Having been cautioned about all the space I am taking up, I have to redefine what to look for in an espresso machine and added a size requirement. This had me looking at lever machines like the Pavoni. It seems the main problem with levers is that most seem to overheat after the first 2-3 shots and then require extended cool down. The exceptions would be the Achille which operates like an HX machine and the Ponte Vecchio Lusso which has a grouphead that is detached from the boiler and heated by thermosyphon (a la e61) with an adjustable pressure stat. There are also lots of cautions out there for espresso novices (like me) to stay away. But The guy who I have talked to about the Pavoni said he would give me basic lessons.
back to square one.
Well after reading reviews and Home Barista's article on "How I Stopped Worrying and
Learned to Love HXs", I decided I could learn to love an HX too. Unfortunately, I fell asleep on an auction for a Bezzera and let that get away (maybe to be relisted). So, I am looking for a low cost HX (with Fiorenzato, Vibiemme, and Bezzera as the current front runners) with a small footprint as well as still investigating levers.
