Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #109410 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Size: 8-Cup
- Color: Chrome
- Brand: La Pavoni
- Model: ESC-8
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 12.00" h x
4.50" w x
16.25" l,
14.00 pounds
Features
- Lever-model espresso machine makes up to 8 2-ounce cups of espresso
- 20-ounce nickel-plated brass boiler; internal thermostat; dual frothing systems
- Design inspiration drawn from world-famous violin-maker Antonio Stradavari
- Recessed power switch; reset safety fuse
- Measures 16-1/4 by 4-1/2 by 12 inches; 1-year warranty
La Pavoni ESC-8 Stradavari 8-Cup Espresso Machine, Chrome
Product Description
The La Pavoni Stradavari eight cup in chrome features a 20 oz. boiler, and internal thermostat. This lever model includes nickel plated non-corrosive brass boilers, recessed power switch, dual frothing cappuccino systems, and a reset safety fuse. Includes a 1-year warranty.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
By Tragedy then Farce
Update: At the three year mark, the heating elements on my machine failed. Repair costs TBD. If it's a write off, I estimate my service life equipment cost to have been right around a buck a shot. I had hoped for better longevity from a simple, expensively over-built machine. My initial rating was five stars, which I now reduce to three. Original review follows, with updates noted:I have owned the 16-cup La Pavoni Stradivari model for about six months. I purchased it through Seattle Coffee Gear, a nearby dealer and repair shop I have come to trust. My wife and I use the machine at home for 4-6 Americanos or lattes per day.My machine arrived in good order and was easy to set up. Per directions, I ran a tank of water with baking soda through initially, and set up the steamer with the venturi frothing attachment. There's a lot about this machine I like: its small footprint and steamship-era aesthetics, sturdiness and perpetual maintainability, silent operation, and the ability to pull an absolutely perfect shot. The venturi frother is a black plastic gizmo with a silicon tube to put into the milk to be frothed. Turning on the steam draws the milk into the frother and deposits the result directly into a cup. The result is hot and tasty, but with bubbles not quite fine or consistent enough for "coffee art", which doesn't really matter to me. Update: when the feeder tube from the Venturi frother became uncleanable I switched to the traditional wand and figured out how to use it. I like the finer foam it produces much better.Here are some tips on use of the machine:Raising the pump handle up opens the pump assembly to the water tank. Steam pressure then drives water into the pump. Depressing the lever pushes the water through the puck and into the cup.If the pump and the filter are not hot before you compress the grounds into the filter assembly, the metal of the filter cup may expand when you operate the pump, allowing some water to go around the puck. Ways to mitigate this problem are: let the machine warm with filter assembly attached for 15-20 minutes; run 2-3 shots through an empty filter; or put hot water in a cup and soak the pump head until it warms up (doing the same for the filter assembly). In any event, this problem goes away after the first shot.Experiment with your grind until you find one that allows expression of the shot with moderate pressure on the pump handle for between five and ten seconds. I use a Capresso conical burr grinder set on the coarsest of the "extra fine" settings. If you're foolish enough to blow a grand on an expresso maker, spend a little extra to buy a heavy stainless tamper of the appropriate size as well. It will make forming the puck much easier.Per the instructions, when you raise the pump handle to let water into the pump, pause a few seconds or until coffee first drips from the filter assembly, then pull the shot. The pause moistens the puck and results in vast amounts of rich, deep caramel-colored crema. You can't replicate this step with an electric pump machine, and I believe it makes an important difference in the result. Update: Actually, Breville's new unit is supposed to do this for you.Wait a short while after pulling a shot before removing the filter assembly, to allow pressure to dissipate. If you're impatient, you can blow grounds all over the counter. The harder the pull, the longer the required wait.Be sure to rinse the frother right after using it to keep milk solids from clogging it. If it clogs, run a cup of 50%-diluted white vinegar through it, followed by a cup of water.These steps are easy to master and the result is truly worthwhile.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
By Sigfrog
This machine was a great disappointment. I got this to replace a 70's Pavoni Europiccola that simply wore out. From the beginning the first cup of espresso is cold, unless you go though a ritual to get it hotter. The manufacturer said this was just the way it is now designed.Then I noticed that after using it, there was a puddle of water underneath. La Pavoni sent me to Thomas Cara in San Francisco, and said he was their representative. HE curtly said he was NOT their representative. But he described a defect in the Stradivari design - the heating element is made of stainless steel and the bottom fixture is brass - so they cool at different rates and frequently leak like mine was doing. So there is no good fix for this $800 espresso maker.Thankfully, Amazon has been very responsive in taking the unit back, and I expect a full refund. That part was easy. La Pavoni ESW-8 Stradavari 8-Cup Espresso Machine, Chrome with Wood Handles
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
By Sky Sterry
This machine is exactly what I expected, pulls beautiful shots, but not without some patient troubleshooting. You MUST use an adjustable burr grinder and learn the art of grinding, tamping and pulling the shot. There are some good videos on youtube on this machine.However, the plastic tray that catches any spilled espresso was either broken out of the box, or broke during its first cleaning. It is made of gossamer plastic, and cracked right away.Also of concern, the base of the unit (Stradivarius) appears to be plastic covered with a chrome looking finish. It sure looks like metal in the pictures, and for a machine that costs as much as this one does, I would expect the base to be metal. Unfortunately, when you pull a shot, the plastic base flexes, and after only a few weeks, I have noticed some cracks on the base unit just to the right of the boiler. I think older machines have metal bases, and I would definitely try to get an older metal base machine if I could do it over.And some oddities, the filter basket tightens to the left. The on light is red, while the heating light is green (seems they should be the other way around). My machine hovers around .75 bar, which seems low, but it still pulls beautiful crema.Other than the plastic parts, this machine is great.
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