The best hand lever portafilter espresso machines

Hand lever portafilter espresso machines.

Hand lever espresso machines are the original espresso machines. A steel spring is tensioned with the lever, the piston and spring then extract the espresso silently and as if by magic with 9bar of pressure.

Hand lever espresso machines have a pressure crank.

Handheld espresso machines have a pressure curve; at the end of the extraction they relax a little. This makes the bitterness a little less strong. Preinfusion is also easy to handle, the barista decides when to transfer the plunger from the rest position to the force of the spring. This allows the acidity to be regulated.

Many baristas swear by this traditional method, but we do not recommend it to anyone new to espresso. The path to the perfect espresso is much longer than with a pump machine.