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LeLit PL53 Review - Or "A Tale Of Two Grinders"

I promised to post this weekend past, but as it was a long weekend with at least a day of nice weather and some work commitments, it had to be delayed.

After searching for quite a while for a better grinder to replace my MDF, and being hesitant to pay Canadian prices for a Mazzer or comparable, I happened across the LeLit PL53. I read everything I could on it, and after deciding to accept it’s (seemingly) minor shortcomings, I pulled the trigger. Please note comparisons here to an MDF are my own personal experiences, and references to any other grinder are taken from things I’ve read and are obviously someone else’s opinions.

It was ordered from www.idrinkcoffee.ca and was shipped the very same day. When I picked it up at the post office, I was amazed at how small the box was and couldn’t believe that was what I’d ordered. However, upon arrival home and opening, yes, it was the right grinder.

The unit and parts were well packaged in form-fitted expanded foam. I checked out the bean hopper and noticed comments of how cheaply this is made were correct. It’s thin and doesn’t feel very sturdy. It fits in location by friction only. After washing it, I carefully pushed it in place but had to use more pressure than I wanted. The Stainless Steel skins are very shiny, but feel thin and fairly cheap. I knew this going in and chose it from a function point of view rather than form. There are some sharp edges (like on those stupid little “wing tabs” placed there for a PortaFilter rest), but nothing to worry about if you’re careful.

I plugged it in and gave it a dry run. Reviews stated how noisy it was, but I didn’t find the sound level any more than the MDF, just a higher pitch. Some grounds came out the chute, showing it had been tested somewhere. I tossed in a couple of cups of home-roasted beans and ran it for 10 or 15 seconds to flush out any old grinds and prepare it for use, which included opening it up 4 turns on the adjustment (many reviewers have noted was required out of the box).

With the Gaggia Classic warmed up and as anxious to try this as I was, I gave a whirl at filling the portafilter directly as this is a doserless girnder as opposed to the MDF having a doser. First off, this thing is fast. The MDF took ~ 45 seconds to grind enough to fill the PF, but at 20 with the LeLit, the basket was filled to overflowing. While the motor sound on the MDF was steady, the LeLit sounded like it was labouring a little. I found the start switch a little awkward to actuate with the PF at first, but it’s easy to get used to. Some reviewers stated they found it too slippery and the PF slipped off. Personally, I like the fact you can easily turn and tilt the PF to help fill the basket evenly.

In order to reduce the whine of the motor, I folded a heavy dish cloth in half and laid the grinder on that, as kind of a sound insulator. It works somewhat, but the grinder is so light that it moves back when pushing on the start button with the PF. Minor inconvenience, I just place my other hand around the back of the machine to counter the pushing force, and position I feel comfortable in.

So, I levelled and tamped and pulled a shot. Damn, a gusher of 15 seconds. OK, dumped that and ran the grinder about 20 seconds while turning the adjustment knob 1 turn CW (finer) and purge the grinds. Waited for the Classic to recover through a couple of heat cycles and tried again. Another gusher with almost no difference in time.

OK, I thought, let’s go back to the beginning. I ran more beans through it while turning the knob 3 turns CW, which is now back to where it was set when I opened the box, and ran it a few extra seconds to purge the coarse ground beans. Pulled another shot, and this time it was about 20 seconds for ~ 2oz. Loaded more beans into the hopper, and went 1 turn finer. I repeated this a few times until I was getting ~ 26 seconds, and was now 4 turns finer than when I started.

At this point I have to note that by now, the counter space was covered in coffee grinds. Again, this is a knock many people put on ALL doserless grinders, so while it’s something I’m not used to, it was something I knew going in and will accept it.

I could already see the difference in the quality of the shots now from when I was using the MDF (which, by the way, has a stepped adjustment that I made stepless) is night and day. The ability to make minute adjustments on this machine can make a slight difference in the quality of the pour while hardly affecting the timing of the shot. As an example, 1 turn of the knob = ~ 1 second in shot timing whereas with the MDF, 1 click can mean the difference with choking the machine or a gusher, unless you vary your tamping pressure.

I have so far experienced very little static with this unit, but what’s there does seem to increase at finer grinding, which is normal (from what I’ve read) with some other grinders. I have not experienced any clumping worth talking about. I know clumping is a complaint many have about numerous doserless grinders, but for this model, so far, that isn’t an issue.

When I was done, I wanted to see how much retention there was in the chute. It wasn’t excessive, but it was there, maybe 3-4 grams. To take off the chute, you have to remove the screw, and that was very hard to get off. Then the chute pulls straight off, allowing easy access to cleaning with a brush or a wooden Shish-k-Bob stick. To get it back on is a different matter. It fit like crap, and no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t get the screw to start in the hole again. A few bends and adjustments with a small pair of needle-nose pliers fixed that. However, it also showed me how soft and thin the skins are.

All in all, I feel this unit is a good deal for the money ($299 in Canada with free shipping). I wanted a faster machine with super-fine adjustment, preferably doserless that would be dedicated to Espresso service, and I got what I wanted. It isn’t as pretty as a Mazzer or a Macap, nor does the build seem as strong. However, as I said above, form for me was secondary after function.

As a brief review of positives and negatives (in no particular order):

POSITIVES:
• Super fast
• Price
• Super fine adjustment
• No clumping
• Very little static
• Easy to operate
• Pressure-actuated start switch with separate power switch
• Small footprint
NEGATIVES:
• Motor seems slightly weak
• Fit and finish leave a little to be desired
• Light (that may also be a positive for some)
• Upgraded bean hopper may be required
• Whiny sound not necessarily loud, but my wife describes the it as abrasive as fingernails over a chalk board (I believe she’s exaggerating)
• Not suitable for multi-service (This will be a negative for some and feel I should note it for other’s inquiries.)
• Messy (general doserless characteristic, not unique to this model)


Here's the grinder Between the MDF and the Classic, and the next picture shows how the Classic dwarfs it:

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Excellent review. Thanks. I'd love to hear just a quick follow up after you've used it for a few weeks.

I've now had this a little over 3 weeks, and once you get to understand & accept this grinder's "personality", it becomes even more of a joy to use.

The positives are still a positive in my mind. Nothing has changed there. The absolutely super-fine adjustment is wonderful as I now have the ability to change pour times by a second if I wish. It has also allowed me to keep a constant tamp pressure, which wasn't an option with the MDF. Because since buying this I've gone from locally purchased green beans (probably poor quality) to pre-roasted beans, to now home roasting Sweet Maria's beans, I've had plenty of opportunity to play with the adjustment.

I've found it to be very consistent with output, as long as you tap the chute lightly to clear it each dose. Sometimes a couple of grams hang up, sometimes it doesn't. Basically, a 14 second grind time gives me the perfect dose nearly each and every time. That was compared to a 45 second time on the MDF, with new burrs. And with that came more fines in the cup and a greater variance in dose amount.

As for the negatives I noted, the "whiny" sound drops a few decibels if you leave the cover on the hopper when grinding. I guess the hopper acts like a megaphone when the cover is off. Other than that, I've learned to live with them.

I don't think there's any such thing as the "Perfect grinder", so for the minimal cost of this one compared to Mazzers and such, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.

As for the MDF, it hasn't been used since I got this. I've been having such fun using the LeLit, and making such wonderful coffee, I haven't even used a Press or the Vac Pot.

I have said many times here and on Coffee Geeks that the MDF is the absolute minimum for a decent Espresso set-up. With this grinder now on the market, and with 3 years experience with the MDF, I will openly take that back and say the MDF isn't really suitable for Espresso unless you get a smokin' deal and that is the absolute maximum $$ you can afford.

If anyone has any questions regarding anything I haven't mentioned, or would like something explained in more detail, feel free to PM and ask.

Jim
 
Sounds like a good, functional grinder. Good choice on a budget. I've been toying with the idea of getting an espresso machine, so I'll keep this grinder in mind should I have another weak AD moment. :001_smile
 
SNIP<<< Please tell me again you take on going doserless?

Doser Vs Doserless carries as wide a set of opinions as Derby Vs Feather and Simpsons Vs Rooney.

Taking into account I've owned only the MDF and the LeLit, while the doser is a necessary evil with the MDF because of clumping issues, I don't miss it at all with the LeLit. It's a little messy (as are apparently all doserless grinders), but a quick wipe with a dish rag cleans that up pretty well. I also find cleaning out the chute much easier with a doserless.

One big advantage of a Doser, in my opinion, would be if you had a few shots to make in quick succession. I'm the only drinker in the house, so I almost never pull back to back shots.

Hope this helps. If not, feel free to ask questions.

Jim
 
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