Good afternoon,
I would like some advice on the Nurri L-Type and the ACS Vostok. In some ways both machines seem fairly similar, same San Marco group, both have rotary pump for pre-infusion, both have dual boiler, both have a way of stopping a shot so that you do not deal with Hiroshima coffee explosion if removing the portafilter. So my question is which one would be a better buy? I am basically looking for a good lever machine, which is solid and is for home use only (plumbed). I would appreciate any advice or opinions on the matter. As far as price in Europe, the Vostok goes for 3500euros and the Nurri for 4200euros.
Thank you
Nicolas

Did you check this thread out?

Londinium R24 vs. Nurri Leva vs. ACS Vesuvius Evo Leva

Yes I did thank you, it misses half of my query...

In that thread that poison linked to, my post at #38 does address my reasons in reply to buckerss why I chose the nurri over the vesuvius evo. Its reasons apply for me as well to the vostok.

Which is a "Better" buy is a very subjective question. In the end analysis, while both machines have similar features but they get there through different ideas and workflows and they also look very different. In actual operation, while they are both quality machines, they will feel very different in use from each other.

Which way, workflow and look appeal more to the individual user depend on the user's preferences. Whichever you choose, my advice to you is make it the one that catches your imagination and is the one you really want in your kitchen.

If you keep going back and forth and there's no machine specific features standing out to you, base your decision off aesthetics and size. Assuming price isn't also a factor for you. Both have great specs and solid customer reviews.

Thank you for your replies, my views so far are the following, the Nurri seems less "gadgetty" and hence less likely to have electronic break down, but does that warrant a 1000 euros difference? As far as looks, I think they both would look good in my kitchen, I'll just wait and see what people have to say about the vostok which was supposed to come out end of march (I do not know if it has or not).

All the modern espresso machines with a circuit board (Nurri, ACS, Londinium, and etc.) is just one bad capacitor away from being disabled and inoperable. Sure pressuresstat can go bad and need to be replaced. They can all be repaired as long as the parts are available and the root cause can be diagnosed.

To my eye it seems like they have similar styling cues.

Check the lever thread, the Vostoks are starting to be delivered.

I think the choice between the two comes down to size and style.
At this price point you can either afford one or you can't.
You either have room for the Vostok or you don't.

I prefer the auto shot finish feature, Baz prefers the paddles.

There are some wonderful machines out there these days.

pizzaman383 wrote:To my eye it seems like they have similar styling cues.

Aesthetics are subjective. To me they are very different though. The only similarity is the peaks formed by the side panels. But everything else is differrnt - the design language concept being communicated, the overall orientation of the machines, the placement of the instrument panel.

The nurri design and its clean lines cause the entire machine to be postiioned at an angle - u can draw a line angled upwards from the integrally interlocking driptray to the upper bsck. It suggests a crouching stance, it is ready to leap into action so to speak. The side panels are designed to look like wings that are folded. The paddles - especially in their newer iteration that look like jagged lightning bolts - appear to look like the facial feathers of some eagles. To me, what is communicated is the idea of an Eagle on your kitchen counter top, currently at rest with wings furled but always ready to take off at your command. It is one of the most striking and distinctive designs I have ever seen in a coffee machine and my favourite of any I have come across so far among any other machine. (The design professionals seem to agree that it is a praiseworthy design - the nurri was selected by ADI as one of the designs featured in the Compasso D'Oro 2022 which is the design competition honouring the best Italy made product designs of any type for the year.)

By contrast the vostok's design is dominated by the massive triangular portion at the rear that is canted at a different angle from the middle of the machine. The drip tray is not integral to the machine but extends from it like a kvdw Speedster drip tray on its own struts, and does so at a different angle as well from the rest of the machine. As a result the middle portion appears compressed between the rear triangular portion and the drip tray. The overall impression is that the machine is emerging from the "shell" that is formed by that rear triangular portion - like a nautilus mollusc emerging from its shell towards the user.

Apart from design, the biggest difference between the two machines is the mentality behind it whixh affects workflow and user interface. To me, the vostok is an engineer's idea of a espresso machine while the nurri is an industrial designer's idea of one. The vostok is more like a Samsung while the nurri is like an iPhone.

The nurri is stripped down in its controls to be minimalist and fiercely manual and tactile in nature- everything is controlled by hand and the only programmable thing on it is the pid. There are no touchscreens or pull down menus. No automation options. The vostok on the other hand has several programmable options where the way or the main way to control the feature is by timer rather than by direct hand command. This different approach extends to evne the basis of sale - the nurri is sold mainly via local dealers who will provide maintenance and support and repair but the vostok is to be maintained and repaired by the user amd in exchange for that is also cheaper.

These different looks and workflows and approaches will appeal to different types of people and so the best machine for me may not be the best machine for someone else and vice versa. That's why I suggested that if the choice is between these two machines, ask yourself which one really appeals to you on an emotional level that makes u look forward to want to make coffee on it every morning...