La Pavoni Professional - Chrome with Black Base PBB 16

Are you looking for an espresso machine that makes perfect espresso? With the La Pavoni Professional, you can have them on a regular basis. This machine was designed for the coffee aficionado who loves the art and science of making the perfect "god" shot of espresso. 

Using the La Pavoni Professional can take some time to master, but once your do, you will make some of the best espresso you’ve ever tasted and your house guests will be impressed. With the larger boiler on the Professional model, you’ll be able to brew more shots than with the Europiccola variation. With a 38oz boiler capacity you’ll be able to pull up to sixteen 2oz shots, making it a great machine for parties or if you have a lot of people in your family or at your office. It not only produces great espresso, it also looks good too. With any of the 5 model variations to choose from, you'll be proud to have this machine in your kitchen. 

Top Five Features / Benefits of the La Pavoni Professional

• Ability to produce outstanding espresso – while it takes a little practice to master, once you do, the shots this machine produces are second to none according to many satisfied customers.
• Boiler construction material – the boiler is made of high grade brass that has been coated with nickel to provide great temperature stability.
• Easily monitor pressure through a externally mounted pressure gauge
• Boiler size – compared to the La Pavoni Europiccola, the La Pavoni Professional has double the boiler capacity, or 38 ounces. This is enough for sixteen 2 ounce cups of espresso.
• Very durable and long lasting machine – we’ve heard of numerous people who’ve used their machine on a regular basis for over 20 years.

What You May Not Like

• Getting the machine to reach steaming temperature can take a while – usually 5 to 10 minutes.
• If you are someone who wants espresso and wants it fast, this may not be the machine for you. It not only takes time to warm up, but it also takes some practice to perfect your shots of espresso. The La Pavoni Professional is designed for someone who considers themselves to be a coffee aficionado and likes the art of making coffee.

Key Features / Specifications

• Best Use: Home espresso machine
• Approvals:N/A
• Automation: Lever / Manual
• Boiler: Nickel plated brass boiler with 38 ounce capacity
• Cup Size: Traditional Cup
• Groups: 1 Group
• Output Capacity: 20 espressos per hour once machine has warmed up
• PID Temperature Control: No
• Plumbing/Tank: 38 ounce boiler tank capacity
• Pump: None, manual lever action operation
• Display: None
• Drain Tray: Black plastic drip lower drip tray with black plastic up drip tray component and metal cover.
• Hot Water Spigot: No
• Controls: On / switch
• Steam Arm: Traditional
• Amps/Volts: 110 volts
• Watts: 1000W
• Colors: Available in five styles: Chrome with black base (PBB16), Chrome (PC16), Copper/Brass (PB16), Gold Plated (PPG16), and Chrome Romantica Style (PGL16)
• Accessories Included: Single/double shot filter baskets, coffee scoop, demonstration DVD, and plastic tamper.
• Height: With lever in up position: 19.25 inches. Height in rest position (to fill knob): 12.5 inches. 

Available La Pavoni Professional Models

• Black Base – PBB-16
• Chrome – PC-16
• Copper/Brass – PB-16
• Gold Plated – PPG-16
• Chrome Romantica - PGL-16

Professional Review

Mark Prince from coffeegeek.com did an outstanding review of the La Pavoni Professional about ten years about and it is still one of the most trusted and detailed reviews available for this machine. Topics in this review include:

• Introduction – Talks about the model Mark reviewed (an older one) and about La Pavoni in general.
• Overview – Provides an overview of the topics that will be discussed in the review, which includes a product overview, operation and maintenance, machine performance, comparisons, and a conclusion.
• History, First Use – Provides a general overview of the product, including its history, specifications, materials of construction, etc.
• Operation – Provides a guide on how to operate and maintain the machine. Also provides some pros and cons of the machine.
• Performance – this section compares the performance of the La Pavoni Professional to other espresso machines as well as how well it meets expectations.
• Comparisons – More detailed comparisons of the La Pavoni Professional with similar competing espresso machines.
• Conclusion – Provides recommendations and ratings of the machine and Mark’s final opinion of the product. 

Product Description

Large Boiler

Large, 38oz capacity boiler. Can produce up to 16, 2 oz cups of espresso.  Nickel plated brass boiler.

Filter Holder

Filter holder that is equipped with a ring that prevents the filter from falling during espresso extraction.

Instruction Manual / User Guide / Demonstration DVD

The La Pavoni  Professional  comes with an instruction DVD. You can also download an instruction manual, here.

Power / Heating Element

110 volts / 1000 Watts. Convertible to 220 volt on request for an additional fee of $120. Contact us if this is something you are interested in.

Country of Origin

Made in Italy, the espresso machine capital of the world.

Portafilter / Tamper Size

The La Pavoni Professional uses a non-standard portafilter with a 51mm filter baskets and 51mm tampers. You can find replacement tampers on the tampers section of EspressoOutlet.net.

Spare / Replacement Parts

We are able to get all or most parts for the La Pavoni Professional. Please contact us with details of what you are looking for and we should be able to help.

International Shipping

We get a lot of visitors from countries such as Canada who are interested in buying a La Pavoni Professional, but they aren’t sure if we ship to their country. The answer is that we do our best to ship to as many countries as possible. If we aren’t able to ship to your country, rest assured that we’ll refund your complete order after we make that determination.

Compact Size

Maximize the available space on your counter top with the compact size of this espresso machine.

Dimensions

• Width: 7.5 inches
• Height: 13 inches
• Depth: 10.25

Product Weight and Shipping Weight

• Product weight: 14 lbs
• Shipping weight: 15 lbs

POD Friendly

Yes, without adaption.

Pressure Gauge

One of the differences between the La Pavoni Europiccola and the La Pavoni Professional is the pressure gauge. A nice feature to have with lever espresso machine, as the right pressure is an important aspect of pulling perfect shots of espresso.

Grinder

The La Pavoni Professional doesn’t come with a grinder, but it is strongly recommended that you purchase a high quality stand-alone burr grinder – something like the Rancilio Rocky works nicely. For the La Pavoni Professional to work correctly, it needs to have very finely ground espresso. For a complete listing of grinders go to our grinder section.

Warranty

One year manufacturer’s warranty limited to manufacturers defects.

Included Accessories

Single and double shot filter baskets, plastic tamper (it would be a good idea to purchase a higher quality one), a coffee scoop and demonstration DVD.

 

Common Customer Questions

Do you sell new or refurbished La Pavoni Professionals?

We only sell new products unless clearly noted otherwise. We sometimes have open or returned products that we sell at a discount, but it will be clearly indicated when this is the case.

Do you recommend this espresso machine for a coffee cart business?

No. We recommend this machine for home use only and do not recommend it for any commercial use application, including coffee carts. It’s not meant for continuous operation and you really wouldn’t make any money with it – it takes too long to warm up water for pulling shots or steaming. For a coffee cart business, we recommend commercial grade, such as the La Pavoni PUB.

Do you sell 220 volt versions of the La Pavoni Professional?

Yes, but they have to be customized. Please contact us and let us know which model you would like customized and we’ll provide a custom payment invoice as there is an additional fee of $130 depending on the model.

How long does it take to pull two shots of espresso?

Once the machine has warmed up and you’ve had a little practice, it will take about 20 seconds.

Is it ok to leave water in the La Pavoni Professional between uses?

Yes, but if you aren’t going to use it for a couple days it would be ideal to remove the water. Using fresh water will make your espresso taste better. Make sure to turn the machine off after each use though.

Should the machine be descaled?

It is recommended that you use softened water (not distilled water), in which case descaling isn’t really needed. If you decide to use hard water (not recommended), descaling will be needed on a regular basis.

Is the La Pavoni Professional a good machine for steaming milk?

Yes. The machine is great for steaming milk. Many customers who have used multiple machines say the La Pavoni Professional is the best machine they’ve used for milk frothing.

What is the best tamper size for this machine?

For newer models of both the La Pavoni Professional and the La Pavoni Europiccola (Millennium) a 51mm tamper works well. For older models (pre-millennium), a 49mm tamper is the best choice.

How easy is it to do maintenance, such as replacing parts for people who aren’t mechanically inclined?

Parts replacement is usually something that happens after quite a few years of use, but it’s quite easy to do and it’s one of the things La Pavoni Professional owners love about this machine.

Do newer Professionals get as hot as older machines?

Many users of pre-millennium and post 1973 La Pavoni Professionals report that their machines get quite hot. La Pavoni changed the design of the Millennium (post 2000) machines to reduce the machine temperature, making it easier to operate and reducing the temperature at which espresso is produced.

The handle on my La Pavoni is getting loose, what should I do?

A fairly common issue with the Professional lever machine is that lever arm gets loose. Usually it is loose where the lever arm connects to the fork or “U”. This is usually related to pulling the handle with excessive force, or simply from regular use for a long period of time. This website provides easy instructions and visuals.

I found an old La Pavoni Professional espresso machine, how hard is it to restore?

It depends on the condition, but numerous people have restored old or antique La Pavoni’s quite successfully. If the metal coating is damaged, it may not be worth it, but otherwise it’s a pretty straight forward process for the most part, and the good news is a lot of parts are still available for purchase. There are several discussions on Home Barista and Coffee Geek forums. Search for those and have fun! Contact us if you are looking for specific parts and we’ll do what we can to help!

 Do you sell bottomless portafilters for the La Pavoni Professional?

No, we don’t, but if you are ambitious you may be able to make your own – that’s what a lot of customers do for these machines. Read this discussion on Home Barista for details on how to do this. Please note: we take no responsibility for what happens if you try this and it doesn’t turn out!

Does this machine have a PID for temperature control?

No. There are some people who have reported success in modifying their machine to include PID. We don’t recommend it one way or another, but if you are interested in learning more about it, a good place to start would be this discussion on Home Barista.

When I pull shots with my machine, they taste sour, why?

This is most likely related to the grind size. If there is only a little resistance when you pull down on the lever, it is almost certainly the grind size. For a machine like the La Pavoni Professional it is highly recommended that you purchase your own grinder so you can experiment with grind sizes. The ideal grind size varies with the type of beans you are using, so there isn’t one set size that will work with every machine. Having your own grinder will allow you to optimize your grind size for each of your favorite coffees. We have several grinders that work well with this machine. A Baratza or a Mazzer would be particularly good options.

The steam coming out of my machine has a bad smell, why?

This could be related to build up in the machine, or water that has been sitting in the machine for a while. One solution is to drain all water from the boiler and do a cleaning with an alcohol wash. For details and a discussion on how to do this, visit this website. 

How to Use, Cleaning, and other Misc Information

Video: Making Espresso with a La Pavoni Lever Machine

 

Video: Espresso Shot with the La Pavoni

 

Video: A Novice's Love Affair with an Espresso Machine

 

Pulling Shots

With the La Pavoni Professional, you literally pull espresso shots and that’s what getting a lever espresso machine is all about, and with a lever machine, this is the most important part of the espresso making process. To begin, you pre-heat the boiler and wait until pressure reaches .8 bar. Once this happens, release the steam wand, to release false pressure. When the pressure hits .8 bar again, pull the lever up part way – until you hear a sound of water pre-infusing the coffee and until you feel the pressure raising. After about 10 seconds, you should get a drip of espresso coming out of the machine’s portafilter. When this happens pull the handle down, delivering even pressure the whole time. The length of time it takes to pull the lever down effects the amount of espresso that is extracted. One downward pull of the lever should produce one shot of espresso, and 1.5 downward pulls should produce two shots. If you get less than this, spend a little more time pulling the lever down. If you get more than this, spend less time pulling the lever down. It may take a few attempts, but eventually you’ll get a feel for the ideal pull down time.

Coffee Beans and the La Pavoni Professional

Choosing the right coffee beans is an important factor in producing the best espresso with the La Pavoni Professional. Like most lever espresso machine, the La Pavoni Professional is rather unforgiving when it comes to low quality or old coffee beans. For best results, you should use freshly roasted beans that are less than two weeks old. Some good bean options are in the coffee section of EspressoOutlet.net, but you can also find fresh beans from specialty coffee producers.  These will produce the best crema – not only for the La Pavoni Professional, but also any other espresso machine.

Milk Frothing and the Steam Wand

For best results with the La Pavoni Professional, it is best to use 2% or, better yet, whole milk as fat content has a big impact on foam development.

Producing micro foam with the La Pavoni Professional three hole steam wand can take some practice, but once you master it you can produce good microfoam. The most important factor in producing microfoam is getting the angle of the steam wand in the milk correct. Some users end up replacing the three hole steam wand with a single hole tip – a tip that can be easier to master.

To produce frothed milk for latte are, you will want to aerate it without having much foam on it. It should have a silky texture and a glossy look. For cappuccino, you should have more microfoam, or larger bubbles.

Cleaning / Maintenance

Cleaning the La Pavoni Professional is quite simple as the machine doesn’t have a lot complex parts. After every use, clean the steam wand with a wet cloth and clean the group head with one of the brushes available in the accessories section of this web site. If there are any stains on the machine, use a damp cloth to remove them from the finish. Every week or so, leave the lever up to remove all water from the boiler to ensure water remains fresh.

Save A Lot of Money with a La Pavoni Professional

After an initial investment, an espresso machine will save you a lot of money in the long run. If you get a drink at the coffee house every day, you could end up spending about $1500 a year on coffee. Users of the La Pavoni Professional have reported using the same machine for 20 or 30 years. You will literally save tens of thousands of dollars by having your own espresso machine.