You can plug the Caravel into 110 and it still works. It will take much longer to heat from cold, but start it off by filling with boiling water from a kettle and it will keep it at the right temperature. Step up transformer works great with no preheat necessary.

entropyembrace wrote:Hmmmm....I've found a Gaggia Color for about $300 with free shipping inside Canada at Espressotec that places it just barely within my budget and it does come with a non-pressurized portafilter as standard. Does anyone know if Espressotec is a reputable vendor?

Hey there, I wonder where we have met before?

Espressotec is one of the major Canadian espresso supply stores. You won't have any issues ordering from them.

haha....hi Bob Yes I'm sure we've met on a tea forum

Thank you for letting me know espressotec is a safe bet....now to decide between the Gaggia or hunting for a Caravel o.o

Thank you for the advice everyone, especially Max...

I've spent most of the day following the links everyone provided and reading as many reviews as I could find. I've come to the conclusion that I really don't want a plastiky low-end semi-auto machine...and that even if I had a bigger budget I'd rather get a nice lever machine than a semi-auto. I keep finding myself on the lever machine section of this forum!

So I've decided to keep my eyes open for a Caravel in good condition...they just don't make things like they used to

I'd like to get a La Pavoni sometime too....but that may have to wait until I finish my studies.

An update!

I started cruising ebay for used lever machines after learning about the Caravel...I got outbid on a few machines but I kept trying. Yesterday I won an auction for a used La Pavoni Europiccola within my budget!

After looking at some identification threads here I think it's from the 90's but I'm not sure.

heres the listing http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...SI:CA:1123

I do have a couple of questions....

It's used, it probably has scale build up and coffee gunk....I'm going to assume that anyway. How should I clean it before the first use?

I've never had an espresso machine before...how should I clean after the first time to maintain it?

I can't tell for sure how old it is....does anyone here know if it's a model with a 49mm or 51mm portafilter basket? I am thinking its old enough to be 49mm but like I said I'm not sure and I'd like to order a tamper of the correct size to it will arrive around the same time or earlier than the machine.

I've found some good threads about La Pavoni technique....so I've been reading them to get ready!

Congratulations! This looks like a good buy. I myself started a couple of years ago with a Craigslist pre-millenium La Pavoni that was in really good shape, for about what you paid for it. Shine it up, and you'll love how it looks in your kitchen. I can tell you without hesitation that it truly transformed my espresso experience (my previous machine was a Saeco rebranded $tarbucks Barista). As I'm sure you know, parts and seals are readily available, and the machine itself is easy to work on. I would strongly recommend the bottomless portafilter and pressure gauge for optimum results, when you can afford them. Other than that, it's a wonderful machine, and a great introduction to fine espresso, with a classic heritage to boot.