La PavoniPC-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

This machine makes great coffee. better than you can get in most coffee shops with a little practice.I have been using one since 1985 and swear by it. Purchased the first one in Milan Italy. Cant go wrong with this item.

What a beautiful machine. You're in full control here, and that means that there's going to be a learning curve, which may frustrate some while bringing joy to others. When you finally start getting things right, the espresso can at times be life changing, but such can also have a tendency to come and go until you master your technique completely. The machine is very well built, designed to last a long time and is easily serviced. There's many stories of these machines working well 30+ years with nothing more than basic care and maintenance. It is not well suited out of the box for leaving on for long times, nor pulling many back to back shots. The group head temp can overheat when trying to do so, which can wildly impact extraction (there's mods to help with this if you need them). It has a relatively small portafilter so I typically run a 15 gram dose and target a 2:1 extraction, but you can get the normal 18 gram dose to work by adjusting your pre-infusion technique. There's aftermarket shower heads, naked portafilters, options for measuring and profiling extraction pressure, ways to monitor group head temp, and PID controller mods, all of which will add to cost, but if you want to tech things out you can, and such may help with the learning curve starting out. When you consider the cost over the years the machine will last, it's very cost effective and it can reward you with skills, flexibility and an experience you're not going to get with an auto or super auto machine.

After about four years the bottom part started leaking and was told I need replacement parts and threw away the machine. This very expensive machine is advertised as a symbol of good technology and Italian tradition, but it is not! It is like any other espresso/cappuccino machine that leak after a few years and it becomes just a mess.In my opinion, the basic design is flawed, because there is a metal plate at the bottom with a gasket. As the rubber gasket wears out overtime, the bottom starts leaking (see images); not to mention the other leaks by the gauge. As a replacement, I just bought a Beelman stove steamer that is supposed to last 20 years without all the bells and whistles of La Pavoni, but for sure that does not have all the leaks of La Pavoni!

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.

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.

Well, it’s undoubtedly a gorgeous piece of Italian high art product design, but does require a steep learning curve. After 2 cups a day for two weeks, I can make a pretty tasty brew, but so far, the crema is meager at best. I’ve seen videos showing great crema on this machine, so I’ll keep trying till I get it right.Two months later: I found that the strainer cup from my old Breville machine fits the La Pavoni and makes an incredible crema, typically more than 1 cm thick. The La Pavoni cup has hundreds of holes while the Breville has just one. This creates a high back pressure which streams out the very robust crema and you can use a somewhat courser grind as all the back pressure comes from the strainer cup and not the coffee grind. My recommendation: get the Breville strainer and use it on your La Pavoni machine - the espresso is devine!

We bought this model on Amazon in 2010.we enjoyed it much, and used it 2x daily. It made great coffee and it is beautiful. But unfortunately it broke after a year. We sent it out for repairs and it lasted only 6 more months.We gave up and now use a stove top moka pot.