We are living in an age where consumers have become more conscious and curious of their purchases than ever before. From knowing the traceability of a particular coffee to the overall ethos behind their most loved brands, we have a hunger for knowledge and the thirst for experience. As the offerings from the food and drink sector got more complex and plentiful in the past two decades; the desire to curate your own, tangible experiences at home, on your own terms has grown massively. Lifestyle brands enrich the lives of their customers by offering something out of the ordinary, thinking out of the box. The continued popularity of cycle brand Rapha, whose successful Cycle Club offers members the chance to go on experiential cycle tours all over the globe, shows that we’re in it for a long term; we want to be advocates for our favourite things. La Marzocco is also a company that creates long term advocates, with one of its main goals being ‘to build relationships so that we enrich the lives of others’.
Founded in 1927 by brothers Bruno and Giuseppe Bambi, La Marzocco takes pride in its Florentine Foundations; sharing the same birthplace as the Italian Renaissance and home to Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, it seems only fitting that La Marzocco would earn a reputation for making superbly crafted and uniquely designed espresso machines, all handmade in Florence with great attention to detail and constant innovation. Throughout its lifespan, La Marzocco has had several defining chapters. These include invention of the horizontal boiler in 1939. This revolutionized commercial coffee consumption by making it possible to add more group heads as well as simplifying the task of operating the machine. In 1989, Giuseppe’s son, Piero, designed the Linea Classic, a machine which would become the face of the modern espresso revolution.
As time moves on, La Marzocco keeps it eyes on the future but with its heart rooted in its past successes. Born from the iconic Linea Classic, in 2015 the company introduced a new machine specifically designed for the home espresso enthusiast: the Linea Mini. With similar professional grade performance, but in a much more compact and ergonomic package, the Linea Mini has a dual boiler system to allow optimal brewing and powerful steaming. It also boasts pre-programmed pre-infusion, a hidden water reservoir, an easily accessible temperature dial and LED barista lights so you can always closely inspect the espresso’s extraction. The machine, with reduced footprint, presents the design and performance of a La Marzocco, including quality technological components, redesigned for the kitchen. With the Linea Mini, La Marzocco aims for an espresso revolution in the home.
The popularity of fully automated, bean to cup and pod style machines allowed us to be passive consumers by pushing a button and letting the machine make a coffee on its terms. However, as we crave more engaging and long-lasting experiences, La Marzocco has created a home espresso machine which allows you to be the curator of your own coffee experience. As more people delve deeper into the world of speciality coffee, the more they understand the multitude of variables that come in to play when making high-grade brewed coffee. The Linea Mini allows the home barista to adjust, fine-tune and control these variables themselves. By putting the ‘at home’ barista firmly in the driver’s seat, the Linea Mini allows you to bask in the daily ritual and anticipation of espresso preparation.
As speciality coffee shops continue to grow and develop their business, the domestic speciality market also enters a new and exciting stage. The Linea Mini has allowed the home barista to bring the fourth wave coffee movement into their own kitchens and other innovations, including the IKAWA home roaster, will continue to see the rise of the home barista.