Customer Reviews

Pasquini Livia 90 Semiautomatic Commercial Espresso/Cappuccino Machine

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought the Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic in 2002. The version I needed was for 240 volt operation so it was shipped from Italy. At the same time I also ordered the grinder and 2 drawer base. I had spent a lot of time reading reviews and comments on several sites for a wide variety of machines. The number of reviews which compared their brands to the Pasquini Livia machines was what really sold me on the Pasquini. You don't compare your machine(s) to lesser machines, you compare against the best. If so many various reviews used Pasquini as a target then it must be well worth a look. I am glad I did, it is an extremely well built and reliable machine.

I have mine on for 12 to 16 hours per day and make and serve quite a lot of espresso and cappuccino to family and friends. The Pasquini is also used for tea, cocoa, instant soups and anything else that calls for the use of near boiling water. The machine gets it right every time, any variation in quality is due to the coffee, the milk or the user. It took a bit of time to learn how to use it effectively but it has never disappointed me.

The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the choice of a plastic water storage reservoir in the machine. I think that a stainless steel tank would be a better choice due to the effects of age, heat and vibrations which caused some cracks in my original tank. Pasquini replaced it free of charge even though the machine was out of warranty! A stainless steel tank would add to the noise level though and it already is not a stealthy machine. The pump is by no means quiet, but it certainly does the job and I'm sure will continue to do so for years to come.

I recommend Pasquini without reservation based on the machine and the service I have had when dealing directly with the company on several occasions.

I have just received the machine from Illy USA at a very attractive price (considering I order the Illy beans regularly anyway, their price on this machine with a one-year coffee subscription is a excellent indeed). I have been needing to replace an espresso machine every 2 years ca., I figured, I might as well try out one considered to be in the light duty commercial catagory.

After the first few cups I learned the proper pressure on the temper and out came from the machine coffee that any Italian coffee bar would be proud of. It could be my imagination, but, the brew from this mahcine seems to be stronger (more bitter) then the Saeco, Krup, and Solis ($300 range machines). Although the crema is not as much when compared with the others I used before. Also, being able to leave the machine on all day long means instant hot water/steam which is very nice for a small office environment. I used the hot water mainly to heat the cups. It does however, take about 7 minutes to reach its operating condition (to bring a mass of water to the proper temperature and pressure in the internal boiler) when first turned on every morning and the noise from the pump that transfers water from the holding tank to the boiler is quite loud.

There are some minor flaws that I could see so far. The fit and finish on the machine is fine but not perfect. There are corners on the rear that could be finished a little better and some spot welding marks should be polished out. The water tray (the one below the group head to hold liquid that drips off after a brew) is very small and needs to be emptied quite often.

This is a new machine; thus, I cannot report its long term performance and endurance. My past experience with the $300 range machine is that they last about 2 to 3 years before something expensive to fix breaks. I shall see if this seemingly robust machine will last.

So far, I am very satisfied with it.

This is a serious coffee machine. It's "commercial quality" so it's heavy (almost 50lbs) and very well built. It takes up some counter space (mostly depth) but it looks elegant and is easy to keep clean. The portafilter (handle with basket for coffee) is very sturdy and fits snugly. It has a useful ready gauge and simple buttons (as noted above) for on-off and start-stop.

Now the important stuff: It makes great coffee consistently. I moved up to this machine from a Braun pump espresso machine. This one has better pressure and temperature. I used to brag about my Braun machine because it was inexpensive and made consistently good esperesso. The first shots I pulled from this machine made me realize that I didn't realize what I was missing. If you know how to make espresso, this machine lets you pull easy, consistent, and quality shots.

Another great feature of this machine is the continuous steam and hot (very hot!) water outlet. If you've ever had trouble steaming milk on machine you'll be impressed and maybe even surprised at how well this works. The machine also recovers well and quickly after you pull shots or use the steam wand.

The tanks is removable and holds a lot of water. It's easy to fill in place as well. You can leave this machine on all day if you like (it's designed to work that way) and you might want to if you're like me and drink too much coffee. The reason is that it can take a little while to warm up if it's been off for a while. That's probably the only thing I'm not fond of with this machine. First thing in the morning it can take a while to warm up (5-10 mins). This makes sense given the size and build of the machine. It simply takes time to warm up to the proper brewing temperature. However, I had gotten used to a machine that only takes a couple of minutes. So, my new morning routine includes going down to turn on the machine and coming down after my shower for my great coffee!

If you've never had a pump machine before, you may need some practice, but I think this is a good machine to learn on (due to its consistency). Just remember to follow the instructions (especially not to overfill the filter) and adjust either the grind of your coffee or the pressure of your tamping to get the desired results.

I hope this is helpful to you if you're considering this machine. I'd say it does well or better to other machines in this price range. It's a definite step up in quality and build from the machine's you'll find in the $500-1000 price range. It's a complete improvement in machine and coffee from pretty much any machine under $500.

One last comment, Pasquini has been excellent and very responsive to questions. I'm very pleased to see them here on Amazon.

Good luck with your quest for great coffee...I found it with this machine!

UPDATE: I originally posted this review in 2005. Almost 4 years later, I'm still very happy with my Pasquini and find it makes consistently good coffee. My only comment after all these years is that a little maintenance on this machine goes a long way. Regular backflushing and occasional cleaning keep it working great. We've had to replace one gasket that Pasquini was very kind in sending us. So, overall I would still highly recommend this machine. Hope this is helpful!

I've owned mine for about 3 years. I an an espresso connoisseur and roast my own beans. Pros for this machine are good build quality, good steaming power and consistently good espresso. I strongly recommend getting an aftermarket 2 HOLE steam tip - critical for making microfoam. FORGET the lame-o plastic frothing attachment. It seems to be make for a Starbucks reject. The drain reservoir is WAY too small. Not a huge issue, but a pain in the a$$. I had my pressure relief valve die on me within the first year, but since then pretty smooth sailing. Try not to pay full retail for this and you'll be happy.

Couldn't be happier with my Livia 90! Reviewers that gave it a bad review because it arrived damaged sort of miss the point of the review. The question is: Does it consistently make great espresso and steam for milk and YES it does! The espresso is perfectly extracted. There are machines that cost a lot more but this one has served me well for more than four years now with daily use and not a problem.

We recently got the Pasquini Livia. We ordered it through Illy and the first one came in smashed on the left front side. However, there was no visible damage on the exterior of the shipping box. Did they pack it that way?

We called and they sent another one. Illy's people are nice but they send orders damaged, double or sometimes triple ship the same product, etc...

The second machine came in fine condition. We placed it on a very expensive high finished maple top kitchen cart. The Livia has mushy rubber feet to keep it from slipping when used. A month later we noticed to our shock that the rubber had interacted with the lacquer finish and had made four large circular and unremovable black marks on this john boor kitchen cart. At the same time the Livia runs extremely hot to the touch. So we called Illy who told us we now had to call Pasquini directly as our thrity day exchange period was up. We called Pasquini and they put us through to their "tech" department.

The entire Tech dept is run by one guy who was rather unfriendly and unhelpful. He at first tried to tell me that the machine wasn't hot but after ten minutes agreed that it shouldn't be buring my hand when I touched it near the top. As for the rubber feet he disavowed all responsibilty. He promised to ship us another machine, which never came. My fiancee, who ordered this machine for me as a birthday present has tried calling several times. She keeps getting the run around. The same thing happened when we had a complaint with the portafilter. The two cup spout attachment was threaded wrong and didn't line up left and right. When we called Pasquini we spoke to the same "gentleman" in tech support who originally insisted we didn't know how to "screw" it on but after a while agreed to ship us another. Guess what? It also never came. We are now waiting two weeks for the replacement machine and will have to call mastercard and initiate a chargeback if it doesn't come soon. We like the idea of the machine, if it only worked well.... As for the customer support? Pasquini should be ashamed! I am in a service business and I do everything possible to make sure that all of my clients are satisfied with our service.

i found coffeegeek.com and chriscoffee.com very helpful in researching espresso machines. also wholelattelove.com but just for comparisons on their site.