Lelit Bianca

The Bianca is a dual-boiler machine with flow control at your fingertips: a paddle on the group that, as it turns, opens or closes the water path during extraction. You can wet the coffee gently, push, then ease off towards the end: your hand decides the pressure, not just the start and stop. The two stainless-steel boilers, for coffee and for steam, work independently.

The display sets pre-infusion and standby, and economy mode switches off the steam boiler while keeping the coffee boiler ready; from sleep it is back in action in about ten minutes. The 2.5-litre tank counts its refills and tells you when to change the softener filter; alternatively the machine plumbs into the mains, with direct drainage. Two gauges show pump and steam pressure.

The box holds two portafilters, one bottomless so you can watch the extraction, baskets, a blind basket, a tamper and a cleaning kit. At almost 60 cm deep it needs a deep counter. It is for someone who wants to get hands-on with extraction and is keen to learn the paddle; anyone who wants repeatable results without thinking about it will be happier with a dual boiler without flow control.