DISCONTINUED Lelit PL53 Doserless Stepless Espresso Grinder
Please visit one of the links below for more comparable products.
Check out the new PL044MM model.
This model has been replaced by the new Fred grinders PL044MM-120 and PL043MMI.
Lelit PL53 Fred Doserless Stepless Espresso Grinder
Do you want the best value in an espresso coffee grinder? This grinder produces a good consistent grind quality that no almost no other espresso coffee grinder can in this price range. The Lelit PL53 is the only all stainless steel, polished body, doserless, conical burr espresso grinder with stepless adjustment for under $300.00. Can we say more? This grinder is mainly for grinding espresso only. Although it ‘can’ be used for other coffee brewing methods, the turning of the knob on the stepless adjustment can be cumbersome to rotate many times for different brew methods. When we say many times, we mean hundreds of rotations. This is why we recommend to use the grinder for one brew method only – espresso.
Features:
- The powerful 150-watt motor activates through the use of a microswitch that you can press your portafilter right up against and get freshly ground coffee directly into your portafilter.
- The stepless adjustment allow you to fine tune your grind for the perfect espresso grind. This is different than stepped adjustment where one can use only setting #8 or #9, but no in-between!
- Conical burrs with the larger burr outside diameter size measured at 38mm.
- Burrs made of hardened steel.
- Approximate tinted plastic bean hopper capacity: 150 grams (5.29 ounces).
- Bean hopper which is easily removable for hand cleaning (not dishwasher safe).
- Standard 110 volt outlet comes out from back of unit.
- Compact size makes it even a great grinder for traveling!
- Doserless chute on front is removable for cleaning.
- The bean hopper now has numbers written which you can use a “guide” to see your current setting. Â Please note there is no indication on the grinder itself to line up with the numbers.
- Removable stainless steel catch tray allows easier cleaning versus a fixed tray.
- Accessories included: removable stainless steel catch tray and instructional sheet.
- “Weird Al Yankovic has been satisfied with the performance of the Lelit PL53 grinder!”
- Warning: Be careful to not allow the burrs to touch and lock up the grinding burrs. This will not be covered under warranty if you lock up the burrs.
- Warning: If there are coffee beans in the hopper, the grinder should be turned on and running when changing settings more than 1 knob rotation. The reason is that the grinds can stick to the burrs – especially when turning the knob finer.
- Brewing methods: This grinder is designed for espresso grinding ONLY. It will not grind beans for American (aka brown) coffee. Try on of our Baratza grinders if you are looking for a home grinder for both espresso and regular coffee.
- Doserless chute: It can be a challenge to place the chute back on after removal. The chute needs to be held extremely firm against the body, and sometimes the screw needs to be positioned at a slight angle when inserted and tightened.
- Upon first use: Every grinder gets tested by Lelit. Every grinder will arrive with coffee grinds. This grinder also comes factory set 4 full rotations finer than necessary. We recommend turning the knob 4-6 full rotations coarser before using it for the first time.
- PL043 model: There is another Lelit grinder named PL043 which is brought into the United States by another importer. Please note this grinder is not the same as our PL53 which has a stepless adjustment feature to fine tune the espresso grind fineness settings and has metal guides for the portafilter.
- 220 volt version: Sorry, we only carry the 110 volt version.
- Environment: This grinder is intended for household use only. Commercial use will deem this product as non-returnable and will void the warranty.
- Grinding adjustment: This grinder uses a stepless worm-gear adjustment. This gives you grind adjustment to the nth degree, but also means switching from espresso grind to drip grind is quite a chore. Commonly, this adjustment requires 50+ turns of the knob. For most users this is an unacceptable ammount of dialing for a quick swap. We recommend using this grinder dedicated to one brew type. This means set it for a certain type of grind and leave it. You will still have to adjust (usually 1 to 5 turns) to compensate for bean type, oils, humidity, etc. If you require a grinder that is easily swappable from drip to espresso or any other type of grind, consider one of our Baratza grinders.
- Bean hopper: The only recurring complaint we’ve received about the pre-2011 PL53 grinder is the bean hopper. Removing and replacing the hopper requires a gentle touch on pre-2011 models. Several customers have experienced the neck of the hopper cracking. We offer an upgraded hopper for the Lelit for this reason. Some folks may still want to order this smaller bean hopper as the optional one is smaller. To order this stronger upgraded hopper, please purchase SKU: MI110. Please note however, while less prone to cracking- this hopper is not tinted and sunlight may affect your beans faster.
- Electrical cord: The electrical cord is placed between the packaging (foam or cardboard) and the underside body of the grinder. During shipping, it is normal for a bend or insignificant blemish/slice to damage the cord.
| Brand | Lelit |
|---|---|
| Height (inches) | 12.5, approximate |
| Width (inches) | 5, approximate |
| Depth (inches) | 8.5, approximate |
| Weight (pounds) | 6 |
| Wattage (watts) | 150 |
| Voltage (volts) | 110 – 120 |
| Burr size (mm), Type | 38, conical |
| Grinding speed (RPM) | 570 |
| Country of manufacture | Italy |
