There is a moment, the first time you pull a shot on a machine with flow control, when you realise the espresso isn't decided the second you press the button. You can still slow it down, open it up, let it take its time. It's a bit like driving a manual car after years of automatics.
Lelit has been giving home baristas this kind of control for a while; anyone who has tried the Bianca in our showroom knows the feeling. With the new Elizabeth3 and Victoria3 it does it in a new way, called Pagaia.
Pagaia is Lelit's own patented system. A lever works on the pump electronically, so as you move it the machine changes how much water reaches the coffee, and you follow the shot on the display while it happens. No valve to feel your way around, just a lever and your eyes on the screen.
The nice thing is that you don't have to use it at all. Both machines come with two ready-made profiles, one that behaves like a classic lever machine and one with a more modern approach, each suited to different roasts. You can build your own profile in up to five steps and let the machine repeat it every morning. And when you're feeling curious, there's Freestyle: you, the lever and the shot.
What does it change in the cup? It gives you one more way to chase sweetness when a coffee tastes sharp, or body when it tastes thin. Some days it changes a lot, some days less than you'd hope, and that's half the fun. If you'd rather have the same great coffee every morning without thinking about it, the presets will give you that too.
Choosing between the two is mostly about how you drink coffee. Elizabeth3 has two boilers, and you can switch the steam one off on the days you only want espresso. Victoria3 has one, and it's a good deal narrower, which in many Hong Kong kitchens settles the question on its own.
Flow control is something you have to feel rather than read about. Come to our showroom in Tsuen Wan, bring a coffee you know well and try a shot with Pagaia and one without. Book a visit any day of the week on WhatsApp at +852 9476 9677.