What is the Lelit Mara X V2 PL62X?
A compact Italian espresso machine that brews and steams at the same time, for someone who wants to learn the craft.
The Mara X V2 is a semi-automatic espresso machine built around a 1.8 l heat exchanger boiler made of AISI 316L stainless steel. It uses Lelit's L58E group, comes with IMS precision baskets, and has a temperature configuration button with three settings: Warm, Hot and Extra Hot. It is made in Italy. Lelit's own page shows no price, and an authorised dealer lists it at $1,699.95.
This review is based on what Lelit and an authorised dealer publish. We have not tested it hands-on.
A heat exchanger, and why that suits milk drinkers
A heat exchanger machine has one large boiler kept hot enough to produce steam. Water for brewing does not come from that boiler directly; it passes through a separate tube running through it and is heated on the way. The result is that steam and brew water are both available at once, so you can pull a shot and steam milk for a flat white without waiting for the machine to switch modes, which single-boiler machines have to do.
The traditional weakness of heat exchangers is brew temperature that drifts with use. The Mara X V2's answer is the three-position temperature button, which lets you choose the heat for the coffee you are using: cooler for a dark roast, hotter for a light one. Why that matters to the taste is explained in water temperature for coffee.
The group, the baskets and the gauges
Lelit includes IMS precision baskets for single doses of 9 to 11 g, doubles of 14 to 18 g and larger doubles of 18 to 21 g, plus a blind basket for backflushing. They are unpressurised, which means they reward a good grind and punish a bad one. That is the right choice for learning, because it shows you what is happening in the shot rather than hiding it.
A double manometer shows pump pressure and steam pressure, and the machine has mechanical pre-infusion, which wets the coffee gently before full pressure arrives and helps prevent the uneven flow explained in espresso channeling. The vibration pump is described by Lelit as silent, and the steam and hot water wands are multidirectional and anti-burn.
Warm-up, and living with it
- Warm-up. Lelit states 24 minutes. A machine with this much steel and water takes time to heat evenly, so most owners switch it on well before they want coffee or use a smart plug timer.
- Water. A 2.5 l tank.
- Size. 225 x 520 x 355 mm and 18.5 kg: narrow enough for a small counter, deep enough to measure for.
- Power. An authorised dealer lists 1250 W.
- Finish. Brushed stainless steel, with black and white versions.
It has no grinder. An espresso machine like this is only as good as the grinder feeding it, and budgeting several hundred dollars for one is part of the real cost. A single-dose grinder such as the Niche Zero is the kind of partner it deserves.
The real cost of getting started
The machine price is only the start with a semi-automatic setup. Beyond a grinder, expect to want a scale that reads to a tenth of a gram, a proper tamper sized for a 58 mm basket, a milk jug and a knock box for spent pucks. Water matters too: hard water scales a boiler, so a filter jug or softened water protects a machine you intend to keep for many years. None of these is expensive on its own, but together they are part of what it costs to get the result the Mara X is capable of.
Lelit Mara X V2 vs Rancilio Silvia
The Rancilio Silvia is the classic single-boiler machine for people learning espresso, and it costs less. Its limitation is the single boiler: brewing and steaming happen at different temperatures, so a milk drink means waiting for the machine to heat up between the shot and the milk.
The Mara X V2 removes that wait with its heat exchanger, adds a steam pressure gauge and a simple temperature control, and uses Lelit's precision baskets. If you drink espresso straight, the Silvia's limitation hardly matters. If most of your drinks have steamed milk, the Mara X's ability to do both at once is the reason to spend more. For a lower-cost entry point on this site, the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro is another single-boiler option.
Is the Lelit Mara X V2 worth it?
At $1,699.95 before a grinder, the Mara X V2 is a serious purchase for a machine that makes you do the work. It is worth it for the right buyer: someone who wants to learn espresso, drinks milk drinks often and values a machine made in Italy that can be serviced for years.
It is not the right purchase for someone who wants coffee at the press of a button. That person gets a better result per dollar from an automatic machine such as the Breville Oracle Jet, which grinds, doses, tamps and steams for them.
Who should buy the Lelit Mara X V2 (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You want to learn espresso properly and see your mistakes rather than have them hidden.
- You make milk drinks and want to brew and steam without waiting between them.
- You already own, or will buy, a good espresso grinder.
Skip it if
- You want coffee within a couple of minutes of switching on.
- You want automatic milk or a built-in grinder.
- You want precise numeric temperature control rather than three positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Lelit Mara X a dual boiler machine?
No. It is a heat exchanger machine with one 1.8 l stainless steel boiler. Brew water is heated as it passes through the boiler, so brewing and steaming are available at the same time.
How long does the Lelit Mara X take to warm up?
Lelit states 24 minutes.
Does the Lelit Mara X have a grinder?
No. You need a separate espresso-capable grinder.
What baskets come with the Mara X V2?
IMS precision baskets for 9 to 11 g, 14 to 18 g and 18 to 21 g doses, plus a blind basket for backflushing.
Where is the Lelit Mara X made?
Lelit states it is made in Italy.
