This is one of my most beloved kitchen gadgets I own.
My La Pavoni Europiccola is a fully manual lever espresso machine, this little gem bypasses electronic pumps for pressure and utilizes pure hand power and leverage to produce the requisite 130 pounds per square inch of pressure to brew of shot of espresso.
What makes using a fully manual lever espresso machine so satisfying and so frustrating at the same time is that the user has so much control over all of the variables that go into that 8 ounce demitasse of black gold.
As Coffeegeek.com puts it (on of the best resource for the coffee and espresso community on the net)
Manual espresso machines – or more commonly referred to as lever espresso machines – are about as hands on as you can get and still produce that beverage we know today as espresso. These machines can frustrate, infuriate, and leave you disappointed. They can also produce the best shots of espresso you’ll ever have. Lever machines hands on with a capital H.
I find this elusive hunt, and to get that perfect shot of espresso, to be all the fun, it’s like my mom who goes bird watching, she is very excited finally when she get to see that one rare bird , she experienced it and the hunt was as good as the actual event. In espresso that once in a life time experience, of that perfect shot where all the variables come together, is called the God Shot. I’ve been lucky, I have produced some simply amazing espressos on my Europiccola, it’s a joy- the elusive art of espresso.
Here in this post are photos of my Europiccola, and my pre-war manual hand coffee grinder (which are considered to be just as good or better than a Mazzer Mini –the best entry level commercial coffee grinder).
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- My La Pavoni Europiccola
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- Vintage Hand Coffee Grinder (top view)
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- Tools of the trade.
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- Portafilter | Custom Espresso Tamp.
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- Coffee ready to be tamped
Filed under: Coffee, Food, Black Gold, Coffee, Coffee Geek, Espresso, Europicolla, Lever, Pavoni, Pleasure/Pain
