Lelit Mara X Review: The Best Entry-Level Italian Espresso Machine?

If you are looking to step up from a basic kitchen appliance to a "prosumer" Italian espresso machine, the Lelit Mara X should be at the top of your list. Often called the "little sister" to the famous Lelit Bianca, this Heat Exchange (HX) machine packs an incredible amount of technology into one of the most compact footprints on the market.

At Artisti Coffee Roasters, we’ve spent the last year getting to know the Lelit brand, even visiting their factory in Italy. Here is our deep dive into why the Mara X is a class-leader for home baristas.

Jump straight into our video here.

1. Compact Design, Professional Specs

The Mara X is remarkably narrow—only 22.5cm wide. This makes it perfect for apartment living or crowded kitchen counters. Despite its size, it doesn’t compromise on the internals:

Boiler: 1.8L Stainless Steel insulated boiler.
Group Head: Legendary E61 for thermal stability.
Pump: Silent-vibration pump with specialized rubber mounts to reduce noise.
Chassis: Full stainless steel construction (available in white, black, or classic stainless finishes).

2. The "X Mode" Innovation

Traditional HX machines can sometimes be tricky to manage regarding temperature. Lelit solved this with X Mode, a unique switch located behind the drip tray that lets you prioritize how the machine behaves:

X Mode Coffee: Ensures the heating element doesn't kick in during the brew, preventing the water from getting too hot and "burning" your espresso.
X Mode Steam: Optimizes the boiler to recover quickly, ensuring you have maximum steam pressure ready immediately after your shot.

3. Workflow and "Hackable" Heat-Up Times

A common question with E61 machines is the heat-up time. In our testing, the Mara X is stable in about 15 minutes.

Pro Tip: While the boiler is ready in 15 minutes, the heavy brass group head might still be cool. You can "hack" this by running a quick flush of hot water through the portafilter to flash-heat the metal, allowing you to pull a great shot much sooner than other machines in this category.

Feature	Why We Love It
58.5mm Tamper	Most machines include a cheap plastic tamper. Lelit provides a professional-grade, precision-fit wood and steel tamper.
Coffee-Slide Spouts	The portafilter is designed to sit flat on the bench, making tamping easier and more level.
3-Way Temp Switch	Choose between Warm, Hot, and Extra Hot settings to match your roast profile.

4. Meet the Partner: The Lelit William Grinder

To get the most out of the Mara X, we paired it with the Lelit William grinder. It features 64mm flat burrs and a "stepless" adjustment system, allowing for micro-changes in your grind size. A unique feature of the William is the adjustable chute, which lets you direct the grinds perfectly into the center of your basket, preventing messy spills.

5. Three Fun Facts About Lelit

While touring the factory, we picked up some trivia you won't find in the manual:

Genders: All Lelit espresso machines are named after women (Mara, Bianca, Elizabeth), while all grinders are named after men (William, Fred).
The "Nimble" Touch: Most of the assembly line is operated by women. Lelit believes their attention to detail and nimble fingers result in a better-built machine.
Steam Roots: Before making coffee machines, Lelit was a world leader in industrial steam irons. They used that expertise in boilers and steam pressure to pivot into the coffee world.

Final Verdict: Is it for you?

At a price point around $2,999 AUD (for the colored versions), the Mara X offers features like PID-style temperature control and a stainless steel boiler that usually cost much more. It is intuitive, beautiful, and built to last.

Ready to start your espresso journey?