Lelit PL60PLUST Diana PID Dual Boiler Espresso Machine
Wow!!!! What can we say? We have been using this machine for our videos as well as in our showroom for the first 6 months in 2015. The results in the cup are just plain and simple AMAZING!
Back in 2015, Lelit in Italy wanted to respond to the double boiler machines entering the industry – those popular espresso machines designed in Australia, but produced in China with a plastic chassis and this thin metal. Enter the Lelit Diana – made in Italy with a stainless steel body, brass coffee boiler for superior heat stability and a stainless steel steam boiler that knocks out a punch of consistent steam power!
The Lelit Diana double boiler espresso machine dual vibration pumps to support each boiler independently in such a compact beautiful casing!
The two boilers allow to you make espresso and steam milk simultaneously. On other single vibratory pump espresso machines, there is a flaw if the pump has to refill the steam boiler while extracting the espresso. In this scenario, the pressure to the ground coffee in the filter holder can receive less pressure. This can ruin the espresso. The Lelit Diana solves this issue with 2 independent pumps – one for the coffee boiler and one for the steam boiler.
Another flaw corrected over other machines is the replacement of the steam thermoblock with a full stainless steel boiler. These thermoblocks, usually made of aluminum or brass, have a very difficult time producing good steam to produce that velvety froth or producing good powered steam. In the Lelit Diana, there is a PID controlled, large, stainless steel steam boiler which is completely dedicated for producing powerful steam. There is also circuitry to refill the steam boiler with water from the reservoir.
The extreme ease of use of this espresso machine and the superior quality make Diana the first choice for families with discerning tastes and who love to enjoy their creamy lattes and silky cappuccinos. It is certainly one of our favorites!
Features:
- Polymer tubing connecting both boilers to respective steam / hot water valves: Alimentary. Able to withstand high pressure and temperatures (up to 620 °F). Easy for repairs and most importantly, are limescale free. All drain and over-pressure water hoses are made of long lasting silicone.
- Stainless steel body: Polished to a mirror finish (exterior only).
- Dual pressure gauge: Top half measures steam boiler pressure (0 – 4 bar) with normal operating range of 0.8 to 1.3 bar. Bottom half measures brew pump pressure (0 – 16 bar) and should only be read when extracting espresso with a desired range of 8-10 bar. Your grind fineness, amount of ground coffee, and tamping pressure will need to be adjusted to get to the desired brew pressure.
- Separate indicator lights: for coffee, hot water, steam, and low water.
- Multi-directional steam wand: Single hole tip and a special porthole to in the drip tray grate to discharge the steam or condensate into the drip tray.
- Fixed position hot water wand: Never remove more than 4 ounces of water at a time so the pump can refill the boiler without damage – this is our standard recommendation on all prosumer machines sold, including ones we do not carry.
- Professional grade portafilter: Double spout, 58 mm diameter. Lelit logo imprinted on the filter head.
- PID temperature programming: Allows user to change boiler temperature through the use of the digital display/control panel on the front panel of the machine. The display reads out the current temperature of the coffee boiler and sequentially the steam boiler.
- Extremely low feet: Creates a very low profile.
- Power cord: Completely removable from machine.
- Removable water tank / reservoir: Located through top of machine.
- Removable drip tray and grill: Separate attachment for drip tray grill for smaller cups. Two separate drip trays – 1 for the coffee side, 1 for the hot water side.
- Solid brass coffee boiler: Attached to a sold brass grouphead to increase thermal stability
- Powerful steam boiler: For great steaming performance
- Accessories included: Double spout portafilter, 2-cup filter basket, plastic tamper, plastic scoop, water softener (already attached to in tank line), drip tray grill height extender (already attached to drip tray), power cord, and instructional manual.











RodneyA23669 (verified owner) –
This is a pretty cool machine!
It’s bigger than it seems in the pics, and just fits under my upper kitchen cabinets. I like the layout and the general form factor, if not just a smudge bulky seeming in person. The quality level and fit/finish is typical Lelit. And I have no doubt this machine will last for decades.
It’s surprisingly quick to come up to temperature, and the PID that controls both the coffee and the steam boilers is fantastic! Tho I do wish the display had a shot timer. The full size 58mm portafilter is quite hefty and well crafted. My bottomless PF from my VBM E61 machine fits the Diana perfectly as well. So one less PF for me to have to cut the bottom out of.
The Diana has a heavy collar for the PF and I think that adds good mass to the boiler for thermal stability. And since it’s a dual boiler you don’t have to worry about refilling the boiler as on most single boiler machines. The steam boiler has it’s own water level sensor and pump to keep it full. The toggle switch to turn on and off the steam wand seems odd at first, but is quite useful in practice. So many times I see machines that need two or more full turns of the knob to start or stop the steam – drives me crazy. So this switch might just grow on me. Although, if I had my druthers, I would like a 3 position toggle with OFF in the center position, down would be intermittent, and up would be the ON position. That would facilitate priming the wand to drain out any water before placing it into your milk pitcher.
I set my steam boiler at 255°F and it has plenty of power. And while it’s not as lightning fast as my heat exchanger machine, it’s a little more well behaved. The tapered single hole tip is very easy to craft nice microfoam with lots of control. The steam is dry and never peters out resulting in creamy, sweet, steamed milk, ready to pour some latte art.
The dual steam/pump pressure gauge is very useful. And with a blind filer in place, my Diana registers 10 bar out of the box. I may adjust the OPV down to 9 exactly, but I might leave it because I’m getting great shots so far. In fact my very first shot, with my grinder tuned for my smaller single boiler machine, was gorgeous! Watching the espresso start to form on the underside of the basket in slow sticky looking blobs, then transitioning into a tiger striped stream of creama laden love was thrilling. It was so effortless. After the extraction I immediately inspected the shower screen and found it to be a well crafted and balanced array of a million micro holes which I think contributes greatly to an even extraction from the puck. I really think the Lelit designers put some real effort into this machine and it seems nothing was overlooked.
Even so, I’m not in love with the drip tray arrangement. Or the access to fill the water tank. But, these are not things that make or break the coffee quality and I’ll happily make my concessions there rather than in the quality. I do wish the boilers were insulated as I think that’s a sensible thing for every machine to have. The idea of warming cups on top of a machine may be convenient for a cafe, but seems a waste of energy for home use in my op.
So yeah, the Diana is not exactly cheap, and at that price there are a lot of options. But, for me, the double boiler setup, full size PF, PID control, Lelit quality, all brass, stainless, heavy construction, and now seeing the performance put the Diana kind of in a league of its own!