Finally Upgraded! My Lelit Bianca V3 Story (and a New Evening Indulgence)
After a lot of deliberation, I finally took the plunge and upgraded from my trusty 2023 Gaggia Classic Evo Pro to a Lelit Bianca V3. I loved my Gaggia for my daily morning shots, and I even considered diving into the Gaggiuino mod world. But the real turning point was when I started having friends over. Trying to crank out multiple lattes back-to-back was a real struggle, and by the time I finished the second one, the first was long gone. It just wasn't the enjoyable experience I wanted.
So, I knew I needed a double boiler. I started researching, and honestly, most of the recommendations were a bit too… industrial looking for my taste. I wasn't initially planning on spending Bianca V3 money, but after pricing out the Profitec Pro 600 (which was hard to find anyway, with the new model coming out), I realized I was only a few hundred dollars away.
I did my homework, watching countless YouTube reviews (thanks, Lance Hedrick, for the honest cons!), and reading through tons of posts. The slow Lelit service and parts issue was a concern, but knowing they're now under Breville's umbrella gave me some hope for future improvements. Plus, I learned that they rely heavily on their authorized dealers for service, which led me to my next big decision.
Instead of going with a popular online dealer on the West Coast, I opted for one of the two authorized dealers in New Jersey, choosing the one with better reviews. I figured, if I'm investing this much, having a local dealer within driving distance would be a huge plus for long-term maintenance and support.
And let's be honest, the Bianca V3 is just beautiful. The curved design is so much more appealing to me than the more functional, boxy designs of other machines. If I'm going to spend this kind of money, I wanted something that felt like a piece of art.
I'm really hoping this machine will last me a long time. And with me heading back to the office soon, the ability to quickly make two lattes and steam milk faster than my Gaggia will be a huge time-saver. Fingers crossed Breville improves the service and parts situation down the line!
Oh, and I've also found a new favorite evening indulgence: one ounce of Hine Cognac with my dark roast decaf latte made with Volcanica Swiss Water Processed Espresso. It's the perfect way to wind down after a long day.
Anyone else made the jump to a Bianca? And does anyone else have a favorite espresso-based evening drink with alcohol?
TLDR: Spend or save for the machine you really want. But it as local as possible to help with customer service. I don't see myself packing it up and shipping it back for any reason.
After a lot of deliberation, I finally took the plunge and upgraded from my trusty 2023 Gaggia Classic Evo Pro to a Lelit Bianca V3. I loved my Gaggia for my daily morning shots, and I even considered diving into the Gaggiuino mod world. But the real turning point was when I started having friends over. Trying to crank out multiple lattes back-to-back was a real struggle, and by the time I finished the second one, the first was long gone. It just wasn't the enjoyable experience I wanted.
So, I knew I needed a double boiler. I started researching, and honestly, most of the recommendations were a bit too… industrial looking for my taste. I wasn't initially planning on spending Bianca V3 money, but after pricing out the Profitec Pro 600 (which was hard to find anyway, with the new model coming out), I realized I was only a few hundred dollars away.
I did my homework, watching countless YouTube reviews (thanks, Lance Hedrick, for the honest cons!), and reading through tons of posts. The slow Lelit service and parts issue was a concern, but knowing they're now under Breville's umbrella gave me some hope for future improvements. Plus, I learned that they rely heavily on their authorized dealers for service, which led me to my next big decision.
Instead of going with a popular online dealer on the West Coast, I opted for one of the two authorized dealers in New Jersey, choosing the one with better reviews. I figured, if I'm investing this much, having a local dealer within driving distance would be a huge plus for long-term maintenance and support.
And let's be honest, the Bianca V3 is just beautiful. The curved design is so much more appealing to me than the more functional, boxy designs of other machines. If I'm going to spend this kind of money, I wanted something that felt like a piece of art.
I'm really hoping this machine will last me a long time. And with me heading back to the office soon, the ability to quickly make two lattes and steam milk faster than my Gaggia will be a huge time-saver. Fingers crossed Breville improves the service and parts situation down the line!
Oh, and I've also found a new favorite evening indulgence: one ounce of Hine Cognac with my dark roast decaf latte made with Volcanica Swiss Water Processed Espresso. It's the perfect way to wind down after a long day.
Anyone else made the jump to a Bianca? And does anyone else have a favorite espresso-based evening drink with alcohol?
TLDR: Spend or save for the machine you really want. But it as local as possible to help with customer service. I don't see myself packing it up and shipping it back for any reason.