It was in 1901 in Milan, that Luigi Bezzera invented the espresso process the correct temperature and pressure needed to extract the aromatic oils resulting in the flavorsome espresso coffee. Since then, Bezzera family has been serving the coffee lovers with their superbly-designed and technologically-refined espresso machines and coffee grinders.
Bezzera Strega TOP gives you the option of running either as a pour over or it can be plumbed in directly to a water line. It also features an upgraded commercial pressurestat. Housed in beautiful stainless steel exterior, the Bezzera Strega is operated by using a commercial lever group. The unit is spring loaded to ensure constant even pressure. The lever group that is used in the Strega is the same that is used in thousands upon thousands of Bezzera commercial lever machines around the world. The machine features electro-plated copper boiler and thermo-compensated groups to deliver superior quality espresso every time.
How the Lever Group Works
When you pull the lever down, the pump provides initial pressure, which is about 11 bars. Once you let the lever go up, the pump turns off and the lever does its magic. The lever is spring loaded and provides about 9.5 bars of pressure at the beginning to finish at around 5.5 bars at the end of extraction. Beauty of a lever machine is that you can manipulate the pressure by retarding the lever at a certain point during extraction to bring out more flavor from your coffee. This also allows for creating your own and unique pressure profiling.
Differences Between Strega and Strega TOPBezzera Strega operates on the water tank. On the other hand the TOP version gives you an option to either use the water tank as a source of water or to directly plumb the machine to your water supply. If you choose to plumb your machine in, the Strega TOP becomes virtually noiseless as the pump won't be used at all.
FEATURES
Brew Group
The group is heated by an heating element that ensures the group's thermostability. Before coffee delivery the pump fills the lever group providing a pre infusion between coffee and water. During delivery the pump stops, and the pressure in the group unit is developed by two springs that guarantee a steady supply and the best oil extraction from the ground coffee.
Heat-Exchanging Boiler
The Bezzera Strega is fitted with a 2 liter copper boiler with heat exchanger system. That means you can steam milk and extract espresso at the same time. High 1450-watt heating element is controlled by a thermostat to maintain a constant temperature.
Vibratory Pump
The Bezzera Strega boasts a powerful vibratory Ulka pump rated at 15 BAR of pressure to extract maximum flavor from the coffee beans.
Professional Gauge
The Bezzera Strega's gauge indicates boiler pressure. This is a very handy tool when extracting espresso as it provides a window into the extraction.
Steam and Hot Water Wands
A multi-directional steam wand has an excellent range of motion for ease of use. It creates fine and creamy milk foam effortlessly for your cappuccino and latte. Hot water wand is also on a ball joint making it easy to pour water into a cup. The tip of the steamer is a 4-hole.
Joystick Style Knobs
This is the latest trend in the industry. Instead of using taps that have to be turned on and off the Strega features the instant on/instant off Joy Stick style wands. These are also nice because they cannot be over tightened.
Automatic Water Refill
The boiler of the Bezzera Strega comes with an automatic water-refill feature that allows uninterrupted supply of scrumptious espresso, americano, cappuccino, cafe latte and much more.
Accessories
The Bezzera Strega comes with a detailed instruction manual, dual spout portafilter, single spout portafilter, 2-cup filter basket, 1-cup filter basket, grouphead cleaning brush, blind filter basket and plastic tamper.