Customer Reviews

La Pavoni PSW-16 Stradavari 16-Cup Espresso Machine, Chrome with Wood Handles

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

 

 

I have owned the 16-cup La Pavoni Stradivari model for about six months. I purchased it through Seattle Coffee Gear, a nearby dealer and repair shop I have come to trust. My wife and I use the machine at home for 4-6 Americanos or lattes per day. I prefer Velton's Bonsai Blend coffee, which makes a luscious shot of espresso.

My machine arrived in good order and was easy to set up. Per directions, I ran a tank of water with baking soda through initially, and set up the steamer with the venturi frothing attachment. There's a lot about this machine I like: its small footprint and steamship-era aesthetics, sturdiness and perpetual maintainability, silent operation, and the ability to pull an absolutely perfect shot. The venturi frother is a black plastic gizmo with a silicon tube to put into the milk to be frothed. Turning on the steam draws the milk into the frother and deposits the result directly into a cup. The result is hot and tasty, but with bubbles not quite fine or consistent enough for "coffee art", which doesn't really matter to me.

Here are some tips on use of the machine:

Raising the pump handle up opens the pump assembly to the water tank. Steam pressure then drives water into the pump. Depressing the lever pushes the water through the puck and into the cup.

If the pump and the filter are not hot before you compress the grounds into the filter assembly, the metal of the filter cup may expand when you operate the pump, allowing some water to go around the puck. Ways to mitigate this problem are: let the machine warm with filter assembly attached for 15-20 minutes; run 2-3 shots through an empty filter; or put hot water in a cup and soak the pump head until it warms up (doing the same for the filter assembly). In any event, this problem goes away after the first shot.

Experiment with your grind until you find one that allows expression of the shot with moderate pressure on the pump handle for between five and ten seconds. I use a Capresso conical burr grinder set on the coarsest of the "extra fine" settings. If you're foolish enough to blow a grand on an expresso maker, spend a little extra to buy a heavy stainless tamper of the appropriate size as well. It will make forming the puck much easier.

Per the instructions, when you raise the pump handle to let water into the pump, pause a few seconds or until coffee first drips from the filter assembly, then pull the shot. The pause moistens the puck and results in vast amounts of rich, deep caramel-colored crema. You can't replicate this step with an electric pump machine, and I believe it makes an important difference in the result.

Wait a short while after pulling a shot before removing the filter assembly, to allow pressure to dissipate. If you're impatient, you can blow grounds all over the counter. The harder the pull, the longer the required wait.

Be sure to rinse the frother right after using it to keep milk solids from clogging it. If it clogs, run a cup of 50%-diluted white vinegar through it, followed by a cup of water.

These steps are easy to master and the result is truly worthwhile.

Update January 2011: I appreciate this machine more every day, and now avoid drinking coffee away from home.

This machine was a great disappointment. I got this to replace a 70's Pavoni Europiccola that simply wore out. From the beginning the first cup of espresso is cold, unless you go though a ritual to get it hotter. The manufacturer said this was just the way it is now designed.

Then I noticed that after using it, there was a puddle of water underneath. La Pavoni sent me to Thomas Cara in San Francisco, and said he was their representative. HE curtly said he was NOT their representative. But he described a defect in the Stradivari design - the heating element is made of stainless steel and the bottom fixture is brass - so they cool at different rates and frequently leak like mine was doing. So there is no good fix for this $800 espresso maker.

Thankfully, Amazon has been very responsive in taking the unit back, and I expect a full refund. That part was easy.
La Pavoni ESW-8 Stradavari 8-Cup Espresso Machine, Chrome with Wood Handles

This machine is exactly what I expected, pulls beautiful shots, but not without some patient troubleshooting. You MUST use an adjustable burr grinder and learn the art of grinding, tamping and pulling the shot. There are some good videos on youtube on this machine.

However, the plastic tray that catches any spilled espresso was either broken out of the box, or broke during its first cleaning. It is made of gossamer plastic, and cracked right away.

Also of concern, the base of the unit (Stradivarius) appears to be plastic covered with a chrome looking finish. It sure looks like metal in the pictures, and for a machine that costs as much as this one does, I would expect the base to be metal. Unfortunately, when you pull a shot, the plastic base flexes, and after only a few weeks, I have noticed some cracks on the base unit just to the right of the boiler. I think older machines have metal bases, and I would definitely try to get an older metal base machine if I could do it over.

And some oddities, the filter basket tightens to the left. The on light is red, while the heating light is green (seems they should be the other way around). My machine hovers around .75 bar, which seems low, but it still pulls beautiful crema.

Other than the plastic parts, this machine is great.

Great purchase! As advertised, took some experimentation to make passable espresso and cappuccinos. On-line YouTube videos (varied selection readily available) huge help in showing what the process looked like, what steps to take and what the variables were. Learning curve fairly steep; passable product wthin six tries. Still learning, but truly enjoying great drinks in the process!

It's important to get the full package for ease of preparation and process control. This includes burr grinder, 53mm tamper (I bought the wrong size initially and the plastic one La Pavoni sends is junk) frothing pitcher and thermometer. Haven't used the La Pavoni frothing attachment. Looks like an unnecessary device that would need a lot of cleanup.

Overall, the product is very easy to use and maintain. I really like being able to vary the flavor of my drinks by conscious choice. As the process has evolved, my wife has changed from skeptic to a huge fan!

We have had our Pavoni now for several years. We tried it on and off again with mixed success. The grind is very finicky, we tried several from the local coffee shop ground specifically for the pavoni with no success . We then bought a burr grinder and were able to try multiple grinds. Let me add that tamp pressure is as important as the grind.

Our local coffee machine repair house recommended we tamp on a bathroom scale to keep consistency. Once we did this, we tried multiple tamps ranging from 10-35lbs with multiple different grinds. After going through a few pounds of coffee over some time we have finally dialed it in! Just about 30lb tamp, and yes I pull out the scale daily, it's light :)

This is a machine for someone who wants to master the art of pulling a espresso the full manual route. It's the grind, it's the tamp, it's the water, the milk, all to make a great coffee drink. We also have an automatic machine, it lays idle on the counter. This has the ability to make great espresso. It cannot be rushed, it just won't work. Checkout the write up here for tips and tricks to tuning your own espresso with your Pavoni http://coffee.gurus.net/

If you don't have the time go get an automatic machine that areates fake crema but still makes a decent coffee.

This machine can make the best espresso coffee when used properly, and it is not that difficult. Of course you will need good coffee to start with and the right roast and the right grind. The experimentation is part of the fun.
The good: the machine is beautiful and very well made, very functional and well finished.
It takes a little practice to make a good espresso choosing the right coffee, grinding it correctly, tamping it right and pulling the shot, but that is part of the coffee lover's experience. I ended up roasting my own coffee to increase my selection and to always have a fresh batch. Use a good burr grinder and experiment.
The milk frothing attachment works very well to make wonderful cappuccino.

The not so good: The piston was not screwed correctly, or became loose at one point, and the water would not fill the cylinder. Instead of returning the machine I took the piston assembly apart (very easy), re-screwed it and used some Locktite to prevent the problem from re-occurring.
Other problem: moisture can get trapped under the drip tray and cause some corrosion. It is a little disappointing on a machine of this caliber, just be aware that this area has to be kept clean and dry regularly.
The machine does get hot, so be careful when reaching around it when it is on.

Overall the construction is simple enough that home maintenance is easy.
The espresso produced by this machine is the best it can be (in my opinion). I served some to friends who do not usually drink espresso, but since that's the only coffee machine I have, they settled for a shot. They were amazed.
The choice of coffee is very important: a good coffee for a percolator, drip or French press will not necessarily make a good espresso and vice versa.

This machine is outstanding! That is, if you know how to manually pull shots. Apparently, some people want a fully automated espresso machine so do not get this if that is what your looking for. Once you get the hang of how it works, you will never want coffee from any store like charbucks or tully's...I lived in Italy for almost 2 years and this machine will produce better espresso than what I had over there, which was better than anything from a coffee shop in the US. If you get this machine get a conical burr grinder, and if you are serious about coffee, roast your own beans too. I have a Zassenhaus knee grinder, a Nesco professional coffee roaster, and I buy my green coffee beans from [...]. Buying this machine with regular roasted beans from the store is not going to produce the best espresso and you should look at a cheaper machine if you are planning on doing so. Overall the machine looks beautiful on your counter and you will impress your friends with your at-home barista skills!

The worst thing I have ever bought. It didn't work from the begining.
I left a couple of messages but never heard from you. Did talk with La Pavoni, they said you would take it back but nobody returned my call.
I think your service sticks. I had to press one star to send this note

Dave Gilber

After experimenting with automated espresso machines and having discussions with native Italians, I was not optimistic about my ability to pull true 'corto' shots as one would get from any espresso bar in Italy. Even an Italian friend who used to be a Barista when he was younger said just get a 'Moka' for the house, just as most Italian families. Some other Italian friends gave me a 'Moka' but I persevered, giving this beautiful, well-made machine a full 30 day try. I spoke to friends, coffee roasters, baristas, searched/watched you-tube videos, talked at length with the US Importer of La Pavoni and more, all to understand how to operate this machine and consistently get a great espresso, and a 'corto' whenever i felt like it.

NET: Mission Impossible. This machine, even with the new grinder (which is marvelous, albeit pricey) that I bought directly from the US Importer, is not capable of consistently making what I wanted, so I returned it (thank you Amazon). So I will get another larger 'Moka,' and in conjunction w my new grinder, start roasting green coffee beans, but never will i try to make Espresso at home again. My friends from Italy knew from the beginning that this is a 'Mission Impossible,' in the home. I should have listened :)