Why every Nove brews at 9 bar
Most home machines print 15 bar on the box. Cafés brew at 9, and so does every Nove. Here is what the number does to the taste.
Sep 29, 2026 · 3 min read
Nove is Italian for nine. The name comes from the pressure every one of our machines brews at, 9 bar at the coffee, on the One, the Duo and the Pro. It is the same pressure café machines use, and it is the number the whole machine is built around.
What pressure does
Espresso is hot water pushed through finely ground coffee. The coffee is ground so fine that water would barely drip through on its own, so the machine pushes it. One bar is about the pressure of the air around us, so 9 bar is nine times that.
The pressure decides how much of the coffee ends up in the cup during the 25 to 30 seconds of a shot. With too little, the water runs through without taking enough with it, and the espresso tastes thin and sour. With too much, it also takes the harsh, bitter parts.
Why most machines say 15 bar
Most home machines print 15 bar on the box. That is usually how hard the pump can push with the outlet closed, not the pressure at the coffee during a shot. A higher number does not make a better pump, and when that full force reaches the coffee, the espresso turns bitter.
How a Nove holds nine
Our pump can push harder than 9 bar. A valve sends the extra water back to the tank, so the coffee gets nine and no more. You can watch it happen on the gauge on the front of the machine. During a shot, the needle should sit at 9.
The gauge also tells you about your grind. If the needle stays well below 9, the coffee is too coarse and the water is rushing through. If the needle sits at 9 and the shot barely drips, the coffee is too fine. How to make your first espresso walks through getting it right.
The 58 mm basket
Pressure only works if the water meets all of the coffee evenly. Our basket is 58 mm wide, the size cafés use, where most home machines use 51 mm. The coffee sits flatter, so the water runs through it evenly instead of finding one weak spot and rushing through it. Any 58 mm basket or tamper fits.
The One, the Duo and the Pro all brew at 9 bar and use the same 58 mm basket. Only the milk side changes, so you can pick by what you drink. Compare the models to see the rest.
Written by The engineer, co-founder of Nove
