee machine for weeks on end whenever it needed a service. That's how I wound up with a lever (great coffee without having to try too hard, but still enough room to experiment), and specifically the Londinium - supported DIY maintenance & repairs. Apart from the footprint, the R24 would be pretty damn good for your needs, has a hot water tap, by default the steam wand is on the right, and being a lever, will give you great joy with every shot you pull. And pre-infusion pressure is managed digitally, which you can change via the app. These days I'd prefer to go even simpler with the Vectis, but I'd lose one thing that I quite like - the water tap. That said - everyone's at a different stage of their journey and you should get the right machine for this stage in your journey.

That’s a solid budget. I would consider getting a lever machine. Londinium LR24. Great build quality. Super easy to use. Very consistent Amazing results in the cup and excellent for steaming milk. 

Go lever. Londinium LR24. Love mine for straight espresso and Americano. Light medium roast. Incredible quality in the cup. Also does an amazing job steaming milk. Commercial quality machine made for home use. Great support from the company.

Probably an unpopular opinion but if you're doing mostly Amricanos or Long Blacks to me that means more emphasis on a good pull and trying to get the most flavor out of your beans. Maybe you should loom at a lever machine? Londinium comes to mind as does the one from Profitec. Pair that with a good grinder and you might just get to perfection my friend.

I have basically the exact same use case as you and ended up with a Londinium lever machine. I would’ve gone with a profitec 800 had I not found a Londinium locally, as Londiniums have a bit more complexity compared to your standard lever machine. Still, I was able to DIY all repairs I had to do and the owner will happily FaceTime/walk you through any repairs that you need to do. Go on home-barista and do some light reading on lever machines. Very easy to maintain vs your standard pump machine! I have a Cremina now, but definitely miss the bigger machine on the days I need to pump out 4 or 5 cappuccinos in a short amount of time. All that said, I’d probably opt for a Profitec 800 if I were to go back to a bigger machine.

Go the opposite direction: Get a Londinium and never look again. One never outgrows a lever.