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La Pavoni Review

A stylish but quirky appliance that can produce excellent espresso while it compliments the kitchen with its dazzlingly good looks
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La Pavoni Review
Credit: La Pavoni
Price:  $1,200 List
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Manufacturer:   La Pavoni
By Lesley Robinson and Jason Wanlass  ⋅  Apr 16, 2024
66
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 11
  • Espresso Quality - 40% 9.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 4.2
  • Ease of Cleaning - 15% 4.7
  • Milk Steaming - 15% 4.6
  • Machine Customization - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

It almost goes without saying: the Italian-designed La Panvoni is as beautiful as it is pricey. Its lovely lines and shiny chrome exterior make it instantly noticeable, and it fosters a powerful curiosity in the minds of most buyers. In the end, this machine isn't perfect — it certainly has its quirks. It's not easy to use, is somewhat difficult to clean, and doesn't make the best microfoam. But, if superb homemade espresso is what you seek, look no further. The shots pulled from the La Pavoni are some of the best we've tasted in our lineup of top-ranked espresso machines. However, be prepared to put in some practice time. Its manual lever is one of the best systems we've seen, but it requires a certain level of skill to produce its best shots.
REASONS TO BUY
Manual lever
Very sleek
Produces cafe-quality espresso
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Steep learning curve
Boiler is exposed
Small filter baskets
Unforgiving steam wand

Compare to Similar Products

 
la pavoni
This Product
La Pavoni
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Espresso Machine
Top Pick Award
Best for Experienced Baristas
Best Buy Award
Best Espresso Machine on a Budget
Best Buy Award
Best for Tight Budgets
Price $1,200 List
$1,199 at Amazon
$700 List
$684.99 at Amazon
$865 List
$865.00 at Amazon
$300 List
$299.95 at Amazon
$140 List
$139.99 at Amazon
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Bottom Line A uniquely designed lever-brewer that excels at making outstanding espresso — but not much elseIf you don't mind a little learning curve and elbow grease, this is some of the best espresso you can make at homeThis machine makes top-notch espresso if you're experienced at manually pulling shots, but it may flummox beginnersA small machine that makes great espresso and perfectly steams milkAn affordable and capable machine for making decent espresso drinks on a tight budget
Rating Categories La Pavoni Breville Barista Ex... Rancilio Silvia Breville Bambino Casabrews CM5418
Espresso Quality (40%)
9.0
8.0
9.5
6.0
7.0
Ease of Use (20%)
4.2
7.0
7.1
9.1
8.2
Ease of Cleaning (15%)
4.7
6.2
4.0
6.6
6.0
Milk Steaming (15%)
4.6
9.1
6.7
8.6
6.7
Machine Customization (10%)
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Specs La Pavoni Breville Barista Ex... Rancilio Silvia Breville Bambino Casabrews CM5418
Lifetime Cost Per Shot $1.04 $0.83 $0.90 $0.67 $0.60
Number of Cafe Replacement Lattes to Make Up List Price 287 167 208 72 33
Measured Dimensions 7.6" x 11.4" x 12.5" 12.5" x 12.4" x 15.7" 9.3" x 12.1" x 13.7" 6.3" x 13.7" x 12" 5.4" x 11.8" x 12"
Measured Cup Clearance 2.5" 4" 3" 5" 3.75"
Pre-Infusion Yes - Manual Yes No Yes Yes
Cappuccino Time 3 min 49 sec 4 min 27 sec 3 min 32 sec 3 min 36 sec 2 min 58 sec
Number of Cafe Replacement Shots to Make Up List Price 487 285 353 122 57
Portafilter Size 51 mm 54 mm 58 mm 54 mm 51 mm
Steam Wand Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured Water Tank Capacity to Max Fill 38 oz 66 oz 76 oz 47 oz 34 oz
Integrated Pressure Gauge Yes No No No Yes
Hot Water Delivery Steam Wand Hot Water Spout Steam Wand Steam Wand Steam Wand
Extraction Yield 18% 19% 19% 18% 21%
PID Temperature Control No Yes No Yes Yes
Included Accessories 2 Filter Baskets
Coffee Scoop
Tamper
Automatic Cappuccino maker
Integrated Conical Burr Grinder (16 Settings)
Dosing Funnel Attachment
Tamper
The Razor Precision Dosing Tool
16 oz Stainless Steel Milk Jug
4 Filter Baskets
Coffee Scoop
Cleaning Disc
Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets
Cleaning Brush
Cleaning Tool
Water Filter
2 Filter Baskets
Cleaning Disc
Tamper
Plastic Tamper
16-ounce Stainless Steel Milk Pitcher
Four Filter Baskets
Steam wand nozzle Cleaning Tool
2 Filter Baskets
Plastic Tamper/Scoop
Cleaning tool
Setup Time 20 min 35 min 7 min 9 min 6 min

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


la pavoni - cranking open the water tank cap. nearly every function on the la...
Cranking open the water tank cap. Nearly every function on the La Pavoni requires some sort of manual movement.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Espresso Quality


An unmatched ability to produce smooth, sweet, balanced espresso shots placed the La Pavoni near the front of the pack for this metric. Its brews were as beautiful as the machine itself.


Our in-house baristas thoroughly enjoyed pulling shots from this uniquely designed machine. Each was the perfect viscosity with rich, copper-colored crema. This is a manual-lever unit that requires a fair amount of user skill. It took a few tries to dial in, but once that was accomplished, the results were cafe-quality. Our La Pavoni turned 19 grams of espresso grounds into 32 grams of liquid espresso in 30 seconds. Each shot was flavorful, and their extraction yields shared the company of some of the top-ranked espresso machines in our lineup.

la pavoni - the la pavoni managed an 18% extraction yield in our testing.
The La Pavoni managed an 18% extraction yield in our testing.
Credit: Lesley Robinson

Extraction yield is a swanky scientific term that is typically communicated through percentages. Basically, it's how aficionados determine what percentage of your coffee is coffee and how much of it is water. To determine this percentage, we placed samples of the La Pavoni shots onto a refractometer, which uses light to detect the total amount of dissolved particles in the sample. Then, with the help of some basic math, we determined the percentage. The La Pavoni shots had impressive yields when taking into consideration industry standard yields for espresso (18% to 22%).

Literally “pulling” our first shot. The manual lever puts every aspect of pressure and time in the hands of the operator. This means the results can be glorious or disastrous - it all depends on your level of skill.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Ease of Use


The Italian-born La Pavoni boasts an incredibly unique design (inspired by the violin) that is as beautiful as it is intriguing. Its functions are relatively simple; however, we didn't find much about the La Pavoni functions that were intuitive. In the end, we awarded it a below-average score based on a myriad of quirks that made it less than enjoyable to use.


As mentioned, this machine is not very intuitive. Its design and processes are filled with creativity; however, when compared to machines that adhere to the status quo, we think many users may be turned off by having to think a little more outside the box in order to use the La Pavoni. However, if you enjoy unique appliances, you'll enjoy using this machine. Additionally, based on our calculations, it also has one of the highest costs per shot, which means you won't save as much money using the La Pavoni during its lifetime.


Despite being more manually operated, this machine produces cappuccinos faster than many of the espresso makers on our list. That said, we don't like that the portafilter attaches in the opposite direction to the group head. Additionally, this unit's unique design leaves the boiler exposed, which is particularly problematic when it's heated to full capacity.


Unfortunately, our gripes didn't end with the boiler. The boiler cap is also difficult to remove. The La Pavoni takes a long time to heat up (at least 10 minutes), and despite being made almost entirely of metal, it's surprisingly lightweight, so it moves when you insert and remove the portafilter. Likewise, the portafilter stays under pressure after each shot, which requires the user to release the pressure through the steam wand before removal — not ideal if you're trying to serve multiple drinks in a row. Lastly, our biggest complaint is that the boiler tank is small (34 ounces), and it's permanently attached. We realize this is dictated by the La Pavoni's engineering, but it's still less convenient.

la pavoni - refilling the 38-ounce boiler tank. it's small, and it's also...
Refilling the 38-ounce boiler tank. It's small, and it's also affixed, so this is the only method of replenishing it.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Ease of Cleaning


Unique angles and a smooth chrome exterior make the La Pavoni beautiful to look at, but keeping its mirrored surface shiny requires constant care. That, and a few other cleaning quirks, influenced this machine's lower score for this metric.


As for daily upkeep, we didn't like that the La Pavoni needs to be partially depressurized prior to removing the portafilter; if not, hot coffee grounds are likely to explode out of the filter. This extra step not only slows down production (if you're brewing for more than one) but also hinders the overall cleaning process.

la pavoni - a close up of the pressure knob. we didn't like having to release...
A close up of the pressure knob. We didn't like having to release pressure before removing the portafilter.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Guidelines for more in-depth cleaning and maintenance were a little more spotty. The manufacturer didn't recommend any weekly or monthly upkeep but suggests descaling the machine four to five times per year with baking soda or white vinegar. We liked that the La Pavoni doesn't require a proprietary descaling solution, and we felt the instructions for this process were easy to understand. The total descaling process took about 20 minutes — about middle of the road compared to all the machines we tested.

la pavoni - at just 4 ounces, the drip tray is quite small and somewhat shallow...
At just 4 ounces, the drip tray is quite small and somewhat shallow, making for more frequent trips to the sink to drain and rinse.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Milk Steaming


Cosi cosi (Italian for so-so) is how we felt about the La Pavoni during our milk-steaming tests. Despite intense efforts by our top baristas, this unit simply couldn't produce the results we were eagerly anticipating.


Due to its all-metal design, the La Pavoni can produce and maintain a lot of pressure — this we loved. However, the steam wand's design is not ideal. Unlike the rest of the models we tested, this unit's nozzles shoot steam outward instead of downward. Perhaps this is the latest in steam wand technology, or it may be just a La Pavoni thing. What we do know is we were consistently frustrated with the results: substandard microfoam with large bubbles that quickly dissipated.

la pavoni - our third attempt at making microfoam. the results were lackluster.
Our third attempt at making microfoam. The results were lackluster.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Machine Customization


At first glance, the La Pavoni appears extremely basic. Its pleasing lines are nearly void of buttons, switches, and knobs, leaving the untrained eye to believe it lacks the ability to customize. However, this modernized blast from the past offers just the opposite. Certainly, not having an intricate control panel comes with a few drawbacks, but the La Pavoni gives the user infinite control of two crucial factors: time and pressure. The result is endless possibilities for experimentation.


We didn't like that the La Pavoni doesn't include temperature control. But, we absolutely loved this machine's manual lever. Not only is it fun to operate, but it also can control pre-infusion (by pushing it forward). Thanks to a fully manual lever, we could completely control how each shot was pulled, resulting in this machine's impressive espresso quality. The only downside to this process is it requires a lot of practice, but thankfully the La Pavoni has a built-in pressure gauge to help with dialing in each pull.

la pavoni - a comprehensive view of our two favorite features: the manual pull...
A comprehensive view of our two favorite features: the manual pull lever and its accompanying pressure gauge.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Should You Buy the La Pavoni?


You'll love this machine if you prefer your appliances to have that it-factor. This machine certainly delivers on looks and quality, but it comes with a higher price tag. We don't doubt its craftsmanship, but it isn't easy to use or clean, and it doesn't make very good microfoam, so you may want to consider this before making your purchase. Lastly, we can't say enough about this machine's ability to produce cafe-quality espresso — and its manual operation plays a huge part in this. So, if you like the challenge of literally pulling your own shots — and you want to produce cafe-quality espresso in your own home — we think you'll love the La Pavoni, despite its quirks.

la pavoni - putting our "tamp" of approval on this machine's ability to produce...
Putting our “tamp” of approval on this machine's ability to produce some of the best espresso we've tasted.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

What Other Espresso Machines Should You Consider?


If a purely manual espresso maker is on your shopping list, we highly suggest the Flair Classic. It's considerably more affordable, uses no electricity, and is highly portable. If you'd rather just push a button and let the machine do most of the work for you, you probably need the Breville Barista Express. It's our overall favorite for a reason.

la pavoni - taking a closer look at where the magic happens. the la pavoni's...
Taking a closer look at where the magic happens. The La Pavoni's group head and portafilter lock perfectly together.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Lesley Robinson and Jason Wanlass