Description
The LERTIN EM626 is a semi automatic pump espresso machine that publishes more of its own numbers than almost anything else at its price. LERTIN specifies a 20 bar pump, a 1200 watt boiler, a PID thermostat holding 198 degrees Fahrenheit, a 16 second preheat, a 57.5 ounce removable water tank and a display showing live brew time and water temperature. It measures 13.23 inches deep, 7.64 inches wide and 15.28 inches tall at 9.43 pounds.
A live temperature and timer readout is the feature that distinguishes this machine. Shot time and brew temperature are the two variables that decide whether a shot is sour, balanced or bitter, and most machines in this bracket display neither. Being able to see both while the shot runs turns dialling in from guesswork into a measurable process, which is worth more to a learner than another five bar of nominal pump pressure.
Temperature Control and the 198 Degree Setpoint
LERTIN states a PID controlled thermostat holding 198 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly 92 degrees Celsius. That sits squarely in the conventional espresso brewing range, which is generally given as 90 to 96 degrees Celsius, and it is a sensible middle setting for a machine that does not let the user change it.
Publishing a setpoint at all is unusual here. Most listings in this price band claim precise temperature control without ever saying what temperature is being controlled to, which makes the claim unverifiable. The listing does not state the stability band around that setpoint, so how tightly it is actually held remains unknown. What can be said is that the number is plausible and the display allows an owner to observe the behaviour directly rather than take it on trust. The HiBREW H10B goes a step further by making the extraction temperature adjustable.
Brewing, Preheat and Shot Volume
The 16 second preheat claim implies a low mass thermoblock rather than a boiler, which is consistent with a 1200 watt element in a 9.4 pound machine. Single and double filter baskets are supplied, and the machine offers user defined shot volume, so extraction can be programmed to a set quantity rather than stopped by hand.
The 20 bar pump rating carries the same caveat it does everywhere: it is the pump’s maximum against a closed valve, not the pressure at the puck, which settles near 9 bar during a real extraction. LERTIN also claims that the stainless boiler surface resists scale accumulation. Smoother surfaces do slow scale adhesion, but no material prevents it, and descaling remains necessary in hard water areas regardless of the boiler finish.
The Cold Extraction Function and Its Procedure
The cold brew function on this machine comes with an explicit and unusual operating requirement that buyers need to read before purchase. LERTIN states that the power button must be off and the boiler cool before the cold extraction function is used, and that ice water should be added to the tank. In other words, the machine pumps unheated water through the puck under pressure with the heater disabled.
That is a real mechanism and a real limitation. It means cold extraction cannot follow a hot shot without waiting for the boiler to cool, which on a machine used every morning is a meaningful constraint rather than a footnote. It also means the result is a pressurised cold extraction rather than true cold brew, which steeps coarse grounds for many hours to achieve its low acidity. Owner feedback identifies this procedure as the main inconvenience of the machine. Anyone whose main interest is cold brew proper is better served by a steeping vessel from the cold brew category.
Steam Wand, Tank and Daily Handling
The steam wand rotates through 270 degrees with a removable nozzle and an insulated rubber sleeve, and doubles as a hot water outlet for americanos and tea. A removable nozzle is the detail that keeps a cheap wand serviceable, since milk residue in a fixed tip is what eventually blocks it.
The 57.5 ounce tank is 1.7 litres, which is generous and reduces refilling substantially. It is transparent with a visible level and a red float that rises as the drip tray fills, so both ends of the water path are monitored. The drip tray is stainless and removable to take taller cups. Auto shut off triggers after 30 minutes of inactivity. Owner feedback notes that the tank itself is plastic while the body is stainless, which is normal at this price but relevant to how the machine will look after several years.
Build, Portability and Where It Sits
LERTIN lists camping among the recommended uses, which is unusual and worth examining. At 9.43 pounds and 15.28 inches tall the machine is transportable in the sense that it can be carried, but it needs mains power at 1200 watts, which rules out anything but a powered pitch or a vehicle with a substantial inverter. Read it as a machine that can be moved between a kitchen and a second location rather than as camping equipment.
The body is stainless steel with a plastic tank, and the drip tray is stainless and removable to take taller cups. The 7.64 inch width is moderate rather than narrow, and the 15.28 inch height is the figure worth checking against wall cabinets, since the tank lifts out from the top on machines of this layout. For a slimmer body with a comparable feature set, the HiBREW H10B is 5 inches wide and gives up the live temperature display in exchange.
What the Specifications Do Not Settle
The included components field lists only a milk frother, which is clearly incomplete given the manufacturer describes single and double baskets, so the actual box contents should be confirmed before assuming a tamper is included. There is no portafilter diameter, no basket dose in grams, no indication of whether the baskets are pressurised, no voltage and no warranty term.
The cold extraction cycle has no stated duration and no stated yield. The stability band around the 198 degree setpoint is not given. And the model reached the market in October 2024 with a small published review count, so there is no long term owner history indicating how the thermoblock, the pump or the display hold up. LERTIN’s own EM615 is the sibling model and shares the same brand uncertainty.
Who It Suits
The EM626 suits a learner who wants to see what the machine is doing. A live shot timer, a published brew temperature and a programmable shot volume at this price give someone the instrumentation to actually improve, and the 1.7 litre tank makes daily use easy. Pairing it with a burr grinder is what unlocks the rest.
It is a poor choice for anyone who wants cold extraction on demand, because of the boiler cooling requirement, and for anyone who needs an established service record. The SOWTECH JH-C5119 offers a similar cold mode without documenting the procedure as clearly. Buyers who want reliability history above all should look at the long running models in the espresso machine category.
