LUCCA (Clive Coffee) - LUCCA A53 Mini V2

I got a used Lucca a53 mini and I LOVE it. Have owned a few $400-$1000 machines and the workflow on this is a game-changer for me. Odds are good anything you get in your price range is gonna be great, but just putting in my vote for my baby :)

What is your current machine? It doesn’t always come up in every thread, but machine can have a huge impact on workflow (and the time commitment). I used to have a gaggia classic (ok workflow) and then a la pavoni (terrible workflow). My current machine (A53 mini) has an infinitely better workflow and takes much less time.  I turn on my machine when I get down stairs and then deal with getting my dogs up. Then I weigh the beans while I’m dishing up their food. The I grind/pull shots while they eat.  I know dogs are 100x easier than small children, I’m just saying there may be other solutions. Another option would be a superautomatic.  All that said, I get it, I have a moccamaster which I use on days when I don’t feel like espresso. If you have the room, you could do that and save the espresso for weekends when you may have a bit more bandwidth. Good luck! Kids are hard work and kudos to you for surviving!

I recommend the La Spaziale Vivaldi 2 S1. Dual boilers, rotary pump, and pulls great shots. I’ve had mine for 10 years (purchased used) and I’m just now needing to do some maintenance on her.

I'm looking at the same machines as you, must haves are dual boiler, Rotary and Plumbed. I had a Vivaldi II for 14 years and it just died. It was a great machine, I just want something different and I never loved the style of it with the plastic sided. I am leaning towards a saturated brewhead again but the options from 2500-3500 are way more limited than E61. Also looking at the Rocket R58. I'm holding out for some BF sales, it's been a long month with just Drip and Aeropress

A Lelit Elizabeth fits your budget and is a double boiler. It might do just fine at this slow pace, I honestly don't know. But I don't think it would fit your "conversation piece" ask. Though I think you could make the cart the conversation piece, it doesn't have to be the machine. Or invest a bit more for a custom powder coating and/or painting of the machine, maybe. The Lucca A53 Mini is also a small dual boiler with some curves, but more expensive.

I've owned quite a few machines in the past: started with a Gaggia Classic and added PID myself and left it with a friend when we moved. Then I went for a Barista Express because we were expecting a baby and I stopped fussing over shots... then near the end of my PhD I wanted to treat myself and also dive down the deep end again and got a Brewtus (dual boiler e61), and then moved again during COVID and sold that machine. Currently I'm running a Mini Vivaldi II at work where there is more counter space, a Bambino plus at home, a KitchenAid (Gaggia) dual boiler at my parents and a 1st gen Oscar (Hx) at the in-laws. I've also in parallel owned a few manual devices including a handpresso, robot, and currently have a flair 58. The Bambino is probably one of the most well thought of devices that punches way above its price and weight class. If you're making milk drinks, and mostly just for you and one more person (no need for Hx/DB turnaround time for steaming+shots), then the physical and mental space it takes up is hard to beat. If you want to go for straight shots, it will be limiting for sure, but so would most grinders 😅 I've had maybe less than 10 amazing straight espresso shots in my life (from home and cafes). Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing with espresso lol... We also home roast and go through maybe 20kg of green per year (we supply to a few friends and family), and our best coffees are roasted light and brewed using pourover or FP.

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.

I generally drink ultra light roast espresso - so I wanted a machine that would excel with pressure profiling, so I went with a Decent. I also like how tiny it is, as it’ll be surrounded by three massive grinders.

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

Second that reco. They are reliable and rated for commercial use.

> If you are aware of a great espresso machine that exceeds my budget please feel free to still share. IMHO the minimum level of equipment to use in a commercial business would be La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi (sold in the US as Lucca A53 mini), with a Eureka Atom 65 grinder. If you are going to serve both decaf and regular espresso, then you'll need a second grinder. If you want an ultra low cost setup to use at home to learn the ropes, then maybe DeLonghi ECP series machine, modified for non-pressurized brewing, and a Kingrinder K6 grinder. But it won't be usable on a coffee cart.

If you like your Vivaldi, get the Vivaldi II which is plumbed in. Otherwise, most E61 dual boilers with rotary pumps will do what you want. Lelit Bianca, Profitec Drive, ECM Synchronika II just to name a few. Or if you want to bust your budget to get an expensive machine with minimal features, the LM Micra.

Your budget is extremely tight. The least expensive La Marzocco model intended for light commercial use would be the Linea Mini that sells for $6600. You might want to consider La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi II (also sold in US as Lucca A53 Mini) that costs $2500. It's a popular machine for light commercial use. You'll need to check if your repair shop can maintain it for you. You will also need a grinder (two grinders if you will be serving both regular and decaf). You have enough shelf width of a small machine, but probably not enough for the grinders. Given you lack of Barista experience, a super auto might make more sense, but one suitable for even light commercial use will cost much more than your budgeted amount. Check our Jura's Professional line of machines. You should ask your repair shop if they have any leads on used machines.

I really enjoy my La Spaziale Dream. If you can get over the 53mm portafilter, you get a DB rotary pump. Adjustable steam and brew temp to the °F. Large drip tray. 10s adjustable PI.

I bought a used GCP as my first machine. I pulled 3-5 drinks from it every day for years. I upgraded and gave the machine to my brother, who is still pulling shots from it daily. Amazing machine. If I’m being totally honest, the a53 mini I bought is 20x the cost I paid for the GCP and the coffee isnt really that much better - the capacity, workflow and aesthetics are the only real improvements.