STRADIVARI LUSSO A C LOOK - Bella Barista · La Pavoni Stradivari Lusso closer look v1.doc ... Build quality is good and from what I could see ... The Stradivari is not too tall and

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La Pavoni Stradivari Lusso closer look v1.doc

LA PAVONI STRADIVARI LUSSO – A

CLOSER LOOK H T T P : / / W W W . B E L L A B A R I S T A . C O . U K

The Stradivari, is a visually appealing manual

Lever Espresso maker, with a history of over 50

years. Its method of making espresso has

remained almost unchanged during this period,

one of the reasons for its inherent reliability

and simplicity.

I think I first noticed the machine being used, in

the movie Jaws, by Roy Scheider, there was a

scene in which he “crafted” a coffee, by an

impressive looking and hissing La Pavoni. It

made quite an impression on me and later

during the early 1980s, I lusted after such a

machine (but couldn’t afford one).

I need to come clean at the start though and

say that after 30 years of experience, I no

longer lust after this machine. Initially I did not

want to do this review, although now I’m glad I

did. However, there might still be some

negative bias that I have been unable to ignore

when doing the review.

Build quality is good and from what I could see

externally, high quality components used. They

seem well put together and definitely tested

before shipment. They come in many finishes;

mine was the Chrome/Steel model and was a

very attractive looking machine. I think one of

Pavonis strengths is in their visual design.

Compact and lightweight it will fit in even the

smallest of kitchens and is easily moved from

room to room, or placed in a cupboard when

not in use.

I think this machine is suitable for people that;

(possibly) have limited space, drink lower volumes

of coffee and like their equipment to make a

statement within the kitchen. The “handcrafted”

nature of the espresso appeals to many people.

Overview Inside This ReviewInside This ReviewInside This ReviewInside This Review

Overview 1

How it works 3

Inside the Stradivari 4

Key Features 5

Using the Stradivari 9

Final Thoughts 10

Gallery 12

The details were correct at the time of writing, but the manufacturer and Bella Barista reserve the right to change the technical specification of the packaging, machines and any accessories supplied with the machine (including quantity and type of accessories supplied)



LA PAVONI STRADIVARI LUSSOLA PAVONI STRADIVARI LUSSOLA PAVONI STRADIVARI LUSSOLA PAVONI STRADIVARI LUSSO –––– A A A A CLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOK Page Page Page Page 2222 of of of of 12121212

The La Pavonis are quite often machines bought

by someone with some limited experience of

the more common sub £200 high street

machines. Normally they are seeking an

“improved” espresso experience, perhaps

having discovered some of the limitations of

their existing machines. I will come back to this

point in more detail at the end of the review.

The Stradivari is not too tall and gives plenty of

room under standard height kitchen cupboards.

It is a visual feast and almost everyone would

find the looks very appealing. Its look is

timeless and it would not look out of place in a

modern or old-fashioned kitchen. The small

footprint gives plenty of space and the machine

slides easily out of the way when not in use

The Stradivari arrived well packed. Within the

box, the support packaging is expanded

polystyrene, shaped specifically for the

machine, so there is little chance of damage

during transit. Bella Barista double box the

machines, so this will be added protection.

La Pavoni provide comprehensive documentation

covering all aspects of operation, routine

maintenance and production of espresso based

drinks. I think an important point to make here, is

that there is also a wealth of information on the

Internet to draw on to find the best techniques for

this machine. The experience of 50 years is

ultimately available to you and the learning is

readily available. Even so, with all machines of this

type, every owner will be on a “personal journey” of “personal journey” of “personal journey” of “personal journey” of

discoverydiscoverydiscoverydiscovery....

If you are completely new to coffee making, or have

limited experience, you will probably find this

machine challenging. The Stradivari is easy to keep

clean, a quick wipe with a damp cloth on and a buff

with a micro fibre cloth on the chrome/steel, keeps

it looking great.

Overview – cont.

The The The The Pavoni StradivariPavoni StradivariPavoni StradivariPavoni Stradivari p p p positioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchen




Placing the Stradivari in my usual favourite

corner location was ideal, as I could pull the

machine forward when in use, and slide it back

out of the way, when I was not using it. The

compact nature makes it so much easier to

place anywhere in the Kitchen and very usable

for those with very limited space.

Descaling is a simple procedure and clearly

covered in the manufacturers supplied

documentation.

This simplified diagram of the Stradivari shows

the simplicity of how the machine works and

why it should be reliable.

It is highly recommended to use suitably filtered or

soft water, to reduce limescale problems.

StradivariStradivariStradivariStradivari comes well packedcomes well packedcomes well packedcomes well packed

• Simple conduction warms the metal of the group.

• The lever when raised allows the steam pressure in the boiler to push water through a tube and fill the group below the piston

• When the lever pressed down, the water is “pushed” through the coffee in the portafilter at high pressure, and the piston closes the feed tube to the group.

How it works (simplified)




Are things you will not need to touch and really

there is so little inside, I have not bothered with

the usual strip down. It is a bit like the Lloyds

building in London, everything is mostly on the

outside on show. The build quality seems good

with a nice finish. The Stradivari is not a

complex piece of electronics and is

mechanically very simple. This should bring

increased reliability and reduced maintenance

costs. A machine like this could well be

operating 30 years from now, albeit with

changes of group gaskets and piston seals

I particularly liked:

• Solid and heavy gauge brass boiler

• Pull off steam wand (easy to clean or

replace)

Inside the Stradivari

Inside the boiler of the Stradivari.. The steam wand simply rotates 40 degrees upwards and Inside the boiler of the Stradivari.. The steam wand simply rotates 40 degrees upwards and Inside the boiler of the Stradivari.. The steam wand simply rotates 40 degrees upwards and Inside the boiler of the Stradivari.. The steam wand simply rotates 40 degrees upwards and

pulpulpulpulls off, allowing the autols off, allowing the autols off, allowing the autols off, allowing the auto frother to be attachedfrother to be attachedfrother to be attachedfrother to be attached




• It’s small and lightweight, easy to take

and use almost anywhere

• It’s mechanically and electronically very simple

• Very quiet

• Very easy to maintain and descale

• Heavy gauge boiler, this machine will last a very long time

• Simple to operate, but hard to operate well!

• Powerful steam

• Looks aesthetically pleasing, should impress people

Item/Description Picture & Comments

On my machine, the steam valve felt stiff to operate and leaked very slightly. So I took it apart and cured the stiffness (a retaining nut was simply too tight) I am convinced it is a faulty valve as a friends machine does not leak at all

Steam valve is of a type I last saw on the Ponte Vecchio Lusso. It works by forcing a tapered steel pin into a brass seating%indestructible, but it does need to be closed quite hard to prevent leaking. It feels horrible to have to close it quite tightly, but I can see why Pavoni used this type of valve, as they simply don’t easily wear out.

Cap feels really nice and easily locks into place with no leaks

Boiler is very thick chromed brass and should last almost forever, very nicely made and finished.

Nice heavy portafilter, locks in quite securely

All components are very accessible. This makes servicing quick and easy

High quality internal components

Key features




The steam wand was not long enough for my larger milk jug, unless it was around half-full of milk, so I had to use my small 300ml jug.

The steam wand is also in a, less than ideal position.

Apparently no vacuum breaker- so indicated by Pavonis own instructions and the stuff about bleeding off the false pressure, also mentioned on the internet by users of the machines. I thought that, they could have easily incorporated one in the safety valve�they have had more than 50 years to get round to doing this.

Using the Pavoni for a while now, I am completely certain that the safety valve has a vacuum breaker installed in it and they have done exactly what I thought they should do, incorporated it into the pressure relief valve. I found no need to bleed away false pressure and when warming up, the so-called, “safety valve” behaves EXACTLY like a Vacuum breaker valve as well (venting a little water and steam, before the steam pressure closes it). Checking the exploded parts diagrams on the Pavoni web site, seems to confirm this, as there are differences between this model and older models.

Getting nice silky microfoam out of the Pavoni will require practice (I was not quite there during the review period). I did get better and better with the milk foaming the more I used the machine.

The usual foam, was,

Also routing this vent tube so that it was actually over the drip tray, or even down the boiler a few more inches and then across to the drip tray.

The steam wand would benefit from a ball joint so it can be positioned over the drip tray. This was particularly annoying as mine was faulty and very slowly dripped all the time, which meant water droplets on the side of the machine and counter




The equipment supplied with the Pavoni. The auto frothing attachment “centre” is a nice touch. I personally don’t use such devices, as the frothy milk they give is too cool for my taste and not of the micro-foam type texture I prefer. The portafilter itself and baskets are nice quality and quite heavy. The single basket is not really a lot of use though, because it simply does not hold enough coffee, unless you want a very small espresso indeed. It is however suitable for use with coffee pods! I found myself using the double basket, which was suitable (in my opinion) for large singles, but certainly not a double shot. It actually only holds a little more coffee than one of my single E61 portafilter baskets! The tamper I used was 51 mm exactly. Luckily I had an old steel Tamper from Whittards which was double ended and the smaller end fitted perfectly (it is almost a steel version of the plastic tamper, so is not great for stability). I expect Bella Barista will stock much better tampers for the machine. I definitely believe you will need a proper tamper that fits, for the best results.

The drip tray fits in a recess in the base of the machine. It is a plastic insert, covered by a steel grid. It works OK, but of course does not hold that much. It’s not a problem, though, because you simply rinse it out after a few coffee making sessions.

Plastic tampers are rubbish, but the Pavoni one does not even fit properly!

Considering the price of these machines, I think this is disgraceful (I don’t mean the just the fit, I mean the plastic tamper), come on Pavoni, a better tamper please!




The shower screen and the groove with the group gasket at the bottom.

Luckily the shower screen on these type of levers doees not get too much mess behind them, but they cannot easily be removed for cleaning. The only way is to remove the piston assembly, as you will need to to push the shower screen out.

The little groove with the group gasket at the bottom will need cleaning though, and believe me it’s a small gap, no where near as large as this picture makes it look. I had to use a cotton bud to clean the group gasket, plus a water jet from a plastic bottle.

The Stradivari gets quite hot fairly quickly and after 3 or 4 shots, is probably too hot to make decent espresso. In fact I often found the first shot was a little cool, the second and 3

rd was just right and the last few were

starting to get a bit hot.

Note: you do have to slowly pump the lever up and down a few times to get the group hot before pulling a shot, drawing water out simply empties the boiler without as much warming, a pumping action lets less water out, but spreads the heat across the group.

Note: the instruction book says to raise the lever, wait 6 or 7 seconds and see drips of espresso coming out before lowering the lever. I can almost guarantee that if you see espresso dripping out, you’re going to get a gusher (lever incredibly easy to pull) and not great espresso. Ideally, I found it better to lift the lever wait 8-10 seconds and hope not to see drips of espresso, if you don’t and it’s not ground too fine�you’re going to get a decent shot.

The lesson here is to not buy the more expensive professional machine for 2 reasons:

• Although you have a bigger boiler, the machine is going to get far too hot for it to be of any use to you. So save a bit of money.

• The professional models have a pressure gauge, but as you cannot adjust the pressure%.so what, because it serves no useful purpose apart from looking good.

What Pavoni could and should have done on the larger models, is to have had 2 thermostats and separate brew/steam switches. This would have allowed the boiler to be maintained at an ideal temperature for brewing coffee, and only switched to steam mode (hotter) when required.

You cannot get a 1 oz shot glass under the spouts, which is incredibly frustrating, but as you will probably end up unscrewing the double spout, then it will fit without any problem. Besides, you cannot really get 2 decent single shots at once out of it, so it probably does not matter.




It’s a challenge to be sure, you have to ensure

you don’t pull (if you’re small), push (if you’re

tall), the lever too hard. I have seen people

straining to get the lever down. So time for a

little math:

The piston is 43mm in diameter, so the area of

the piston is about 2.25 inches. The lever is what

they call a "second order" lever, the fulcrum

point is 25mm away from the piston pusher and

about 250mm away from the centre of the

handle giving an approximate 10-1 mechanical

advantage. This would mean that a force of

about 28lbs needs to be applied to the handle to

exert about 9 bar on the coffee.

This really is not as hard as you might think, but

of course may not be suitable for people with

arthritis or the infirm. For the able bodied

though, if you’re straining at all, then you’re

pressing much too hard.

It is a matter of filling the portafilter, (dose) for

the double (put the single in the draw and leave

it there), then tamp. YYYYou will need a decentou will need a decentou will need a decentou will need a decent,,,, wwwwell ell ell ell

fitting tamper, fitting tamper, fitting tamper, fitting tamper, without tamping you will have to

grind really fine, risk an inconsistent grind

(particle size) and have the probability of

choking.

You will have to pick your moment and express a

little water (and pump the handle) to warm the

group. It is also surprising just how good a . It is also surprising just how good a . It is also surprising just how good a . It is also surprising just how good a

grinder you will need to get the best out of this grinder you will need to get the best out of this grinder you will need to get the best out of this grinder you will need to get the best out of this

machimachimachimachine.ne.ne.ne. Cheap grinders can grind finely

enough, but the grind will be inconsistent and so

will the shots. I have a Mazzer Mini E grinder

(over £400) and I was surprised just how much

finer I had to grind compared to a shot for my

Izzo Alex. Plan to spend more than £150 for

your grinder, if you don’t, you will become

frustrated with the inconsistency of your shots.

Luckily, a good grinder is an investment for the

future and you should nevernevernevernever try to save money

by buying a cheap grinder.

If all went well and you can apply a consistent

28lbs of pressure, no gushers, you should see

the honey like trickle of espresso and crema. It

took me around 7 tries to familiarise myself with

the machine and get a decent shot, now I know

how, I think I might get a great shot most of the

time (but I have a lot of experience and a very

good grinder).

The espresso forms the base for all the other

drinks, but do not plan to make more than 3 or

4 at once. The machine will simply get too hot

(before it runs out of water). When you do get a

good shot, it is very good indeed, but you might

not get one as often as you would like. The

Stradivari model seems to have more metal in

the group (this is guesswork), and I did not

appear to suffer overheating problems as bad as

the internet would suggest for the Europiccola

models?

It makes quite powerful steam, the steam wand

is not easy to use and I confess to, not getting

on well with it to start with. The steam valve is of

the (hard wearing) steel pin/brass seating type.

Please note; although my steam valve was faulty,

the design of the valve, actually makes it less

prone to problems and it should have a long and

reliable life. I am also not aware of such a fault

being a commonly reported problem.

Espresso

Steam Production

Using the Stradivari

This time I was finally able to get the great

espressos the marketing people say the

machine is capable of.




I made the point at the beginning of this review

that the La Pavonis are quite often machines

bought by someone with limited experience of

the more common sub £200 high street

machines. Normally seeking an “improved”

espresso experience, perhaps having discovered

some of the limitations of their existing

machines. They may have even read the glowing

comments about these machines by their owners

on the Internet. I suppose what I find strange is

that these are machines that, to get the best

from them, owners would benefit from:

• reasonable experience

• a very good grinder

• Really fresh coffee (I don’t mean

supermarket or high coffee bean chains)

These are not cheap machines and trade heavily

on brand, looks and an extensive support

network.

If someone were to ask me for a pen picture of

the “ideal” Stradivari owner, I would have to

describe him or her as:

Experienced and passionate about coffee, to the Experienced and passionate about coffee, to the Experienced and passionate about coffee, to the Experienced and passionate about coffee, to the

extent they probably extent they probably extent they probably extent they probably ““““home roasthome roasthome roasthome roast”””” or order from or order from or order from or order from

high quality internet coffee retailers. They will high quality internet coffee retailers. They will high quality internet coffee retailers. They will high quality internet coffee retailers. They will

have spenhave spenhave spenhave spentttt considerable money on a grinder (in considerable money on a grinder (in considerable money on a grinder (in considerable money on a grinder (in

excess oexcess oexcess oexcess of £240) and be unlikely to f £240) and be unlikely to f £240) and be unlikely to f £240) and be unlikely to makemakemakemake more more more more

than than than than 6666----8888 coffees per day. Their preferred drink coffees per day. Their preferred drink coffees per day. Their preferred drink coffees per day. Their preferred drink

is likely to be espressos. The look and feel of the is likely to be espressos. The look and feel of the is likely to be espressos. The look and feel of the is likely to be espressos. The look and feel of the

coffee experience is for them as important as the coffee experience is for them as important as the coffee experience is for them as important as the coffee experience is for them as important as the

taste.taste.taste.taste.

Spending a few hundred pounds more on a

bottom of the range Heat exchanger machine

with an E61 sized group and electronic pump,

may deliver a far more reproducable experience

in the hands of the relatively inexperienced user.

I personally don’t like the idea of having to “plan

my coffee making”, worrying about whether I

turned the machine off, or wondering how I am

going to make 4 or 5 large lattes for guests. I

want to go into the kitchen, grind tamp and pull

a shot and have my coffee within a minute or

so….all with the minimum of fuss and effort.

No….FFFFor me persor me persor me persor me personallyonallyonallyonally, the Stradivari simply

does not suit my lifestyle as I make many coffees

every day and my Izzo Alex is on for around 16

hours per day.

However, I should bring out the good points of However, I should bring out the good points of However, I should bring out the good points of However, I should bring out the good points of

the machine the machine the machine the machine becausebecausebecausebecause you may find some you may find some you may find some you may find some things things things things

that are more impothat are more impothat are more impothat are more important to you rtant to you rtant to you rtant to you and your style of and your style of and your style of and your style of

coffee makingcoffee makingcoffee makingcoffee making....

• An exceptionally small footprint, which

means it can fit almost anywhere

• Lightweight & easily portable, so if you

have a holiday cottage, caravan or

campsite with electricity, you could take

your Stradivari

• VerVerVerVery reliabley reliabley reliabley reliable, because there is very little

to go wrong, what small maintenance

that is required, is very easy to do. I can

imagine the machine still in service in 20

or 30 years time.

• It can produce a really exceptional shot,

on average most shots will be very

drinkable (with the caveat of having a

good grinder)

• If you are in a very hard water area and

have no easy way of treating your water,

lime scale won’t kill a Stradivari as it can lime scale won’t kill a Stradivari as it can lime scale won’t kill a Stradivari as it can lime scale won’t kill a Stradivari as it can

other espresso machinesother espresso machinesother espresso machinesother espresso machines. Descaling is

very easy.

• It looks really good, especially to non

coffee people. It’s also quiet It’s also quiet It’s also quiet It’s also quiet, very quiet!, very quiet!, very quiet!, very quiet!

• You can use pods in the single basket, so

if you like pods, that’s very handy.

Final Thoughts – so what is the bottom line!

So was it all bad?

It can produce a really exceptional shot




Pavoni could have added a bit more technology,

upgraded some of the items (steam valve and

wand), but I suppose if your buying a Pavoni,

your buying into the purist, retro experience.

On the internet, you will read rave reviews about

these machines, there are peoplethere are peoplethere are peoplethere are people who who who who would not would not would not would not

consider using anything elseconsider using anything elseconsider using anything elseconsider using anything else and and and and love their love their love their love their

Pavoni Lever machinesPavoni Lever machinesPavoni Lever machinesPavoni Lever machines.... I think with a bit of

practice, a person could become very good with

a Pavoni and to do so, would be very satisfying

for many people. It certainly is a purist method

of making espresso and you can feel/interact

with the espresso making process. It certainly is

an extremely satisfying feeling when you pull a

particularly good shot and they are capable of

making an exceptional shot!

The fact they are so expensive for what they are

annoys me, but again you’re buying into over 50

years of heritage and to put the cost into

perspective; You could spend the same amount You could spend the same amount You could spend the same amount You could spend the same amount

of money on of money on of money on of money on high street vibration pumped high street vibration pumped high street vibration pumped high street vibration pumped

espresso machinesespresso machinesespresso machinesespresso machines, but NEVER be able to get , but NEVER be able to get , but NEVER be able to get , but NEVER be able to get

espresso of the quality you can get from the espresso of the quality you can get from the espresso of the quality you can get from the espresso of the quality you can get from the

Pavoni. Pavoni. Pavoni. Pavoni. To buy a bottom end prosumer HX

machine that can make espresso of a similar

quality to the Stradivari, you will have to spend

at least £200-£250 more and it won’t look as

good as the Pavoni.

I have changed this review a few times and it has

become more positive, reflecting my increasingly

positive experience with the machine. The more I

have used it and understood the machine, the

more I can see the attraction of it. I have

corrected inaccuracies and been able to see far

more good points. I really hated the idea of

reviewing this machine, but now I am glad I did. I

had briefly used a Pavoni many years ago and

did not get on with it at all. I now believe that if I

was lucky enough to have a holiday home, a La

Pavoni Stardivari would possibly find a place

within it.

This time around, I had the machine for quite a

while, I have a decent grinder, great home

roasted coffee and more importantly,

experience. In the parlance of some sales speak

about selling the “sizzle not the sausage”, this

time I was able to get both the ”sausage as well

as the sizzle”. For people whose first language is

not English, or my reference simply does not

make sense… This time I was finally able to get This time I was finally able to get This time I was finally able to get This time I was finally able to get

the the the the great espressos people great espressos people great espressos people great espressos people saysaysaysay the machine is the machine is the machine is the machine is

capable ofcapable ofcapable ofcapable of producing producing producing producing!!!!

You could spend the same amount of money on

high street vibration pumped espresso machines,

but NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER be able to get espresso of the quality

you can get from the Pavoni.




At the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machine

Easy to fillEasy to fillEasy to fillEasy to fill

Elegant linElegant linElegant linElegant lines and simple controlses and simple controlses and simple controlses and simple controls

Gallery – A few more pictures of the Stradivari

ShowerscreenShowerscreenShowerscreenShowerscreen,,,, group gasket group gasket group gasket group gasket and boiler sight and boiler sight and boiler sight and boiler sight

glassglassglassglass

Steam arm fitting and Steam arm removed (inset)Steam arm fitting and Steam arm removed (inset)Steam arm fitting and Steam arm removed (inset)Steam arm fitting and Steam arm removed (inset)

Documents

STRADIVARI LUSSO A C LOOK - Bella Barista · La Pavoni Stradivari Lusso closer look v1.doc ... Build quality is good and from what I could see ... The Stradivari is not too tall and