La Pavoni espresso machine.

[Louis Balfour]

Does anyone here have a Pavoni? I am drawn to them because they look slightly bonkers.

[Hoover.]

I do..... I loved the style of them....and I love the idea you can take them apart and rebuild them, as all the parts seem available.

I bought a second hand one and cleaned it up, used it for a few years....... then decided to send it away and get it serviced and it came back better then ever....... one of my fav items, and a weekend ritual / treat making a coffee better then most high street shops.

[RobbieTheTruth]

No, but I'd like one!

[paralla]

Not a LaPavoni but I have a lever espresso machine from Londonium that’s a real head turner.

https://londiniumespresso.com/

[normalbloke]

Those both look amazing. Have you seen the San Remo Cafe Racer? I’ve got a San Remo Verona and it’s a fab addition to the house.

[BIRMA]

Louis Balfour said:

Does anyone here have a Pavoni? I am drawn to them because they look slightly bonkers.

That's the exact model I've just bought, apart from the fact it looks like a piece of art deco after much practice it makes a superb cup of coffee. If you have the time it's a great bit of theatre every morning too.
It reminds me of the engine castings on the Moto Morini Tressette Sprint Italian motorbike I once owned.
Feels like it will last forever.

Edited by BIRMA on Tuesday 28th September 21:10

Edited by BIRMA on Tuesday 28th September 21:11

[oddman]

A friend has one. I did a lot of research on whether to get one

For an espresso machine they are relatively cheap; they are undoubtedly satisfying to use with a degree of theatre

They are fully servicable with good parts availability

They are not really suitable if you want to pull shot after shot. Don't have any mechanism for managing temperature.

It takes most people quite a while to develop the system and technique to pull consistently good shots and the dialling in process begins every time you switch beans.

A good grinder would be a sensible partner to the machine - the pair likely to be >£1000

James Hoffman does a realistic review

[BIRMA]

oddman said:

A friend has one. I did a lot of research on whether to get one

For an espresso machine they are relatively cheap; they are undoubtedly satisfying to use with a degree of theatre

They are fully servicable with good parts availability

They are not really suitable if you want to pull shot after shot. Don't have any mechanism for managing temperature.

It takes most people quite a while to develop the system and technique to pull consistently good shots and the dialling in process begins every time you switch beans.

A good grinder would be a sensible partner to the machine - the pair likely to be >£1000

James Hoffman does a realistic review

I'd agree with everything you say, I also bought a Nespresso Vertuo a few weeks before to replace my old Nespresso machine. When friends come around in the morning (far too frequently lately) to visit I would always knock out several Vertuo coffees for them.

But recently they have seen my strange new machine and now turn their noses up at the Vertuo cup once they've experienced the Pavoni poured cup, yes the Pavoni is not suitable for knocking out 6 + coffees.

You do have to buy a grinder, I was lucky to get an unused Niche off a chap on Facebook, with it set at 9 it produces very consistent grounds for the Pavoni, so far regardless of type of bean.

I went a bit overboard and also bought a Sandbox Smart home bean roaster, this is really the way to go for the complete set up.
In fact a good friend who only drinks black coffee came around and I made him a black coffee using the Slow Roast Medium setting and the wonderful Espirito Santo green beans Bell Barista gave free with the roaster. He could not get over the taste/flavour and went out and bought the exact set up as mine. So I think I'm getting there with the machine.

At the start it is a bit daunting, all I do now is turn it on 30 minutes before I need it, Expell some hot water to get the head temperature right, there is a coloured temperature strip on the head so you can't really f**k that up, learn the art of tamping correctly and hey presto I pull 9 bar virtually every time, again the model I bought has a pressure gauge on the lever so you can get it about right every time.
Link to the Pavoni. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWfGIKVMGEc

Link to the roaster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiJRYNfw5U0

Edited by BIRMA on Wednesday 29th September 19:01

Edited by BIRMA on Wednesday 29th September 19:02

[jesusbuiltmycar]

I wonder if this would be a cheaper alternative -

9-Barista Stove top Espresso Machine

I am also interested to hear what they are like ... I have considered one but I feel I would end up drinking way too much coffee.

[wombleh]

They look great, from what I’ve read they are tricky to get right and can make great coffee. I’d like one but my current gaggia is like triggers broom so prob last a few years yet!

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Very interested. Think I'll invest.

What coffee/where from?

[Turn7]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Very interested. Think I'll invest.

What coffee/where from?

....and so it begins.....

there are countless new artisan roasters popping up all over now, all with their own ideas of what they think is best....

Edited by Turn7 on Sunday 3rd October 11:19

[BIRMA]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Very interested. Think I'll invest.

What coffee/where from?

I received free the most delightful Spirito Santo green beans from Bella Barista when I bought a Smart Roaster from them. If you are a black coffee drinker they are the smoothest tasting so far. And I'll certainly buy more from their range.
I know it's a fair outlay but a home roaster allows you to roast your own Slow Roast Medium beans or exactly as you like them, so far these have proved to taste so good, as I mentioned a friend who only drinks black coffee tried this and went out and bought the exact set up I have. he did pay over the odds for a Niche but he can afford it.