20 Bar Compact Espresso Machine

About this machine

This is the most reviewed espresso machine in the range, and the reason is the size. It gives a 20 bar pump, a proper steam wand and pre-infusion in a body narrow enough to live between the kettle and the toaster, which is where most kitchens actually have room.

Pre-infusion is the part worth understanding. Before the pump goes to full pressure it wets the coffee at low pressure, so the puck swells and seals against the basket walls. Without it, water finds a channel through dry grounds and the shot runs fast, pale and sour. With it, the same coffee and the same grind pull thicker.

The steam wand is a wand rather than a panarello sleeve, so milk texture is in your hands: angle it to spin the jug and you get microfoam for a flat white rather than dry bubbles. Two finishes, stainless steel and beige, at the same price.

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.