The pandemic has changed the way we drink coffee. La Pavoni reveals how it has embraced changing habits to accommodate Australia’s domestic market.
Gaining the skills to recreate barista-style coffee at home is a journey. It may begin with experiments in grind size and French press and progress to seeking the precise measurements required to extract the perfect espresso.
The art of coffee preparation is something Leon Wolf, General Manager of La Pavoni and Smeg Professional Australia, has observed with interest throughout his career in the industry. Providing Italian machines to coffee enthusiasts both professional and domestic, he’s watched coffee culture evolve in cafés and at home.
“Over the past few decades, I have seen many people progress through their coffee journey. Traditionally, Australians have prepared a lot of instant coffee because that’s what they were brought up on. Then the café scene emerged and people started to experience quality and specialty coffee,” says Leon.
“Nowadays, many people have a capsule machine at home. Once they have gone through the process from instant to capsule, they’re looking to bridge the gap to achieve what they buy at their local café. Most people will then go from a capsule machine to a fully automatic coffee machine.”
During the pandemic, Leon says coffee making at home accelerated and sales of fully automatic machines went through the roof as people tried to replicate a quality café experience. Watching these emerging trends unfold in front of them, Leon and the team at La Pavoni spotted a gap in the market.
“When cafés started closing during COVID-19, more and more people started purchasing coffee machines for home,” he says.
“Coming out of lockdowns, life largely went back to normal, but a shift to hybrid office-home working meant people were still crafting coffee themselves. Now, people are used to having their first coffee of the day at home and want it to be on par with what their favourite café provides.”
Recognising these behaviours in the market, and the constraints of modern life in terms of time and kitchen space, the team at La Pavoni developed the Cellini Mini, a compact single-boiler coffee machine.
“A lot of people don’t have the capacity to fit a large dual boiler, grinder, and all the accessories. They want quality and experience but on a smaller scale, and I think that’s what the Cellini Mini delivers,” says Leon.
Embracing La Pavoni’s Italian roots, the machine has a steel body which combines durability and contemporary style.
“This machine replicates our larger machines, but in a smaller size. It has a stainless-steel body that’s rugged, rigid, and will stand the test of time. It’s authentically Italian,” says Leon.
“La Pavoni reflects Italian design and the defining characters of what an Italian coffee machine is. It’s an elegant, original, premium, and simplistic piece, but at the same time can deliver customers’ expectations.”
For the company, along with perfecting its technology to suit the busy lifestyles of the market, design is at the fore to accommodate stylistic trends in kitchen interiors.
“With the modern kitchen, people want something unique that is also neutral to their space, which is where the stainless-steel aesthetic comes in,” says Leon.
“La Pavoni is owned by Smeg, so we are a brand in demand in the kitchen when it comes to building in ovens, cooktops, and dishwashers. We first saw black becoming increasingly popular in our Smeg appliances. People want to match their coffee machine to the rest of their kitchen, so we started producing the machines in both black and stainless steel.
“Design trends are often of a global nature. Australia is such a multicultural society, therefore we wanted to create a product that suits a wide range of tastes.”
With the home user in mind, the engineering team focused on incorporating features for ease of use.
“It’s a single-boiler machine so it preheats quickly to produce espresso first, then within a very short period the steam wand is ready to go full force to texture the milk,” says Leon.
“Even though it’s smaller in size, it can make back-to-back coffees and easily cater for two people. The aim is to produce a quality cup while also taking the hassle out of the morning rush.”
Steeped in a rich history of coffee making, the brand’s latest innovation showcases its continued passion to serve the coffee industry with its products.
“Design is at the core of our focus right now. We recently launched our Diamantina machines, which were originally released back in the 1950s, and the products’ design hasn’t changed. We don’t feel it needs to either,” says Leon.
“It’s at the highest standard it can be. Being true to heritage and culture is paramount, which is why we constantly evolve the look of our machines to make sure we are always up to date with the latest trends.
“At Smeg, our global tagline is Technology with Style, and this is where our two brands align. The Cellini Mini captures this perfectly.”
For more information, visit lapavoni.com
