La Marzocco Strada S AV/ABR Espresso Machine - Insulated Boilers

Designing the Strada Espresso Machine

Developed over two years with a group of thirty coffee professionals known as the "Street Team," the Strada, Italian for "Street", was designed to honor their expertise. This La Marzocco Strada S AV blends high-level functionality with an intuitive 3-button interface and digital display for monitoring extraction. For ultimate precision, the Strada S features independent saturated boilers and Dual PID control, allowing baristas to precisely manage coffee and steam temperatures independently.

Enhancements in the Second Generation Strada

The second generation Strada modernises the original design with a lower profile to enhance customer engagement and barista workspace. It features Pro Touch steam wands that stay cool to the touch and is available in two configurations: the AV, with programmable doses and an adjustable drip tray, and the ABR, featuring integrated scales. Designed for the modern café, the Strada S includes Eco Mode for energy efficiency, a USB port for firmware updates, and La Marzocco Pro App compatibility.

La Marzocco Strada S Brochure

Included for Free when you purchase the La Marzocco Strada S through Prime Coffee Suppliers:

• Free! Delivery (Worth £95): 4-7 working days handling and delivery time from London Warehouse.
  
• Free! Bronze Service Plan (Worth £1200): Gives you 1-year parts coverage, labour or call-out fees, direct phone support for quick technical help. Click here for more info about this plan
• Free! Installation, Water Filter and on-site training (Worth £350)
• Free! 5KG of MONT58 Organic Coffee Beans (Worth £145): Start your journey with premium beans on us.
• 10 Trees planted with every order of a La Marzocco Strada S - With our environmental Project through Ecologi.
  

Features

Insulated Boilers: Reduce energy consumption and enhance temperature stability.

Independent Saturated Boilers: Separate boilers for each group head to optimize temperature for individual coffees, ensuring better thermal stability.

Dual PID (Coffee and Steam): Independent control for both coffee and steam boilers, enabling precise temperature management.

Pro Touch Steam Wands: High-performance steam wands that stay cool to the touch.

3-button Interface: Simple control interface for programming and managing machine settings.

Adjustable Drip Tray (AV only): Adjustable tray for accommodating tall, to-go cups.

Proportional Steam Valve: Lever-style activation for precise steam control with proportional solenoid.

Digital Display: Intuitive programming for adjusting machine parameters and monitoring extraction times.

Hot Water Economiser: Adjustable tap water temperature for better tea preparation.

Eco Mode: Programmable stand-by mode for improved energy efficiency.

Programmable Doses: Auto-volumetric dosing for repeatability and consistency in high-volume environments.

Cup Warmer (Special Order): Keeps espresso and cappuccino cups heated at an optimal temperature.

USB: Easy firmware updates via USB.

Pro App Compatible: Allows connectivity to the La Marzocco Pro App for advanced control and monitoring.

Specifications of the Strada S AV/ABR Espresso Machine

How to Navigate and Maintain the Strada Coffee Machine?

Barista Menu Tutorial: The Barista Menu on the Strada AV allows baristas to easily adjust key settings such as brew temperature, pressure profiling, and shot timers to customise and optimise the espresso extraction process.

Groups Cleaning: Regular cleaning of the coffee machine groups is essential to maintain optimal performance, prevent build-up of coffee oils, and ensure consistently high-quality espresso.

Removing and Cleaning the Drain Tray: Cleaning the drain tray is crucial to prevent water and coffee residue build-up, ensuring proper drainage and maintaining hygiene in your espresso machine.

Replacing the shower screen and group gasket: Replacing the shower screen and group gasket is vital for maintaining a proper seal, ensuring even water distribution, and preventing leaks or contamination that can affect the quality of your espresso.

La Marzocco Strada S: AV vs. ABR – Which Precision Powerhouse Belongs on Your Bar?

In the world of specialty coffee, the La Marzocco Strada has long been the gold standard for baristas who demand total control. With the release of the Strada S, the choice for UK coffee shop owners has narrowed down to two distinct workflows: Auto-Volumetric (AV) and Auto Brew Ratio (ABR).

Both machines are absolute thoroughbreds, featuring independent insulated boilers and incredible thermal stability. But choosing the wrong one for your specific workflow can be a costly mistake.

Here is how to decide which Strada S will elevate your coffee program.

The Strada S AV: The Speed Specialist

The Strada S AV is the "purist’s" volumetric machine. It uses high-precision flow meters to measure the volume of water passing through the coffee puck.

Best for: High-volume cafes where speed and "muscle memory" are king.

• Workflow: Baristas dial in the grind size and dose at the start of the shift. Once programmed, the machine delivers a consistent volume of water every time.

• The Advantage: It features an adjustable-height drip tray. If your UK takeaway trade is massive and you frequently use 12oz or 16oz cups, the AV allows you to raise or lower the tray to prevent splashing or accommodate tall vessels.

• Maintenance: Without integrated scales in the drip tray, the AV is slightly more robust and easier to maintain in "wet" environments.

The Strada S ABR: The Precision Perfectionist

The Strada S ABR (Auto Brew Ratio) is the pinnacle of La Marzocco’s "mass-based" brewing technology. Instead of measuring water, it uses integrated scales built directly into the drip tray to weigh the liquid in the cup.

Best for: Multi-roaster cafes or shops focused on "to-the-gram" consistency regardless of bean age.

• Workflow: You can program a specific yield weight (e.g., 36g). The machine’s "Drip Prediction" algorithm learns when to stop the pump so that the final weight hits your target perfectly, every time.

• The Advantage: It eliminates the variable of "gas" and "crema." In an AV machine, an older coffee might flow differently even with the same water volume. The ABR ignores those variables and ensures the mass is identical.

• Ratio Mode: You can weigh your dry dose on the group scale, and the machine will automatically calculate the output based on your preferred ratio (e.g., 1:2).

The Comparison: At a Glance

Feature	Strada S AV	Strada S ABR
Measurement	Flow Meter (Volume)	Integrated Scales (Mass)
Drip Tray	Adjustable Height (Versatile)	Fixed Height (To house scales)
Consistency	High (Requires steady puck prep)	Absolute (Self-correcting for weight)
Ideal UK Setting	Busy High Street / Takeaway Focus	Boutique Specialty / Tasting Rooms

The Verdict: Which should you buy?

Choose the Strada S AV if... you have a high-turnover staff and a heavy takeaway trade. The ability to adjust the drip tray for different cup sizes and the simplicity of the volumetric interface make it a reliable workhorse for the busiest UK mornings.

Choose the Strada S ABR if... your brand is built on precision. If your baristas are currently weighing every shot on manual scales, the ABR will significantly increase your "shots per hour" while maintaining the exacting standards your customers expect.

About La Marzocco

Known worldwide as the pioneer in Coffee Extraction and Espresso machines, La Marzocco, born in 1927 has been a constant innovator in the coffee industry producing the finest machines possible born on the manifesto of incorporating qualities that are rarely accepted by the present day industrial culture:  intuition, sensitivity, and a desire to accept managed risk as an essential part of their work.

La Marzocco has always focused on the values of integrity, impact, curiosity, courage and celebration. This is what has allowed them to continually innovate and persevere in the manufacturing of the finest in class specialty coffee equipment.