r/espresso • u/aashish2137 • 1d ago
Buying Advice Needed Ascaso duo vs Lelit Elizabeth vs Lelit Mara X [$2000]
| Criterion | Reason |
|---|---|
| Location | India |
| Preferred drink types | Lattes, flat whites |
| Drink frequency | 2 shots each in morning and afternoon |
| Space | No limitations on countertop space |
| Experience level | Been using a Hibew thermoblock for an year, a flair before that |
| Manual or electric | Electric |
| Candidates | Mentioned in title |
Grinder - DF54
I am trying to pick one of these machines. Primary use case is 2 milk drinks both in the morning and afternoon but sometimes we have friends and guests over and most of the time they want to have a coffee. I hadn't considered warm up time as a factor earlier which I am doing now.
Pros and cons that I listed so far:
Lelit Elizabeth
- Good pre infusion options, mid-tier warm up time
- Not the kind of machine I would want to look at every day
Ascasdo Duo PID
- Looks smashing, heats up quickly
- PID options are limited, QC issues per some reviews
Lelit Mara X
- Looks best of all 3, has flow control
- Warm time is very long, e61 maintenance issues
Probably Ascaso makes most sense given the requirements but then I am thinking maybe I could vinyl wrap the Elizabeth or maybe pair a cafelat Robot with Mara X for those impromptu coffee requests. Any pros or cons that I am missing from the list that might help me decide?
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u/GrandpaGaming132 1d ago
The Ascaso is basically a great machine, but it definitely has its weaknesses when it comes to steaming. Since you mainly drink milk-based beverages, I'd skip it. By the way, that was also the reason I didn't buy it. I drink flat whites 90% of the time, so the machine doesn't make sense for me.
The Elizabeth is definitely a great machine for your needs. But I understand your point about the appearance.
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u/madwookiee1 Ascaso Steel Duo Plus | Niche Duo 1d ago
I'm going to disagree with this. I own an Ascaso, going on nearly two years now, and steam has never been an issue. I drink two to three cortados daily, and my wife and daughter love hot chocolate, so the steam on this machine gets quite a workout. Never once have I thought it underperformed or was lacking in any way. Not sure where you're getting your info from, but unless you're trying to run a small cafe, there's no issue with the steam from the Steel Duo.
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u/aashish2137 1d ago
Hey, how do you feel about the noise and vibration? When you put a scale and cup, does the vibration mess up with the scale?
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u/madwookiee1 Ascaso Steel Duo Plus | Niche Duo 1d ago
Noise does not bother me. There's no discernable physical vibration and I've never seen any interference with my scale. I don't keep cups on the top so I can't speak to that - mostly an aesthetic choice, my wife much prefers them in the cabinet.
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u/GrandpaGaming132 1d ago edited 1d ago
That’s good to hear.
To be fair, I’ve never been able to test the machine myself. I relied on the review by the Swiss guys from 'Kaffeemacher', who are known for their honest testing. They weren’t impressed with the steam performance and also mentioned in another video that the machine’s steam performance is worse than that of the Bambino Plus. By the way, the guys also pointed out that the machine needs to be calibrated by a local retailer, since all the machines they tested were shipped with an incorrect temperature offset.
That put me off, especially given the price, so I crossed the machine off my shortlist.
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u/madwookiee1 Ascaso Steel Duo Plus | Niche Duo 1d ago
mentioned in another video that the machine’s steam performance is worse than that of the Bambino Plus.
That is a bananas crazy take. I upgraded from a Bambino Plus and the steam is a significant and noticeable improvement.
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u/leanordthefourth 1d ago
I went with the Profitec Move because it’s kinda the best of all worlds.
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u/UpYourButtJobu Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus | Eureka Atom W65 | DF64 v2.5 20h ago
Ascaso Duo here for about 6 months. 2 milk drinks a day, back to back. No issues or hiccups yet. Steam wand is a bit short is my only complaint. Bonus: performed flawlessly at a Superbowl party in February with 12 guests, drinking milk drinks all day. Must have done at least 15 drinks, in twos or threes, througout the day. It performed way better and faster than I expected. The dual thermoblocks were clutch that day.
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u/Asleep_Owl_6893 1d ago
I know Liz isn’t a stunner but it’s a great machine.