HomeSmall AppliancesEspresso MachinesLa Pavoni ESW-8 Stradavari 8-Cup Espresso Machine, Chrome with Wood Handles |
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13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Dead simple, does what it is supposed to. Dec 23, 2010
By Tragedy then Farce
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.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 La Pavoni Stradivari 8-cup Apr 23, 2011
By Sigfrog
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
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Great machine, but disappointed in plastic parts Nov 23, 2011
By Sky Sterry
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.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
La Pavoni PSC-16 Stradavari Espresso Machine Jan 04, 2012
By JmBobintheROK
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!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Pavoni not for everyone! Oct 22, 2011
By Mike
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.
See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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