For home coffee fanatics, having an espresso machine of oneโs own is the dream. And not just any espresso machine, weโre talking the good stuff, something high end, powerful enough to keep those โIโm going to start a pop-upโ dreams alive, but slim and good-looking enough to earn a place atop the countertopโwhere it wonโt ever move from, letโs be honest. The espresso machine du jour captivating the hearts and minds of the home espresso crowd is the La Marzocco Linea Mini.
Luckily, one Lego designer is trying to use little tiny plastic bricks to make your espresso dreams a reality, in a way. And with enough support, the La Marzocco Linea Mini Lego set could be coming to a store near you.
Designed by user CoffeeBrick, the 1:2 Lego replica is a spitting image of the real thing. Standing 20 x 22 x 22cm, the cherry red single-group espresso machine has all the appointments of a real Linea Mini. And itโs more than just looks. The 1,500 piece set even attempts to โsimulate its basic functionsโ including working LEDS, a portafilter that fits inside the grouphead, moving pressure gauges, the paddle that actually functions like the real thing. Perhaps the coolest part though, is when you flip the paddle, espresso colored Legos are actually dispensed out of the grouphead.
It is a pretty amazingโand very meticulousโrecreation of the beloved home espresso machine. But it still has a ways to go before it has a chance to be moved into production. The design currently exists on Lego Ideas, the companyโs site where home builders can submit their creations to be considered for by the Lego team. The process can take years and must reach certain supporter levels in order to earn more time to gain even more supporters. The ultimate goal is 10,000 supporters, at which time the design will then be reviewed by Lego experts. If they love it as much as everyone else, the design will make it to production for all the world to purchase.
The Linea Mini Lego design was submitted at the end of June and has already passed the first hurdle, 100 supporters, netting it an extra 12 months to pick up steam. The next goal is 1,000 supporters, which the campaign as of press time already has over 600.
Hereโs where you, the people, Lego fan or not, can help out. You can go to Lego Ideas and create an account of your own to support the Lego Linea Mini. Itโs completely free to do and will take all of five seconds out of your day (I know this from experience).
If we all pull together, maybe, just maybe, we can help bring the Lego La Marzocco Linea Mini into existence.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
