La Pavoni explains how it upgraded the Botticelli domestic range by taking on board customer feedback and striving to create high quality espresso machines.
The La Pavoni brand has almost 120 years of coffee machine manufacturing history. Just like the Early Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli from Italy who strived for perfection, La Pavoni continues to refine its work to make a great machine even better.
“We wanted to ensure our customers were receiving La Pavoni machines in perfect working order, so we took on board feedback from our service and retail network, and upgraded the packaging, materials and components to withstand the freight journey from Italy,” says Smeg Australia’s General Manager of the Professional Division, Leon Wolf.
Those improvements include a new proportional integral derivative (PID) temperature control, wider feet, and magnetic drip tray — to name a few.
“The Botticelli dual boiler machine has always been the star of our product line. It allows for better temperature stability thanks to its dedicated and independent boilers and PID control,” says La Pavoni National Sales Manager Tom Douch.
“We’ve kept the brewing pressure profiling control (BPPC) system on the Botticelli Specialty model, equipped with competition shower screen and filters on the group head. During coffee brewing, the water pressure on the coffee puck can be adjusted with the BPPC mechanism, obtaining the best result in the cup. It has a full commercial rotary pump, and the option of direct water connection or water tank supply.”
Tom says La Pavoni has also updated the toggle (lever) controls of the Botticelli Specialty machine for improved workflow.
“The power you get immediately from the steam wand is incredible. The PID controls now have a metallic gloss finish, which complements the stainless-steel exterior,” he says. “The drip trays had rubber seals originally, which we’ve replaced with magnetic guidance. This ensures a perfect fit every time and that the water goes exactly where it’s supposed to.
“We’ve also increased the diameter of the feet of the machine, with larger O-ring gaskets for stability and to prevent vibration.”
These changes have been implemented into La Pavoni’s complete domestic range, including the Cellini Evoluzione, Cellini Mini, and Cellini Classic.
In response to market colour trends, the Cellini domestic range is now available in both stainless steel and matte black.
“We’ve changed the colour of the logo to match the matte-black finish. This completely transforms the look of the machine and the way it stands out on the benchtop,” Tom says.
“At the factory, we’ve invested in a larger quality control team to ensure our machine manufacturing is of the highest standard. I have a lot of confidence in the internal machine upgrades and the packaging.”
Leon says the new packaging is completely recyclable and in line with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation standards.
“We’ve moved to a full cardboard solution which can absorb more impact to avoid any damage to the machines,” he says. “It’s a win-win: the machine will last longer thanks to the improved components, and the packaging is sustainable.”
Leon says these improvements to La Pavoni’s domestic range are designed to inspire renewed confidence in the brand and the products themselves.
“We’ve absorbed a lot of the cost of updating these machines to maintain the same price point. Consumers who were looking at an original Botticelli model can have the confidence they’re getting an upgrade for the same amount,” he says.
“We want these changes to show that we’re committed to supplying quality products in short periods of time.”
Driven by continuous growth and innovation, in February 2024 La Pavoni’s Sydney head office moved to new administration and warehouse facilities.
“Our warehousing operations have moved to a larger, purpose-built facility in Ingleburn, while administration staff have moved to The Woolstores, a restored, heritage-listed space in the heart of Alexandria,” Leon says.
The office space includes an in-house café and a purpose-built showroom to showcase a wide range of La Pavoni coffee machines.
“These new facilities are an exciting development which will expand our capabilities and mark a significant milestone,” says Leon.
For more information, visit au.lapavoni.com
This article appears in the April 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
