Lelit Elizabeth PL92T Espresso Machine

Pre-infusion wets the coffee in the portafilter before the actual extraction, and on the Elizabeth you programme it separately for each of the two coffee buttons: from the factory it is 3 seconds on button 1 and 6 seconds on button 2. For low-pressure pre-infusion, with pre-infusion on, lower the steam temperature to 115 °C (it is 135 °C from the factory).

To change it, press the − button 5 times for button 1, or 6 times for button 2, then press + and the time starts flashing: change it with − and +, and scroll down to OFF to switch it off. Once it stops flashing, the LCC has saved it. The steps are on page 16 of Lelit's extended guide for the Elizabeth.

On the LCC display, besides pre-infusion, you can set:

• Coffee temperature: 80 to 110 °C, 95 °C from the factory.
• Steam temperature: 115 to 145 °C, 135 °C from the factory.
• Automatic shot time, for button 1 and for button 2: the shot stops by itself at the set time, pre-infusion included. It is off from the factory.
• Steam boiler on or off: with it off, the machine goes into economy mode and makes no steam.
• Temperature unit, °C or °F.
• Dose counter: the partial count can be reset, the total cannot.

You open the menu with the − button, and each further press moves to the next setting; + lets you change it, and three seconds after your last press the LCC saves and exits. Standby is not in the menu: switch the machine on while holding coffee buttons 1 and 2 and the hot water button; if the hot water button LED flashes, standby is on, otherwise it is off. All the steps are on pages 13-18 of Lelit's extended guide.

It depends on how much you use it, but as a rule:

• after every espresso run a little water through the group (flush): it clears coffee residue from the shower screen;
• every day backflush with the blind filter and water only;
• every 1-2 weeks, more often if you use it a lot, backflush with espresso machine detergent.

Do not overdo the detergent: even in small amounts, over time it strips the grease from the gaskets and O-rings and dries them out.

On the Elizabeth the backflush is automatic: with the machine on, put the blind filter in the portafilter, lock it in and press buttons 1 and 4 together. When you use detergent, put one sachet in the blind filter, empty the drip tray when the cycle ends and repeat; then rinse the portafilter with water from the group, fit the 2-dose filter and run a last cycle with 1 and 4. The procedure is on page 21 of the manual in the box and on pages 24-25 of Lelit's extended guide.

Both are Lelit dual boilers with a LELIT58 group, a three-way valve and a programmable shot time, but the Elizabeth3 is the new generation. The main differences:

• Pressure control: the Elizabeth3 has the Pagaia, which controls the pump by hand during the shot, and two pressure profiles you can programme in 5 steps; the Elizabeth has timed pre-infusion, 3 and 6 seconds from the factory.
• Group: a new saturated LELIT58 group with a stainless steel heating element on the Elizabeth3; the LELIT58 commercial group on the Elizabeth.
• Boilers: a 200 ml coffee boiler on the Elizabeth3 and 300 ml on the Elizabeth, a 600 ml steam boiler on both.
• Also on the Elizabeth3: a new silent pump, LED lights on the group, a 3-hole steam tip and a 70 litre water softener instead of 35.

Not this version: the Elizabeth PL92T is rated 220-240 V and 50 Hz, so it is for 220-240 V, 50 Hz mains. For 60 Hz mains Lelit makes versions with different model codes.

Before ordering, check the voltage and frequency at home: if your mains is 60 Hz, even at 220 V, the PL92T is not the right one. Choose the version that matches your mains from those on sale on this page; if the one you need is not there, write to us.