Have you been impressed by the beauty of the La Pavoni Professional, and now you’re wondering if you should buy one for yourself? With its gleaming metallic exterior and unique lever operation, it’s undeniable that this espresso machine leaves a powerful impression.
However, before you jump in and buy it, it’s a good idea to do your research. We’ve created this La Pavoni Professional review to provide you all the information you need to make your decision.
This is what we’ll be addressing:
- The La Pavoni Professional’s most important features and how they’ll impact you.
- Various configurations the machine is sold in and how they differ from each other.
- Potential alternative options to the Professional.
- A quick overview of La Pavoni as a company and their trustworthiness.
- Prices for the machines in this guide.
Keep reading to discover more about this top-notch espresso machine…
Quick Summary
At a glance, the La Pavoni Professional is an immediately impressive machine. It has an exterior so highly polished that it’s reflective, an accurate pressure gauge on top, and a lever that juts out from the front. This machine is a loving homage to traditional espresso-making, when lever-operated models dominated the market and making espresso was truly an art. This is a well-built espresso machine that’s perfect for espresso purists or skilled baristas.
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Important Features and What they Mean
Manual Lever Operation
Let’s start with the very obviously notable feature of the La Pavoni Professional: it’s a lever-operated manual espresso machine. These machines aren’t very common these days, having been slowly phased out and replaced with higher-tech models that use buttons, switches, or touchscreens.
But there’s still a small demand for espresso machines that use vintage-inspired features like the Professional’s lever. To extract a shot of espresso, one must pull the lever at just the right time and hold it down for the correct duration before raising it again.
This gives brewing espresso a much more tactile feeling. Furthermore, it’s significantly more stylish than the alternative, making machines like this one particularly great for small specialty coffee shops or seasoned home baristas.
Nickel Plated Boilers
Aside from good espresso, of course, what’s the first thing you hope for when you purchase an espresso machine? We’d guess that you said you’d hope the machine lasts you a long time, especially if it strained your budget.
The longevity of an espresso machine comes from the quality of its components and materials. Since the boiler is one of the most crucial components of your machine, you’ll want one that’s tough like the Professional’s nickel-plated boiler.
Not only is the boiler durable, it’s also much more spacious than the Professional’s sister machine, the Europiccola. Because the Professional’s boiler can hold 38oz of water as opposed to 20oz, it’s capable of brewing and steaming longer.
Read Also: La Pavoni Europiccola Review
Metal Construction
This relates to the nickel plating on the boiler that we discussed above. It’s not just the machine’s boiler that’s made of metal – aside from the handles and knobs, the whole machine is.
There’s something inherently more trustworthy about metal as opposed to plastic. It’s true that plastic is the more affordable option, but if the La Pavoni Professional were made entirely out of plastic instead, you’d probably find yourself internally counting down the days until something breaks.
Beyond durability, it’s undeniable that the metal construction gives the Professional its own flair. Despite its vintage design, its metallic exterior allows it to blend in with polished kitchen appliances.
Pressure Gauge
Experienced baristas know that there are tons of factors to pay attention to whenever you’re using an espresso machine. Since a certain amount of pressure is needed to brew espresso properly, pressure is one of the foremost qualities you should be monitoring.
The La Pavoni Professional makes monitoring your pressure simple. It has a convenient pressure gauge right on top of the water level sight glass, so you can confirm your machine is working properly just by taking a quick look.
Related Post: Best Manual Commercial Espresso Machines
Internal Thermostat
A complex machine without any ability to self-correct would be a nuisance to use. You’d be constantly worried about damaging it in some way unless you knew it completely, inside and out.
The La Pavoni Professional, while not an automated machine, is capable of monitoring itself in at least one aspect: its internal pressure. It has a thermostat on the inside that keeps tabs on its pressure, helping to protect it from reaching dangerous levels.
Dual Frothing Mechanism
In addition to its basic steam wand, the Professional comes with an attachment that makes frothing milk a little easier: its cappuccino device. This attachment is essentially just a tube that you can attach to the wand and a milk container to generate effortless milk foam.
It’s simple, but that’s what makes it useful. Whether or not you have experience making frothy cappuccinos or creamy lattes, you’ll still be able to manage it with the help of this automatic frothing system.
Read More: Elektra Micro Casa vs Semi Automatica
Different Configurations
We chose the La Pavoni Professional in chrome as the face of this review. There are, however, a few other color options that we will go over shortly.
It’s important to mention that there isn’t anything different from model to model. They are all the same La Pavoni Professional, except that they are available in different colors.
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Perhaps you find an all-chrome espresso machine to be visually boring. Maybe you would like something with a more cohesive look that ties in better with the color of the handles.
In that case, the La Pavoni Professional with the black base is likely the better fit for your preferences. As you can see, the base has been changed so that it is no longer metallic chrome – it is black. Beyond color, however, it is the same as the above Professional.
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Want an espresso machine with more vintage character? The La Pavoni Professional Copper/Brass will be more your speed, then.
As you can see, it has done away with the chrome completely. Now, instead of the cool silver countenance of its predecessors, the Professional has a warmer copper and brass look that’s perfect for retro-themed kitchens.
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If you dislike the color variations present in the above Professional, you’ll love the La Pavoni Professional in brass. Rather than having any clashing colors or different areas, it is a uniform brass color.
You’ll still get a warmer vintage look, but it will also be more uniform thanks to the lack of copper.
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Comparable Alternatives
Those looking for a truly unique espresso machine to add to their homes need not look any further than the Elektra Micro Casa. This machine is a sight to behold with its pillar shape, metallic construction, wooden handles, and the eagle-shaped topper.
Once you get past the looks, there’s a lot to admire about the Micro Casa. For one thing, it ships almost entirely assembled – all you’ll need to do once it arrives is attach the steam wand.
Furthermore, it comes with a few features created to protect it from harm and increase its safety. Examples include its internal pressure regulator and safety thermostat, which work together to moderate the machine’s pressure and temperature.
These are some other compelling features it has:
- A long-lived brass boiler.
- Built-in pressure relief valve that vents pressure before it can reach dangerous levels.
- An external water level sight glass that allows you to tell at a glance if you need to add more water to the tank.
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The reason why lever-controlled machines aren’t typically used in commercial settings is that they are almost always slower than their automated alternatives. Customers don’t walk into a coffee shop hoping for a long wait – most of them want their drinks as soon as possible, and don’t care if you must sacrifice style to get speed.
La Pavoni’s 2-Group Commercial Lever machine is designed to solve this issue. Because it has two brew heads, it is capable of brewing twice as fast as its single-group counterparts.
If what you want is the style of a lever-controlled espresso machine scaled up for commercial settings, this one could be precisely what you need. Here are some additional reasons to consider it:
- An eco-friendly power-saving mode that allows it to operate at 75% of its power during lulls.
- Anti-vacuum valve to prevent milk from getting sucked back into the steam wand and clogging it.
- Dual steam wands to allow two baristas to work on the machine at once.
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About the Brand
If you’re looking for an espresso machine brand you can trust, you really don’t need to look much further than La Pavoni. This company has been around since 1905, meaning they have over a century of experience crafting quality machines.
Quite a few of our bestselling machines are from La Pavoni. That’s why we can say with certainty that they’re worth your consideration.
Ideal Machine Applications
The La Pavoni Professional may have the word “professional” in its name, but that doesn’t mean we’d recommend it for businesses. As a single-group manual machine, it will automatically be far slower than commercial alternatives.
For that reason, we think the best setting for it is in the home of an experienced barista or someone who appreciates old-fashioned décor.
What Customers Say
Feedback for our La Pavoni machines has been generally positive, including what our customers have said about the La Pavoni Professional. Those who have purchased it say that it’s such a long-lasting machine, it can withstand decades of use.
Suffice to say, this is a model you won’t need to concern yourself with replacing anytime soon.
Pricing Information
Majesty Coffee strives to offer our customers the lowest prices for the best espresso machines. We include our La Pavoni collection in that statement.
That being said, we have the La Pavoni Professional in chrome or with a black base for $1,099. Our La Pavoni Professional in copper/brass is available for $1,379 and the Professional in just brass is available for $1,699.
Additionally, we have the Elektra Micro Casa for $1,695 and the La Pavoni 2-Group Commercial Lever machine for $6,100.
Check them out in our stores by clicking the following links:
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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.
