IT TOOK NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY,
but the iconic La Marzocco espresso machine the Linea recently underwent a quiet revolution, a high-tech redesign, and brand-new rerelease. “When the Linea was launched it set a new stan- dard for espresso brewing,” says Kent Bakke, CEO of La Marzocco International.
“We continue to be humbled by the passion and enthusiasm our customers have for this machine. We trust they’ll find that the Linea PB continues the La Marzocco tradition of great artisanship, great technology, and great design that has been our passion and commit- ment since 1927.”
The new Linea, dubbed the Linea PB, is named in honor of Piero Bambi, who designed the Linea Classic almost 25 years ago. Piero is the son of Giuseppe Bambi and the nephew of Bruno Bambi, the brothers who founded La Marzocco in 1927. Now 79 years old and following in his father’s foot- steps, Piero has had a hand in the design and engi- neering of every La Marzocco espresso machine currently in production, beginning with the Linea Classic.
“I was very honored and, at the same time, can’t hide the fact that I also felt a little embarrassed,” says Piero about his new namesake machine. “Even more so, I hope that the new machine is favorably received by traditional La Marzocco clients.”
The Linea PB debuted at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) expo in Boston in April, and will receive its European unveiling at the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s (SCAE) World of Coffee event in Nice, France, in June.
Over the years, the company felt little pressure to do anything with the Linea because it was a pretty super machine from the get go. The only major change the Linea underwent in its double-decade run was the introduction of a digital temperature controller for the coffee boiler three years ago. Instead of highlighting incremental updates to the Linea Classic, then, the La Marzocco engineering team decided to develop a whole, new, second-generation Linea.
“Independently from the evident asthetic echo of the classic Linea, the Linea PB was designed with the following in mind—regulation of brew water temperature; user-friendly button pad and steam-valve knob; insu- lated boilers for energy savings: all components that come into contact with water or coffee are 100 percent stainless steel; and the electronic components are La Marzocco–exclusively made, as well as tested and approved by various certifying bodies,” says Piero.
The Linea PB is the first La Marzocco espresso machine to feature a cutting-edge electronics system code-named Carbon. The electronics were designed by a Boston-based group of MIT graduates, and offer significant improvements to operator controls and system stability. The new electronics deliver significant improvement in temperature stability for both the coffee boiler and the steam boiler. But that’s not all: They also power a first-to-market system that displays units of water traveling through the grouphead during brewing.
Additionally, the Linea PB features Piero Bambi–designed group caps that ensure water never leaves the coffee boiler during the brewing process,
which helps eliminate instability. A digital display incorporates intuitive programming and simplifies the adjustment of machine param- eters.
Excerpted from Barista Magazine. See the article HERE.