The Great Brew-off Francis X3 Vs the La Pavoni Europiccola
Written: Sep 29 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A machine that looks great, and provides you with great shots. A great pick.
Cons: Frother wand is too short, pump sounds like an air hammer.
The Bottom Line: Between the La Pavoni and the X3 both provide you with rich, crema filled shots. Honestly, I don’t see a bad choice here.
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| dkaakd's Full Review: X3 Espresso Machine |
The stage was set, it was a Friday night and there were four couples expected over for a friendly game of cards. Unfortunately, my faithful La Pavoni Europiccola will only pump out enough hot espresso for two or three people at a time. Luckily my neighbor has the same love of great coffee as I do so he ran home only to return with his new Francis Francis X3 in his hands.
This presented itself for a unique opportunity to see which machine really produce the best espresso.
The set-up
OK, heres the deal. We have four decks of cards, eight adults, one pound of fresh dark roast (Starbucks), a Solis Crema Maestro burr grinder, and two mid-range home espresso machines.
Which machine makes the best espresso?
Aesthetics:
When you place these two machines side by side on the counter they are so different yet so similar. Both machines stand about 12 inches high and both machines have approximately an 8”x10” footprint. I think it is fair to say that either machine looks at home in a contemporary kitchen or bar.
The X3 (this one is black with chrome accents) is far more contemporary in its lines. Francis Francis designer, Luca Trazzi made the X3 to resemble the bow of a ship. When you see the curved front with wire frame top it really does. The design of the Pavoni lends itself more to any type of home decor. The all chrome machine looks like a cross between an old-fashioned water pump and an orange juicer (I have said this before in another review). Personally, since my kitchen is so contemporary I kind like the X3 better, but the Pavoni machine would look great in just about any environment. The X3 has a place one top for 5 or 6 espresso cups (a warmer). This is not only a nice touch and important when making espresso, but it adds to the aesthetics. The Pavoni does not have a cup warmer of any kind.
Machine Cost
Both machines fall in what I consider the mid-range area of home espresso machines. The X3 can be found at most online stores for about $350. ($400. If you want all chrome). The Pavoni is a bit more averaging around $550 at most etailers. Both machines can be found on Ebay for prices between $200 and $300 dollars.
The brew-off
This is where the rubber meets the road or should I say the bean meets the grind? No matter how pretty these machines are they have to be functional. The goal is to produce quality espresso or else these two beauties are nothing more than nice countertop decor. We started off by filling both machines with filtered water and letting them heat-up for about 15 minutes.
Filling the water reservoirs was much easier in the Pavoni. The top of the boiler unscrews and water is poured directly into the boiler. There is a glass water gauge on the side that show how much water is in the boiler at any given point. The X3 is a bit more difficult to fill. The reservoir is located on the back via a removable container. There are two tubes that are inserted into the container for water feed and overflow. This design is not great but it isn’t the worst one I’ve seen. The best way to fill the X3 is with a separate pitcher so the reservoir does not have to be removed. That said the X3 holds almost 4 times as much water as the Pavoni. This is important in a heavy usage situation and was in part the reason I needed a second machine for this get together.
The water got hot fast and both units could produce water hot enough for tea or soup within about 3 minutes. Both group heads and portafilters were heated with hot water from the boilers so they were ready to go. The biggest difference was noise level. The Pavoni make a bit of noise as parts heat-up, it is quiet enough for those late night cravings. On the other hand the X3 sounds like an air hammer. No kidding, this thing has an incredibly loud pump. Everyone in both rooms of my house thought something was wrong (except the owner of the X3). While the X3 was making all that noise the Pavoni was getting hot, really hot. That maybe the biggest downside to the Pavoni is the fact that it’s minimal design means the user has almost direct contact with the boiler (as my neighbor found out). When you pull a shot with the Pavoni, you need a towel to hold the base, because it is way to hot to touch. The noise level of the X3 maybe annoying, but the heat level of the Pavoni is potentially dangerous.
Beans were ground directly into the portafilters for ultimate freshness (about 16 grams). A special note about the X3; it was designed to use the Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) pods. A portafilter for ground coffee must be purchased separately, although some retailers include it as a bonus. We pulled two blank shots (water only) then tamped a double with each machine and looked for the first results. Both machines produced initial shots that were dark in color but had lovely crema throughout the pour. If you have ever seen a Guinness Stout poured from a tap at a bar this is what a good espresso shot should look like. Interestingly, the crema in the Pavoni shot stayed within the shot longer. The X3 shot was “dead” after only about 1 minute. Upon a blind tasting of these two shots however, the X3 was chosen as less bitter. We reloaded and pulled several more shots. Time after time the X3 shot went dead first, but consistently the X3 shot was chosen as less bitter.
We decided to froth some milk and make some lattes. The Pavoni wand is long and has a perfect frothing head. The X3 wand is stubby and has a “froth assistant.” Basically, there is an air hole that draws in air while you move through the top of the milk. We switched machines every couple of shots to see who could get the best froth from each machine.
The Pavoni makes good quality consistent froth that has the consistency of a fine meringue. This is perfect for making a great latte and latte art is a bonus (my wife loves it when I make here a latte with a heart or leaf on top). The X3 also makes fine froth, but it takes a bit more work. Because of the placement of the drip tray and the wand, you must use a small pitcher of milk. This in itself is not really a problem, but the milk heats-up faster so the micro bubbles that are really required for great latte are harder to achieve.
So which is better?
The X3 holds more water in the boiler and therefore can make more steam and more shots or espresso. It looks great and the taste of the product is as good or in some areas better than the Pavoni. The design of the X3 is cutting edge. It looks less like a kitchen appliance and more like a functional piece of art. It is very straightforward to use and an amateur can pull a quality shot with no experience.
It is however, loud. I mean wake the dead loud. Why the good people at Francis Francis don’t put a quieter pump in this machine is beyond me. I have to say that the two drawbacks to this machine are the noise level and the frothing wand. The wand is not a deal breaker, but it could be better.
The Pavoni is also a beautiful machine. It looks great in our kitchen and sitting next to our chrome mixer it helps give our highly contemporary kitchen a real gourmet feel. I think the design of this machine lends itself to almost any type of kitchen design. I love its minimalist, manual nature. It is quiet and easy to use it is however way pickier about grind and roast quality than the X3. The lever action takes some practice before a good shot can be pulled. Once you get the hang of it though, I think it more fun, because there is more user interaction in the process. Just be aware of the hot hot hot boiler.
So which one should you get?
Well either machine will produce quality results. If you are the type that truly wants to get involved with the experience of making you espresso get the Pavoni. If you want a machine that looks great and will provide you with rich, crema filled shots of espresso with less fuss the X3 is a great pick. Honestly, I don’t see a bad choice here.
Recommended:
Yes
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dkaakd
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Location: Frisco, Texas, USA
Reviews written: 39
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