La Pavoni Stradivari 16 Cup Professional, PSW-16

Love the machine

A great purchase every decade

My fourth Stradivari purchase — a great machine, not a lifetime investment. Makes a great espresso, steams a fine latte, looks handsome in the kitchen. The rosewood filter holder handle will crack in a few years from the expanding metal basket insert, and you may want to keep a spare fuse in the cupboard. My last machine served me well for ten years with those part replacements, but ultimately the gaskets started to leak and you couldn’t make two lattes before the steam ran out. Obviously I keep buying this model despite the shortcomings since you have full control over a great pull.

Very hard to pull a good shot