
Spring machines use a special spring that pushes the water through the grounds for you. Spring piston machines are recognizable because the lever stays in the up position when the machine is not running. Manual espresso machines are of two types: spring piston machines and direct lever machines. In this case, you can pull the shot in 10 seconds or 10 minutes(not that we’d recommend that). It will take a fixed amount of time to extract one 1.5 ounce shot. You have to pull the lever and generate as much pressure as you see fit, timing the shot as you wish.Īutomatic and semi-automatic espresso machines won’t typically let you adjust the timing of the shot. You have to tamp down and load the grounds into the lever machine. You have to warm up the brewing chamber if necessary.

You have to heat the water to the ideal temperature. Even with other machines, you would want to choose your own coffee beans and grind them manually, but in this case, once the grounds are ready, every other detail is up to you. You have control over every little detail that goes into your shot. Out of all of the variations of machines, this is the only machine that provide you with the maximum amount of control over your shot of espresso. These are known as the classics in the industry. What Exactly Is A Lever Espresso Machine?Ī manual espresso machine is quite different than all other types of espresso machines.
