I'm looking to pick up a lever machine, and i've narrowed my search down to one that fits four requirements. I'm looking for a machine with:
- a 58mm portafilter/grouphead. I want my current gear to be interchangeable, and i've never had much success with smaller portafilter sizes.
- 120v, as I don't have a 240v line in the kitchen
- single group for space reasons, but i want a large boiler/commercial look - no la pavoni Europiccola, but rather a ponte vecchio lusso look).
- spring lever, for consistency and ease of use

My plan is to PID the brew chamber/grouphead with external silicone heaters so that after I compress the spring I can hold it and allow the shot temp to stabilize wherever I select. For this reason, i'd prefer an even more commercial style lever where the lever mechanics are hidden, as in two and three group levers, rather than the exposed style of the ponte vecchio. Not a deal breaker for me though.

I don't know of any levers on the market that fulfill all those requirements. I'm gonna be in seattle in a couple of days and i plan on looking at an old astoria lever that fulfills everything but the single group requirement. (it's a 2 group 120v machine).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

The Pavoni 1EL would be perfect -- a small 1 group lever with a pourover option (uses an assist pump). Unfortunately, it still seems to be a no show in the US.

MiniGaggia. Dunno if it comes equipped with 120V though. But if it is, it would be very easy to add a PID temp control since it's gravity fed.
Or the Izzo Pompei. Commercial, 58mm, very cool exposed spring.

Older Conti Prestina or Monaco.
Cheers
Richard

Bluecold wrote:MiniGaggia. Dunno if it comes equipped with 120V though. But if it is, it would be very easy to add a PID temp control since it's gravity fed.
Or the Izzo Pompei. Commercial, 58mm, very cool exposed spring.

Izzo Pompei is 55mm Roeland

Hmmz, they didn't state that on the website. Anyway, Bezzera makes 2 single group lever machines, with 110v. It looks like they'll accept a 58mm pf. Brasilia uses the same group as Izzo (the other way around i think), And then there is Wega Nova ALE which uses the curvy CMA group. They're both ugly though.
Rancilio also produces a one group lever. The Classe 6 leva. Dunno anything about that.

thanks for all the help. I'm actually interested in the minigaggia, because like my microcimabli, it has the group right in the middle of the boiler and is extremely temp stable. Unlike the microcimbali, the boiler isn't aluminum and isn't almost completely corroded through.

I'm also interested in the izzo pompei, although the 55mm portafilter isn't what i was looking for. I'll have to check out the wega, bezzera, and rancilio. I own a bezzera bz-40 right now, and i'm pretty happy with it. It's a great value.

However, I think the hardest thing about finding a lever machine is that - actually finding it. Anyone know any sources for the above? Or do i continue to search craigslist and ebay?

Well, the Rancilio Classe 6 1-group Lever Machine is available at retail from 1st-Line. (Click on the link; they also sell the Classe 6 2-, 3-, and 4-group machines.)

I can't find the others . . .

OTOH, The Astoria Rapallo 2-group Lever Machine is available at Espresso Parts. (Click on the link.) So, too, is the Victoria Arduino Athena. Both are probably more than you're looking to spend, however.