Almost a contradiction in terms in the dreadfull economic crisis here but because of that crunch there are a whole lót of lever machines for sale. From the humble Arin to commercial twin arm Gaggias.
Like with used cars, the bigger the machine gets, the relatively cheaper it becomes.
An added equalizer are the shipping cost making cheaper machines relatively more expensive.
That makes for the luxury problem of having quite a bit of choice.

I am looking for a second lever machine to put in a gf's appartment: Anóther luxury problem

An Arin will set me back 100 Euros to have at the door, a MiniGaggia 150, a nice Europiccola 250 and a double Gaggi 500.
However seductive, the latter is overkill to the power of overkill so not really an option.
A spring piston is só much easier to operate for the resident female that the choice for the Pavoni is nor réally an option either but it ís way more vfm I think.

Argggggg. Why that much choice?
How do you guys tackle this? Flip a coin?

And there is always the Micro Casa a Leva!

'Fortunately' not (m)any of those on offer here
I would consider a Faemina too. Especially because of fenima aspect Alas not in the local offering either.

Huertecilla wrote: A spring piston is só much easier to operate for the resident female that the choice for the Pavoni is nor réally an option either

Do you know this from experience? The lady of the house had no problem with our 16oz La Pavoni but can barely manage with my Zerowatt, it's a terrific struggle, because one needs to apply a fair amount of force to cock the lever - and as tall as it is, with the machine on the counter top, she's starting with arms raised. For me it's as easy as it could be, because I can stand over it and push down. The commercial lever is easy for her because it's 200 lbs - she can hang on the lever with no worry of tipping it over, where the Zerowatt needs to be held down while cocking the lever.

As for skill -- I don't know where people get this idea. You have to get the grind and load right either way, and beyond that, the direct lever is something you can learn to operate in a minute.

If any "open boiler" machines present themselves, that's the best in my opinion - a small machine with no temperature problems. And no steam, so if you want to steam milk it will need to be done some other way. Zerowatt, Caravel, Bambina, etc.

Huertecilla wrote: An Arin will set me back 100 Euros to have at the door, a MiniGaggia 150, a nice Europiccola 250 and a double Gaggi 500.

why choose at those prices? invest in all 4!(easy to spend other people's money)

Huertecilla wrote:Almost a contradiction in terms in the dreadfull economic crisis here but because of that crunch there are a whole lót of lever machines for sale. From the humble Arin to commercial twin arm Gaggias. Like with used cars, the bigger the machine gets, the relatively cheaper it becomes. An added equalizer are the shipping cost making cheaper machines relatively more expensive.

Hola Petrus,

I noticed the same from a trip to Sevilla almost three years ago. I entered a pawn shop, and found two commercial lever machines that were recently restored. Beautiful machines, and at that time the price for each one was about 350 Euros!!!! The owner of the pawn shop told me no one was interested in lever machines anymore. When I asked about shipping to the USA, he just said it will be very, very expensive. And this was the evening before our trip back to the USA

Saludos,

Javier

donn wrote:Do you know this from experience? The lady of the house had no problem with our 16oz La Pavoni but can barely manage with my Zerowatt, it's a terrific struggle, because one needs to apply a fair amount of force to cock the lever - and as tall as it is, with the machine on the counter top, she's starting with arms raised. For me it's as easy as it could be, because I can stand over it and push down. The commercial lever is easy for her because it's 200 lbs - she can hang on the lever with no worry of tipping it over, where the Zerowatt needs to be held down while cocking the lever.

As for skill -- I don't know where people get this idea. You have to get the grind and load right either way, and beyond that, the direct lever is something you can learn to operate in a minute.

If any "open boiler" machines present themselves, that's the best in my opinion - a small machine with no temperature problems. And no steam, so if you want to steam milk it will need to be done some other way. Zerowatt, Caravel, Bambina, etc.

Good points there.
My 13 y.o. has no problem with the Europiccola.
A crcucial thing however is consistency. The spring takes one variable out of the equasion and the resident female is nothing if not variable.
I am thus torn between a MiniGaggia and another Europiccola.

Indeed Javier; although the offering is limited to just a few brands and then mostly those made (licensed) in Spain, there is a lót at sometimes crazy prices.
There is an as new double set Gaggia with lovely red handles at a stones throw from us for 500. Shame it is just impractical to heat up more water than you need. Especially with the thieving electricity companies it is too why I have the 0.8 EuroPiccola and not the 1.6 Professional; the less electricity used the better. If the same power structure would not make butane use so difficult, I'd go for bottle gas. The one near has both options. Só cool with thermostats for both!! But alas, a little one it is to be.

OOPS

There is the La Jata as well. The spanish made Zerowatt.

This is going in circles like a real fun merrygoround!

I know that from '65 to '75 Marcf(i) made at most 5.000 lever machines under license from La Pavoni. It was a bit of a deal that did not go all to plan * of the italians but was aparently sorted in good spirits because Marcfi went on to make a whole lot of Pavoni commercial machines till into the present century.
The licensed Marcf machines you guys know as La Cara and La Graziella.
So; with most of the spanish made Europiccolas sold in the US, how many Marcf Picola machines can there be in Spain? Just found a second! The first deal fell through, so I am gunning or this one.

* Spain under Franco was highly protective of the home industry and put restriction and heavy taxes on imports. This is why p.e. Fiat struck a deal with Seat and Landrover with Santana, so they entered this territory through the back door with everybody happy.
Ditto Faema, Zerowatt and Pavoni. The export of a Europiccola competitor to the US market was obviously nót the plan

Anyway, fingers crossed; pardon me typos

The Marcfi Picola is underway.

It has a wondefully romantic story attached to it.
The lady selling the machine is just as much a sucker for romance as I am so we are exchanging the loveliest e-mails. What a pleasurable experience búyng the spanish Pavoni is.

I will do a separate write up on it when it is at it's new home.