With the launch of the Swift Mini grinder, a connected version of – and the brand new teal colour option for – the Linea Mini, as well as the App, La Marzocco is developing an ecosystem they hope will keep users happily locked in for years to come.
The Linea Mini has been well received by its customers despite the usual price premium. A number of people speak about how robust and consistent it is, even when under pressure at events.
Not Just an Overpriced Home Espresso machine
When looking at the Linea Mini as a workhorse and not a home espresso machine, the price suddenly looks more reasonable. La Marzocco clearly aimed this at the home user, yet a number of people I know choose the Linea Mini for small events over the GS3, a machine that La Marzocco sells for nearly twice the price.
New Swift Mini Grinder
With the Swift Mini La Marzocco state that cafè quality espresso can now be achieved by anyone as it grinds, doses, and tamps with the push of a single button, simplifying espresso preparation while preventing coffee waste.
Certainly for a lot of people, who appreciate good coffee, but don’t want the hassle of learning the arcane art of dosing, distributing and tamping, the Swift Mini looks like a good option. We can see this being a no-brainer purchase if you’ve already committed to the outlay of a Linea Mini.
Linea Mini App
The La Marzocco app is now available on the Android or Apple stores. The feature set is fuller than we expected. Some features like setting the machines time to turn on remotely looking a bit like a novelty rather than having a serious application.
Other options on the app, look very interesting, in particular the ability to:
- Adjust the temperature of each boiler for coffee and steam.
- Set pre-brewing by 1-second increments
- Show the number of doses
Connecting to the device is done initially by Bluetooth, and then once you have connected, the app asks you to connect to your wifi, which is used afterwards. If you have an older model a kit is available to upgrade it so that it is compatible. No prices for the kit were available, but our guess is that it won’t be cheap.
Check if Your Machine is Compatible
- Linea Mini: if your serial number is LM015906 or above, your machine is able to connect.
- GS3: if your serial number is GS012984 or above, your machine is able to connect.
Price of the Linea Mini and Mini Swift Grinder
- The Linea Mini in regular chrome – €4,005 ($4,425)
- Linea Mini in any other colour – €4,195 ($4,633)
- Linea Swift grinder -€1,615 ($1,787)
All prices exclude VAT / Sales Tax