Hello,

I have came across many machines like the ECM, and others, but the Strega and Domobar Super hx (rotary pump) have caught my eye. I know these are quite different machines, but I'm stuck whether to buy the Strega or the Super hx. Both of them IMO look fantastic, and make great espresso from what I've read, though of course the strega will have a lead in the espresso quality because of its spring extraction. I'm an espresso lover, and I am very hands on, therefor I'm leaning more towards the strega. I have heard that the Vibiemme had the best build quality, and makes a slightly better espresso than other e61 machines. Its also incredibly temp stable from its flow restrictor. I would be pairing my machine with either an anfim caimano or an anfim caimano super caimano, depending on my budget in the future.

My espresso routine:

Morning: Single espresso, single cappuccino(5oz)

Afternoon: Single Espresso(IMS 10 Gram Basket)

As far as the grinder choice is concerned, K6 PB all the way.

Alright, thanks Russell! If you don't mind me asking, but will the Compak make a better espresso than the SJ?

I have changed my grinder choice to an Anfim Caimano and an Anfim SC.

What style of espresso do you prefer? Comfort blends (chocolatey, simple)? Or single origin? Light vs dark roasts? Dry processed or washed coffees?

Strega is definitely more versatile, but if you pull mostly comfort blends, I think an E61 may work faster (no extra time in between shots waiting for cylinder to drain) and be what you need. Looking at your consumption routine, either machine should do just fine.

I prefer dark blends, but I prefer a smooth taste without any bitterness. Occasionally I'll pick a SO like an Rwanda from Intelligentsia which focuces on citrus flavors like orange peel. This makes me lean more towards the Strega, but will the Vibiemme still do fine for these coffee's? Will I notice a dramatic difference in the cup, especially for the dark blends?

I don't think you'll notice much difference for dark blends, but the Strega may be a bit more work than some people would like for no real improvement. If you're interested in levers and just like the Strega, then I would go for it on that as well...it's a great machine in my opinion and experience.

You'll likely notice much more potential improvement from lighter SOs, although Kenyans (and sometimes Rwandans) may be a bit on the extreme end. I tend to go with Ethiopians as my default SOs roasted light (or medium) these days, and so far I'm very happy with the Strega in that regard.

To be honest, I've never owned an E61 machine, so I haven't really experimented with lighter roasts on one. I'm sure others can give you their impressions on this end from their experience.

Alright, thank you for the great responses, very quick! I do have one last question. Do lever machines in general need much maintenance at all other than greasing the seal's?

Nope, I would say about the same amount of effort as an E61 machine, which you'd have to occasionally take apart to descale or what. Seals on my Strega are very hard and last a long time. I got my machine 2nd hand from a board member, and didn't replace any seals for over 2 years. Just this month I replaced only because I was ordering some other parts and thought I probably should.

Other than that, the Strega has a vibe pump and internals pretty much the same as any other HX machine, so you're not really saving any effort in maintenance, but it's not more complex for sure IMO.

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Okay, will take that into consideration. Another thing I heard is that the Stregas OPV will put out a lot of water because of the pump ramp up. Is this in any way a problem?