Strietman · LeverES3
A wall-mounted, handmade Dutch lever espresso machine produced in small batches from 2014 to 2017, with an open boiler, piston-lever mechanism, and no pump — the purest manual espresso ritual available for the home.
The short version
The ES3 is a sculptural, pump-free lever machine built in the Netherlands from copper, brass, and birchwood — espresso as craft object.
It was discontinued in 2017 and replaced by the CT1/CT2 lineage, so buyers must source used units and accept that support is limited to spare parts from Strietman's shop.
Why people buy it
- Pumpless, near-silent extraction — the only noise is the lever and water moving through the puck
- Handmade in the Netherlands from copper, brass, and birchwood with a build quality that outlasts most appliance-grade machines
Why they don’t
- Discontinued since 2017 — new units are unavailable; buyers must find used examples and hope the piston seals and C-ring are intact
The full tally
- Pumpless, near-silent extraction — the only noise is the lever and water moving through the puck
- Handmade in the Netherlands from copper, brass, and birchwood with a build quality that outlasts most appliance-grade machines
- Wall-mounted design frees the entire countertop — a real advantage in tight kitchens
- Open boiler and removable piston make the mechanics fully visible and straightforward to maintain with basic spare parts
- Discontinued since 2017 — new units are unavailable; buyers must find used examples and hope the piston seals and C-ring are intact
- No steam wand or hot-water tap of any kind — strictly espresso-only; milk drinks require a separate device
- Manual water fill, adjustable thermostat only (no PID), and a reported 4°C temperature differential mean temperature precision falls short of modern lever machines like the CT2
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — strongly recommended.
Strietman ES3 earns strong advocacy within the manual lever segment for its forgiving shot consistency and precision engineering relative to alternatives like La Pavoni and Robot; limited scarcity and wall-mount specialization constrain reach, but owners keep these machines…
Built to last
years before you outgrow or replace it
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
Reliability
shows up every morning, year after year
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Those weighing ES3 vs cheaper levers often realize they are buying consistency and forgiveness, not just a lower price point — the real trade is scarcity and location lock-in against a machine you will not outgrow.
“Yes Erik, I am playing with the ES3 CT1 number 7 with great pleasure. I can endorse everything you have told in your post. Great machine!”
“I have an Izzo Alex Leva and Strietman ES3. Love them both, pucks come out perfect from both no channeling. Strietman is far more forgiving though of course.”
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Shot ceiling
- endgame-adjacent4.5
- Steam power
- token0
- Built to last
- heirloom5
- Easy daily
- demanding0
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Top quarter for shot ceiling
- a higher ceiling than 206 of the 238 machines we’ve measured
- Top quarter for build
- sturdier than 87% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a machine measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Owners who want to stay in the Strietman ecosystem move to the CT1 or CT2, which adapt the same brew group into a countertop form with a more precise thermostat. Those seeking modern pressure profiling tools typically move to the Decent DE1 or a prosumer E61 dual-boiler with a flow-control paddle.
The full spec sheet
- Type
- Lever
- Heat-up time
- ~10 min
- Steam power
- 0/5
- Brew + steam at once
- No
- Guest recovery
- 1/5
- Shot quality ceiling
- 4.5/5
- PID temperature control
- No
- Milk system
- None
- Removable brew group
- No
- Flow control
- Yes
- Workflow demand
- 5/5
- Maintenance
- 2/5
- Noise
- 0/5
- Build longevity
- 5/5
- Dimensions
- 15 × 20 × 40 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this machine — the faded pieces can wait.
Gooseneck kettle · not optional — Manual and lever machines bring no water of their own — a temperature-stable gooseneck is how you actually pull a shot.
- Gooseneck kettle — Manual and lever machines bring no water of their own — a temperature-stable gooseneck is how you actually pull a shot.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Standalone milk steamer — No steam wand on board — a standalone steamer (Bellman, Subminimal NanoFoamer) is how you get a real flat white.
- Knock box — Somewhere to bang the spent puck that is not your kitchen bin.
- Calibrated tamper — The bundled tamper is usually an afterthought; a fitted, calibrated one makes prep repeatable.
- WDT distribution tool — Breaks up clumps before tamping — a cheap fix for channeling on any portafilter machine.
- Handheld milk frother — The cheapest path to foam for a no-steam machine — fine for casual milk drinks, not latte art.
- Espresso cups & glassware — Proper demitasse and latte glasses keep the drink hot and look the part.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new machine gets blamed for it. A machine in this class will show you the difference between roast dates — it deserves beans that change week to week.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Sergio - Brazillian Fazenda Joia Rara Aerobic FermentedSCA 88Medium-light · Cerrado Mineiro · Aerobic FermentedHoney · OrangeEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$29.18 · roasted to order
Honeycrest - Costa Rican Volcán AzulSCA 87Medium-light · West Valley · Red HoneyRaisins · Maple SyrupEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$19.50 · roasted to order
Wild Ember - Ethiopian Buno Dambi UddoSCA 92Medium roast · Odo Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia · NaturalBlueberry · MarmaladeEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$26.83 · roasted to orderNo proper grinder yet? Sort that first — it decides more of the cup than the machine does. We ship whole bean, roast-dated, timed so it lands fresh the week your burrs do.
Roasted to order, daily, in Ajax, Ontario · ships Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
Is the Strietman ES3 still being made?
No. The ES3 was produced in small batches between 2014 and 2017 and has since been discontinued. Strietman's current machine is the CT2. Spare parts (seals, piston clips, lubricants) are still sold directly by Strietman, so maintaining an existing unit is feasible.
Does the ES3 have a steam wand?
No. The ES3 is an espresso-only machine with no steam wand and no hot-water tap. If you make milk drinks, you will need a separate frother or steam device.
How do you fill the boiler?
The ES3 uses an open top-fill boiler that holds up to 350 cc of hot water. You fill it manually before each session; it can be topped up at any time.
What portafilter size does the ES3 use?
The ES3 uses a proprietary Strietman portafilter, not the industry-standard 58 mm. This limits basket compatibility to Strietman-compatible or closely matched third-party options.
How loud is the ES3?
Effectively silent during extraction. There is no pump — pressure is applied entirely by hand via the lever and piston. The only sounds are the lever mechanism and water flow.
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