Retro Espresso Machine, 58 mm

About this machine

Fifty eight millimetres is the size commercial machines use, and it changes the feel of everything: the basket is wider, the puck is shallower for the same dose, and tampers, baskets and distribution tools from the wider world all fit. This is the machine on the shelf for people who intend to learn the craft rather than press one button.

The front panel shows what the machine is doing. A pressure gauge reads the actual bar through the shot, a temperature display shows the 198 F target being held, and between them they turn a bad shot into a diagnosis: pressure too low usually means the grind is coarse or the dose is light, pressure pegged high means the opposite. An over pressure valve opens automatically rather than forcing the excess through the coffee.

The boiler heats on demand instead of holding temperature, so it is ready in seconds from cold. Steam comes from a full wand for milk work.

The rest of the range sits on espresso machines, and the parts that keep it running are on espresso accessories. Neretva espresso covers the whole catalogue.