Magister HRC & Stilo Review: Italian LPG Espresso Machines for Coffee Vans
Last updated: October 2026
In 30 seconds:
- The Magister HRC and Stilo are Italian-made, 2-group automatic espresso machines, fitted with a gas heating kit so the 11-litre boiler heats on LPG.
- On gas the electrics (pump, controls and auto-fill) draw only around 200W, so a leisure battery and inverter or a small generator runs them.
- The black HRC is from £2,900 and the grey Stilo from £3,100, delivered. Or have it fully installed in your vehicle within 60 miles of Milton Keynes from £4,850.
- Best for coffee vans, trailers, horseboxes and event stands that need two groups on LPG.
- Biggest mistake: budgeting for the machine but not the gas pipework and the gas safety certificate.
Comparing gas machines? See every option on our dual fuel and LPG coffee machines page, or read the LPG coffee machine buyer’s guide.
Quick specs
- Groups: 2, automatic, with volumetric touch pads: 4 programmable doses per group plus continuous brew
- Boiler: 11 litres, with auto-fill
- Heating: LPG (propane) burner from the gas heating kit, plus a 4,500W electric element (220–240V single phase) for mains pitches
- Electrics on gas: around 200W (pump, controls and auto-fill)
- Gas safety: piezo igniter and a gas tap with a flame-failure thermocouple
- Boiler pressure on gas: 1.1–1.3 bar
- Warm-up on gas: about 30 minutes from cold
- Steam and water: 2 steam wands and a hot water outlet
- Size and weight: 795mm wide × 535mm deep × 500mm high, 68kg
- Warranty: 12 months parts (machine only), or 12 months parts and labour (fully installed)
HRC or Stilo?
Inside they are the same machine: same boiler, gas heating, groups, size and power. The differences are the body and two convenience features.
| Magister HRC | Magister Stilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Black | Curved, painted grey body |
| Auto-fill | Standard auto-fill | Electronic auto-fill with low-water protection |
| Hot water | Hot water outlet | Programmable automatic hot water dispenser |
| Machine only | £2,900 | £3,100 |
| Fully installed | £4,850 | £5,050 |
If you run from a water tank, the Stilo’s low-water protection is worth having. If budget matters more, the HRC does the same job for £200 less.
Best for
- Coffee vans, trailers and horseboxes running on LPG
- Event stands and markets where the electrics come from a small generator, inverter or power station
- Traders who need two groups to keep a queue moving
- Anyone who wants every member of staff pouring the same shot, thanks to programmed volumes
How the gas side works
With the gas heating kit fitted, a burner under the boiler does the heating. That is why the machine needs so little electricity on gas: the electrics only run the pump, the controls and the auto-fill. Magister’s gas instruction manual lists the gas components:
- Gas regulator: sets the burner pressure; the engineer adjusts the operating pressure and the air/gas mixture when commissioning
- Piezo igniter: lights the burner
- Valved gas tap with safety thermocouple: if the flame goes out, the thermocouple shuts off the gas (flame-failure protection)
- Pilot flame: set by the engineer so it does not push the boiler temperature up once it is at working heat
If you ever smell gas, the manual’s instruction is to turn off the machine’s gas tap and the shut-off on the cylinder or system, switch off all electrical equipment, ventilate, and have the machine checked before using it again.
Like every LPG appliance in a catering vehicle, it must be connected and commissioned by a Gas Safe engineer registered for mobile and commercial catering (CMC and COMCAT 2), who will issue the gas safety certificate you need to trade. Our CP44 guide explains the certificate.
Machine only, or fully installed?
Machine only (HRC £2,900, Stilo £3,100): delivered to UK mainland, usually within 7 days, with 25-litre fresh and waste water containers. You arrange the gas connection and certificate. 12 months parts warranty.
Fully installed (HRC £4,850, Stilo £5,050): fitted in your van, trailer or horsebox within 60 miles of Milton Keynes, usually within 7 to 14 days. It includes:
- The machine, delivered and installed
- A commercial coffee grinder
- A water filter to protect the boiler from scale
- A Flojet pump to feed the machine from your water tank
- 25-litre fresh and waste water containers
- Connection to your existing gas pipework
- The gas safety certificate from a CMC and COMCAT 2 registered engineer
- 12 months parts and labour warranty
The installed price assumes your vehicle already has LPG pipework. On a bare vehicle the pipework is fitted first, typically £700 to £1,000, priced on application.
Powering the electrics
Neither option includes a battery or inverter. On gas the machine draws around 200W, so a 12V leisure battery with a 1kW inverter will run it, as will a portable power station or a small generator. Our power station sizing tool shows how long each unit will last, and you can browse our portable power stations. On a pitch with a proper mains hook-up, the 4,500W electric element can do the heating instead.
Magister or Fracino dual fuel?
The other automatic 2-group gas machine we sell is the Fracino Contempo Dual Fuel 2 Group, from £3,249. Both keep a queue moving on LPG. The differences:
- Price: the Magister HRC is £349 less, machine only.
- Boiler: the Contempo has a bigger 14-litre boiler; the Magister has 11 litres.
- Build: the Contempo is made in Birmingham; the Magister is made near Milan.
- Electric back-up: the Contempo has a 2.85kW element, the Magister a 4,500W one.
- Buying: the Magister comes with a fully installed option near Milton Keynes.
Read our Fracino Contempo 2 Group review, or compare every 2-group machine in our 2 group espresso machine buyer’s guide.
Things to know before you buy
- Weight and width: 68kg and 795mm wide. Check your counter, and your vehicle’s payload.
- Water: it is designed for a mains feed, so in a vehicle it needs a Flojet pump and a water filter (both included when fully installed).
- Warm-up: allow about 30 minutes on gas from cold before your first customer.
- Grinder: the machine-only price does not include a grinder. See our coffee grinders.
The biggest mistake to avoid
Buying the machine before checking your vehicle’s gas. If there is no LPG pipework yet, budget £700 to £1,000 for it, plus the gas safety certificate, before you can trade. For the full picture of what a van costs to set up, see our coffee van startup costs guide.
Buy the Magister
Magister HRC 2 Group LPG Espresso Coffee Machine – Black, Automatic (HRC ES100)
From: £2,900.00 inc VAT · free delivery over £200
Magister Stilo 2 Group LPG Espresso Coffee Machine – Grey, Automatic (Stilo ES100)
From: £3,100.00 inc VAT · free delivery over £200Frequently asked questions
Is Magister a good make of espresso machine?
Magister Sistema Caffè makes commercial espresso machines at its factory near Milan, Italy. The HRC and Stilo are 2-group automatic machines with programmable volumetric dosing, a built-in volumetric pump and an auto-fill boiler: the features you would expect on a café machine.
Can a Magister espresso machine run on LPG?
Yes. The HRC ES100 and Stilo ES100 we sell are fitted with Magister’s gas heating kit, so a burner heats the 11-litre boiler on LPG (propane). They also keep a 4,500W electric element for pitches with a proper mains hook-up.
How much electricity does a Magister LPG machine use on gas?
Around 200W. On gas the burner does the heating, so the electrics only run the pump, controls and auto-fill. A 12V leisure battery with a 1kW inverter, a portable power station or a small generator will run it.
What is the difference between the Magister HRC and the Stilo?
They share the same 11-litre boiler, gas heating, 2 groups, size and power. The HRC is black and is the lower price. The Stilo has a curved, painted grey body, an electronic auto-fill with low-water protection and a programmable automatic hot water dispenser.
How much does a Magister LPG coffee machine cost?
From £2,900 for the HRC and £3,100 for the Stilo, machine only and delivered. Fully installed in your vehicle within 60 miles of Milton Keynes it is £4,850 (HRC) or £5,050 (Stilo), including a grinder, water filter, Flojet pump and the gas safety certificate.
Do I need a gas safety certificate for a Magister in a coffee van?
Yes. Like every LPG appliance in a catering vehicle, it must be connected and commissioned by a Gas Safe engineer registered for mobile and commercial catering (CMC and COMCAT 2), who issues the gas safety certificate you need to trade. See our CP44 gas safety certificate guide.
Does a Magister need a mains water supply?
It is designed for a mains water feed. In a van or trailer you run it from water containers with a Flojet pump, and fit a water filter to protect the boiler from scale. Both are included in the fully installed option, and the machine-only option includes 25-litre fresh and waste water containers.
How long does a Magister take to heat up on gas?
About 30 minutes from cold.