The $1,000 price point for Italian espresso machines is a small but interesting market segment. At this level, machines transition from “consumer” to “prosumer” status with upgraded build quality, materials, and features. Some notable gear in this range include the Profitec Go, ECM Casa V, Rancilio Silvia (the top of the “consumer” category), Quickmill Pippa, and Lelit Grace and Victoria.
The most talked-about machine in this range is the Profitec Go, which we’ll review soon. While popular, it lacks one must-have feature: hot water on demand for tea, americanos, and cup preheating.
Another option, priced about $75 less than the Profitec Go, is the $999 Lelit Victoria. It doesn’t receive much attention, with few non-vendor reviews available. The closest comparison is Tom’s look at the Lelit Grace (Youtube video), which is nearly identical to the Victoria, except for a smaller portafilter. I’ve said this before on some other products, and I’ll say it again: the lack of attention given to this machine by popular influencers is a detriment to consumers, because the Lelit Victoria is stacked.
Lelit sent us a Victoria in early spring, understanding we’d be slotting it in for a late summer or early fall review. After using it for a few weeks, I regret not unboxing it sooner. It’s a fantastic machine at the $1K price point, and in some ways, I prefer it over the Profitec Go (though not in every way).
This is our introduction post for the Lelit Victoria; it is in no way a review or even our patented First Look. I just wanted to introduce you to a possible contender for an Italian made, generational quality “prosumer” espresso machine.
Lelit’s Lineup and History
Lelit, founded by Eduardo Epis in the 1980s in Brescia, Italy, initially focused on clothes iron appliances before expanding to espresso machines in the late 1990s. For a few years they made machines for third parties, but in 2002, they launched their first espresso machine under the Lelit name, the PL041 “Anna,” priced at $399. It remained their sole coffee machine for nearly a decade. By 2012, they collaborated with a U.S. importer to release a PID-controlled version of the Anna at $550, which stood out for its price point.
By 2015, Lelit expanded its lineup, introducing a dual boiler machine (the Diana) and their first E61-equipped machine, the Mara. The Anna received upgrades, including better PID controls and a pressure gauge.
2018 was a banner year for the company. They debuted the Bianca the year previously at Milan HOSTS Expo in 2017, and sold the machine globally in 2018. The Lelit Bianca was a groundbreaking dual boiler E61 machine with advanced PID controls, a rotary pump, and a unique flow pressure control paddle. The Bianca has since been updated three times, and today, we consider it to be one of the best espresso machines in the world.
Lelit’s lineup continued to grow with models like the Anna II, Anita, Diana, Kate, Elizabeth, MaraX, and Victoria between 2015 and 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for consumer espresso machines skyrocketed, and Lelit thrived, growing from 80 to 320 employees and selling 48,000 machines globally in 2020. Impressively, 80% of their workforce is women.
In 2022, based on Lelit’s impressive performance and product line, Breville acquired the manufacturer for well over $150 million dollars. Breville’s takeover is unique though: Lelit is still run (mostly) independent, retaining their leadership and engineering teams, with the prospect of future collaborations with Breville’s engineers.
The Machine in the Middle
I’m not sure if the Lelit Victoria is a dead set in the middle of Lelit’s lineup, but I needed a catchy title. At $999, (historically it’s lowest price – it was introduced at $1,079 back in 2016), it is in the lower third of Lelit’s offerings, but in many ways, it is the company’s flagship single boiler machine, putting it at the top of its own heap.
When introduced about eight years ago, this was a groundbreaking machine, and it remains class leading to this day. The machine has been slightly tweaked and improved since, but most of what was introduced in 2016 is still core to the Lelit Victoria today. Here’s some of the machine’s features.
- Full PID control of both brew and steam temperatures, via Lelit’s OLED “LCC” control panel
- Temperature control down to 1F / 1C, with a programmable offset
- Programmable preinfusion mode
- Shot timer during shot pulls
- Steam timer during steaming sessions
- Machine status updates (power on, warm up time, recovery time, cool down status, etc) via LCC
- Auto purge function, going from steaming to brew temperatures
- “Reserve Mode” is basically a two stage water level indicator, that will always complete your shot if the reservoir is running low.
- Auto fill function for the boiler, will never let the boiler run dry
- Auto steam mode “off” function (30min) to protect the boiler if you leave the machine in steam mode accidentally
- Full pressure gauge that’s backlit
- Hot water functionality via steam wand
- 58mm commercial portafilter with Lelit’s unique wrap around spouts
- IMS high quality filter baskets
- Water filter system included
- 300ml boiler sits directly above the brew group, leading to better temperature stability and quicker heat up times
- Claim of a “saturated group”, which I need to look into more. Saturated group = better temperature stability in shot pulls.
- Nearly 3l reservoir (though it is a pain to refill)
- All metal, all steel construction: only real plastic is the portafilter handle and the steam knob
- Drip tray is easily the biggest in its class.
Phew. That is a lot of features. And many of them not found on the Profitec Go, such as auto-fill, auto-purge, hot water functionality, and programmable pre-infusion. Despite both machines having nearly the same footprint (8” wide, 10” deep, 15” tall), the Victoria offers much better cup clearance between the portafilter and drip tray, even including a grid stand to adjust cup height—a feature lacking in the Profitec Go.
Here’s a gallery of photos highlighting aspects (and a few detriments) of the Lelit Victoria.
The Lelit Victoria has its downsides. Like the Profitec Go, it’s loud, likely due to basic pump mounting. The vibration of the pump causes the reservoir lid and drip tray to rattle, to the point where your espresso cup dances across the drip tray grill during shots. Rubber or silicone bumpers you install may help reduce this issue.
The water reservoir is also problematic. Though it holds 2.8 liters, it’s set deep inside the machine, making filling difficult without spilling. Removing it for sink filling is tricky due to the fill and overflow tubes, and water filter positioning. The design here could be much better.
While the IMS baskets are a welcome upgrade, the cheap plastic tamper with rough edges is a letdown, likely to keep the price under $1,000. Lastly, the Victoria’s design is very industrial, similar to the Rancilio Silvia. If you’re after multiple color options or a sleeker look, the brushed metal might feel too stark.
A Prosumer Machine
With features like a 58mm high-end portafilter, advanced LCC controls, and automations such as auto-fill, auto-purge, auto-standby, and steam mode shutoff, the Lelit Victoria is undeniably a prosumer machine. Its all-metal construction and top-tier internal parts solidify its place in this category.
This machine is built to last for decades with proper care. Using water filters, especially aftermarket magnesium/calcium swapping systems like BWT, can help minimize scale buildup and extend the life of gaskets and o-rings. Even if repairs are needed, they’re easy for local service centers or can be done yourself with some help from YouTube.
The Lelit Victoria is an investment, offering an amortized cost of about $75 per year over its lifespan. They also have a good resale value when kept in good condition, often as much as 70% of the original cost. The Victoria delivers exceptional, temperature-controlled espresso and reliable steaming for a few drinks per session; if you want more volume, you have to start looking at dual boilers, thermojet systems, or heat exchanger machines.
With its small footprint, impressive features – many rare in machines under $1,000 – and outstanding temperature stability, the Lelit Victoria is a top contender for anyone ready to level up their espresso game. I can’t wait to put it through its paces in a full review.
If you’re already sold, consider buying it directly from Lelit USA via this link.
There’s several reasons why. First, in full transparency, we get a small commission from that link, and that money goes to our writers first, and to the site operation second. This allows us to bring your fresh coffee content. Using that link helps our website, at no cost to you.
But more important for you: buying direct from Lelit includes free shipping, and you are also registering directly into Lelit USA’s service support system, which, as of late 2023, is run by the best after sales service and support team in specialty coffee: the Baratza Service Team. That’s right: the Baratza support team expanded this past year, and now also covers all Lelit equipment sold in the USA.
Mark has certified as a Canadian, USA, and World Barista Championship Judge in both sensory and technical fields, as well as working as an instructor in coffee and espresso training. He started CoffeeGeek in 2001.
2 Responses
Interesting kit! Thanks for covering this machine. I only vaguely heard about the Lelit Bianca, and thought that was their only espresso machine – it is way out of my price range. This one looks great and does seem featured packed! As much as I want to wait for your review of it, i think I might be ready to pull the trigger on it now, replacing a delonghi dedica that I completely hate.
Quick question – how fast is the transition time between steaming and brewing or vice versa?
Hi David, and thanks for the comment.
I haven’t put timers on the machine yet, but transitioning from brew to steam seems to be under a minute, and you can see the progress real time on the LCC display. The machine auto-purges after steaming, to reduce boiler temperatures, and you can speed it up by opening the steam wand and also purging a bit extra water through that. My best guess is you can get it to down to 30 seconds or less, going from steam to brew.