Lidl’s €60 manual espresso machine tumbles out in pastel hues. © Lidl
Lidl is surfing the wave of retro household appliances more than ever with its Silvercrest Kitchen Tools espresso machine, offering it in pastel color variations. And for this start of the 2023 school year, the firm is reducing its price by marketing it at €59.99 instead of €79.99, an interesting discount for an extremely basic, but effective machine.
The pink model is still available and the blue model should be back soon, the site says. The retail brand offers its entire range of small household appliances in colors that reinforce this retro tone and can make you think of Smeg brand products.
In any case, it looks like the 1973 model released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the German retail brand, available on the site only. Its technical characteristics are as follows: pressure of 15 bars, power of 1050 W, useful volume of the water tank of 1.2 l.
Lidl’s €60 manual espresso machine in pastel blue. © Lidl
At this price, do not expect to enjoy a Francis & Francis (from which it is largely inspired) with a temperature indicator in the center. Remember that the ideal temperature for an espresso is 93°C. It is therefore difficult to really know what is really going on on the Lidl screen. A coffee cup symbol just lets you know if the machine has reached the set temperature.
We were able to handle the identical 1973 model. It is an all-plastic machine with an extremely light filter holder and not so easy to clean. A system allows you to retain the sieve insert to avoid throwing it in the trash with the coffee grounds, but you have to do it twice to remove it from the filter holder.
The removable drip tray is quite small, but can be easily removed to empty it. The machine does not stop automatically to dispense its individual dose or for two cups. The high-pressure steam nozzle makes it easy to whip up milk for making cappuccinos.
It is therefore a very rudimentary machine which nevertheless delivers a more than adequate espresso, with a strong presence of crema all the same. And at a price of 60 €, this makes this machine with a vintage look a good plan for those who want to equip themselves for the start of the school year. Its variations in pastel shades also give it a little Mad Men touch which is not to displease us.