Astoria is an Italian based espresso machine manufacturing company focused on providing quality machines at an affordable price. Aside from their affordability, espresso machines produced by Astoria are known for their longevity and ability to produce exceptional espresso based beverages. For those looking for a quality commercial espresso machine on a budget, Astoria is a great choice.
We've outlined the major differences between Astoria's top-selling 2-group commercial espresso machines:
| Model | Boiler Size | Raised Group (y/n) | Heating Element | Pre-Infusion |
| SAE/2 Gloria | 12qt | Yes | 4500 watts | Yes |
| SAE/2 Perla | 11qt | No | 4000 watts | Yes |
| SAE/2 Pratic Avant | 11qt | No | 4400 watts | No |
Raised groups allow for brewing into cups up to 16 oz.
What is Pre-Infusion?
Pre-infusion, or pre-wet as some refer to it, saturates the espresso grounds and begins the brewing process. This allows the ground particles to absorb water and swell in size and release carbon dioxide, opening the paths for the remaining water to more easily penetrate and extract the coffee (soluble material). We have found this brew method to be effective with extremely fresh espresso that still contains most of the Carbon Dioxide in the bean from roasting. This also helps with decaffeinated coffee that does not expand as far as its regular counterpart during the wetting process.
To explain pre-infusion, we often use the analogy of a pre-soak cycle in the laundry. The purpose is the same - to expand the material from which we want to extract the soluble. Pre-infusion as a cycle consists of an initial ON time, a pause, and the remainder of the brew cycle. Of course, there are variations depending on the manufacturer. The initial ON period should provide enough volume to saturate the ground coffee.
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