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57mm portafilters

Postby mariobarba on Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:55 pm

Hello,
Long time listener, first time caller.

I own an Avanti Capri espresso machine (looks like a knock off of a Mokita cafe creme) It has a 57mm chromed brass portafilter. I was looking into getting a few extra baskets and maybe a naked portafilter but as you can imagine, the online espresso parts store don't exactly carry Avanti parts ( Avanti seems to be found only in one local shop in Montreal).

My question is are all 57mm portafilter created equally?

Has anyone ever tried to swap a Lelit for an Ascaso pf?

Could I buy one of these brands of pfs and expect it to fit on my machine?

Thanks to anyone out there who helps

Mario
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Postby another_jim on Wed Aug 17, 2011 11:33 pm

I think Mokita, Lelit and Ascaso all use the same Quaha/Nemox group, but I'm not positive. 1st Line equipment sells these machines, and they may be able to help you.
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Postby mariobarba on Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:35 am

thanks,

Just fired off an email to 1st line and am waiting to hear back from them.
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Postby mariobarba on Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:26 pm

So apparently Ascaso and Lelit pfs are not interchangeable, but I can't say anything about mine.

If anyone in the Montreal area has a Lelit or Ascaso machine and would be willing to try your pf in my machine or my pf in yours let me know, unfortunately there is no local dealer for these brands that I know of.
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Postby David R. on Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:31 pm

I have an Avanti from the mid-'80s. I think the only appliances they actually manufacture themselves these days are room heaters.

I'd bet good money that the components in your Avanti Capri are the same as from the Faema "Eurostar" line (a reboot of the old Family line).
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Postby mariobarba on Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:25 pm

Here is the machine in question:
Image
doesn't look quite like the Faema and I think is substantially less expensive.

The Avanti, despite its small size and resemblance to a Saeco has a brass boiler and chromed brass grouphead and portafilter. Not bad for the 225$CAd I paid new.
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Postby David R. on Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:06 am

Thanks for the photo, now I'm even more convinced that this has Faema/Eurostar components (despite the somewhat different box shape).
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Postby mariobarba on Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:56 am

I purchased the machine new from someone on Kijiji (it may have fallen off a truck?). For 225$ I am quite happy with it. I believe that the machine sells for quite a bit more at Espresso Mali on St-Laurent. At full price the only things I could complain about are the cheap looking plastic drip tray (hard to clean) and lack of a 3 way valve. You have to wait a minute or two before removing the portafilter from the grouphead or you get coffee everywhere. On a good day not a problem, but when dialing in a new bean...
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