Why La Marzocco?

Plenty of big claims circulate about La Marzocco. We looked up what the manufacturer actually writes – and where the common claims go further than the evidence.

Where the brand comes from

La Marzocco was founded in 1927 in Florence. Giuseppe and Bruno Bambi started the workshop as «Officine Fratelli Bambi». Production has been based in the hills north of the city since 1961. The name comes from the Marzocco, the heraldic lion of Florence – the emblem is still in the logo today.

What La Marzocco actually built first

The most often repeated claim is that La Marzocco built the first espresso machine with two boilers. Put that broadly, it isn't accurate. The manufacturer phrases it more narrowly: in 1970, with the GS model, a patent for the first machine with double boiler and saturated brew groups was said to have been filed. The combination is what's meant, not the double boiler on its own. And La Marzocco itself points to the Poker from 1964 onward as an earlier attempt with multiple boilers. We didn't find a patent number for the double boiler.

What is documented, though, is something else – and it's at least as remarkable: Patent 372525 from 25 February 1939 for the first espresso machine with a horizontal boiler. Before that, boilers stood upright and the machines were columns. The horizontal boiler made possible the flat shape that stands behind practically every counter today.

Why we're precise about this: a brand that genuinely changed something fundamental in 1939 doesn't need an inflated story. The documented history is the better one.

What technically distinguishes the machines

Saturated brew groups are connected directly to the coffee boiler – the group is thermally part of the boiler instead of a separate piece of metal that first has to warm up. That's the reason for the steady temperature behaviour these machines are known for. Add to that stainless steel housings, a maintenance-friendly build and a spare-parts supply that still holds up even for older models. If you want to keep a machine for fifteen years, that's exactly the point that counts – not the spec sheet.

What is documented about sustainability

La Marzocco publishes concrete figures: according to the manufacturer, a photovoltaic system covers the entire electricity demand of the factory, up to 233 kW. Boiler insulation is said to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent. Add to that standby mode on the Linea PB, individually switchable groups on the Strada, certified green electricity, a net-zero target for 2050, and B-Corp certification in 2026.

What we did not find: robust information about packaging beyond general statements, and no device-specific consumption figures for the home models. If you want to choose a machine by power consumption, La Marzocco doesn't give you a figure for that.

And why don't we always recommend it anyway?

Because a machine has to fit a daily routine, not a brand logo. If you drink almost nothing but black espresso, with a dual boiler you're paying for a steam boiler you rarely use. If the two of you make four milk drinks every morning, the math looks different. That's why we ask what you drink first – and talk about machines after.

Frequently asked questions about La Marzocco

How long has La Marzocco existed?

Since 1927. Giuseppe and Bruno Bambi founded the workshop in Florence under the name «Officine Fratelli Bambi». Since 1961, the factory has stood in the hills north of Florence, today in the municipality of Scarperia e San Piero.

Did La Marzocco invent the double boiler?

Not in such general terms. La Marzocco itself phrases it more narrowly: in 1970, a patent was said to have been filed with the GS model for «the first machine with double boiler and saturated brew groups» – the combination, in other words, not the double boiler alone. And the manufacturer itself points to the Poker from 1964 onward as an earlier multi-boiler attempt. We didn't find a patent number for the double boiler.

Which La Marzocco patent is documented?

Patent 372525 from 25 February 1939, for the first espresso machine with a horizontal boiler. That's the technically consequential innovation: it made possible the shape that stands behind almost every counter to this day.

What does La Marzocco do for sustainability?

According to its own figures, a photovoltaic system covers the factory's entire electricity demand – up to 233 kW –, boiler insulation increases energy efficiency by 20 percent, there are standby functions and individually switchable groups, certified green electricity, a net-zero target for 2050, and B-Corp certification in 2026. La Marzocco does not publish device-specific consumption figures for individual home models.

Are La-Marzocco machines worth their price?

That depends on what you do with it. Build quality, temperature behaviour and spare-parts supply are at a professional level, and machines of this type last a very long time. But if you drink one espresso a day, you'll never fully use that advantage. The coffee doesn't get better just because the machine is more expensive.

Do you only sell La Marzocco?

No, and we don't always recommend La Marzocco either. Which machine suits you depends on your day – not on our range.