La Pavoni EPBB-8 Europiccola 8-Cup Lever Style Espresso Machine, Black Base
Includes 2 stainless steel filter baskets . Makes 1 or 2 cups at a time . 8 Cup capacity . 20 oz. Boiler capacity . Power switch 1000W/110V . Internal thermostat and reset fuse . Steam pressure and piston operated . Long life stainless steel heating elements . 1-Year warranty . 12 in. H (14
Includes 2 stainless steel filter baskets . Makes 1 or 2 cups at a time . 8 Cup capacity . 20 oz. Boiler capacity . Power switch 1000W/110V . Internal thermostat and reset fuse . Steam pressure and piston operated . Long life stainless steel heating elements . 1-Year warranty . 12 in. H (14 lbs.)True baristas “pull” an espresso with a lever instead of punching a button and relying on an automatic pump’s whims. With this Italian-made machine, you force water through the coffee yourself, using the lever to precisely control speed, which means you get the full flavor and thick cap of crema that mark an ideal drink. Pulling an espresso the old-fashioned way is enormously gratifying, and a video accompanying the machine will teach anyone the skills needed to become a barista.
A steam wand heats milk for hot chocolate and creates foam for cappuccinos, lattes, and other coffee drinks, while an alternate wand with frothing attachment produces heaps of foam automatically. The water tank holds 20 ounces, enough to make 8 cups before the tank (accessible under the machine’s removable dome) needs refilling and before water needs to be heated again (the heating element’s rating is 1,000 watts maximum, 800 watts minimum). A glass tube permits water-level monitoring, and a thermostat triggers a green light when water reaches the correct crema-producing temperature. An internal fuse, which can be reset in the base, prevents overheating.
This version of La Pavoni’s Europiccola model comes in gleaming chrome and features black plastic accents and a durable black acrylic base that contains fine, light-reflecting flecks, producing a polished-granite effect. –Fred Brack
Editor’s note: This item may arrive with water inside from the manufacturer’s pressure test. This is a normal occurrence and doesn’t point to a problem with the machine.
Product Features
- Delivers espresso, cappuccino, caffe latte, and other coffee drinks
- Lever permits crafting espresso to personal taste
- Makes 8 cups continuously without heating more water
- Includes automatic milk foamer, measuring spoon, 1- and 2-cup filters
- Measures 11 by 7 by 12 inches; 1-year warranty
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This might be the shiny Fiat of espresso machines La Pavoni was the first espresso machine I owned – I had it for a number of years, had it repaired a number of times (expensive), and know it inside and out, its eccentricities, abilities, and inabilities. It’s a beautiful piece of sculpture. As an espresso machine, it’s okay – certainly harder to use than any pump machine. Anyone considering buying one should know these things:
Mother’s little helper… PHOOEY to those who say this is only for the purists! Stuff and nonsense! The possibility for a more delightful relationship with a machine than a man can have with his La Pavoni espresso machine surely doesn’t exist outside an Arthur C. Clarke novel. I really can think of no other mod con which is truly indispensible in the way that Ralph, our little Europiccola, is.
A machine for perfectionists! I have owned this machine for over ten years and everyday when I make my morning cappuccino I love it more. You can spend more for a machine that measures the coffee, tamps it, pulls the water through and steams the milk for you, but you can tip the kids behind the counter at Starbucks and they’ll do the same thing. Making espresso should be a little art and a little science and this machine an impeccable balance of the two. If you aren’t the kind of person who takes joy in mixing the…