There are typically two pump systems that come equipped in common espresso machines. The vibration pump on one side and the rotary pump on the other side. Both have advantages and disadvantages, which we'll summarize concisely here.
The vibration pump is installed in almost all budget-friendly espresso machines. The rotary pump is integrated in larger and multi-group espresso machines.
Vibration Pump |
Rotary Pump |
| cheaper | more expensive |
| lighter, smaller | heavier, larger |
| around 40 l/h water | around 100-300 l/h water |
| less stable | robust |
| louder | quiet |
| should be used regularly |
No flavor differences can be detected, as a test by Ken Fox and Jim Schulman shows. We'll verify this ourselves at some point.
A real, audible difference between the two machines is the noise level. The rotary pump is much quieter, while the vibration pump hums loudly and is thus the epitome of domestic, smaller espresso machines.
A vibration pump is installed in our Rocket Celline Premium Plus, for example. While the Rocket Giotto Evoluzione 2 has a rotary pump integrated.
