Owning a La Pavoni Europiccolo is very much like owning an expensive Italian sports car: It's beautiful to look at, and when it works, you feel really great. But if you aren't a mechanic, be ready to pony up regularly for maintenance.
Positive Product Points
Beautiful design, capable of making excellent espresso.
Negative Product Points
Needs regular maintenance and service, which can prove to be an expensive proposition. Also, the Europiccolo is not idiot-proof, and should not be in a place where small children can get at it.
Detailed Commentary
I owned a Europiccolo for ten years, and learned to make excellent espresso and decent foam. It was gorgeous to look at, and I took great satisfaction in its mechanical simplicity. But every few years, I had to send it off to have it worked on: The gaskets need replacing, the tank has to be scaled, and the electrical components, simple as they may be, have a distressing tendency to break. A few months ago, there was an electrical problem again, and I just got tired of dropping another $120 plus shipping to get it fixed.
I decided that I really didn't care that much after all about the coolness quotient of my expresso machine; I wanted something dependable. I ended up with a Rancilio, which is not as lovely as the Europiccolo, but is far simpler and faster to use, and honestly, it makes better foam.
Owning a La Pavoni Europiccolo is very much like owning an expensive Italian sports car: It's beautiful to look at, and when it works, you feel really great. But if you aren't a mechanic, be ready to pony up regularly for maintenance.
Buying Experience
I bought mine as a reconditioned unit from a little gourmet shop on Cape Cod; it has been so long, I don't remember the name of the place.
