La PavoniEPC-8 Europiccola Lever Style Espresso Machine – Chrome & Silver – Manual Espresso Maker - 0.8 L Water Capacity, Authentic Italian Craftsmanship for Home Use

This is a classic manual Italian-made Espresso machine, and it truly makes outstanding Espresso, but there are a few things to consider before buying this machine. First of all, this machine is for the Espresso lover who likes at least some control (in this case pressure via the lever) and drinks maybe 4-6 Espressos a day. It would be no problem to prepare more, but if you are into a lot of shots per day with as little work as possible, this may not be the machine for you. I personally also don't drink Capucchinos or Lattes, so will not comment on that particular feature. I also think if this your preferred drink, you may not per se need a Pavoni, as Espresso quality is perhaps still important, but not as critical (my 2 cents on that). You need to be willing to put some time into preparing your shots, refine your grind, tamp settings, and also be willing to learn how to operate the machine. It is not hard, but will take at least a little bit of time (days to weeks). I personally love it, and am now (after about 4 weeks) able to make consistent (in my opinion) great Espresso shots with lots of crema, flavorful and not bitter. But it does take some getting used and playing around with the settings, but is well worth the effort. I will discuss PROS and CONS, some TIPS on how to use it, and also some needed or recommended ACCESSORIES below.PROS:- The Espresso quality is truly outstanding (that's what it's all about, isn't it?)- Classic design, certainly a "statement" in the kitchen, if this is what you are looking for- Manual control of pressure (and with that extraction time), I personally love this feature- Built with high quality components, and if taken care of, can last for a long time, perhaps life-timeCONS:- There is a learning curve, but I was able to make good shots within a few days, and great shots within a few weeks, I used to own many Espresso machines in my life, but this is by far the best- The machine is getting very hot after a while, so be aware of that, and definitely keep out of reach of children!- Many people complain that one can not change the water when the machine is still on (hot / pressurized), as one has to depressurize the machine first. In my experience, this is not a big deal at all, as it only requires to turn on the pressure steamer and once the machine has been depressurized, the machine can be easily refilled (BTW: manufacturer recommends to unplug the machine while doing this)- The machine should not be left on throughout the day, manufacturer recommends for up to 30 min, I fully agree with this recommendation, as the machine does tend to get too hot after 30 minutes plus, and a machine that is too hot will negatively affect espresso quality (in my view adding bitterness, less flavor, shot too hot, may also affect crema). This means that the machine has somewhat of a temperature sweet spot, I find that to be between maybe 15 - 25 minutes or so after turning the machine on (may require some experimentation). The machine has a green light that turns itself off when the machine is supposed to be "ready" (maybe 5-7 minutes or so), but I don't think it is ready at that point, and while you can pull an "early shot" at that stage, the shot temperature will likely be too low / too cold, and the extraction not ideal, shot quality OK, but not great- You may have to be willing to replace gaskets etc eventually. For the mechanically inclined this may not be a big deal, but for some people it might be an issue, for more info see replacement part websites tips belowTIPS:- You will need a high quality burr grinder to make great shots with the Pavoni, I personally use the Mazzer Mini Electronic Grinder - Type B, I had the Breville Smart Grinder before, but I feel it was not up to the task, and I was unable to "choke" the Pavoni with the Smartgrinder, which is perhaps not critical, but shows that the Pavoni needs a fairly fine grind, plus the Mazzer lets me really fine tune the grind as it is "step less"- I use filtered water (others even use bottled water), and heat the machine passed the point where the green light turns itself off, for about 15 minutes, this seems to be close to the "sweet spot". If you leave the machine on longer than 30 minutes, the machine tends to get too hot, and espresso quality suffers- Of course, use fresh beans (I use a local roaster), and a decent tamper (51 mm), I tamp it fairly hard (many recommend about 30 pounds and this works fairly well with the Pavoni in my experience)- When pulling a shot, I leave the lever in the up position for 10 seconds, and then pull down to finish the shot before 30 seconds- I tend to pull an "empty" water shot into my espresso cups, which warms up the port-a-filter (if it wasn't inserted already), and of course also the cups, but also cleans out any remaining grinds from the group head- I clean the group head after every shot, and also empty and clean the machine at the end of the day, I think this will help in the long run- I removed the plastic cover that goes over the glass sight as it tends to collect dirt, and is otherwise not particularly useful as the machine gets hot anyway, but the risk is that you break the glass sight if you are not careful, I haven't so far!- This machine (like all espresso machines) needs to be cleaned regularly (I would say daily and/or after each use, which doesn't take much), and since Chrome can corrode, I suggest to make sure the machine is dry after each useRECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES:- You will need a high quality burr grinder as mentioned above, as mentioned I went with a Mazzer, and had less luck with the Breville Smart Grinder, so this may require a significant investment in addition to the La Pavoni, but in my view worth it (the Mazzer is built like a tank)- You will need a 51 mm Tamper (that's the correct size for the new Europiccolas), I got one of the flat "Chinese" heavy duty ones from Amazon, and that one does the trick for me, since the group head is flat, I am not sure you need a curved tamper- Nylon brush (to clean group head in particular)- Cleaning accessories (in particular decalcifier - I use Durgol Swiss Decalcifier, available on Amazon)- Many people recommend to get a second portafilter basket, I did not get one, and am not sure why you need one- I added a pressure gauge to my machine from orphan espresso, see (item number: 1389 Europiccola Pressure Gauge Adapter - SMALL THREAD with Gauge) -> you will need some Teflon tape, otherwise, it will leak, but this is an easy install and works perfectly and provides you with pressure reading, note that this is not the pressure reading of the group head. Of course, the manufacturer does not recommend this, and it may void the warranty, however, it would be very simple to retrofit it to the original state (simple screw)- If you prefer to pull your shots in a single glass, one can remove the spout from the portafilter (but then tamping becomes challenging)- Replacement parts are available at espressoparts dot com, orphanespresso dot come and also partsguru dot come I have ordered from orphanespresso, and so far am very happy with that site (prices reasonable as well)INCLUDED ACCESSORIES- small portafilter: most people never use it, I don't either- capuccino accessory: can't comment on it, don't use it, sorryI hope this review is helpful, I love this machine and I hope to keep it for a long time, but it is definitely not for everyone!

This was a birthday gift I drove to Canada and had to bring back because it was rusted on the sight glass, water was everywhere and the machine didn't turn on. Shocked.

Due to either poor handling or poor quality of manufacture, the steam release spout was cracked down the middle. This would be an annoyance if not for the leaking release valve, which lets out all of the steam and drips all over the side of the main tank before it ever reaches the spout. I tried to reach out but they only offered a refund upon the return of the entire machine when I only wanted a replacement of these parts.It would otherwise be a fully functional and beautiful machine, shame that it’s such a coin toss on the quality and customer support.

I have a Crossland CC1 espresso machine that has more bells and whistles than you can imagine and is programmable to the n’th degree. When it started having difficulties with the PID, rather than replace it my wife generously suggested I replace it with a new one.I looked long and hard at various machines and to buy anything with even close to the features of the Crossland was going to run into around $1500 just for starters.A James Hoffmann video on YouTube pushed me in the opposite direction - levered machines that have a lot more “hands on” to them, so I settled on the La Pavoni Europiccola.I almost got the pro model instead but I seldom make more than a few cups a day for myself and my wife and decided the longer warm up time wan’t worth having a bigger boiler, I’m glad I went that route.First, as long as you have a decent grinder, it won’t take you long to get the hang of this and start pulling excellent shots. I can safely say I’ve gotten better quality espresso from this than I ever got from the crossland, partially because I probably didn’t have the crossland set up that great, but also because you can literally feel and control the pull on each shot.However, unlike the crossland that absolutely did everything exactly the same each time, it’s almost impossible to accurately duplicate shots, unless you’re doing them back to back. I roast my own beans so I know the quality of my coffee is top notch and fresh, but sometimes beans that produce a nice creamy well balanced shot will turn around later and give me something tart and unpleasant. I’m chalking this up to the learning curve.I’ve dinged the product significantly in terms of value for money because now that I have one I seriously believe it is overpriced for what you get.This is a hot water kettle with a hand pump attached - that’ s really the only way to sum it up. The only electrical elements in it are a simple boiler with something to detect pressure and shut it off. I know in order to make a profit La Pavoni has to charge enough for them to come out ahead, but at these prices you should also get:A decent tamper - the plastic one is really crap and you’ll have to buy a new one. If they’re going to saddle you with a plastic deal, at least give you one that fits!A way better steamer tip - the three hole tip that comes with it is useless - I cannot achieve anything but hot milk with some foam on top and I’m used to steaming milk. I’ve had to order a new single hole tip.A bottomless portafilter - if you use the standard portafilter that comes with it you’ll not get much of anything taller than an espresso cup to fit under it - plus, everybody should have a bottomless portafilter anyway.A decent chrome grate - the one that comes with it is a cheap little plastic dish affair that I fear will break easily if not carefully handled.And a pressure gauge which I knew ahead of time doesn’t come with this model. I’m not retrofitting it with one but come-on, how hard would that’ve been? They should all have the gauge.My Crossland has a pro-size 58mm portafilter, so everything I used with it, tamper, distribution tool had to be replace for the la Pavoni. Though I knew this ahead of time you need to be aware. If you have any desire to steam decent milk drinks you’ll have to replace the steamer tip too, AND, if you want to really get an idea how to pull decent shots you’ll need a bottomless portafilter. All that’s going to set you back at least another $100 if not more.So, while I am keeping this and I am enjoying it, I find myself wishing I’d held out and gotten a 2nd hand one for considerably less.Bottom line - it will make excellent espresso, but you’re going to have to buy more stuff for this to get it to work satisfactorily ‘cause out of the box it’s not ready for prime time.