Lever Machines: Why They're Great

Lever Machines: Why They're Great, Blog from Clive Coffee, Profitec Pro 800 Lever Espresso Machine

What’s old is new again. This is our love letter to lever machines. We often take for granted how easy and convenient it is to make espresso on semi-automatic machines. Still, we’re always reinvigorated and pleasantly surprised when we take a moment to really pull our shots with intention. Sure, semi-auto and pump-driven machines will make delicious espresso faster and perhaps the dialing-in process more convenient. However, lever machines are all about the artfulness of making espresso— the labor of love in your cup. 

Spring lever machines like the Profitec Pro 800 are still made for these reasons. Plus, the technology, minimal as it is, still works to perfection. Modern semi-automatic machines that have pressure profiling and flow control features, like the Sanremo YOU, have spring lever profiles built into their programming. The spring lever profile is something that home baristas chase on every modern machine. Imagine if you could have the complexity of a spring lever shot with every shot you pull. It may not be as convenient as pressing a button or lifting a brew lever, but it won’t be as satisfying of an experience. The coffee nerds get it (we love you, we see you, you are valid), but lever machines could be for anyone if you just slow down and take the time. Embrace the romanticism. Embrace tradition. 

What is a Lever Machine?

Arguably, most contemporary flow profiling exists to emulate the style and tradition of lever espresso shots. Who can blame them? Lever machines have a learning curve, especially if you don’t have the espresso fundamentals or are new to making espresso. Luckily, we have a wealth of resources and experts to guide you through, but it reminds us that making great espresso is a learned skill. There are two types of lever machines:

  • Spring lever: Historically used in cafès and other commercial settings. The lever pushes down a powerful spring, which takes force. You control the pre-infusion stage. Releasing the lever will do the rest of the extraction work for you. The Pro 800 takes this commercial technology and workflow, making it accessible for home use. 
  • Manual lever: The barista directly applies pressure to the lever during the entire shot duration. They can be as fabulous as the vaunted Olympia Cremina or as mobile and budget-friendly as the Flair lineup. This is the most interactive and manual espresso-making experience. 

The Profitec Pro 800: Spring Levers at Their Finest 

While all lever machines are great, our focus today is on the Pro 800. At first glance, the Pro 800 looks intimidating—it’s built like an absolute tank, and the lever looms large over the machine. Yet, when taking a closer look, you notice the soft and tasteful wood touchpoints on the joysticks and bottomless portafilter, the attractive green pressure gauge, and the overall attention to detail of the build quality. It’s an absolute showstopper. 

  • Simple internal mechanics: The Pro 800 uses a massive 3.5L insulated steam boiler for steam and hot water. The pressure inside the steam boiler pushes the water to the group head, so the vibratory pump is silent when brewing. Additionally, the minimal number of electronic parts means high reliability. The internals are neat, clean, and tidy, making DIY repairs extremely accessible to the home user. 
  • Temperature stability: While the Pro 800 has a PID that controls the temperature of the steam boiler and the steam pressure, the massive lever group on the outside of the machine ensures that excess heat is bled off from the boiler, making brew temperatures just right. 
  • Ease of use: Once you release the handle, the spring does the rest of the work for you, ensuring mechanical simplicity. 

Making Espresso with the Pro 800 

While the Pro 800 is mechanically simple, is making espresso with spring lever machines still a hassle? For those pressed for time, sure. This correctly begs the question: what’s the point of using a spring lever machine over a semi-auto? The most important consideration is how the Pro 800 applies pressure to the espresso puck during extraction. Most semi-automatic machines apply constant pressure to the espresso puck (around 8-10 bars), so instead of constant force, the Pro 800 applies pressure in a more complex curve. Here’s the process: 

  • Pre-infusion: The force of the steam boiler lends an inherent pre-infusion effect—about 1.5 bar pressure will gently saturate the puck. Pulling the lever down, you control the amount of pre-infusion time. 
  • Infusion: Once released, the spring spikes the pressure to around 9-12 bar. 
  • Post-infusion: Once the spring’s force is released, the pressure applied to the puck becomes less as time passes, tapering off toward the end of the shot. 

This extraction process is known as the spring lever profile on many pump-driven machines that have pressure profiling or flow control features. Pre-infusion as a variable is well-known and exhaustively documented as a feature that helps with even extraction and better-tasting coffee. Tapering down the pressure at the end of a shot as the espresso puck degrades has benefits similar to pre-infusion. It may surprise some that these ideas and workflows have existed since the early days of espresso machines, but not to die-hard espresso nerds and the old guard. 

If you want to nail the perfect pressure profile without any added electronics or fuss, consider a machine like the Profitec Pro 800. It’s a refined espresso-making tradition that highlights the art and love of extraction. Making espresso, at the end of the day, should be fun! Don’t let a lever machine intimidate you when this espresso method has existed for a hundred years and will exist beyond us.