Lelit Bianca V3 Spotlight Review (2024)
Introduction
When it comes to professional-tier espresso machines built for the home, there are more than a few heavy hitters. La Marzocco, Rocket, Profitec just to name a few. Even among these giants, Italy-based Lelit stands on its own. Their flagship machine, the Lelit Bianca V3, is a powerful yet elegant dual boiler built with top-of-the-line components and stand-out flow-control profiling.
In this machine spotlight, we will look at what makes the Lelit Bianca such a popular machine, explore its stand-out features, and compare the Bianca V3 to other machines in its class.
Let's get brewing!
Table of Contents
Machine Overview
Powerful Dual Boilers
The Lelit Bianca comes with a professional-standard pair of boilers - one dedicated to providing water for brewing and another to serve up on-demand steam for texturing milk for a latte or cappuccino. The sizeable 0.8-liter brew and 1.5-liter steam boilers ensure that the Bianca can serve up espresso after espresso without slowing down.
Classic E61 Design
The Bianca V3 was designed in Italy, the birthplace of modern espresso, and its design pays homage to that history. With a classic E61 design, the Bianca has incredible thermal stability and the iconic E61 brew lever for a tactile start and stop. The Bianca isn't without modern flavor, though, with beautiful walnut accents and a bright LCD digital display to manage all machine settings.
Premium Build & Rotary Pump
Standing tall against much pricier machines, the Lelit Bianca is built with solid stainless steel and premium components inside and out. At the heart of the Bianca is an extremely quiet and effective rotary pump - the same type used in commercial machines worldwide. And with the Bianca, premium doesn't mean wasteful. The Bianca comes with a controllable eco mode to save energy when the machine is not in use.
What Makes the Lelit Bianca Special?
Flow Control
The crown jewel of the Lelit Bianca is its beautifully designed flow control paddle. And while flow control kits often cost $250 - $300 without installation, the Lelit Bianca comes with one standard, including an elegant walnut flow paddle and crystal clear flow pressure gauge. In addition, the Bianca V3 comes with a programmable low-flow mode that simulates pre-infusion without needing to physically move the flow paddle.
Modular Reservoir
One of the most unique features of the Lelit Bianca is the convertible and modular reservoir. Because of the internal rotary pump, the Bianca can pull directly from a hard-wired water line. Or, if preferred, it can run on an attached water reservoir that can be modularly moved to either the left, right, or rear of the machine.
Bells & Whistles
The Bianca V3 uses a proprietary LCD interface called the Lelit Control Center (LCC). The LCC is the access point to the machine's internal features, including setting the brew and steam temperature, adjusting the eco mode timer, and programming the low-flow pre-infusion. It also doubles as an integrated shot timer to measure extraction duration.
Lelit Control Center
Of course, the Lelit Bianca V3 comes with all the features expected of a premium espresso machine. A no-burn 4-tip steam wand, adjustable over-pressure valve, drip tray with cup riser, and beautiful bottomless portafilter all add to the overall experience and workflow of the Bianca.
Comparison: Profitec Pro 700 vs Lelit Bianca V3
When looking at prosumer espresso machines with the classic E61 design, the Profitec Pro 700 stands next to the Lelit Bianca in terms of build quality, features, and workflow.
Pump & Plumbing
These two machines share very similar internal components. Both use high-quality and nearly silent rotary pumps. As a result, both machines can use an attached reservoir or be directly plumbed into a water source. The primary difference is the Bianca's external and modular reservoir versus the internal reservoir of the Profitec Pro 700.
Design & Interface
At a glance, these machines look nearly identical. The E61 design is at the heart of these machines, giving them a similarly boxy and shiny appearance. However, upon closer inspection, they have a few notable differences. The Bianca is a thinner machine with slightly more organic shapes, such as the circular Lelit Control Center and singular dual-cluster brew and steam pressure gauge. The Profitec Pro has a larger and more angled footprint. It features independent brew and steam pressure gauges, as well as a square digital display akin to the Bianca's LCC.
Build Quality
While both machines are designed with high-quality components, the Profitec Pro 700 is built to a slightly larger spec, with a thicker stainless steel body and a larger overall footprint. While both machines have 0.8-liter brew boilers, the Pro 700 uses a massive 2.0-liter steam boiler compared to the smaller-but-respectable 1.5-liter steam boiler on the Bianca V3. When it's all said and done, the Pro 700 weighs in at 31 kg (68 lbs) compared to the 25 kg (55 lbs) of the Lelit Bianca.
Lelit Bianca Cleaning & Care
Backflushing
When maintaining the Lelit Bianca V3, the most important day-to-day step is backflushing the machine. To backflush the Bianca V3, insert a backflush disc without any filter holes into a portafilter and turn on the machine. When the machine pushes water into the closed portafilter, it will be forced back through the brew circuit and out the release valve. This process helps remove excess oils and debris and should be done daily with water, and monthly with a backflush-specific cleaning solution.
Regular Cleaning
To avoid the build-up of residue, dirt, and oils from the machine, the externals of the Bianca V3 should be cleaned regularly with warm water or a gentle cleaning compound. Notable areas include the group head, the drip tray, and the front face, where espresso may splash and harden as it dries.
Descaling
Water that comes from the tap is full of minerals, including lime and calcium. If this water - deemed "hard water" - is introduced to the boilers of the Lelit Bianca, the machine will become susceptible to the build-up lime scale that can significantly impact the operation of the machine. While the best practice is to use soft water to avoid these minerals entirely, the Bianca V3 can go through a descaling process in which a descaling compound is run through the machine to remove scale build-up. Descaling should be done yearly, depending on the scale of the water.
Where to Buy the Lelit Bianca V3
Price & Availability
In late 2023, the Lelit Bianca saw a price drop across all finish and trim models. As of December 2023, the Bianca V3 is priced at $2,999, $200 less than the historical $3,199. Even at the original release price, the Lelit Bianca V3 quickly became one of the go-to options among prosumer-tier espresso machines. It is sold worldwide with 220v and 110v options for USA- and Europe-based consumers, and is offered by Clive Coffee in the US.
Alternatives
While the Bianca is among the best options for the price, there are contenders to examine. The Profitec Pro 700 and ECM Synchronika represent two premium dual boilers capable of sharing the spotlight with the Bianca V3. All three machines produce excellent coffee and should be compared before purchasing.
The Final Sip
The Bianca is one of the most popular prosumer espresso machines, and for good reason. In 2024 the Bianca offers build quality and features seldom found at the price point. With native flow control, intelligent low-flow pre-infusion, and an elegant optional water reservoir, the Lelit Bianca V3 is a perfect
