What is a Manual Piston Lever Espresso Machine?

The manual lever espresso machine is a traditional espresso machine that has a hand operated piston that is used to extract espresso. Lever operated espresso machines tend to have elegant designs and are popular with homeowners or businesses that appreciate design aesthetics and European tradition. Many fans of this type of machine also feel that they are unmatched in their ability to pull a perfect shot, although it can take some practice to reach this perfection. To produce the needed pressure for extraction, it can also require a decent amount of arm strength.

To operate the machine, the user must first allow the boiler to heat water to the proper temperature. Once the proper temperature has been reached, the user pulls the lever (usually in a downward motion) causing a piston in the machine to push the heated water through finely ground coffee that has been compressed in a filter. After the water has been pushed through the grounds, the user lifts the lever to complete the process. To pull a shot correctly, it takes practice to learn how much pressure to apply when pulling the lever. Once this has been learned, customer satisfaction with this type of machine tends to be very high.

Lever espresso machines, and especially the machines on this site tend to be very reliable and can last for many years with proper maintenance and minor repairs.