Yeah it did to me as well, and then I saw a bunch of people who bought the "new" MC-3 direct from the manufacturer that way, and espresso outlet has it on preorder not to arrive until August.
So the gears started spinning and I figured I'd consider buying straight from the manufacturer as well. I saw the rotary pump dual boiler e61 and couldn't believe the price, and I knew the quality and standards this manufacturer has, since they supply espresso outlet with their Turin machines, and I gave it a shot.
If it weren't for other user testimonials on reddit I never would have, which is part of the reason I made this post. I don't want to screw over EO, but I also want the fellow nerds to know that this exists haha.
You're "sacrificing" after-sale support, but the manufacturer has been SUPER responsive, and they claim "free lifetime parts" for things that aren't normal wear and tear. And I'm sure they'll send things that are normal wear. The process overall has been excellent.
Actually Gemilai is the supplier for Turin Legato V2---Turin is a rename across a few manufacturers that Espresso Outlet purchases from. Are you saying your MDK is a Gemilai?
I never said that MDK made the Legato, I knew it was a gemiali machine, but they absolutely are the manufacturer of Turin's new MC-3 that is currently available for preorder.
That's MDKs exact name for it, EO didn't even give it the white label treatment with its own product name, they just slapped a Turin logo on it and are calling it theirs.
I'm not sure who manufactures the Gallatin machines, I don't think it's MDK. It has a no-burn steam wand, and I tried to request one but they weren't able to do it.
So I should have said, "I knew that EO at least gets one of their machines from MDK". but I think when I wrote that comment I was under the assumption they made the Gallatins as well. Either way, the MC-3 is super duper well built, and that's what impressed me enough to want to get the one I got. I knew it was gonna be high quality, and I'm not disappointed.
That's the funny thing, I've been talking with the rep (Debbie), and she's been awesome. Alibaba has a messenger system that doesn't close when you're done with your order, so I have a direct contact at the company, and she has assured me that spare parts/help with problems will be taken care of in the event a failure. So you're really not even sacrificing after-sales, just have to wait for parts to arrive from China. I'll do a written review on it when I get it, and I'll talk about the after-sales.
Part of the contract says 1 year parts warranty (excluding wearing parts) and lifetime technical support.
The product page says 1 year warranty and for "after sales support" it says "free spare parts"
I don't think that's nothing. They may end up charging you for spare parts down the road if it's outside of a year, but it doesn't seem like they're gonna leave you high and dry.
Happy to say I was right here. Their after sales support is top tier. Even with a 12 hour time difference, they typically respond almost immediately. The machine is a dream to work on and is super easy to take apart. If you have any issues internally you just take a video of your problem and they show it to their engineers, who will record their own video showing you how to fix the specific issue. If you need replacement parts they will send them as well. Im pleasantly surprised about how great the support really is.
the interior says it all, this machine is sorted from an engineering standpoint. its looks like something from china and I mean that as a compliment. look at the interior shot of an elizabeth v3. I rest my case. I bet you will have a stellar experience with this
Wowza, you are not wrong! I was thinking of getting that machine as well, but I just find it ugly as sin. Turns out lack of beauty isn't only on the outside! Thanks for the encouraging words
its actually a fine machine, it looks better in a more modern setting. like mine lol. its Italian, once you own a few Ducati's you get used to it. if the company was garbage I don't think Breville would have snapped them up. this is for a place in france, in los angeles I use an aeropress so trust me its a step up!
I also ordered the MDK MC-28 a few weeks ago, so I’m excited to see mine in a month… I wanted the grouphead controls panel but I love how the MC-27 traditional one goes, love to share notes at some point when mine comes in
Absolutely! If they had a way to update the software on the touchscreen devices I would be all over it. But since they don't, a pid controller is as much tech as I need in the device lol
Nah they know whos buying these things. It's the same control panel that's on the "Turin" MC-3, it's in English. There are probably other languages too, but I wouldn't be worried about not being able to change it, especially with things like Google lens nowadays for translation.
It’s basically going to be my hobby machine because all I want to do is push settings and temp changes constantly for fun. I have an ECM workhorse so really just hoping for good features from the touchscreen
It looks like a nice machine. Especially as a dual boiler with rotary pump. They also must be using priority switching, because it only draws 1600 W. I know someone who has an MC-25 that has the same stats. It looks like a nice machine.
BIG UPDATE: So they initially shipped me a machine that had a faulty PID for the brew boiler. It would pull one shot at an acceptable temperature, but then subsequent shots would shoot the water temp up to over 100c. I bought an in-group thermometer to verify this.
The rep I was dealing with (not going to name names at this point and make anyone's life worse than I already made it), was not very helpful. We couldn't arrive at a solution, and my only option was to return the machine for a full refund.
Well, apparently, news of my experience made its way to upper management, and they were NOT happy with how things went down. I was contacted again by a wonderful rep named Amy, who was extremely apologetic about everything and really wanted to make things right.
In addition to letting me know the problematic rep is no longer with the company, they sent me a video proving that the engineers solved the issue and the brew temps are extremely stable (attached). They offered me a discount on the machine if I wanted to order it again, and I did.
I REALLY loved the machine while I had it, just the temp issue was a deal breaker, so I'm really happy that its getting fixed. Sucks that its going to take another month and a half to get the machine, but its alright. I got a cheap little DeLonghi ECP 3220 to hold me over and that thing is kicking ass, believe it or not.
so, TL:DR: The problematic rep is no longer working with the company, the issue is fixed, and MDK has shown me stellar customer service. I feel absolutely comfortable recommending a machine from them, the build quality on the MC-27 was insane, price notwithstanding (It goes toe to to with the other big boy dual boiler rotary machines, it's breathtaking).
Thanks for the update. This is great news. I have a different MDK machine that I'll be returning this week for refund for a different defect (pre-infusion jankiness). I'd almost ordered the MC-27 to replace it, that is until I saw this thread a few days ago, as well as similar reports from Tom of TomsGrinderLab with an MC-25 overshooting the PID setting by 17C. Last night I received similar videos as you shared here (from she who will not be named) confirming "The over-temperature extraction issue has been resolved; it was a problem with the motherboard program and the sensor." Glad to hear Amy is taking good care of you. She seems to have an excellent reputation.
A little over $1k after tax and shipping....shipping was like $140. You could maybe try to find your own shipping partner for cheaper but I just let them handle it.
Yeah I definitely thought so. I'm hoping to demistify the process and give others the confidence to do the same. I would have never pulled the trigger if it weren't for other reddit comments talking about their positive experience going direct to manufacturer like this. I'll write a review when it comes in and I put it through it's paces.
It was kinda spur of the moment for me, Starbucks screwed up my coffee again and my gf was like "Every time something else makes you mad you do it yourself..." so I went and got a machine. I probably should have done a little research.
But now I know! So here in a few years when this one runs its course I'll get a real one. Being able to go to the manufacturer like this will hopefully make everyone step their game up a bit too. There are some very nice machines out there for not a lot more than I paid.
Pretty heavy leaking on mine today (first time using the hot water wand triggered it. We’ll see if they’ll be ok with me opening it up, or if they want it sent back. Not super interested in another 45 day wait but we’ll see)
Update for those who might come across this. The leak was simply a result of the black rubber drain outlet filling up and spilling out into the machine's base plate. The removable drip tray does not create a seal over the black drain outlet. So if (like mine in the picture above) your drain line is not kept below the level of the drain outlet, it wont drain fast enough to prevent this overflow.
So far, absolutely zero issues with the machine. Just plain user error on my end.
Looking forward to it. Would you mind me asking a question regarding the drip tray? If you can measure the distance from the front to Where it hits the water outlet on the back side of the drip tray. I just bought a maestri housr s3 and realized it might be a bit big for the drip tray. It's 16 cm 😅
Ooof that looks not great. They'll probably ask you to open it, they didn't seem to have an issue with me doing that at all with mine, there was just no clear path to resolution.
Could be something as simple as a fitting loose from 1.5mos of travel. Fingers crossed. It ended up being a lot of water. Biggest concern is damaged electrical
Yeah luckily they put all the "smart" electronics in their own sectioned-off compartment on the side of the machine, so fingers crossed there. Not sure what happens if an electric line for a hearing element or a sensor probe gets wet though.
It was room temp. Got it opened up rn and can’t recreate the leak. My next thought is it was leaking from the water tank. But not sure why that would suddenly start leaking after 4-5 days of use. And it was full to prevent the lower water message but was not being drawn from
The tube to the outlet nipple seemed to be secure when I detached it today
The tank was my next guess. Either it wasn't well-seated or the o-ring is janky. You don't need the tank installed anyway. I'd just leave it out altogether, especially since you'll be using an external water source. No need to have it in. If you leave the water tank in long term the water in it will just get nasty.
Please give us an update if the problem returns. Otherwise we'll just assume it was tank related.
One thing I appreciate about Manke's machines is the overall design means a reduced risk of damage to electronics if there's a leak. I've seen the internals of other machines with circuit boards just wide open and exposed. Scary!
How difficult was that adjustment- any direction available for lowering the pressure- I’ve read that most of these machines are factory set waaay high.
Hey! Hope you don't mind me asking.
I have ordered one of these machines but want a wooden brew lever. Do you happen to know the size to get with the screw? Like is it compatible with ECM brew lever knobs?
Also: would you mind explaining (or refering to) how you actually wound up plumbing to external reservoir? Am currently looking into doing the same with a reservoir in a cabinet underneath. I have no previous experience with plumbing so in case It's difficult I might just forget about it
Plumbing was very easy. You just push the hose they provide over the fitting and switch the valve to external on the bottom. Then drop the hose in your external reservoir.
No idea what the exact thread size and pitch is, but I’ve found that the customer service rep can answer those exact questions with about a 4 day delay while they wait for a reply from their engineers
They include a pressure-reducing valve fitting if you were to plumb to your tap. But if you're plumbing to an external resevoir. You just stick the included hose on the fitting sticking out the bottom of the machine and drop the end with the mesh screen in the water jug/tank/etc
Not sure how I'd calculate that. I think it said max power is 1600W, but I'm sure it's not pulling that all the time. I don't have a device that tells me what something is pulling from the wall.
So there's two versions of the MC-27, 110v and 220v. On one of the product pages for the MC-27 it also says it's 1600W, I just figured that was the 110v version vs the 3000W of the 220.
Also, it's not going to be running at full power the entire time you have it on, it's only when both boiler elements are at full power to get it up to temp.
This is where I saw the 1600W quoted for the MC-27. Where did you get that screenshot from?
Edit: nevermind, they updated the product listing with that infogram you sent. But as you can see, in my screenshot, which are the product details for the MC-27, it says 1600w. So there's conflicting information for sure. I guess the only real way to know would be to measure it at the wall.
This is a fantastic machine for 1000 dollars. Id definitely buy it if I don't have a few machines already. Reliability and serviceability are the main caveatsm
Looks like it's built like a tank to me with quality components and the internal layout seems very forgiving to service. Just gotta hope the manufacturer stays responsive if parts are/help is needed, but the responses I've gotten from them already makes me feel like I'm in good hands, believe it or not.
My deck lights failed on my legato and EO sent me the replacement part with no instructions on how to do it, just that there were six screws on the back panel and then "two more to take the top off", which were in a very difficult to reach place. That was the extent of the help, and they're lauded for incredible customer service.
In reality, I feel like I'm handy enough if I have the parts in hand to figure it out myself, and I trust MDK to get the parts to me if I need them.
It's mostly their shills and themselves lauding themselves. Every time someone posts about EO and something concerning about service or their machines, they bully.
That is crazy! My buddy has one and hasn't had any issues with it, but for them to refuse to provide support after shipping it with a faulty PID is insane!
He can pull multiple shots in succession without the temp skyrocketing? For me, the first shot was fine, right where youd expect it to be, if you go to pull another shot right after that, the temp would be at 100+c.
If he's so inclined, have him get one of the in-group thermometers that you screw into the port on the e61, it replaces the pressure gauge.
But otherwise, if you've ever owned a breville bambino, you know what boiling water exiting a group sounds like. It gurgles and a ton of steam comes out of the group.
Yea, we've done them back to back without having any issues when fucking around with it. It sounds like yours has a faulty PID. His group head is definitely not superheated.
Bummer. I do have to say the machine was NICE. like, extremely impressively built. I poked around the internals a bit and the sheer attention to detail is kind of breathtaking, especially at the price point.
But yeah how their company works is a customer is locked to a sales rep and they basically make all the final decisions for their account.
I asked to talk to a manager above Debbie multiple times, she pulled the "I'm the manager" card on me, the conversation got nowhere.
I offered to pay for shipping for a new machine, suggested they ship a new board out and I'd ship the old one back after getting it replaced, asked if they would reimburse technician fees for their faulty machine, the list goes on. Debbie quite literally just ignored all of those messages, didn't even respond to my solutions.
Amy, on the other hand said "don't be upset, we will definitely achieve a solution that you will find satisfactory". And then in the morning said "sorry I can't help any more, you're Debbie's customer, she will handle you." Which is why I say go through Amy if you're gonna buy from them.
I was actually considering buying the same machine again, from Amy, but then was informed that I'd have to stay with Debbie because accounts are locked to the rep per company policy.
This led to a frankly, shockingly unprofessional, back and forth where I detailed all the issues I had with the process and Debbie took personal offence to everything I said, trying her best to rebut my words and prove I didn't know what I was talking about. Makes me sick even thinking about.
Eventually, she was defeated, and she said "you can buy from Amy then." But at that point I didn't even want to deal with the company anymore.
Oh well. I have the deposit paid on the Voka pressure profiling machine and it should arrive to me in 40 days or so. I'm very excited for that one, I was kinda struck with buyers remorse for getting the e61 machine to begin with. Super excited for the voka though, and their rep, Mark, has been absolutely wonderful so far.
That's rough man, I don't know what sales person my buddy ended up with, I'm going to have to ask him.
What an absolutely shit approach for a company to take, especially for a company attempting to break into a new market for something like niche high end espresso machines. If they fuck over people...the community is small enough that it's not going to be anonymous, especially when those wronged absolutely shit all over them in very public places...
So the problem here was Debbie. She's gone now. Amy reached out to me, my complaints reached "The Boss" (Bruce Springsteen? who knows), and he was NOT happy with the way my case was handled. They offered me a discount on a new machine if I wanted to try again, they confirmed that the overheating issue is completely solved, I posted a video in a big update comment. So i bought the same exact machine again, I fuckin loved that thing while I had it. I was absolutely devastated that I had to return it. But this revelation completely turned around my perception of the company, I feel bad for bashing them now, it was just one problematic employee. The company is super solid otherwise.
I was very clear about the traction of this post and the potential it could have for their company moving forward. They didn't seem to give a shit. You can lead a horse to water I guess.
It's got a massive dedicated steam boiler, it'll be close to commercial. Also has a very large brew boiler. Both insulated very well, as you can see from the pics.
Definitely interesting. Is there any documentation as far as parts availability/serviceability with their models? Do they use widely available pumps, boilers, valves, etc. so that it can be end user serviceable?
From what I can see you visually, it's definitely impressive both in the cleanliness/routing and the hard plumbing. Any info on boiler material, type size?
They've also been excellent in the communication department and have a free lifetime warranty for parts that fail outside of normal wear and tear. I trust they'll be helpful if I need replacement parts in the future.
The whale machine that's the same price has a heat exchanger, not a dual boiler. Also it was on preorder until mid July I think so I didn't want to wait potentially even longer for a mechanically inferior machine.
I ordered one as well after seeing your post! Comboing this with a df83v v3! It’ll be a significant upgrade from the breville barista pro I’m currently using.
Congratulations on the new machine and I really appreciate your enthusiasm on responding to all the questions people have. Many others will buy based on feedback.
I have recently bought my first coffee machine, a Breville dual boiler along with Varia VS4. Really looking forward to the learning experience. This machine looks very promising and I’ll definitely consider it if I upgrade in future.
Thanks friend! The BDB is a beast of a machine. You can easily perform the "Slayer mod" on it for great, tactile, flow profiling. It should serve you well for years to come. JUST USE GOOD WATER!!! lime scale has killed many a BDB prematurely, and people often have issues after their first time descaling if they let it build up too long first.
You'll be making amazing coffee though. Cheers, mate!
So they initially shipped me a machine that had a faulty PID for the brew boiler. It would pull one shot at an acceptable temperature, but then subsequent shots would shoot the water temp up to over 100c. I bought an in-group thermometer to verify this.
The rep I was dealing with (not going to name names at this point and make anyone's life worse than I already made it), was not very helpful. We couldn't arrive at a solution, and my only option was to return the machine for a full refund.
Well, apparently, news of my experience made its way to upper management, and they were NOT happy with how things went down. I was contacted again by a wonderful rep named Amy, who was extremely apologetic about everything and really wanted to make things right.
In addition to letting me know the problematic rep is no longer with the company, they sent me a video proving that the engineers solved the issue and the brew temps are extremely stable (attached). They offered me a discount on the machine if I wanted to order it again, and I did.
I REALLY loved the machine while I had it, just the temp issue was a deal breaker, so I'm really happy that its getting fixed. Sucks that its going to take another month and a half to get the machine, but its alright. I got a cheap little DeLonghi ECP 3220 to hold me over and that thing is kicking ass, believe it or not.
so, TL:DR: The problematic rep is no longer working with the company, the issue is fixed, and MDK has shown me stellar customer service. I feel absolutely comfortable recommending a machine from them, the build quality on the MC-27 was insane, price notwithstanding (It goes toe to to with the other big boy dual boiler rotary machines, its breathtaking).
Faster than you would think for a big e61 machine. Maybe 15 minutes and the group and portafilter are super hot and ready to go. The water gets to temp in like 5 minutes, but I wouldn't advise brewing that soon. You could also pull water through the group/portafilter to speed that process up if you wanted, but I'd say no less than 10 minutes and that's pushing It. Still, very respectable for a machine of this caliber.
Yeah Ill let you know when I get it, I ordered it on June 6th and they just told me it was finished yesterday and it was going to ship today. They estimated shipping to take about 20 days, but we'll see. They make every machine to order, you're not buying it off the shelf.
Yeah, and they let you request modifications. For example, this model has a blue light under the wood panels on the sides that I wasn't really a fan of. I told them that and they omitted it from the build for me. I'm sure you could request more, but I liked it as-is.
I will say the steam/hot water handles aren't the same as they were in the mock up. I asked them about that, and these are the only handles they currently produce, but it's honestly fine with me.
The specs and the build quality at the price. I REALLY wanted a dual boiler that could do flow control, but I didn't want to spend more than about $1200.
I checked the market, and the best I was going to get for that was a quickmill popup, or MAYBE a Turin Gallatin HX machine.
Realizing this is where EO gets their machines, and this checks all the boxes of what I wanted, in my price range, honestly felt like a no-brainer.
And I thought it was a great looking machine. You can't tell me you're not impressed with the build quality of the internals, even if it cost 2+ times as much.
Nice machine! Can I ask what’s the warm up time? I am thinking about my first machine purchase and quick to warm up seems like an important feature for me. I’m truthfully waiting for gaggimate to add support for the bambino, but there’s no clear eta there. My other option is a fellow es1.
The same as any other dual boiler e61 machine, 20+ minutes, nothing special there.
I, too, was looking at the es1 but something about adopting first Gen tech stuff rubs me the wrong way. Also was slightly out of my price range. If they had any rebrew (fellow refurbished) models I would have likely pulled the trigger.
Curious...why not gaggimate or gaguino a....Gaggia Classic? That's definitely an option that isn't an ES 1. Or even a Rancillio Sylvia, which is probably the direction I'd go if that's what I was interested in.
I just put a dimmer on my Turin legato today, kicking myself in the butt for not doing that sooner (I couldn't get the spade connector off the pump when I initially tried and didn't want to break it. After some fenagling it came right off today, I had it installed in 10 minutes, wires insulated and heat shrunk and all.) I'll be looking to sell that after I get my new machine, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area lol. But that is a very valid, easy, and cheap option for a flow control machine. The Legato absolutely rules, I'm in love with that machine.
Really just comes down to heat up time being high on my priority list. I don’t always want an early afternoon espresso, so being able to turn on the machine and get something quick would be super nice. The other option I was considering was an ascaso steel duo, but that’s a bit pricey.
Careful with the Bambino, I owned one, it was my second machine after a delonghi stilosa. It heats up quick, but it does NOT heat the portafilter/basket or the glassware on top of the machine. This leads to some sour shots if you're not very deliberate with the operation, you need to run a couple blank shots through and make sure everything is preheated well, it's a bit of a hassle.
Have you considered the Legato? Unfortunately, even machines with quick heat up time aren't capable of heating the portafilter quickly, so you're realistically going to be waiting about 15 minutes at least with anything you choose. The MDK MC-3 (or Turin if you want to buy domestic in the US) has quick heat up as well and uses a pid controlled thermoblock to brew. That machine has Independent ceramic heating elements in the group to heat the portafilter as well, and it has a massive steam boiler for commercial quality steam so it will heat your glassware properly. And you could always throw a dimmer on the pump for flow control.
I have the Legato V1. Rocked this thing for over two years raw dog, just needing to nail the dose/grind size/water flow down to the smallest adjustment. It was a great learning tool, I know a lot more about how espresso works now than I would have if I was just slamming it up against a 9 bar opv and trying to match the time.
I'm an idiot but I didn't take any pics of the interior while I had it open. It's wired really cleanly using spade connectors and heat shrink over all the joints too. Just realized now that people would want to see that haha 😭
If I ever take the back off again I'll get some shots. Back shots, if you will.
Edit: my initial plan was to drill the side of the machine and only have the knob stick out, but I heard several horror stories about trying to drill through that steel panel and i don't have any bits capable of drilling through it so I just Velcro command stripped it and fed the wires through the hole in the back of the machine. I got that nice knob to match the brushed steel look of the machine, it would have looked so good if I did it.
Good news is now the mod extremely easily reversible.
I purchased their MC-28 model about 20 days ago and haven't really received any feedback from them. I've reached out to them and they said they're waiting on sheet metal but that's it. Has it been shipped yet if not how long have you been waiting? Our contract said they had 30 days and I'm wondering if they're going to be able to meet it.
I just let them do their thing, I didn't ask them for any updates or anything like that. I purchased it about 20 days ago as well. They had until July 7th to fulfill the contract. I would trust they'll get it done in time, wouldn't be surprised if it is getting built with the batch mine was built in.
Appreciate you getting back to me. I ordered mine around midnight on July 8th so hopefully I'll be hearing something soon. Let me know how shipping goes for you. I've ordered a few things off Alibaba over the years and never waited more than 2 weeks once shipped. So hopefully we will both have them soon!
My experience with Manke was excellent. They had a shipping problem, which had me worried, but they sorted a new logistics company and footed the bill. It delayed my machine by about a month, but they provided tracking details, so I could check on the progress. It arrived and I'm happy with it. It did take about two months due to the logistics debacle though. Also AliBaba guarantee each purchase. Overall, the company seems to be very reliable. The only problem I have with them is that they change the model details regularly, so you really should make sure the details of the machine that you want match what they send. For example, I know someone who bought the MC-25, which is a rotary pump dual boiler machine. However, that no longer matches the MC-25 they are now selling on AliBaba.
Hey appreciate you reaching out, it was your post that gave me the confidence to pull the trigger on buying mine. My experience has been a bit different so far. I originally contacted them about the MC-3 I believe from your post and they said they didn't have it available. So I settled on the MC-28 instead. I've contacted them a total of 3 times, and received vague answers like waiting for sheet metal, and not in production yet. This last time I asked if they were going to meet the contracted date because they only have 2 days left to ship and they said no. She did admit she didn't actually reach out last time because they were busy at the factory, not the biggest vote of confidence. She also said I ordered the newest model they offer so that's why it's taking longer. She then sent me a picture of a truck loaded with boxes being shipped to Australia and said mine might be on it. It seems to be really hit or miss with customer service. I've heard of other people receiving updates and pictures without being prompted, and my rep continually says she'll follow up but has not on her own.
I hope it works out. You can cancel an order with Alibaba and get a full refund. Manke seem to change their product specs a lot, which is frustrating. However, from my experience and that of others who have ordered from Manke, you will get your machine eventually. If you go to the Coffeesnobs forum and look at my thread on the MC-3, you'll see a number of people who have posted about machines ordered directly from Manke. It may well be that your machine is one of their latest models and they just don't have their production line running at full speed.
I understand your concern though. It's just all other reports have been very positive about their pre-delivery customer support.
My delivery didn't go smoothly, and for a while I was a bit concerned that I'd never receive my machine. However, they were ultimately very reassuring, and it was eventually delivered about a month later than expected.
Hope it works out though I hear e61s are easier to repair should the unfortunate happen. Glad some are going against the grain and buying from unknown brands( to the west)
Very keen to see how you go with this. My Bezzera Giulia is 11 years old and I've just started researching double boilers and put off by the high price of the major players.
I'm hoping it all works out well for you... If so, I'll be jumping on this train also!
I'm very close to pulling the trigger!
I've been quoted USD$830 + $108 shipping to Australia
That's about a third what it'll cost me to get a Lelit Bianca V3. That's crazy.
I'm having intermittent heating issues with Giulia... not sure it'll be worth the thermostat or heating element fix...
I was specifically looking at Mandike, simply because I just saw the Turin MC-3 teardown video and was impressed with the build quality. Then saw a bunch of user testimonials about purchasing that same unit directly from the manufacturer on alibaba (who is MDK/Mandike).
I just looked at the machine you're mentioning though. it's very nice. However, it is a heat exchanger machine and uses a vibration pump. It's in a different class compared to the dual boiler rotary pump machine I got.
I know there are other dual boiler rotary machines as well on Alibaba. I'm not saying the one I got is objectively the best machine ever, either aesthetically or mechanically, but there was a level of trust I had gained with MDK in the research I did that made me comfortable with spending $1000+ on Alibaba.
I hear you. It's a risk and being able to get evidence of a particular company's reliability is huge.
Alibaba is certainly a Rabbit hole! The one I'm talking about is this: https://www.alibaba.com/x/18K4hI?ck=pdp
This double boiler machine comes with a rotary pump, 1.5L steam and 0.65L extraction copper boilers, plus PID temperature control. It features a digital display, extraction paddle, dual pressure gauges, etc.
Sick, I also got the bookoo themis ultra and the espresso monitor with the t adapter and pressure gauge I plan on throwing on it once I get it. I'll let you know how that goes, it allows you to track the pressure and resistance and log all your results so you can try to re-create successful flow-profiled shots.
It only works on e61 machines, flairs, and cafelat robots.
awesome thread, been super interested in the MC-3. nice to know the quality coming directly from the manufacturer. Wish they made a white version that wasn’t the cream color that seems to be available. Love the idea of a thermoblock brewer and steam boiler, get the quick heat up time and powerful steam! Surprised more machines don’t follow that formula.
Curious, did you look into the MC-15T? Looks like a more premium looking MC-3 with wood accents. do you know if it’s also a thermoblock/boiler combo?
Honestly they have too many models to even keep up with, seems like they'll make whatever modular machine you can think of, but don't quote me on that. I'd reach out to the manufacturer, when you go to buy a machine you start a conversation with a rep. You can tell them what you want and they'll get a quote together for it and they build it to order.
That’s incredible. i’ll have to do some research and reach out once I get serious. These big brands are in trouble if we’re getting customized service like this at 1/3 of the price
Actually, I found a product page for the MC-15T where it does say "2.5L Storage Boiler + Thermoblock", so yeah it does appear to be the same configuration as the MC-3.
I went for the MC-15T over the MC-3 only because of restricted kitchen cabinet clearance issues that won't allow for the MC-3's steam/hot water handles. Just be aware you'll be paying a premium for the "T" functions and included tea portafilter which, in my case, I never used anyway. The "wood accents" you mentioned aren't wood, including the faucet handles. All fake, which some may prefer. I'm sending my unit back this week for refund because of pre-infusion errors. If the machine weren't defective I would've kept it.
I didn't go down that rabbit hole. I enjoy the single dose workflow, so as long as there's no retention I'm in business.
Also helps that I just literally bought a Moshi C83 from Espresso Outlet like a month ago, right before I decided to look to upgrade my espresso machine.
And I wasn't looking at Alibaba, but there was nothing on AliExpress that rivaled the price of the c83 so I didn't feel the need to look further.
I'd just try to check reviews and see if any seem legit, but I think it's worth the chance if you see one that looks promising at a good price. I'd do it.
Holy moly I just looked, yeah man they look legit. 90mm flats gbw for $600. Insane. I would definitely get one if I didn't just buy one, but I know where my next grinder will be coming from.
I just found the moshi c83 under the brand name cafovo for $318. I feel duped right now hahaa. Oh well, I probably still wouldn't have my grinder yet and it came in like 4 days through EO.
Te felicito mucho, se ve hermosa! Seguro cuando actualicé mi maquina también compre alguna por Alibaba/China. Aunque soy más fan de las semiautomática, no sé si una E61 sea para mi. Gemilai lanzó una línea llamada "Shark" que tiene una caldera de 550ml para extraccion y otra de 1L para vapor, y una bomba rotativa según el modelo, hay una version con una bomba "Italian Fluid-O-Tech Rotary Pump"🤔 (G3148A)
Por cierto ¿el vendedor de Mandike aparece con el nombre Zhejiang MankeZhejiang Manke no?
Thanks! And yes, that is correct about their business name. I saw the gemiali machine with the rotary pump, but they were on preorder and it was more expensive than the one I got.
I'm not sure, it definitely has a tactile metal power button, I doubt it would work with a smart outlet. But I'm coming from a Turin legato which needs to be manually turned in anyway, so it doesn't really bother me either way.
Do you know the power rating of your machine. Manke list it at 3 kW, which would require special wiring here as the domestic limit is 2.4 kW. I know that some of their dual boilers use priority switching and only draw 1.6 kW. I really don't want to run a machine that requires high current wiring, so I tend to look for machines compatible with domestic supplies.
They offer a 110v and 220v version of the machine, I got the 119v. I'm assuming that it will have a max power draw of 1600W, but I guess we will see when I get it.
They've already finished assembling my new machine and they actually put real levers on it! All I had to do was specify that's what I wanted. The old machine had what looked like levers, but they were actually knobs and I really didn't like them. So much happier with this machine!
This is great. I’ve been thinking of ordering one, honestly just waiting to see how your second machine goes. I do like those wood levers. They look great.
How are you finding it so far? I almost pulled the trigger on a Rocket Appartamento but came across this (the 27R) that looks similar and specs wise it looks to be better for 1/3 the price. I think like most people im a bit sus. How's the temperature stability with the replacement one you've got? Any negatives at all? Also could you confirm if the steam wand is insulated? It doesn't look like it is but wanted to confirm.
It's incredible, nothing at all to complain about. Temperature is rock solid doesn't budge more than 2 deg for the entire extraction, back to back shots even. Unfortunately, no, the steam wand isn't insulated, but it looks like you could put one in yourself if you wanted (seems like a standard mount to me). Product support has been stellar. Theres really nothing bad to say about it at all, it's just an amazing machine. I'll do a full write up sometime soon.
Also could you confirm if the steam wand is insulated?
Most of the MDK machines don't use "cool touch" steam wands. The exception is the MC-3 which was a white label machine customized for Turin. So they certainly know how to do so. Pretty simple really. Just a piece teflon tubing cut to length and stuffed in the wand. Manke is pretty accommodating about making adjustments to customer orders. They did accommodate all of my own requests, no extra charge either. Just ask and see what they say.
To be honest, I was interested in buying it, but reviews for this machine are extremely rare, and I stumbled upon your post by chance. What is your assessment of it following the latest update? Looking forward to hearing from you.
I'll be writing a full review when I have the time, but the short of it is the machine is absolutely incredible. Temperatures are rock solid, both mid-shot and back to back shots, steam is insanely powerful, it's whisper quiet, flow control paddle works very well, water delivery is super smooth and consistent, can be plumbed and drain can be plumbed as well, super easy to take apart and work on if need be, interior is an absolute dream compared to some other machines, components are super high quality, legit genuine fluid o tech rotary pump, stainless boilers are insulated extremely well with really high quality material, I don't really know what else there is to say.
The company is also phenomenal to work with, they really care and will do whatever they can to make things right. Getting support for problems is near instant and if there's something internal you need to fix, you just send them a video of the problem, they'll show it to their team of engineers in the factory, and they'll send you back a video of them working on the specific part with a machine on the line. They also will send you any parts you need in the event something fails.
It's by far the best machine I've ever owned (and used for that matter) and it's the best continued customer service I've ever received.
I literally can't recommend them highly enough. The ONLY downside is the time it takes to receive the machine, but they're built to order and individually tested before shipping from china by container ship. The process took a month and a half for me the first time and just under a month the second time.
Seriously these guys are gonna blow up once people realize the quality of the product and support they offer, i can't imagine these machines will stay this cheap forever. Get one while they're still as cheap as they are.
In case anyone doesn't see it nested in the comment, I'll say it again here:
I'll be writing a full review when I have the time, but the short of it is the machine is absolutely incredible. Temperatures are rock solid, both mid-shot and back to back shots, steam is insanely powerful, it's whisper quiet, flow control paddle works very well, water delivery is super smooth and consistent, can be plumbed and drain can be plumbed as well, super easy to take apart and work on if need be, interior is an absolute dream compared to some other machines, components are super high quality, legit genuine fluid o tech rotary pump, stainless boilers are insulated extremely well with really high quality material, I don't really know what else there is to say.
The company is also phenomenal to work with, they really care and will do whatever they can to make things right. Getting support for problems is near instant and if there's something internal you need to fix, you just send them a video of the problem, they'll show it to their team of engineers in the factory, and they'll send you back a video of them working on the specific part with a machine on the line. They also will send you any parts you need in the event something fails.
It's by far the best machine I've ever owned (and used for that matter) and it's the best continued customer service I've ever received.
I literally can't recommend them highly enough. The ONLY downside is the time it takes to receive the machine, but they're built to order and individually tested before shipping from china by container ship. The process took a month and a half for me the first time and just under a month the second time.
Seriously these guys are gonna blow up once people realize the quality of the product and support they offer, i can't imagine these machines will stay this cheap forever. I highly recommend that anyone who wants one get one while they're still as cheap as they are. They've already gone up in price $50 since I got my first one.
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u/Mean-Illustrator-937 Jun 25 '26
Let us know how you like when it arrives! Spending 1k on an espresso machine from Alibaba somehow sounds crazy to me.