The La Marzocco GS3 is the same machine twice. Same dual boilers, same saturated group, same Florence build, same footprint on your counter. The only real fork in the road is how water gets from the boiler into your coffee: by your hand on a paddle, or by a flow meter counting for you.
That single decision changes how you make espresso every morning for the next twenty years, so it is worth getting right. Here is the honest comparison, prices included.
The short answer
- GS3 MP (Mechanical Paddle) puts a manual valve in your hand. You open it, you feel the pressure build, you shape the shot as it runs, and you close it when you decide the shot is done. Nothing is programmed. Nothing is repeatable unless you make it repeatable. AED 29,000.
- GS3 AV (Auto Volumetric) puts four programmable buttons on the group. You set a volume, press once, and walk away. The machine measures the water and stops the shot in the same place every time. From AED 28,500.
Neither is the better machine. One is a craft tool, the other is a precision instrument, and as the pricing below shows, they cost close enough to the same that money should not decide it.
At a glance
| Feature | GS3 MP | GS3 AV |
|---|---|---|
| Shot control | Manual paddle valve | Four programmable volumetric buttons |
| Flow and pressure profiling | Yes, live, across the whole shot | No |
| Pre-infusion | Manual, held as long as you like | Programmable, roughly 1 to 5 seconds per button |
| Brew pressure gauge | Periscope manometer above the group | Not fitted |
| Shot-to-shot repeatability | Down to the barista | Down to the machine |
| Coffee boiler | 1.5 L | 1.5 L |
| Steam boiler | 3.5 L | 3.5 L |
| Water reservoir | 3.5 L, plumb-in optional | 3.5 L, plumb-in optional |
| Dual PID | Yes | Yes |
| ProSteam and IoT connectivity | Yes | Yes |
| Width and depth | 40 cm x 53 cm | 40 cm x 53 cm |
| Weight | About 34.5 kg | About 34.5 kg |
| Power | 220V single phase, 2120W | 220V single phase, 2120W |
| Finishes at BeanBurds | Steelux, Black | Steelux, Black, White |
| Price | AED 29,000 | AED 28,500 to 31,000 |
What the paddle actually gives you
On the GS3 MP, the paddle drives a conical valve. Push it to the first position and water reaches the puck at low pressure. Push it further and the valve opens progressively, up to full pump pressure. Pull it back mid-shot and the pressure drops. You are not selecting a preset profile, you are the profile.
Above the group sits a periscope manometer, and this is the part people underestimate. It reads brew pressure at the group rather than at the boiler, so what the needle shows is what the coffee is actually feeling. Paired with the paddle, it turns pressure into something you can see and respond to while the shot is running.
That combination is why the MP has a following among people who chase light roasts. A long, gentle saturation followed by a slow pressure decline is difficult to do well on most machines and completely natural on this one. If you have ever watched a competition barista taper the end of a shot to protect sweetness, the MP is the machine that lets you do it at home.
The trade is honesty about repeatability. Two shots are only identical if your hand made them identical. Most owners settle into a movement they can repeat within a few months. Some never quite do, and find the inconsistency exhausting rather than interesting.
What the buttons actually give you
The GS3 AV replaces the paddle with an electronically controlled system and four programmable buttons. Each button stores a water volume, and each can carry its own pre-infusion timing, typically a short wetting phase of one to five seconds followed by a brief rest before full pressure. Programme a single, a double, a long black and a manual override, and the group runs the same recipe every time regardless of who is standing in front of it.
This is not a lesser machine, it is a different priority. Volumetric dosing is what commercial La Marzoccos have used for decades, precisely because a busy bar cannot afford variance. Bring that home and the benefit is the same: your partner, your guests and you at six in the morning all get the same espresso.
The AV also handles the boring parts better. Backflushing runs as an automated cleaning cycle with a blind basket and detergent, rather than a manual routine.
Everything that is identical
It is worth being clear about how much does not change, because a lot of buying advice implies the MP is somehow the better GS3.
Both machines run the same 1.5 litre coffee boiler and 3.5 litre steam boiler, the same exposed saturated group, the same dual PID control over coffee and steam temperature, the same pre-heating system, the same ruby flow restrictors and insulated boilers, the same performance touch steam wands, and the same 3.5 litre tank with the option to plumb in. Both are fitted with the current ProSteam steam system and IoT connectivity for the La Marzocco Home app, which handles remote on and off, scheduling, boiler temperature and shot statistics on either variant.
Steam performance is identical. Build quality is identical. Longevity is identical. Serviceability in the UAE is identical.
Does the coffee taste different?
Straight answer: not by default, and yes at the edges.
Set both machines to the same temperature, pull the same dose of the same coffee to the same yield in the same time, and the cups will be very difficult to tell apart. The boilers and the group are doing the heavy lifting, and they are the same parts.
The difference appears when you want a shot the AV cannot express. A twelve second pre-infusion, a peak at six bar instead of nine, a deliberate decline through the second half of the extraction: these are MP territory. Whether that matters depends entirely on whether you will actually use it. Plenty of MP owners settle on one movement and repeat it forever, which is a very expensive way to own a volumetric machine.
Three practical things people forget
Height and cabinets
The AV stands around 35.5 cm tall. The MP carries its manometer on a periscope above the group head, which adds roughly nine centimetres. If the machine is going under a wall cabinet, measure before you choose, because this is the single most common regret we hear.
Pre-infusion and plumbing
The MP pre-infusion position was designed around line pressure, so plumbing the machine in gives you the full gentle saturation phase at three to four bar. The valve has since been redesigned to work with the built-in reservoir, so tank use is entirely viable, but if you have the choice of a plumbed installation, the MP is the variant that benefits more from it. Many UAE apartments will not allow a plumbed line without landlord approval, so factor that in early.
Who else uses the machine
This is the question that decides it for most households. A machine used only by you can be a paddle machine. A machine used by four people before work is a button machine, unless you enjoy explaining flow profiling at 6am.
What each one costs in the UAE
This is where the decision gets easier, because the mechanism is not really what you are paying for. The finish is.
| Model and finish | Price |
|---|---|
| GS3 AV, Steelux | AED 28,500 |
| GS3 MP, Steelux | AED 29,000 |
| GS3 MP, Black | AED 29,000 |
| GS3 AV, Black | AED 31,000 |
| GS3 AV, White | AED 31,000 |
Read that table twice, because the obvious conclusion is the wrong one. The gap between the entry AV and the MP is 500 dirhams, which on a machine at this level is a rounding error, so anyone choosing the AV to save money is not really saving anything. Moving an AV from Steelux into Black or White costs 2,500 dirhams, five times that gap.
Your colour choice is a bigger financial decision than your mechanism choice. Pick the paddle or the buttons on how you actually want to make coffee, then look at the finishes knowing that is where the money moves.
Prices are correct at the time of writing, September 2026, and both variants are supplied with official UAE warranty and local service. Instalment options are shown at checkout on each product page.
Who should buy which
Buy the GS3 MP if:
- You already dial in by taste and you want pressure as another variable, not a fixed setting
- You drink light and medium roasts and want long pre-infusion and declining pressure
- You are the only serious operator of the machine
- Making the coffee is part of the pleasure, not a step before it
- You can plumb the machine in, or you are comfortable running it on the reservoir
Buy the GS3 AV if:
- You want the same espresso every single morning without thinking about it
- More than one person in the household will use it
- You are putting it in an office, a majlis, a villa kitchen or anywhere guests are served
- You would rather spend your attention on the grinder and the beans than on the shot
- Counter or cabinet height is tight
The bottom line
The GS3 is one of the few machines that genuinely deserves the word lifetime. Either variant will still be producing world-class espresso long after everything else on your counter has been replaced, and both are backed by full official warranty and local service when bought through an authorised UAE seller.
So do not choose the MP because it sounds more advanced. Choose it because you will use the paddle. And do not treat the AV as the compromise, because a shot you can repeat perfectly is worth more than a shot you can theoretically shape and rarely do. At 500 dirhams apart, let the coffee decide, not the invoice.
Still torn? Tell us what you drink, who else uses the machine and where it is going, and we will tell you which one we would put in that kitchen. Write to support@beanburds.com.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the La Marzocco GS3 in the UAE?
At BeanBurds the GS3 AV starts at AED 28,500 in Steelux and rises to AED 31,000 in Black or White. The GS3 MP is AED 29,000 in either Steelux or Black. Prices are correct at the time of writing and include official UAE warranty.
Is the GS3 MP more expensive than the AV?
Only by 500 dirhams against the entry AV, and it is actually 2,000 dirhams cheaper than an AV in Black or White. The finish affects the price more than the mechanism does.
Is the GS3 MP harder to use than the AV?
Yes, at first. The AV is usable well on day one. The MP takes a few weeks of deliberate practice before your shots become consistent, and that learning curve is the point of the machine rather than a flaw in it.
Can the GS3 MP be programmed like the AV?
No. The MP has no volumetric dosing and no shot programming. Stopping the shot is always a manual decision, usually made on a scale or a shot timer.
Does the GS3 AV do pre-infusion?
Yes. Each of the four buttons can carry its own pre-infusion, generally a wetting phase of one to five seconds and a short rest before full pressure. It is programmable rather than continuously variable, so it will not reproduce a long MP-style saturation.
Do both GS3 versions work with the La Marzocco Home app?
Yes. Current GS3 machines with IoT connectivity support the app on both MP and AV, covering remote on and off, scheduling, boiler temperature and shot statistics. Older machines can usually be retrofitted through an authorised service channel.
Can the GS3 be plumbed in, or does it have to run on the tank?
Either. Both variants ship with a 3.5 litre reservoir and both can be plumbed in. The MP gains a little more from a plumbed line because of how its pre-infusion position behaves at line pressure.
Which GS3 holds its value better?
Both hold value unusually well for espresso equipment. The MP tends to attract slightly more attention on the enthusiast resale market, though the difference is small next to condition and service history.
Is the GS3 a home machine or a commercial one?
It was engineered as a home machine using commercial technology, with an internal pump and a self-contained footprint. It is also a common choice for small offices, showrooms and tasting rooms where volume is modest.
Shop the machines: La Marzocco GS3 MP, AED 29,000 · La Marzocco GS3 AV, from AED 28,500 · the full La Marzocco range at BeanBurds.
Related reading: La Marzocco Linea Mini vs Linea Micra.
BeanBurds is the UAE home for specialty coffee equipment. Genuine products, official warranty, delivery across the Emirates.
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