Breville Infuser BES840XL vs Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X

Someone who already owns a grinder and wants the shot control without paying for a second one

Scores higher on shot quality & extraction, value for money.

Someone ready to learn espresso properly who wants dual-boiler-like steam from a compact heat exchanger machine

Scores higher on build quality & durability, steam power & milk texturing, maintenance & cleaning.

• +PID temperature control adjustable in two-degree steps, which is finer than most machines offer at any price
• +Low pressure pre-infusion and a 1.7 litre tank
• +$336.50, less than half the $699.99 median

• −No built-in grinder
• −A manual steam wand
• −One-year warranty, where Breville's newer machines publish two

• +A 1.8 l AISI 316L stainless steel heat exchanger boiler, so brewing and steaming are both ready without waiting between them.
• +Warm, Hot and Extra Hot temperature settings on one button, simple enough to use from day one.
• +IMS precision baskets for single, double and 18 to 21 g doses, plus a blind basket for cleaning.
• +Double manometer showing pump and steam pressure, and mechanical pre-infusion.
• +Brushed stainless steel body, made in Italy, in a compact 225 mm wide footprint.

• −Lelit states a 24 minute warm-up, far longer than a thermoblock or ThermoJet machine.
• −No grinder, so a capable espresso grinder has to be budgeted on top.
• −An authorised dealer lists a 1 year warranty, shorter than the 2 years common on automatic machines, and Lelit's page does not state one.
• −Three temperature positions rather than a numeric readout, which limits fine control.