Is Lelit Owned by Breville? The Answer

By the Di Pacci Coffee Team  ·  6 min read  ·  Updated June 2026

Is Lelit Owned by Breville? The Real Answer

Short answer: yes — but the relationship is more interesting than a simple takeover. In 2022, Australia's Breville Group acquired the Italian prosumer espresso brand Lelit, bringing two very different coffee philosophies under one corporate roof. This guide explains exactly what happened, who owns what, how the two brands still differ in engineering and intent, and which one belongs in your setup.

What Actually Happened in 2022

For years, Lelit and Breville were entirely separate companies — an independent Italian prosumer specialist and an Australian mainstream appliance brand. That changed in March 2022, when Breville Group announced it had agreed to acquire 100% of the Lelit group from its founders, the Epis family. The transaction completed mid-2022, and Lelit has operated as part of the Breville Group ever since.

The acquisition was part of a deliberate Breville strategy to build a "one-stop shop" for the specialty coffee market. It followed Breville's 2020 purchase of US grinder maker Baratza, positioning the group across machines and grinders at both mainstream and prosumer tiers. Crucially, Breville has continued to run Lelit as a distinct Italian brand rather than absorbing it — Lelit's design, manufacturing and identity remain Italian.

Sources: Breville Group ASX announcement (11 March 2022); World Coffee Portal; Daily Coffee News; Coffee Intelligence; Wikipedia (Lelit, Breville Group).

Who Is Lelit?

Lelit is an Italian prosumer espresso machine manufacturer. It was founded by the Epis family in 1986 in the Brescia area of northern Italy (Castegnato), originally producing ironing and steam systems before transitioning into the home espresso equipment it's now known for. Over the following decades, Lelit built a global reputation among serious home baristas for genuine Italian engineering — real brass E61 groupheads, copper boilers, stainless steel frames, and PID temperature control — at prices accessible to enthusiasts and small cafés.

Since the 2022 acquisition, Lelit has been part of the Breville Group, but it continues to design and manufacture in Italy and remains focused on the specialty espresso segment. Models like the Elizabeth and the flow-control Bianca V3 are among the most respected home espresso machines in the world at their price points. Di Pacci stocks the current Lelit range in Australia with full warranty support.

Who Is Breville?

Breville is an Australian appliance company headquartered in Sydney, publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: BRG). Its corporate history traces back to the 1950s, and over time it built its reputation across kitchen appliances — toasters, kettles, blenders — before its home espresso machines, particularly the Barista Express line, made quality espresso genuinely accessible to a mainstream audience.

One point that causes confusion: Breville sells under different brand names in different markets. In the UK and much of Europe, the company goes to market as Sage; in Australia, North America and most other regions, it's Breville. Sage is Breville's own international brand — not a separate company — and the Breville Group also owns Kambrook. Breville Group remains an independent ASX-listed company; it is not owned by De'Longhi or any other conglomerate.

Same Owner, Different Philosophies

Here's what makes this story interesting: even though Lelit and Breville now share a corporate parent, they remain built around fundamentally different philosophies and aimed at different buyers. Breville hasn't turned Lelit into a mainstream brand, and it hasn't pushed Italian-style flow control into its mass-market machines. The two lines stay distinct on purpose.

Breville's engineering philosophy centres on accessibility. Its machines are designed to make excellent espresso as easy as possible — integrated grinders, guided tamping, automatic milk texturing, quick heat-up. They reward you for turning them on.

Lelit's philosophy centres on precision and longevity. Its machines are built for people who want to control temperature, pressure, flow rate and extraction time. The Bianca V3's flow-control paddle is a tool for baristas who've already mastered the fundamentals and want to go further. Neither philosophy is superior — they serve different stages of a coffee journey.

Lelit vs Breville — At a Glance

Which Brand Is Right for You?

The choice comes down to where you are in your coffee journey and how involved you want to be in the process.

Choose Breville if…

You're new to home espresso, want excellent results with a manageable learning curve, or value convenience — automatic milk texturing, built-in grinders, quick heat-up. The Bambino Plus, Barista Express and Barista Touch Impress are outstanding at making great coffee easy.

Choose Lelit if…

You want to be deeply involved in the extraction, you're ready to develop technique, or you want a machine built to last a decade with proper care. The Elizabeth and Bianca V3 are built for baristas who want to understand and control every variable.

The Lelit Range at Di Pacci

Di Pacci is an authorised Lelit dealer in Australia, with the current range backed by full Australian warranty and in-house service from our Sydney team.

Lelit Mara — The Entry Point

Lelit's single-boiler E61 machine with PID temperature control — the most accessible way into genuine Italian prosumer engineering. Real brass E61 grouphead, stainless steel body, and precise temperature control for different roast profiles. It needs a separate grinder and a willingness to learn technique, but rewards that with espresso quality consumer machines can't match.

Lelit Elizabeth — Dual Boiler at an Accessible Price

Widely regarded as one of the best-value dual-boiler machines at its price point anywhere. Two separate boilers — one for brewing, one for steam — mean no waiting between pulling a shot and texturing milk, with dual PID control on each. A benchmark for home baristas making multiple milk drinks without compromising extraction.

Lelit Bianca V3 — The Flow-Control Flagship

The machine that put Lelit on the global specialty map. A dual-boiler machine with an analogue flow-control paddle that lets you manually profile pressure from pre-infusion to the end of the shot. A machine for baristas who've mastered the fundamentals and want to explore what espresso can be. We can demonstrate it in our Sydney showroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Breville Group Limited (ASX: BRG), the Sydney-based appliance company, acquired 100% of the Italian prosumer brand Lelit in 2022 for approximately €113 million (about US$124 million). The deal was effective 11 March 2022 and completed mid-2022. Lelit continues to design and manufacture in Italy and operates as part of the Breville Group.

Breville Group announced the acquisition in March 2022, effective 11 March 2022 AEST, with the transaction completing around mid-2022. It followed Breville's 2020 acquisition of US grinder maker Baratza as part of a strategy to build a one-stop offering for the specialty coffee market.

Yes. Despite being owned by the Australian Breville Group, Lelit continues to be designed and manufactured in Italy, with the brand retaining its Italian heritage and engineering approach — real E61 groupheads, copper boilers and stainless steel construction across the range.

No. Breville Group is an independent company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: BRG). It is sometimes confused with De'Longhi because both are large appliance makers active in coffee, but they are separate companies. De'Longhi's recent prosumer move was a stake in La Marzocco, not Breville.

Sage is Breville's own brand name in the UK and much of Europe — the same company and largely the same products, sold under a different name in those markets. In Australia, North America and most other regions, the brand is Breville. Sage is not a separate company.

Neither is universally better — they're built for different buyers. Breville machines make excellent espresso accessible and convenient. Lelit machines, particularly the Elizabeth and Bianca V3, are built for serious home baristas who want Italian engineering, dual-boiler performance and (on the Bianca) manual flow profiling. The right choice depends on where you are in your coffee journey.

Yes. Di Pacci stocks both the Lelit and Breville ranges across our five Australian showrooms and online with Australia-wide shipping. Our team can compare specific models side by side and give an honest recommendation based on your volume, skill level, budget and goals. Call us on (02) 9758 0760 or visit any showroom.

Free shipping on orders over $200, Australia-wide. Related reading: Espresso Machine Buying Guide · Lelit Bianca V3 — Full Details · Home Coffee Grinders