La Pavoni PL-16 Lusso Chrome Automatic Espresso Machine
Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 April 2010 04:53 Written by bjcoffee Wednesday, 28 April 2010 04:53
OK, we know the La Pavoni PL-16 Lusso Chrome Automatic Espresso Machine
Good espresso machines are out there. Lots of them. But great machines for under $1,000–that is all but unheard of. So when we decided to branch out and take a look at the PL-16 Lusso, it was with some trepidation that the machine might not live up to the La Pavoni name.
As you can imagine, people who review coffee grinders are pretty passionate about coffee; and people who love coffee can’t go long without a fix of espresso. Having to go out for espresso is a pain, but most people refuse to spend the big bucks it takes to get a really great espresso maker.
If this sounds like you, don’t even bother reading the rest of this review–just click the link and grab a PL-16. The design is beautiful, day-to-day maintenance is a snap, the unit is easy to clean, and having a maker like this in your kitchen so you can have national coffeehouse chain quality espresso anytime you want–this is espresso nirvana!
The unit also comes with an attachment allowing you to use coffee pods if you wish. As coffee grinders, this thought seems crazy to us, but the option is there for you. You can also make cappuccino with the frothing adapter, so you have several options from the single purchase. The frothing function worked well enough, but our real love was the espresso.
Bottom line–if you want a great espresso maker with the taste of espresso from a thousand-dollar machine, look no further!
Learn MoreLa Pavoni PGC Tre Spade Conical Burr Grinder, Chrome
Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 April 2010 04:47 Written by bjcoffee Tuesday, 20 April 2010 04:33
After reviewing a lot of entry-level machines, it is always nice to get your hands on a top-end grinder like the La Pavoni PGC Tre Spade Conical Burr Grinder, Chrome
La Pavoni doesn’t waste time with plastic parts, instead building everything from quality metal. Where some hoppers are thin plastic, the Tre Spade’s thick plastic hopper is going to last forever. Surprisingly too, La Pavoni works anti-static miracles with the lowest static of any plastic hoppers we have ever used.
Coffee flavor, as always, is the ultimate test, and the even grounds coming from the nine discreet grind settings made excellent, aromatic coffee with rich flavor. And, as alluded to above, clean-up of the unit was very simple. The included brush was more than sufficient to remove oil and grounds from the conical grinder, with no extra work needed to remove rebellious static-cling grounds.
The only issue our panel had–about half of us felt the unit was noisier than the average grinder. Even so, the overwhelming opinion was that the unit was high quality and that the noise would not prevent our panel from buying it.
Bottom line–generally, if you are willing to spend a little more for a grinder that will last forever, you can’t go wrong with a La Pavoni model. And the Tre Spade is no exception, producing great grounds, with easy day to day maintenance.
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