La Pavoni Review

Performance Comparison

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.

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%).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.