Rowan Nova Pure Espresso Machine Review: Be Your Own Barista at Home — Snooty Attitude Not Required!

Coffee is the nectar of the gods. If you don’t think so, why are you reading this? I mean, really, you have to be some kind of coffee nerd to care about espresso machines. And I’m glad you’re here. I am by no means a barista, and I don’t harbor any false notions that I am. I do, however, enjoy coffee in all its forms. So when I was offered the Rowan Nova Pre Espresso Machine for review, I begged and pleaded to get my hands on it. Guess what? Guess what? C’mon guess. Yeah, I got it!

The Rowan Nova Pure has a full stainless steel body, so it looks like an honest-to-goodness prosumer espresso machine. Unlike a couple of other units I’ve used, it has not a single piece of chromed plastic. That being said, the handle on the water reservoir is grey plastic, which sort of detracts from the otherwise professional-looking machine.

Rowan boasts the Nova Pure uses an Italian ULKA pump that delivers 9-bar extraction. Is that good? I couldn’t tell you. My more esteemed coffee nerds will have to tell me. I can tell you the results I’ve been able to pull have been delicious. Its portafilter is a weighty 58 mm commercial-style stainless steel unit. And the machine provides pre-infusion by wetting the grounds before fully pressurizing.

The Rowan Nova Pure has a 1500 W heating system that reaches its brewing temperature in 20 seconds and maintains it throughout brewing. It does this with a PID NTC temperature controller. What the heck is that, you ask? I’ll save you the Google search because I already did it. This is a device that combines a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control algorithm with a Negative Temperature Coefficient thermistor sensor to maintain an NTC target temperature with high stability. Hooray for technology!

The Nova Pure controls are all on a touchscreen that’s easy to understand and read. Now that I’m in the over-50 club, that’s very much appreciated. Simple function icons and a large digital timer replace dials, knobs, and levers.

You don’t have to become the captain of a steampunk submarine to make a good cup of espresso. Not only can you pull a single or a double shot of espresso at the touch of a button, but there’s a hot water dispenser and milk frother that operate the same way. The Rowan Nova Pure takes a lot of the guesswork out of the whole process.

What’s Included?

• 1 single cup filter
• 1 double cup filter
• Frothing pitcher
• Tamper
• Coffee measuring spoon
• Descaling powder
• Filter cleaning tool
• Cleaning cloth
• Quick start guide
• Owner’s manual

Tech Specs

• Dimensions- 12.80 x 6.93 x 13.23 inch (32.5 x 17.6 x 33.6 cm)
• Net Weight- 16.8 lbs. (7.6 kg)
• Gross Weight- 21.6 lbs. (9.8 kg)
• Preheating Time- 20 seconds
• Extraction Pressure- 9 bar
• Portafilter- 58mm Stainless Steel
• Water Tank Capacity- 1.1 L (0.29 gal)
• Material- 304 Stainless Steel, 6K Mirror Polish
• Power- 1500W
• Rated Voltage- 120V
• Rated Frequency- 60 Hz

Using the Rowan Nova Pure

Setting up the Rowan Nova Pure is very simple. Basically, you rinse out the removable reservoir, fill it up, and reinstall it on the rear of the machine. Next, choose the filter for the amount of espresso shots you want to pull. (I almost always use the 2-shot option) and put in finely ground espresso coffee.

Now, you need to tamp the grounds to make the puck. This can be a little tricky. If you pack it too tightly, the water won’t permeate, and you’ll get very little espresso. If it’s tamped too loosely, then the water flows through too quickly, resulting in an abomination – that’s considered an insult to the coffee gods and is better left unmentioned. To help with this, each filter has a level mark with Optimal printed inside.

The problem is that my eyes aren’t what they used to be, so it can be hard to see. Once the coffee is tamped, insert the loaded filter into the portafilter. Just line up the tabs to the slots and then pull the handle of the portafilter to the right. If it’s hard to move, then it’s one of two things:

A) you’ve got too much coffee loaded

or

B) the portafilter isn’t lined up correctly

With the portafilter installed, now simply press the single or double cup icon and wait for a little bit of heaven to pour into your cup. If you did everything right, the small gauge needle should move into the green area.

If it does, you’re in for a treat. The Rowan Nova Pure produces a delicious espresso with a thick crema. But we’re not done. Do you want a latte or a cappuccino? Then pour some milk into the included pitcher, and use the steamer to either warm or froth the milk. Do you prefer an Americano? Then use the water dispenser to add hot water to your coffee.

Both of these options also have a “button” on the touchscreen. Et Viola! (I know espresso is Italian, and that’s French.) You get delicious espresso at home in the time it takes to find your wallet/purse/sling bag/fanny pack/whatever and your keys.

But what if the resulting amount of coffee in the cup isn’t enough for your liking? Well, Rowan has you covered. There is a way to increase the volume of the pull. They describe it in the full manual, but it’s better explained in the quick start guide.

With a few button presses, you can change the brew time, which will give you more espresso in the cup. Press and hold either cup option for 3 seconds to enter shot volume reprogramming mode. Tap the double-shot button to increase the volume and the single-shot button to decrease it. To reset it to the default, just press and hold both buttons for 3 seconds. No harm, no foul.

The Rowan Nova Pure also offers a one-touch cleaning mode. They even included a descaling powder packet. I use filtered water; I’m not a complete barbarian, so I haven’t needed to clean it yet. But if it’s like everything else with the Nova Pure, I’m sure it’ll be easy.

Even milk frothing is easy. I never could get the milk to froth on the last espresso machine. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but I tried and tried and only ever got hot milk. With the Rowan Nova Pure, I could get very thick foam easily. The only problem with the frother is it can be LOUD! Again, I’m probably doing something wrong, because sometimes it’s fine and other times it sends my dog running to another room.

Final Thoughts

I am very happy with the Rowan Nova Pure espresso machine. I was genuinely surprised that the whole machine is wrapped in stainless steel. I honestly expected it to be mostly chromed plastic. Really, the only thing I can find wrong aesthetically with the unit is the water reservoir handle. It’s plastic, so it stands out against the unit. That’s it.

There was a small learning curve to getting the coffee amount and tamp correct, but I got it in a few tries, and now it’s muscle memory. The machine looks great, is well built, and comes with good-quality accessories. Hell, even the included towel is nice. And if you’re like me, you’ll appreciate that towel. I make quite the mess.

For the price, is it worth it? That depends on you. There are a lot cheaper options out there. I’ve used a few, and they were terrible and a waste of money. These days, $450 can be hard to swallow, but trust me when I say the coffee it makes is worth it. The Rowan Nova Pure comes with a 1-year warranty, with the option to buy a 2- or 3-year extension. That’s better than I expected. I was thinking it would be 90 days and then best of luck to you.

If you want to make great espresso, cappuccino, latte, or Americano at home, I say spend a little more on the Rowan Nova Pure. For what you get, I think the price is justified. Sure, it costs more than what’s usually on department-store shelves, but based on my experience, those units are a waste of money. Are you really saying that much if you buy something else that ends up taking up space on your countertop because it’s hard to use and doesn’t make good coffee?

The Rowan Nova Pure retails for $449.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.

What I Like: Easy to use; Fast!; Solid and well-made; Includes everything except the coffee and cups; Good instructions

What Needs Improvement: Optimal level line in the filters is hard to see; Plastic handle on the reservoir detracts from the look of the machine; Frother can be loud, but I’ll blame user error