Originally Posted By: larry818
Mine is not that wonderful... nor large.

I'm thinking of getting one of these, only 'cos it looks cool...
http://expaticanl.franglo.com/classifieds/index.php?page=images&id=70242&f=70242.jpg


Speaking of expresso machines, supposedly the one you linked is really good because it generates the right temperature and pressure for an expresso. It should be the same of this one, branded Illy and as such super-expensive:
http://www.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/illy/at-home/Espresso-machines/Ground-coffee-machines/
(Look at the Ground Coffee Machines picture, and not at the other machines).

However, even though I have not tried it, I've read great reviews of La Pavoni Lever Machines(which I think I linked before as well):
http://www.lapavoni.com/line_det.asp?idf=1
I think that's the only home Lever Expresso Machine.
The great thing about those is that you can adjust, real time, water pressure as it flows through the coffee powder, of course by moving the lever. With some learning, you can make really excellent expresso, and/or adjust it to your tastes.

The second great thing is that, unlike other expresso machines, you can wait that water is as hot as you wish before releasing it.
So, it is a pretty "manual" machine.

Lever expresso machines are, at least here, considered the very traditional way, and the best, to make really good expresso, and in places like Naples where there's a big coffee culture (they do snob all of us from the rest of the country, admittedly :D) bars usually have big lever-machines.
I do find coffee in Naples significanlty better tasting than the one I can get in any Rome bar.
As a side note, they also keep cups sitting in hot water before they use them, so they are hot.

Again, this is for expresso coffee. Not for French or drip coffee.
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