This video fills a gap in the market of "non coffee expert just espresso lover" la pavoni content. Love it!

From someone lost in the rabbit hole I really appreciate your video. The truth is: Ignorance is a bliss

Hey man, they make plastic drip trays to go under the stainless cover. Definitely worth grabbing one

Mostly same experience. Bought mine in 2000 (professional model) and took 10 years before I could make really good espresso. Now it’s better than pretty any 5k machine. But I’ve made a several modifications and use a pricy mazzer grinder. You should try lifting the lever to just before the water comes out before inserting the portafilter. It stops the vacuum pulling channels in the puck.

Great video. I use a La Pavoni professional lever machine for more than 18 years now. It’s really worth the effort and the learning curve. Also for the use of the original steaming wand with three holes. It works fine as it is. Open the steam valve for about 5 turns. You need enough steam force. Start on the surface of the milk. Create a vortex. Once the foam on the surface is formed, work your way down to about half way the bottom of the container with up and down movements. You can hear and feel that the milk becomes foam. You’ll feel it is time to start closing the valve now before the foam starts to overflow. Ready. Perhaps this way of doing is debatable by pros, but it works for me. Anyway, it is learning by doing it.

Bro…phenomenal video. You should have way more views. Bravo!!👏🏻

Incredible sense of art presenting information. Great video, Thanks and kind regards.

Lovely, passionate, yet practical video. Thank you.

I have a Europiccolo and everything you say is true. The machine, accessories and beans are a VIBE. It took me almost two months to get it locked it. But once you do, it is the only espresso you want. Pro tip: I pour hot water into my espresso cup to warm it up before pulling the shot. La Pavoni per sempre!

Excellent video on the La Pavoni, I am using one myself for about two weeks and absolutely loving it. Your cinematic approach to videos is very relaxing, keep doing you!

Beautifully done video, lights, music, background are all superb and a beautiful espresso machine. Well done

Great video! I just bought a used Europiccola this morning, together with a Jolly Dosato grinder and tamper and various other things. Also the previous owner had changed to a one hole steamtip. It looks absolutely beautiful and I’m scared and excited and thrilled for my journey to begin.

Very fair and a great looking video. I have a Gaggia Factory G106, it's chrome with a tin hat - it's a rebadged La Pavoni. I went through the same journey and I love it and use it every day.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thankyou.

Great video, very underappreciated by the algorithm!

I really enjoyed watching this, the analogy at the end brilliant! Just like others in the comments already said, the single hole steam tip is a game changer.

Repeating a point others have made regarding steaming milk: switch to a single-hole tip for the steam wand, then follow Lance Hedrick's guides to steaming.

Thank for the great video and your passionate with coffee❤😊

I’ve had mine since 1994. It takes a bit of practice to get proficient using it. It’s worth the effort to learn to use it properly.

Excellent and thoughtful video. Well done.

I love working on these machines ❤️

Wait till you look up the airbuster mod from coffee sensor 😂 o and the extended steam tip. Im sure you'll have fun taking the machine apart to clean and maintain. ❤

Bravo, very informative and funny! Bought my Europiccola in Milan in the mid 90's and my journey has been similar, equally enlightening and frustrating. The grind is key along with quantity used in the pod. There is also maintenance (Seals, pistons, gaskets, breakers, time and lots of patience). Beautiful, timeless unit that once you've learned it nuances, can produce a great espresso or lattes!

My new, used Europiccola is staning on the table beside me as I watch this. My voyage to Roma in the Alfa Romeo is about to begin! Loved you video!

Bravo. Great video. I loved and couldn’t agree more. My favorite thing is when I pull a bad shot. Throw it way and like a mad scientist to figure out what I did wrong. A steps back on my Apollo grinder and measure a little bit better. Than I pull that black gold. It’s so much fun. The Italians put classy first. I love that

Thank you for the declaration of love for a wonderful machine (and the alfa romeo way of life).

Cool video ! I have been using a la Pavoni professionale for 24 years every day now. Makes great espresso. Two things I found diffrently to you. My milk wand works perfectly making Great Cappuccino. Inportant using a fairly small metal container (with plastic handle obviously 🤣) to froth the milk, and the maschine cannot overheat as leaving it switched on the pressure regulator turns the heating element off automatically once it has reached the correct pressure. As you pointed out, the use of a coffe grinder is a must ! I use the one from la Pavoni and it works fine for 24 years now. To make it creamy, lots depend on how fine you grate the coffee. It must be just right. (6 month of trial and error..🤣) Nice video !! Thanks

I have bean to cup Jura E4, but my romance with coffee says that it’s not enough. I will keep automatic machine for bigger group of guests and I will go for full Italian experience with La Pavoni professional as a daily morning routine ❤ thanks for the video Sebastian! It is very inspiring ☕️

Great video! Reminds me of one of my greatest regrets of my life. Throwing my Europicola away. Yes, I found a europicola at a Goodwill store in Miami for $40.00. It was missing a basket but worked. This was in the 90's before the internet so I had to figure it out on my own. I used it until it burned out. I could not find parts to repair it, again, pre internet and I never really got the hang of pulling shots. It was broken, I had no idea what I was doing so eventually I tossed it. To this day it breaks my heart to think of it.

Great content. I started my espresso journey with a La Pavoni as well and I feel it's more than just drinking really good espresso, it's a hobby. Not LP years are the same. I have a '79 and a ~' 98 and the latter feels lighter, the steam wound can rotate like yours and the amount of coffee that fits in the basket and let me lock it in position is less. The newest one gets warm faster though with 200 more watts than the '79. You definitely need the plastic tray under your stanless grill (I thought it came stock with the machine).

Love the vid b/c I feel the same struggle. The Alfa analogy was perfect too and fits so good in the overall aesthetic. Very well done. p. s.: Love the German accent, too.

That going to Rome analogy was 🤌🏾

This machine is a piece of art and it definitely goes well in your beautiful kitchen! If there is something valuable I learned about coffee in Italy is that it is a joy to take the time to make a tiny little cup of espresso

Great overall vid. It’s obvious you have an eye for composition, lighting, music, sound, etc. I have a 1988 LPEP myself. It’s the dual switch version, which I personally believe helps making a better milk drink as the boiler pressure goes higher for better steaming.

Steam for me I went for single hole and it worked well from there. It aways takes work, but that is what makes it fun.

Ahhhh “the espresso rabbit hole”…. Mine started in 1996 and still going strong. There’s always a new mod, or method to try in the quest of the perfect shot of espresso. The never ending journey.

Great vid! If you want to easily steam milk, I would recommend to change the three hole steam tip to a single hole one (you can find those for around 10-15€ on the internet, so it’s a fairly cheap mod). It works wonders!

Great video. I'm a lever guy too...I really enjoyed this :)

Great video, thank you 🎉

Fabulous video...BRAVO

A wonderful honest and comprehensive film. I had a europiccola for 25 years and used it every day. It never missed a beat. The experience taught me mindfulness before I knew it was even a thing. It taught me discipline and the need to consider time in the morning. The points about crema are spot on. It depends on freshness and grinding. I removed that stupid bolt and put a rubber washer down over the hole before replacing the bolt. Leakage into the switch gear sorted. The ports filter indeed needs to remain in place for a while to cool or you risk coffee grounds being netted everywhere. The machine went on until the seals failed and I didn't know you could get them in the mail. I've got a different machine now but only a pavoni or a faema (vintage I know) will make an espresso like I remember from Napoli. Forget about all the mad tools and the rest. It's all about taste and mouth feel of that first espresso of the day. Of course there will be better cups on some days than others. That's why making an espresso this way mirrors real life... It's variable. Embrace that and you will embrace your europiccola, whichever model you buy. Goditi il ​​tuo caffè!

1 hole tip, for latte, hold the jug with the handle to the right sideways, with the tip up against the side of the jug nearest to yourself, tip at surface for 10 seconds, them lower tip until correct temp. For cappuccino keep the tip up top for most of the heating time.

Great video. Thanks for making this, Ive been looking at getting one, and you impressions and your experience has helped a lot in making a decision

After years of wanting one of these right at the beginning of my coffee journey, I borrowed one off of a friend of mine for a month. As much as I loved the espresso it brewed and the ritual of using it, I’ve decided it’s probably not for me just for the steam wand alone, was pretty disappointing in that aspect. I still love the beauty of them though. Great video! Probably the best la pavoni video I’ve seen!

Crafted video covering all you need to know to get started with La Pavoni Europiccola. Millennium owner 16+ years. Cannot be understated the importance of a high quality hand grinder within your budget with every else. The only thing not mentioned is the temptation to go back for a second is curved by the effort controlling the level of caffeine to acceptable limits.

Hey man, Just a watch through your video, it is very well put together. I very much feel your struggle as I also started my journey with La Pavomi last year, and there have been many ups and downs. :) However, there are a few things that I have to point out about your video: 1) Within the Europiccola family they usually get categorized to Pre and Post Melanials, as the units made after 2000s where modified to function better. and you'll have less issues specifically with heat distribution. 2) there's a plastic tray which seems like you've been missing, it costs about 5 euro or so to order, and you could get rid of the cup underneath. 3) there's a replacement for the steam wand, with a single-hole extruder, which helps get a better steamed milk, but still not perfect! anyway, have fun brewing, and enjoy your machine. :)

Very great video. Just got a very old one where the grouphead is attached to the body but looks as new. I still have a lot to learn and my espresso is nowhere near yours yet 😂. Would love to see a maintenance video, where you talk about how you keep the LP in good condition!

The LaPavoni Esperto Abile is my first lever espresso machine. Making capuccino and steaming the milk was very acceptable on my very first shot. I had recently dark roasted coffee beans, my own grinder and coffee puck preparation tools. Prior to the LaPavoni, I had other espresso machines. Perhaps the other machines gave me the experience on what is to be expected and needed when using a LaPavoni.

Americano is just espresso+hot water. I would use a kettle but you can get hot water by removing the portafilter. Be sure to purge a bit and clean your shower screen, which you should do anyway. Cappuccino, you did cover and I think you can make adequate foam with this. A lungo is really a type of espresso. Standard espresso is a 1:2 ratio of coffee to what’s in the cup. Lungo usually is 1:3+. I would not recommend double pumping this machine because you will draw fines up past the shows screen and the only way to clean it will be to take it apart . You can get a 7 gram basket and use less coffee to change the ratio. It’s a pretty versatile machine but it demands you develop skill but allows you to gain knowledge about coffee. For me nothing beats the feeling when the soluble parts of the coffee begin to dissolve and give themselves to the cup.

IMHO the big advantage of any direct manual lever machine is that you have full control over the pressure. But this also makes it the most challenging type of machine. I got the Flair Pro 2, which isn't even electric (but, as a big plus, does come with a pressure gauge). It's a beautiful process to use it, I do have a pump machine too but haven't used it since I got the Flair. I just love the way it feels when you are pushing down the lever, the tactile feedback you get when the cake starts to losen up, the audible feedback (no pump noise, just the espresso flowing into the cup), the way you control the flow using your muscles on the lever. Lever espresso also is quite different to pump machine espresso, it's usually much sweeter, thicker and rounder. Maybe one day, I'm going to buy a LaPav...or a Cremina.

Thanks so much for this. I had wanted one of these for years and while I was aware of some of the pitfalls, like the potential for steam burns or the machine getting very hot, I now think it’s probably not for me. I could have had one for around AU $500 a few years ago but they are now more than double that and well into the range of a good domestic do-it-all. I really wanted to experience the hands on part of espresso making and this is obviously the pinnacle but I don’t think it’s the right machine for me. Thanks for your advice.

Not a group player? I'll take that as a challenge. I pulled 8 shots back to back on my Flair and my friends loved it... granted, it took me 20 minutes because I used a hand grinder, cleaning was messy and I was giving out shots in 2s for the couples first. But still! When I do upgrade to a boiler machine it'll probably be a La Pavoni.

due to this awesome video I just got my hands on an used La Pavoni Professional. Do you have any recommendations or where to buy accessories? I would like to buy a naked portafilter.

Nice video. And I like the look of the machine as I'm a fan of the copper looks, although I'm not going to buy one. I don't think anyone will manage to get good (and consistent) shots out of any machine without the right knowledge I'm probably going to buy the Flair 58 but have to add copper(plating) details later 😅

Nice video, also have a La Pavoni and was well prepared before getting it. You are completely right that it's not for people who don't want to turn espresso into a hobby. Your analogy that using a La Pavoni is like driving a classic car is spot-on 👌

Great video! Both educational and entertaining, my compliments! One question, what model/brand of hand grinder are you using here?

really great video man. just the composition and lighting was really well done, and you did a good job of passing on all your knowledge you picked up while falling down the various rabbit holes lol. i’ve been using a sage bambino (low level espresso machine,) for about a year now and am considering grabbing one of these. they’re everywhere second hand in spain. my only doubt is that every morning, i make two espressos for my girlfriend and i, then 30 minutes later, a final espresso to transform into an americano to take with me for work. can one of these little guys make two shots back to back? i’m assuming the 30 minutes is enough of a cool down time, but the first two have me doubting.

Perfecto 👌🏼

I have had an Europiccola for years before finally moving on to a heat exchange Profitec. While I think i was never as successful in consistently pulling shots as you, I think it's perfectly fine to steam milk. It just doesn't have a lot of pressure, so it takes a little longer but my results were good. I can recommend lance Hedricks beginner video on fool proof milk steaming in this regard. Obviously you're not gonna get the "Bauschaum" you get from the Bialetti contraption you show in your video, but that's not what you want anyways... Great video! Almost makes me wanna take the LaPavoni down from atop the cupboard. Oh by the way, I have a about 40ish year-old one with the plastic drip tray and that one gets rust under the drip tray as well, even though there should not be any moisture there... very weird...

Great video. Greetings from Argentina.

If you replace the steam wand tip with a single hole version you can make incredible, silky microfoam milk. There's a few retailers online that sell them or you can even drill a hole in the right size lug nut and screw that on instead of the stock tip. Enjoy!

what grinder did you end up buying. I got the timemore c3s to start off but thinking of upgrading later down the road.

I didn’t see anyone else talk about purging the false pressure. Because you start with air in the boiler to will end up with heated air rather than steam over your water. Purging this will definitely help with steaming milk. It will clear the steam wand of water that may have condensed there the last time you used the machine. It looks like you have a vintage machine. They hold air in the group head. Pumping the handle just short of where water will come out allows steam to circulate through the group head to heat it up to brew temperature without wasting water and burp the air out as well. There are multiple videos on this technique. For brewing espresso it should eliminate the spongy feel you can get from that air in the system.

Beautiful done as everything in Italy, I am thinking of buying one but wonder if it worth buying a new one or a second hand one? Thanks for your advise coffee lovers. 😉

If you want to steam milk better, replace the three hole nozzle with a one hole nozzle - steams milk MUCH better with a single nozzle. 1 Pre-M Pro/Sette 270 - 1 M EP/Lagom Mini - 1M EP/Lelit Fred in different houses. First was the Pro we got in Roma in 1994.

Yes it makes very good Milk foam! It es easy

I have one with double buttons. It gets really hot.

Crema is literally just foam. People asked the maker of the original espresso machine why their coffee was bubbly because they thought it looked scummy and gross. So he came up with a marketing term "crema" or cream. In fact, modern espresso machines no longer make as much crema because it has - if anything - negative impact on flavor, and coffee people usually skim it off or stir it in. Specialty coffee has also moved to lighter roasts and better extractions which generate less crema. 99% of complaints and mods and technique videos... Literally just read the instructions! The standard instructions for the machine don't cause channeling or lifting the puck. So most likely. The coffee shop gave you a better, likely darker roast. I often use the lightest roasts with a manual Cafelat Robot, and I rarely do espresso often enough to dial in a setup, so I should be having the hardest time pulling shots. Usually takes me 1-2 pulls to dial in a new bag. I just give the first shots to my wife because she likes milk drinks, so she makes something that's 2/3 milk and sugar anyway. By the second shot I probably have something good enough to drink black. The idea that espresso machines should be difficult or take years to master... It takes me 1-3 pulls on a new machine with a bag I've never tried before. Stop obsessing over details. Just figure out what you're doing wrong - likely things like lifting the lever causing a vacuum to disturb the puck - and get on with life. "But I followed all the tips on TikTok" yeah from other people who messed up their espresso for years! Don't follow them! Find experts like James Hoffman who give you an exact chart. Use this grind, use this pull time, and if the result is X, you need to fix Y. Pulling shots is a science. Personal preference is an art. You should be able to pull the same shot every time, until you dial in your personal preference.

The steam wand actually works great, but you have to open the valve ALL the way. Meaning several (!) rotations on the knob so you get all the power out of it. Then it works wonders!

Next upgrade is a 18g basket and bottomless portafilter, thermometer, manometers and the PPK with Airbusters from Coffeesensor :)

Nice video. What are your grind settings and how many grams of coffee go into your portafilter?

I want one so bad but I drink cappuccino. Is the steam wand really that bad ? Any mods to make it better ?

Bit disappointed about the Triumph Spitfire instead of an Alfa Romeo Duetto 😂 Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Keep it up 👍

One thing you didn't mention is that the machine has to be serviced every few years. That's a challenge because there are very few people in the USA that can service a la Pavoni professionally.

😂😂 Delightful. Some clarification is needed though. The "coffee parafernalia" is stuff you will find on a counter in any coffee shop. It's what you need to make an espresso, no matter if you buy the Europiccola or a pump driven comercial machine. Now the obvious part. It's an espresso machine, it will not make anything other than that. The point that needs clarification is the fact that you will have more restrictions when making an espresso than you would with a pump driven machine. These types of manual machines are meant for a more traditional shot with 1:5 or 1:7 ratios. As an alternative you should probably look at something like a Gaggia Clasic.

The reality is there are many variables that you need to have right to make good espresso, that isnt under or over extracted and isnt too weak, not too thin etc etc - grind size, water temp,, tamp levelness, tamp pressure, - puck prep, brew length, pressure, bean type and freshness - most modern espresso machines control a few of the variables for you so you dont have to be in charge of a ever shifting set of levers. The la pavoni doesn't and you need to manage all factors. Temp is the most difficult variable to manage, you really need some idea of what the group head temp is so you can time your shot right. As you mentioned the group head can get much too hot if you aren't careful, this is because how it is bolted directly to the boiler. The stickers are a great first start at this. I would also definitley also recomend installing the boiler pressure gauge, this will help with with brew temp but also trouble shooting your steaming. If you are interested in modifiying your machine to make better more consitent coffee I 100% reccomend the Bong isolator, coffee sensor also sells it. It is a thermal break that goes between the group head and the boiler and allows for much much easier thermal management of the brew temp, with how mine is set up I could make 5 shots in a row and not have to cool down my group head. It also alows you to bump up your boiler pressure and have much better steam power as a result. Its totally reversable, so if you deside you dont like it (which you wont) you can always take it off and sell it. Finally a couple things, - Its ideal to put the portafiter into the group head when the lever is raised almost all the way to the top, rather than inseting it then rasing the lever, this is because the vacum created can lift the puck and damage it doing it the way you did in your demo. also known as puck jump. - To acheieve 8 bars on the LP you have to push very hard, I mostly brew around 6 bar - which is still pushing pretty hard, I have a ppk so thats how I can read the pressure. I recomend the technique were you push down on the lever and up on the portafilter handle, IMO this makes the least stress on the boiler. -The la pavoni generally needs a very fine grind, I think a good rule of thumb is grind finer than you think espresso should be and start your shot with a 30s pre infusion. If the water runs straight through without much force, grind finer, if you can only get a few drops out in 2 minutes of brewing then coursen it a touch.

Does anybody have problema with pulling a decent 2nd shot? Maybe because of the machine being too hot?

yes, exactly. This is a machine about beauty. I'm not sure what's going wrong for you with the steam wand -- I learned when I was a barista decades ago, so this was second nature. Two important things: One, get the nozzle under, but not far under, the surface of the milk and at an angle, like skimming stones, near but not at the side of the vessel, and get that spin generated; move the milk up and down a bit under the wand as the foam grows, you're looking for something silky and not too bubbly. Too bubbly means the nozzle is too close to the surface. And two, pay attention to the temperature of the milk as you go, preferably by sound (a deep rumbly sound is not what you want, too far) and/or the feel of the vessel itself. To calibrate yourself while learning just stick a finger in the milk and see how hot it is (take the wand out first). You want to avoid scalding the milk, so warm-to-hot, but not hot-hot. The espresso is already hot and the foam will insulate.

It’s about ritual over routine

Wow! Echt nice. Sehr chic! Ich komme nächste Woche vorbei! ❤️

hahahaha its the history of my life!! never ending 🤣🤣

Every once in a while, I get everything exactly right and I can draw latte art with it, but it's unfortunately purely random...I never understand what I did right to get it right

It’s a spitfire not and Alfa

To my experience frothing has nothing to do with the number of holes at the tip of the arm. Just cool down the milk to below normal fridge temperature. I place the can with the amount of milk in the freezer for a moment. It’s okay if it freezes a bit.

I don't see how an espresso machine could not make an americano as it's basically an espresso diluted. Regarding the milk it works really well, if you change the tip. Going from a 3 hole tip to a single hole makes a huge difference. I pull latte and cappucino almost daily.

We bought ours in Naples, Italy 1971. Was refurbished once. I took it out today and water is leaking in several places. I was heart broken! The base is peeling, wiring looks questionable and other components need replacing. Dilemma -- the entire thing would have to be refurbished and will be costly. Or just buy a new one that works without future repairs. Sentimental departure...

Very nice shot, but Ragazzi it is a Triumph and not an Alfa ;)

Basic espresso knowledge...