The Italian domestic appliance. Since 1986.
Lelit started out making irons. Forty years later it builds some of the most capable prosumer espresso machines you can put on a kitchen counter — still in Italy, still run by the family that founded it.
Designed and built in Italy. Family-run since 1986, and part of the Breville Group since 2022 — still an Italian manufacturer, still led by the Epis family. Cliff & Pebble is your authorized US dealer.
From irons to espresso.
Maria Bellini and Edoardo Epis founded Lelit near Brescia in 1986. The name is short for L'Elettrodomestico Italiano — the Italian domestic appliance — and for the first fifteen years that meant ironing equipment.
Coffee came in 2002, when the couple's four sons took over. It took until 2017 for the Bianca to arrive and put Lelit in the conversation with machines costing twice as much, and until 2019 for the MaraX to solve a problem heat exchangers had had for decades. Mauro Epis still runs the company.
"Lelit is the brand we sell the most of, and the one we get the fewest problem calls about. Those two facts are related."
Breville Group acquired Lelit in 2022. It's a question we get asked a lot, so: the machines are still designed and built in Italy, the family still runs it, and nothing about the engineering changed. If anything the range has developed faster since.
We sell Breville too, which puts us in a decent position to say that the two brands aren't competing for the same buyer.
Find your Lelit.
5 machines available now. From the $999.95 Victoria to the flagship Bianca V3, plus the matching William grinder. Every one built in Italy and backed by our 365-day in-home trial.
Victoria
MaraX V2
Elizabeth V3
MaraX3
Bianca V3
William PL72
Chicago experts. Not a catalog.
Espresso is all we do, and Lelit is the brand we sell more of than any other. That means we've set up, troubleshot and talked people out of hundreds of these machines.
When you call, you get someone who will tell you honestly whether the MaraX, the Elizabeth or a Bianca is right for your kitchen. Sometimes the answer is the cheaper machine. Sometimes it's that you should spend the difference on a grinder instead.
Heat exchanger or dual boiler?
This is the question behind almost every Lelit decision, and it matters more than which model name you pick. Here's how we'd split it.
Most people are better served by a MaraX and a good grinder than by a dual boiler and a mediocre one. Go dual boiler when you specifically want to set brew temperature yourself — usually because you drink light roasts.
Everything you want to know
Which Lelit should I buy?
Victoria at $999.95 to get started, MaraX V2 at $1,699.95 for most people, Elizabeth V3 at $1,799 if you want a true dual boiler, MaraX3 at $1,999.95 for flow control in a compact machine, and Bianca V3 at $2,999.95 for the paddle and the full flagship experience. If you're between two, the cheaper machine plus a better grinder is usually the better buy.
Are Lelit machines still made in Italy?
Yes. Lelit was founded near Brescia in 1986 and the machines are still designed and built in Italy. Breville Group acquired the company in 2022, and Lelit continues to operate as an Italian manufacturer under the Epis family, with Mauro Epis as CEO.
What does the MaraX do that other heat exchangers don't?
It removes the cooling flush. A dual-probe PID manages the boiler to hit brew temperature rather than just steam pressure, so the water at the group is already where it should be. On a conventional heat exchanger you have to run water through the group first to dump an overheated slug.
Heat exchanger or dual boiler?
A heat exchanger lets you brew and steam simultaneously and suits most households. A dual boiler sets brew temperature directly, which matters if you drink light roasts or want to dial in precisely. For one or two milk drinks a morning, the heat exchanger is plenty.
What is flow control and do I need it?
Flow control lets you shape pressure across the shot instead of holding nine bar throughout — a gentle start, a peak, then a decline. The Bianca does it with a mechanical paddle, the MaraX3 electronically. It's genuinely useful for light roasts. If you want to press a button and get good espresso, you don't need it.
What does LCC mean on a Lelit?
The Lelit Control Center — the interface that lets you set brew and steam temperatures, switch pre-infusion on and off, run cleaning cycles and read a shot timer. It's why a Lelit generally gives you more to adjust than other machines at the same price.
What grinder should I pair with a Lelit?
Lelit's own William PL72 at $599.95 uses 64mm flat burrs and matches the machines visually. Beyond that: if you're choosing between a more expensive machine and a better grinder, take the grinder. It changes the cup more than moving up the range does.
What warranty do Lelit machines come with?
It varies by model — the Bianca, Elizabeth and MaraX carry longer coverage than the Victoria and William, which are one year. Whichever you buy, we handle the claim directly rather than sending you to the manufacturer, and every machine includes our 365-day in-home trial.
The machine you'll still own in 2040.
Every Lelit sold through Cliff & Pebble comes with our 365-day in-home trial, free shipping, and warranty support handled by us rather than a queue. If it's not right, we'll make it right.
Talk to a Chicago espresso expert
Tell us what you drink and how many, and we'll tell you which Lelit fits — including when it's the cheaper one.
800-410-8867 Mon–Fri · Chicago-based experts sales@cliffandpebble.com We reply the same business dayNo scripts, no upsell.
