Introduction

At The Lever, transparency and independence are fundamental values. This review policy outlines the principles and practices that guide every product review published on this platform. In an industry where financial interests and brand relationships can easily distort judgment, this document aims to provide clarity on how our reviews are conducted so that you can decide whether to trust them or not.

Editorial Principles

1. No financial compensation
We do not accept any payment in exchange for reviews. Companies cannot pay to be featured in articles, nor can they influence the content or conclusions of an article.

2. No editorial oversight by manufacturers
All reviews are written and published independently. Brands do not have access to drafts or final texts prior to publication.

3. Transparent product sourcing
Reviewed products may have been bought by The Lever, temporarily provided on loan, or, in the case of lower-value items, supplied without any expectation of return. All reviews are treated following the same editorial principles written in this page, no matter how we got them. You can see a detailed list of how each reviewed product was obtained below. 

4. No affiliate links (unless clearly disclosed)
We currently do not use affiliate links. If this ever changes, it will be explicitly mentioned in each article and will never affect our editorial stance.

5. Testing in real-world conditions
All espresso machines are tested for at least one month in home-use conditions, not just during quick demonstrations or showroom visits.

6. Editorial integrity
Every word is chosen with care, knowing that our reviews can significantly impact small businesses. This sense of responsibility, however, does not prevent us from highlighting negative aspects when necessary. Once we decide to review a product, the article will be published, whether the evaluation is positive or not. Companies are not permitted to submit products on the condition that only favorable reviews will be published.

Disclosure on how we got each product

• Olympia Cremina SL - sent on loan by the manufacturer
• Strietman CT2- sent on loan by the manufacturer
• ACS Vesuvius Evo Leva - sent on loan by the manufacturer
• Cafelat Robot - supplied without expectation of return
• Flair 58 - property of The Lever
• Flair Neo Flex - supplied without expectation of return
• Flair Pro 2 - provided by Coffee Coaching Club
• Hugh Leverpresso Pro - supplied without expectation of return
• Olympia Express Mina - supplied without expectation of return
• Rok EspressoGC - supplied without expectation of return
• Rok Presso Smartshot - supplied without expectation of return
• Superkop - supplied without expectation of return
• Uniterra Nomad - supplied without expectation of return