La Cimbali vs Nuova Simonelli is a tricky comparison to make. When you have two mainstream espresso machine brands both known for quality, the difference comes down to your tastes.
When crafting a coffee shop that consistently delivers incredible drinks, you need nothing less than the most reliable equipment. La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli hit high notes with business owners for holding strong against rush hours, delivering consistent quality, and reducing operating costs. We’re going to look at the subtle details to determine which suits you best.
If you’re in a hurry, here is our brief summary and recommendation for you:
- La Cimbali is best suited to small and medium-sized businesses or office spaces. They don’t provide semiautomatic machines, so consider them for manual or automatic models.
- Nuova Simonelli is prime for large restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels that see a high volume of customers. Their diverse portfolio of automatic, manual, and semiautomatic machines offer many solutions to your pain points.
How Are La Cimbali vs Nuova Simonelli Similar?
Let’s start off with the similarities between La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli. This section may be enough to have you choose one already, since both brands offer several of the same features.
Both Brands Are Industry Names For Good Reason
La Cimbali has been committed to quality espresso machines since 1930, first getting their start with the production of their vertical boilers. Nuova Simonelli has been in the game for even longer, manufacturing espresso machines all the way back in 1905.
If seniority factors into your price range, La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli have been industry names for a century and a century and a half, respectively. Their portfolios come with energy-saving and time-saving features that will streamline your day-to-day activity.
Both Brands Also Sell Grinder Dosers and Milk Coolers
Do you want an extra grinder or two for your shop? La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli also sell an impressive range of grinder dosers and milk coolers for high-volume shops.
Both Brands Boast Impressive Longevity
These machines are built to last with high-quality materials and cooling features that protect against overheating. Depending on the models you purchase, you can enjoy one or two-year labor warranties.
Provided you regularly clean and maintain your machines, you can expect anywhere from seven to ten years of high-quality service.
You Get a Variety of Automatic and Superautomatic Espresso Machines
Do you plan on purchasing several machines? If variety is what you’re after, both Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli provide automatic and superautomatic espresso machines.
You’ll Get Reliable One or Two Year Warranties
You deserve peace of mind when investing in restaurant equipment. Both brands provide one or two year warranties for their espresso machines.
Depending on which model you buy, you may get a labor warranty or a manufacturer warranty. For example, Nuova Simonelli Appia II Compact Espresso Machine offers a one year labor warranty. The La Cimbali M26 2 Group Compact Commercial Espresso Machine offers a two year manufacturer warranty.
How Are La Cimbali vs Nuova Simonelli Different?
If you’re not completely sure on which brand to buy yet, we have a few key differences below.
La Cimbali Doesn’t Offer Semiautomatic Espresso Machines
What’s the difference between a semiautomatic and automatic espresso machine? If you want your baristas to have a little control over the coffee, you won’t be able to get this feature from La Cimbali.
La Cimbali’s line up only includes automatic or manual espresso machines.
Nuova Simonelli Has a Larger Portfolio
If you’re seeking out several espresso machines for your shop, Nuova Simonelli has the more diverse portfolio. This company provides compact, automatic, semiautomatic, and manual espresso machines.
Side By Side Comparison of La Cimbali vs Nuova Simonelli
The last part of our list will help you narrow down your choices with side by side comparisons. We’ll explore each brand’s espresso machines and how they compare.
La Cimbali S15 Super Automatic Commercial Espresso Machine
The La Cimbali Superautomatic espresso machines are more polished and intuitive than ever. The S15 Superautomatic Commercial Espresso Machine is well suited to smaller environments like corner cafes, office shops, and quick service restaurants.
Depending on the skill level of your baristas and your lunch rushes, you can also choose between one step or two step milk frothing options. Overall, this purchase will give your barista benefits such as:
- The ability to make up to 150 cups per day
- Two grinder dosers
- Steam wand
- Hot water selections
- Touchscreen with the ability to save orders or transfer them via USB
- Wi-Fi connection to send performance information to the manufacturer for updates
- One year parts and labor warranty
Nuova Simonelli Talento Super Automatic Machine
How does the Nuova Simonelli Talento Super Automatic Machine compare? This machine is more suited to high-volume coffee shops or restaurants, able to handle all the coffee making steps solo.
This incredibly streamlined process is appealing when you have high turnover rates or don’t have time to train new hires. Similar to the first option on our list, you can also choose between one step or two step milk frothing features. However, you need to purchase a milk cooler to enjoy the one step benefits.
Purchasing this superautomatic machine will give your barista the benefits of:
- Twenty customizable drink options
- Two grinder doses
- Steam wand
- Thermo-compensated brew group
- Automatic washing process
- One or two step milk frothing
- The option to add a milk cooler
- The option for two year parts warranty or no labor warranty
La Cimbali M26 2 Group Compact Commercial Espresso Machine
A fine level of control is essential for giving your customers coffee that speaks to them on a personal level. The La Cimbali M26 2 Group Compact Commercial Espresso Machine is a lesson in subtlety.
This espresso machine is packed full of features compatible for busy rushes and multitasking baristas. Customers will appreciate the thermal system that keeps drinks tasting consistently delicious, while baristas will enjoy the time-saving benefits of the volumetric controls.
When you buy this machine, your entire shop will enjoy the benefits of features such as:
- Thermal system
- Flexible steam wands
- Volumetric controls
- Energy-saving lights
- Accessible button panel
- Two year manufacturer warranty
Nuova Simonelli Appia II Compact Espresso Machine
If you’re more interested in a smaller espresso machine for your office or corner shop, we can’t recommend enough the Nuova Simonelli Appia II Compact Espresso Machine. This machine’s small size packs a punch, offering several intuitive features in one place.
Barista work is strenuous on the hands and wrists, so your workers will appreciate this machine’s push pull steam triggers and cool touch wands. On the other hand, your customers will notice a boost in quality with the machine’s soft infusion system. If you’re buying this machine for the office, rest easy knowing it has an easy control pad for anyone to use efficiently.
This espresso machine comes with the following features to make it a hit among multiple audiences:
- Raised group heads
- Cool touch wands
- Bar pump gauge
- Manual dosing
- Push pull steam triggers
- Two years parts warranty or no labor warranty
Which One Should You Choose?
The right espresso machine needs to do more than just make a cup of coffee. Whether it’s issues of saving money on energy bills or increasing cup quality, we have recommendations for you.
The La Cimbali For Small Shops, Offices, and Hotels
Since the La Cimbali line up is more limited, we recommend it for smaller businesses that serve fewer customers or employees. Office spaces, hotels, and small shops with coffee bars will all enjoy what the La Cimbali line up has to offer.
The La Cimabli line up doesn’t have semiautomatic espresso machines, so consider purchasing one of their models if you need a quality manual or automatic.
The Nuova Simonelli For Medium-Sized Cafes or Large Restaurants
The greater diversity of the Nuova Simonelli portfolio makes it better suited to stores that run more complex business models. If you own a restaurant with a large menu or a cafe with heavy foot traffic, we highly recommend this line-up.
Nuova Simonelli offers manual, automatic, and semiautomatic espresso machines with the ability to customize features such as group heads or smart wands.
Wrap Up
La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli continue to amaze businessowers, baristas, and customers around the world. Their dedication to state-of-the-art brewing features is only matched by their longevity.
Check out the La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli espresso machine line up for the lowest prices. If you’re struggling to narrow down your purchase, contact our live chat and we’ll be happy to help!
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Tony Barlow, with over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, is the go-to technical sales expert at Majesty Coffee. He's passionate about helping businesses find the right espresso equipment for their needs.