Lelit Bianca V3 Review: Does It Deliver What It Promises?

For coffee connoisseurs, the Lelit Bianca V3 is one of the hottest new espresso machines on the market. This machine has been hailed as a game-changer in the world of home espresso making, but does it deliver on its promises? Let's dive into what makes this brand so beloved by coffee enthusiasts around the world - it'll make you see why I just had to take my first look at one of their products!

A Prosumer Espresso Machine

The Lelit Bianca V3 is a semi-automatic espresso machine that’s built with prosumer grade components, giving you barista quality drinks with ease. With dual boilers, this top-of-the line model from Italy offers incredible bang for your buck. One of its standout features is its flow control technology which allows you to fine-tune your brew pressure for better extraction—an invaluable feature for any serious coffee enthusiast. To top it off, both its steam and hot water wands are insulated (no burn) and steam is both dry and powerful.

What's new?

Electronic pre-infusion control might sound complicated but its awesomeness is easy to comprehend. This feature lets you have full control over your coffee brewing process – from the little details like pre-infusion time and pause, all the way up to customizable high/low pressure settings. It's like having an automatic barista at your fingertips! Electronic low flow truly enables you to take your home coffee brewing to the next level.

What's included?

I was amazed when I opened the box to find a brand-new tamper by Lelit! It was stunning and polished stainless steel that feels great. There were multiple different IMS portafilter baskets and even two portafilters, one even had a unique spouted design and then there was the bottomless portafilter. Hats off to Lelit for going above and beyond on these product accessories.

Reservoir and Rotary pump

The Bianca from Lelit is a game-changer water system for espresso aficionados. The versatile machine offers the option to direct plumb or use an included water reservoir, with one unique twist - you can remove the entire curved cradle holding your reservoir and save counter space! 

You are also able to relocate the reservoir on each side of the machine. With the ability to easily move your espresso machine's reservoir from its traditional back location, you can gain accessibly and counter space! Be gone annoying shuffling of machines in cramped kitchens.

Flow Control

The Bianca already comes with an essential feature - group head flow control which saves you around $300. Now it might sounds intimidating, fear not: controlling pressure has never been more straightforward; just start your shot at full steam and then drop down to 7 bar after 10-15 seconds – easy peasy! Plus there's an extra bonus in store: get complete peace of mind thanks to its built-in group head pressure gauge.

With the Bianca flow control paddle, you get a a little more than 180 degree range of motion to easily and effectively adjust water flow. The visual indication makes it simpler than other systems requiring multiple handle rotations - reducing complexity with greater precision!

Dual Boiler PID Control

With its two independent boilers, this dual boiler machine offers barista-level control over your espresso brewing temperature. Not only can you heat water to perfection for a delectable shot of coffee - the second boiler also provides generous amounts of steam and hot water!

Bianca is powered by a sophisticated PID controller to ensure optimal temperature for its two boilers. Traditional pressure stat machines lag behind in comparison, as the Bianca's PID technology provides a more reactive and precise heater control.

Manufacturers are always innovating to provide more features with their equipment. The PID display is now multi-functional, helping you both easily monitor and adjust the temperature while providing a shot timer for your espresso pulls!

The Drip Tray

The Bianca's roomy drip tray is a great convenience for regular backflushes, but the metal-bar grill gives an unfortunately flimsy feel - much like its cup warming tray. Enjoy your morning coffees with no worries!

With its unique design, the Lelit drip tray has an elevated wire stand that helps keep your cup safe from any splashes. Need a bit more room? No problem – simply take out the wire stand and you have enough space to fit in a scale. With plenty of distance between portafilter and tray, it's guaranteed to be as convenient for scaling as it is stylish!

Lelit has a built-in storage solution - when you remove the drip tray, it reveals an unexpected bonus! There's a detachable plug so your coffee can be connected to a sewer line or bucket. Plus, there's even more impressive functionality: hidden inside the frame is just enough space for an extra basket or blind basket – how clever!

The Drawbacks

Investing in a machine from this brand comes with an important caveat - their sheet metal is thin. While it might not seem like much of an issue, if you're splashing out for one of these machines, you want that feeling of premium quality and durability – something the delicate material may fail to provide. Make sure to handle your device gently since its susceptibility to dents could create more issues than expected!

Additionally, its pre-infusion pause maxes out at 20 seconds which can be too short for some recipes. 

Pros

• Dual boiler
• Quiet rotary pump with an accessible pump adjustment screw.
• PID temperature control with shot timer
• Flow control valve
• Premium wood accents
• Includes a great accessories, bottomless portafilter, basket and tamper
• Insulated steam and hot water wands.
• Versatile water reservoir & plumbable

Cons

• No way to switch easily from plumbed to reservoir easily
• Poor sheet metal quality
• 20-second maximum pre-infusion pause
• Steam wand is too loose

Who is this for?

As someone serious about their home espresso-making, nothing beats a plumbed dual boiler machine. Not only does it come preloaded with all the bells and whistles, but you don't have to buy any extra stuff like tampers and portafilters.

Even better, it has cutting-edge features expected of professional-grade equipment - so you can whip up a heavenly cup of espresso anytime. Yes, it might seem like a crazy amount of money for an espresso machine but considering the features, it's quite a deal!

The only addition to your setup could be an excellent grinder - but we promise, it will be well worth the investment in the long run!

What I'd like to see in a Bianca V4

Electronic pressure profiles 

If Bianca V4 could include custom electronic pressure profiles to be controlled via an app with named profiles, the possibilities would be limitless. I'm not expecting Decent level configurability, but it would be nice to be able to choose and customize according to our individual preferences. That way we can really make Bianca V4 our very own inimitable appliance with options as vast as our imaginations.

Volumetric control 

I'd like to see a Bianca V4 that truly puts the 'V' in Versatility with features like volumetric control, where I can choose the amount of liquid used in each drink. With the precise pump cut-off feature, you could get more consistent shots.

Scale built into the drip tray

Wouldn't it be great if the next version of our beloved Bianca had a built-in scale in its drip tray? We could track flow rate and monitor extraction with precision. Having these useful stats right on the machine or directly in the app would be an absolute game-changer! Instead of feeling like we're flailing around in the darkness while making coffee, we would be able to see clear data and make informed decisions about our brews.

Auto-On

The last thing anyone wants to do is wait for their espresso machine to heat up. That’s why I’d love to see an “Auto-On” feature included in Bianca V4 machines. It would start my treasured espresso routine exactly when I need it - no more groggily standing around waiting for the machine to wake up!

Conclusion

The Lelit Bianca V3 is an impressive machine that delivers consistent results time after time. If you're looking to upgrade your home brewing setup without shelling out thousands of dollars on a pro-level model, then this could be just what you need! The combination of high quality components and user friendly features make this one of our favorite machines for producing perfect shots every time - just don't forget to adjust those settings if need be! So if you’re looking for an easy way to get barista quality espresso drinks at home without breaking the bank – then go ahead and give Lelit Bianca V3 a try! You won’t regret it.

If you are in the market for an espresso machine, we have many popular machines in stock!