Advice for lever espresso machine newbie, budget $1000 or less?

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
laelpowers
Posts: 7
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by laelpowers »

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy my first lever machine and could use some advice. I have some limited experience with the mechanics of shot-pulling (I worked at a coffee shop 20 years ago) so I am comfortable experimenting with grind and tamp. I am much less comfortable with elements like water pressure and temperature adjustment, but am willing to learn. That being said, ease of use and maintenance are my primary concerns.

My budget is $1,000 or less. I've been leaning toward the La Pavoni but hear that some models (the Strad in particular) have leakage issues. I'm looking for something not too large.

What would you recommend for a novice? I want this to be a forever machine, I'm not looking to upgrade later.

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drgary
Team HB
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Joined: 14 years ago

#2: Post by drgary »

Are you only interested in buying a new machine? Does your budget include a grinder?
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

laelpowers (original poster)
Posts: 7
Joined: 8 years ago

#3: Post by laelpowers (original poster) »

My budget for a grinder is separate and I was looking at the Baratza Encore but I'm open to suggestions.

I'm planning on a new espresso machine simply because I don't want to have to deal with refurbishing one while I'm still learning how they work.

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Compass Coffee
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Joined: 19 years ago

#4: Post by Compass Coffee »

laelpowers wrote:My budget for a grinder is separate and I was looking at the Baratza Encore but I'm open to suggestions.
Encore OK for gravity brew (ok not great) but pretty worthless for espresso. Preciso the bare minimum Baratza grinder for espresso duties. I'd consider waiting for the release of the Baratza Sette in a couple months. Pre-release field testing looking like it may be the best budget espresso grinder option.
Mike McGinness

forbeskm
Posts: 1021
Joined: 11 years ago

#5: Post by forbeskm »

I am a big fan of the lido series grinder, pairs well with the Pavoni. I like the older ones. I don't see leaks being an issue on a properly maintained machine. Old seals will leak.

You can get a Cremina if you play your craigslist or eBay cards right for below a 1000 as well and that gets you a nice removable drip tray and a great machine.

Are you looking for espresso only? You have the Caravel.

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happycat
Posts: 1464
Joined: 11 years ago

#6: Post by happycat »

laelpowers wrote:My budget for a grinder is separate and I was looking at the Baratza Encore but I'm open to suggestions.

I'm planning on a new espresso machine simply because I don't want to have to deal with refurbishing one while I'm still learning how they work.
Encore is not suitable. I own one. Don't give yourself the headache of trying to compensate for its inconsistent grinding.

Based on mentioning Encore it seems your grinder budget may be too low.

Grinder is more important than espresso machine... Consistency of coffee grinds makes all the difference in pour, taste, etc.

$200-300 for a good manual such as Orphan Espresso lido or Pharos. I have a Pharos. Light years better than Encore. It has its trade offs!

$350-500 for a starter electric such as refurb Baratza Vario

Some people find used grinders cheap from cafes that go under but burrs need to be replaced. Still, an option.
LMWDP #603

laelpowers (original poster)
Posts: 7
Joined: 8 years ago

#7: Post by laelpowers (original poster) »

Thank you all for this great advice. Based on your answers and my fear of buying used and getting hoodwinked (and my budget) I'm now leaning towards La Pavoni with Lido manual grinder.

I still have some concerns about the Pavoni though: will overheating be something I can control by tweaking the machine or will I simply need to keep giving it time to cool down? Also, one of the reviews on this site mentioned the Pavoni producing a wet foam. Has anyone else experienced this?

forbeskm
Posts: 1021
Joined: 11 years ago

#8: Post by forbeskm »

Milk drinks or espresso only?

No idea of this wet foam you speak of.

How many shots do you plan on pulling in one session?

laelpowers (original poster)
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Joined: 8 years ago

#9: Post by laelpowers (original poster) »

Milk drinks, but I only add a dash of milk and don't prefer foam. However, when I have guests who want cappuccinos I don't want to be stuck with bad foam. It won't be a regular occurrence but I do like to entertain.

Usual daily routine will be two shots at a time but four total per morning.

DanoM
Posts: 1375
Joined: 11 years ago

#10: Post by DanoM »

laelpowers wrote:I still have some concerns about the Pavoni though: will overheating be something I can control by tweaking the machine or will I simply need to keep giving it time to cool down? Also, one of the reviews on this site mentioned the Pavoni producing a wet foam. Has anyone else experienced this?
I think the Millenium models can pull back to back shots fine, but hopefully, some of the MIllenium users will comment here in the thread.

I have a 1984, pre-Millenium model, and I've modified the system to pull up to 8 back to back cappuccinos every morning. No overheating with my current mod, but I need to work on testing and documentation a bit more on that modification so everyone can enjoy a heat stable pre-millenium La Pavoni. One caveat for my mod is that you will need a thermometer on the group to know the current temp and pump the lever to bring it up as needed.

Other than that there are many ways people have been controlling the heat on their La Pavoni's, and there are many threads on the forums here about how to handle that. Cooling PF's, ramekin cooling the group and other methods.

Wet foam? I have a custom steam tip with a 1/16" hole and it works great. I can make rich foam for latte art, or a dry-fluffy foam. If you just want a flat white I can do that too. Running the boiler pressure at 1 BAR gives you lots of capability. The traditional 3-hole tip hasn't been on my machine for some time now, so I can't comment to that one.
LMWDP #445

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