La Pavoni PC-16 Professional Espresso Machine - 16-Cup Capacity Lever Espresso Maker - Chrome Finish- Solid Brass 38oz Boiler - Dual Frothing Systems & Mounted Pressure Gauge - Made in Italy

I was an espresso machine technician in a previous decade (pre-2008 crash). I have more insight than most casual reviewers. Caution this machine is hot! In more ways than one! Seriously though be very careful once it's on. It works well straight out of the box, not too terribly difficult to use. With some skill and practice this has the capacity to make great espresso. Truly with a few cheap additional upgrades it's a good investment. It's also built like a tank, much more solidly built than the early post millennium machines. I personally appreciate some of the skill required, it's more than just pushing a convenient button. In my mind it makes the espresso just that little bit more satisfying when it turns out really well. With more skill, than happens more often. There are quite a few quick cheap upgrades you should do. - group head temperature sticker, or sensor. - single hole steam wand tip - naked portafilter with a better basket - a mirror to watch the show! My only complaint is many people now put a scale under their espresso cups and there's very very little room for that. I've had to put the cup under first, lift up, then put the scale under.

Edit: Two and a half years and still going strong making the best espresso of my day. Joy of my day. I not only enjoy the espresso it makes, but also admire its simplicity and elegance. After five months of heavy use it still works like a charm and looks good as new. I have a thing for the simpler espresso makers. I am currently using a MyPressi at work, and Presso as a backup at home. La Pavoni is the holy grail for me. Not only does it make great espresso, it also heats up pretty fast and can quickly make many servings when you have guests. Granted, once in a while, when I try a different type of beans, I might not get things quite right at first time. However, if a pull doesn't come right for a new batch of beans, that is not a source of frustration but the start of a curious experiment with the grind size, tamp, and timing. Even that takes at most two tries, and I get consistently great espresso afterwards. I like kicking horse beans, and lavazza pienaroma from amazon's selection. My local coffee shops have great beans too. We have a champion espresso maker nearby and espresso from the beans from his shop are to die for. If you are into espresso, definitely try your local coffee shops for beans, you'll appreciate your espresso machine and the local shops more.

I have been using a LaPavoni professional model for over 30 years. My pre-millennium machine finally gave up the ghost and I ordered a new one from Amazon. I was able to pull a great espresso shot, but the steamer was defective. To steam the milk, I first opened the steam wand to clear any water, then placed the pitcher under the wand. Within 5-10 seconds water again started entering the wand and the pitcher literally filled to the top with water. I repackaged and returned it to Amazon. I ordered machine #2. This one I plugged in, the on/off switch lit up so I knew it had power, but the boiler did not heat. I repackaged and returned it to Amazon. One last try, I ordered machine #3. This machine had a problem that was identical to #1. Back it went to Amazon and I threw in the La Pavoni towel. . I can’t help wonder if this poor quality construction and apparently nonexistent testing process is at all related to the sale of La Pavoni to Smeg. I decided to finally move on to a semi-automatic machine experience. I will miss my daily hands on La Pavoni experience. It’s not for everyone, but I loved making coffee with that machine.

This is a great machine! The first one I purchased was an Amazon Resale item listed as "Like New" and "mint" in the description. It looked great but water ran out of the bottom when I first put water in it (first owner probably left it plugged in and ran it out of water, who knows). Returned it the next day and bit the bullet and purchased a new one. The listing states "DUAL FROTHING SYSTEM" (the standard steam wand and an auto frothing attachment, which swaps out the primary steam wand and is placed in your mug or cup, with a tube going into your milk container. The new machine (from the same listing) was missing the auto frothing attachment. I searched in the box through all of the packing material and padding suspecting I had missed it. Not so. Dug through the provided manual. The auto frothing attachment is optional and no longer included, yet the item heading still lists it. This is not necessarily a big deal, except if they list it *they* should include it... ***EDIT*** "They" (the seller for this purchase) is Amazon. Don't want to cast aspersions on marketplace merchants :-).

This Pavoni makes excellent espresso. There are a few tricks that allow consistently excellent shots. Leave room at top of Porto filter: about 3/8 inch. A mid fill tamp Is a good idea. Then replace the nozzle provided with a single hole brass nozzle. With this installation the machine is perfect. It is regrettable the machine is not equipped with an appropriate frother given the cost of the Pavoni.

Complicada de maniobrar, no es loq esperas por el precio

I've never liked the espresso flavor and been addicted to a Turkish fine ground coffee cooked in a special jezva-pot. All changed after I've ordered the La Pavoni Machine for my wife after reading a crazy bunch of different reviews and not just regarding this beauty. The stock tamper is absolutely crappy and useless. I ordered a new 51 mm one through eBay for about 17$. You will have an issue of finding the right grinder for your La Pavoni, because the grind not just needed to be FINE, it should be the FINEST!!! My choice was to buy adjustable Hario Mini Slim Grinder that worked really nice for me. It takes a bit of time to grind, but you are getting nice ground coffee with a rich flavor. I am buying Lavazzo coffee beans (vacuum sealed 1 kg bags). Distilled water only. Finally, the taste of the espresso is amazing. Regarding the cappuccino that you can make - it's nice(as per my wife). There is no auto off-switch, that I would like to have, cause my wife is just forgetting to... Would I recommend? Definitely Yes, but not for every one... Hand pump... Hand grinder... About 1o minutes of warming up... Wonderful taste. Or may be you just need a simple Caffeine bust? If so- DONT BUY!!! Leave the purchase for those who can assess and enjoy! Cheers!