Having all the important barista features and boasting a solid, modern and luxurious design, the Cuadra is among the top espresso machines currently available. The machine comes with the popular Faema E61 brew group, gauge for boiler pressure, vibration pump, one point eight litter copper boiler and a high quality heat exchanger for instant steam. On top of that, the company offers buyers the option to choose from a wide range of colors for the housing, including white, black, yellow, red and chrome. Given its low weight and small form factor, the La Nuova Era Cuadra (Amazon) is perfect for any sized kitchen countertop.
Features
E61 Grouphead
The legendary E61 grouphead is featured in the La Nuova Era Cuadra which will make your coffee taste that much better. The way it works is that the hot water will circulate through the grouphead from the heat exchanger and then back in order to keep the portafilter and grouphead hot.
No burn, multi directional hot water wand
The company decided to also incorporate a special steam wand which allows movement for smaller, but also larger cups. It’s recommended though that users don’t pull out more than four oz at a time and they should also consider waiting until the boiler refills prior to pulling an extra four more oz.
Manual three-way grouphead valve
This special valve will allow you to also prepare espressos back to back. If you plan on using this in a coffee shop, you’ll certainly love this feature.
XP700 Mater pressurestat
Monitoring the steam pressure in the boiler is now easier than ever. The Xp700 pressurestat is very high quality and offers very accurate measurements.
No burn, multi directional steam wand
Steaming and milk frothing seem to be quite difficult on a wide range of espresso machines, but not on the La Nuova Era Cuadra. In fact, the steam wand is multi directional, so you can easily move it in any direction you need to froth milk and prepare your favorite coffee.
Removable water reservoir
One thing that you’ll love about the water reservoir is that you can easily remove it. As a result, cleaning the boiler is going to be a breeze.
Frame
The frame of the La Nuova Era Cuadra is made of high quality stainless steel. As you can tell, it adds a lot to the machine’s durability and style as well.
Large 1.8 liter copper boiler
The large copper boiler allows you to prepare dozens of espresso shots prior to requiring a refill. If used in an office environment, the usefulness of the large boiler will be highly appreciated.
Stainless steel cup warmer tray
In order to fill the water reservoir, you have to first of all remove the SS cup warmer tray. It takes about two hours for the cup warmer tray to preheat, but if you want, you can also use the water wand to flash heat the cups.
Body
The plastic side panels are made of polished chrome and come in a wide range of colors. The front face body panel is also polished, while the back panel is made of SS and features a beautiful satin finish.
Stainless steel drip tray
You can easily slide out the SS drip tray from the machine in order to clean it. Overall, coupled with the plastic insert, they both add a lot to the machine in terms of style and design.
Pros:
- The La Nuova Era Cuadra has a compact size, meaning that it can be used on a wide range of kitchen countertops without having to worry it taking up too much space.
- While this is a semi professional machine, the quality of the coffee it brews makes it look like it’s a professional machine.
- Since it’s made in Italy, the quality is there, regardless if we’re talking about build quality or the coffee and espressos it can produce.
Cons:
- While it’s not actually a con per se, but the truth is that the price of the La Nuova Era Cuadra is a bit on the expensive side. However, in terms of quality, you do get what you pay for.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy This Model
If you’re someone who really appreciates the fine taste and quality of a good cup of coffee, then you’re probably ready to invest more than one hundred dollars into an espresso machine. The La Nuova Era Cuadra is not an espresso machine meant for the average Joe, but more like for someone who loves coffee, someone who takes the time to prepare it appropriately in order to bring out its full taste and aroma. Someone for whom the day always starts with a good cup of coffee which is eventually going to set the tone for the day.
What you’ll also like about this model is that unlike others, it has a no burn, multidirectional steam wand and water wand which combined, help you prevent burn accidents and add a different twist to the coffee’s taste. On top of that, you can also prepare espressos (back to back) thanks to the 3-way grouphead valve, so if you’d like to use it in a coffee shop, you’re definitely going to appreciate this feature. Last but not least, given the one point eight litter copper boiler, you’ll easily be able to prepare dozens of espressos prior to requiring a refill.
Comparable Models to consider
Nuova Simonelli Oscar Pour Over: This bad boy has a very clean design, is cheaper than the Cuadra and makes pretty great tasting coffee as well.
Breville BES920BSXL: If you’re looking for something more efficient, then it’s highly recommended that you check out this model. What makes it stand out are the dual Italian pumps and Dual stainless steel boilers for concomitant steaming and espresso extraction. On top of that, it’s also more affordable than the Cuadra.
Breville BES840XL: This may be the cheapest in the bunch, but it does help you prepare some good quality coffee and it’s really, really affordable.
