La Sorrentina Atomic Espresso Maker

This thing is the greatest! I wake up every morning excited to make my cappuccino - it's so much better than anything I can get in a cafe. The steam valve is so powerful, the foam is extraordinary. It's easy to take care of and a joy to clean because it's such a beautiful elegantly designed work of art. I thought I was being frivolous with my money, buying this for myself, but now I see, this is the best thing I've bought for years. My mother used one in the seventies which is how I knew about it, but it's much more than a nostalgic object, it's really one of the most well designed and satisfying day to day objects I've ever had. I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you, Taylor & Ng for so faithfully remaking an artifact of genius.

I've returned 3 semi-automatic machines recently because they had various issues - but...I'm not returning this! First, I'm a home barista with 4 years experience with a La Pavoni Europiccola piston/lever manual espresso machine and 5 different Moka Pots. This is a one-piece cast aluminum reproduction of the 1947 original Italian design. I'm pretty sure this is made in China, but don't let that dissuade you from purchasing. I treat this as I would my espresso machines, I use only low TDS bottled spring water, premium, 100% Arabica beans ground to near Turkish/very fine powder in a Eureka Mignon burr grinder and pair the pot with the Ovente 1000 Watt Infrared hot plate. You could go with a higher wattage, but this seems to do just fine without heating up the surrounding area. The resultant coffee was not espresso and that's fine, I didn't expect espresso with crema because of the portafilter design, it's more like Moka Pot coffee. The coffee was dark, rich and VERY smooth - not burnt at all, way better than Moka Pot coffee. My Process: 8 ounces of cold water, fill the portafilter over the rim with finely ground (powdery) coffee of a medium/Espresso roast (not oily, burnt beans). Level the coffee with the rim and tamp with a 51mm stainless Von Shef Tamper as far as it goes, which yields the perfect depth and compactness about 1/4 inch lower than the basket rim. The coffee comes out in drips rather than a steady stream - that's OK, I keep a shot glass under to capture the first 60 ml or so, then swap the aluminum cup under. You could catch all in the cup or add a lot more water to the tank at the beginning for a perfect Americano, but I prefer the concentrated Moka coffee for my Cappuccino. There will always be a little water left in the bottom for steam to froth milk, and at 1000 watts power, there is more than enough pressure to froth and steam the milk properly. The machine comes with: a Double Shot Basket, Single Shot Basket and Blank Disk for pure steam. The brew head looks just like a Moka Pot screen and cleans similar with a nylon brush. I only clean with hot water, no soap and use the brush on the screen, easey peasey similar to the Moka Pot. Purge the steam wand after frothing milk and you'll have no problems. I highly recommend this machine and love it so much. Only 4 Stars for appearance, the cup should be as bright and shiny as the pot for this price point. 🙁Oct 12th 2019 - Addendum:This is NOT a La Sorrentina machine.. It arrived in a plain cardboard box and was not branded "La Sorrentina Atomic" on the top. There is a hex nut in the neck that is sharp, that is actually the OPV. It still makes great coffee, but I have vastly overpaid for a knockoff. On the bottom it says: "Made In Taiwan". I was confused by the plain cardboard box and not the colorful La Sorrentina one. I recommend that the seller change the item description and a clear picture to accurately reflect what you receive. It does irk me that the jug is NOT the same high polish as the coffee maker. Three stars for misrepresentation, the sharp hex nut OPV, and dull finish jug. Still makes good coffee though.

ha ha ha love my sorrentina the greatest moments just looking at it great piece to own the cofee is excellent but no crema and honestly dont need it the cofee tastes great soooooo glad i got one is a small piece of history and i admire how giordano robiatti tackled the expresso problem with amazing dexerity and superb style honestly i would have payed much more

Wow, what a great machine! So easy and fun to use. And gorgeous. And makes delicious coffee. Worth the $$

My only issue, which isn't the case in my old Atomic (an antique), is that the filter baskets don't fit snugly in the portafilter. They may have been mismatched? It can result in a slight gap when attached to the body, which can let a little steam escape.

Okej

does everything asked of it - good coffee and good looks - money very well spent - I have purchased 3 of these now,( 2 as gifts) and just love them

I owned an original Atomic machine and am very pleased with the La Sorrentina. It would be nice if they included a spare gasket.