La Pavoni Europiccola / Stainless Steel Base

The first home espresso machine ever invented, updated for contemporary use. La Pavonis Europiccola is their simplest model, beloved by baristas and coffee enthusiasts around the world for its ability to pull excellent shots of coffee.

—DETAILS—

La Pavoni created the Europiccola in 1961, and it facilitated a culture of brewing espresso at home. Its been updated to include the safety features of the Professional series, but retains the simplicity that makes it so popular with baristas and coffee enthusiasts around the world. Though it provides less guidance than other ranges, with practice and confidence, you can pull truly divine shots of espresso. The word pull is literal here: The lever mechanism provides the pressure needed to extract coffee, and how you pullas well as the size, dose and freshness of the coffee groundsare variables you can calibrate to make espresso to your taste. The process is straightforward: Turn the machine on, prepare coffee in the portafilter, attach, lift, and pull down. But it takes someexperimentation to get right, which is why we put togetherthis comprehensive guide. Its 100% worth the effort, because this machine lasts forever.

This Europiccola has been updated with a stainless steel base and comes with black handles that stay cool as the machine heats, a drip tray, as well as a sightglass that lets you keep an eye on the amount of water in the tank, so you know when to refill it. Rather than a pressure gauge, it has a green indicator under the power switch that lights when your machine is ready to brew. A steam wand lets you release false pressure and foam milk. Fitted with a UK plug (220-240V)andincludes:

• Portafilter
• Single and double dose filter baskets (interchangeable in the portafilter)
• Coffee scoop
• Tamper

—BENEFITS—

‘La Pavoni lever machines are what baristas use at home. Some call it the weekend espresso machine. Once you get the hang of it, its a joy to use (on weekends and weekdays), because it gives you total control over the extraction process, so you can taste all those complex flavours with great clarity. Its a vehicle for both creativity and relaxation, which turns out perfect espresso or espresso-based drinks, entirely on your own terms.’