It's an espresso machine that's fully manual. You create pressure by using a lever. Water is manually poured in.
Cheapness is hard to have in a product that's big, heavy and involves big chunks of metal, but on the good side a well made one should last forever -- nothing much that can go wrong, and it's a purely mechanical device that can be taken apart.
+1 for a lever! I found a busted up old La Pavoni years ago, replaced all the seals and it’s been good to me ever since. There’s a bit of art to pulling a shot on a lever but once you get used to it, it’s a really fun way to make your coffee every day.
Another happy La Pavoni owner here! I was originally after a totally manual lever machine but found a great deal (~£200) on a second hand La Pavoni in miraculously good condition and couldn't be happier (apart from the occasional burned knuckle). Readily available spare parts and lack of any serious electronics means that hopefully this thing should last me a lifetime. My one recommended upgrade is a compatibly bottomless portafilter + 20g basket.
I live this life too - my La Pavoni has been going strong for over a decade! Multiple shots a day. Maintenance every once in a while. My additional recommended simple upgrade is to add a momentary switch to bypass the sensors, allowing you to quickly increase the pressure for steaming.
Pavoni owner here - they're simple, built like a tank, and you can do basic maintenance on it with a 10mm wrench and a few other small hand tools.
As long as you're willing to invest a bit of effort in the learning curve of literally pulling a shot, it's the perfect machine. I've made 3-6 shots a day on mine for 4 years now, and I know people who have used their machine daily for 20+ years.
Love levers! I have three going on four, they're pretty addictive.
These days you can get a very good one (Flair Flex) for $99! That, some good beans and a bit of knowledge and you'll make coffee on par with any shop out there.
It's an espresso machine that's fully manual. You create pressure by using a lever. Water is manually poured in.
Cheapness is hard to have in a product that's big, heavy and involves big chunks of metal, but on the good side a well made one should last forever -- nothing much that can go wrong, and it's a purely mechanical device that can be taken apart.