La Marzocco. The pro version sells.
La Marzocco makes the espresso machines in your favourite cafes and sells you the same thing for the kitchen, with a waiting list. We all want what the professionals use.
THE GIST ON LA MARZOCCO: "Pull Rank"
Why is there a waiting list for a six grand coffee machine?
La Marzocco make the espresso machines in your favourite cafes, and they'll sell you the same machine for your home for six grand, with a waiting list. Because we all want the stuff the professionals use.
Where does La Marzocco come from?
It was founded in Florence in 1927 by two brothers who wanted to build espresso machines by hand. They named the company after the Marzocco, the heraldic lion of the city. Their machines have become standard in every serious cafe worldwide, and for 88 years that's where they focused.
What was the Linea Mini?
Eleven years ago they launched it. They took their commercial machine and shrank it. Same boiler design, same group head, same Italian hand assembly. It was just smaller, and it cost four and a half grand.
Home buyers were paying commercial prices for a cafe machine. La Marzocco's revenue is now 214 million euros a year, and De'Longhi bought a majority stake in 2023. Their home machines can cost up to 13,000 pounds. The grinder is still sold separately, and demand keeps growing.
How does luxury work?
People will pay a premium for the version of something that's built for someone else. A Land Rover is designed for African safaris. An Omega Speedmaster is built for astronauts. The closer a product is to the professional original, the more we seem to want it.
I bet that watch of yours can go a mile under water, can't it?
Is a six grand coffee machine ever worth it?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
What is the Linea Mini?
La Marzocco's commercial machine made smaller, with the same boiler design, group head and Italian hand assembly, launched 11 years ago at four and a half grand.
How big is La Marzocco?
Revenue is 214 million euros a year, and De'Longhi bought a majority stake in 2023.
Why do people pay a premium for professional kit?
People will pay more for the version of something built for someone else. The closer a product is to the professional original, the more we seem to want it.
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