La Marzocco · Flagship Commercial
Strada ABR 3 Group — Customisable
The Strada is La Marzocco's flagship, and its defining feature is not a control system but an architecture: every group head gets its own coffee boiler. Three groups, three independently controlled brew temperatures, on one machine.
Most commercial machines ask a bar to settle on one brew temperature. The Strada does not. Each group runs an independent insulated coffee boiler under its own PID, alongside the steam boiler, with water pre-heated before it ever reaches those boilers. It is a considerable amount of hardware to solve one problem, and it solves it completely.
- La Marzocco
- Strada
- ABR
- 3 Group
- Boiler Per Group
- Saturated Groups
- Pre-Loved
What you are getting
A boiler for every group
Independent insulated coffee boilers, each PID controlled. Run a light Ethiopian on one group and a dark house blend on the next, both at the temperature they actually want, simultaneously.
Volumetric dosing with drip-tray scales
Auto-volumetric dosing with precision scales in the drip tray, stopping the shot by mass rather than volume.
Pre-heating and staged pre-infusion
Incoming water is brought to temperature before entering the boiler, and pre-infusion runs in two programmable stages. Stability through a rush comes from these rather than from sheer boiler mass.
Built low on purpose
The low profile puts the barista in view of the customer rather than behind a wall of stainless, with a wide open work area and dual steam wands. On a bar where coffee is the show, the machine is designed not to block it.
Being clear about what Auto Brew Ratio (ABR) does
The Strada name is bound up with pressure profiling, so it is worth stating plainly which configuration this is. This is the Auto Brew Ratio (ABR) configuration, which programmes dose and pre-infusion but does not vary pressure during extraction. Pressure profiling on the Strada platform belongs to the paddle configurations and the Strada X. Every other Strada characteristic — the boiler per group, per-group temperature control, the pre-heating system, the low profile — is present regardless of configuration.
What pre-loved means here
This machine has had a prior working life and is priced well under new. The Strada is a flagship platform, so buying pre-loved is how most operators get to one at all. Expect cosmetic marks consistent with use and cleaning, and assess it as used commercial equipment — with the note that there is more hardware here than on a conventional machine, since each group runs its own boiler.
Before ordering, check the terms that apply — our Shipping, Returns & Warranty page sets out what cover applies, and it differs between new and used equipment.
Choosing a configuration
Three groups suits busy specialty sites with more than one barista working the bar at once. Because each group carries its own boiler, thermal recovery per group is generous, so the sizing question is about bar workflow and how many baristas need to work at once rather than about the machine keeping up.
Specification detail
| Brand |
La Marzocco |
| Model |
Strada ABR |
| Groups |
3 |
| Configuration |
Auto Brew Ratio (ABR) |
| Boilers |
An independent insulated coffee boiler per group, plus steam boiler |
| Group design |
Saturated |
| Temperature control |
Multiple PID — per group and steam |
| Pressure control during extraction |
No — dose and pre-infusion programmable |
| Pre-infusion |
Two-stage, programmable |
| Pre-heating |
Water pre-heated before entering the coffee boiler |
| Steam |
Dual wands, lever-actuated proportional solenoid valve |
| Finish |
Customisable |
| Condition |
Pre-loved |
| This particular machine |
Auto Brew Ratio with drip-tray scales |
| Installation |
Plumbed to mains, drainage required |
| Country of manufacture |
Italy |
Warranty: This machine is covered by a three month parts warranty, covering parts only and excluding consumables. Full terms are set out on our Shipping, Returns & Warranty page.
Installation: a plumbed, high-draw commercial machine requiring a mains water connection, drainage and a suitable dedicated electrical supply. A Strada carries more heated volume than a conventional machine, so have a licensed electrician confirm your supply and a qualified technician handle installation and commissioning.
Water treatment and grinder pairing
Water treatment matters more here than on most machines, simply because there are more boilers to protect. Fit filtration or softening suited to your local supply and keep to a replacement schedule.
Pair it with a grinder that holds a setting through a full service. A machine that lets you set temperature per group is wasted behind a grinder that drifts. Our commercial coffee grinders range covers the options, and the wider commercial coffee machines collection is there if you are still comparing platforms.
Placing an order
Freight is calculated at checkout, and our Shipping, Returns & Warranty page covers delivery and returns terms. For questions on configuration or fit-out, contact our team, or see our finance options if you would rather spread the cost.
Questions we get asked
Why does each group have its own boiler?
Every Strada gives each group head an independent insulated coffee boiler, so brew temperature can be set separately on each. A light single origin and a dark house blend can run side by side at the temperatures they each want, at the same time, on the same bar. It is the reason the Strada exists.
Does this configuration do pressure profiling?
No — and this is worth being clear about, because the Strada name is associated with pressure profiling. That belongs to the paddle configurations (MP and EP) and the Strada X. This is the Auto Brew Ratio (ABR) configuration: it controls dose and pre-infusion, not pressure through the shot. Everything else about the Strada platform — a boiler per group, per-group temperature, the pre-heating system — is the same.
What is the two-stage pre-infusion?
Pre-infusion wets the puck at low pressure before full extraction pressure arrives, and on the Strada it runs in two programmable stages. It evens out extraction and is programmable per group, so it does not depend on the barista remembering to do it.
What is the pre-heating system?
Incoming water is brought up to temperature before it enters the coffee boiler. That keeps the boiler from having to recover from a cold inrush during heavy service, which is where temperature stability is usually lost.
Why is the machine so low?
Deliberately. The low profile lets baristas see and talk to customers over the machine rather than around it, and gives a much more open work area. On a bar where the espresso is part of the presentation, that matters.
Is 3 groups right for my venue?
Three groups suits busy specialty sites with more than one barista working the bar at once. With an independent boiler per group there is also more thermal capacity per group than on a conventional machine, so sizing is about workflow more than recovery.
What do I need in place before installation?
A mains water connection, drainage and a suitable dedicated electrical supply. A Strada has more heated volume than a conventional machine, so confirm requirements with a licensed electrician and have a qualified technician handle installation and commissioning.
What pre-loved means here?
This machine has had a prior working life and is priced well under new. The Strada is a flagship platform, so buying pre-loved is how most operators get to one at all. Expect cosmetic marks consistent with use and cleaning, and assess it as used commercial equipment — with the note that there is more hardware here than on a conventional machine, since each group runs its own boiler.
