teme wrote:My machine came with the boiler set to 1.4 bar from the factory.

Wow, my sits at 1.2 bar at idle. It provides good steaming power at that setting and does not require too much flushing, volume wise.

Here is very nice single I just pulled:



8g of 49th Epic Espresso, 25 sec. Crema started to dissipate since I was hunting for my lost camera...

A bit more time has passed and I am yet to pull what I could honestly describe a great shot with the Maximatic. As there is no opv and no pre-infusion the machine is very unforgiving to the user - despite the vibe pump. Perhaps this also has to do with the dimensions of the double basket or the dispersion pattern of the water from the showerscreen (or both)?

I have played extensively with different doses and grinds as well as a few good, well roasted and fresh coffees. Likewise with different flushing routines for temp management. I am yet to experiment with different grinders, but I have a hard time believing that the Mahlkönig ProM is a total dud (I know it is not). The sweet spot for a dose/grind appears very narrow and the margin for error in distribution extremely small. I'll try end experiment with a conical in case it would help (although I somewhat doubt it).

Anyway, I am not ruling out operator error as the root cause, but my gut and previous experience says it's not me. I have managed consistently nice shots from all of the various machines I have used for any length of time, but not so with the Olympia. I am therefore growing quite unimpressed with the machine considering the other design shortcomings already pointed out in combination with the price of the machine. Might I even describe it as being overrated? I guess adding an opv might help quite a bit and I recall someone installing one. Methinks that was probably a good idea and something the manufacturer should consider IMVHO.

Any positives? Well, the build and finish are of course impeccable. The steam is nice and dry. The compact size remains a positive as do the looks. But overall, although I have not tried it, I would wager that the Cremina is actually the better machine of the two from this manufacturer (albeit one aimed at a slightly different user).

Br,
Teme

Yeah, I can attest to machine requiring very good technique in dosing/distribution for great shots. Luckily I did and still get very good shots with it, but I do weigh my doses (single-dosing) and I do pay close attention to dosing/distribution. Plus diary for each coffee blend... My shots considerably improved when I started weighing each dose.

So if you have any flaws in technique, Maximatic will magnify them.

I also have bottomless portafilter so that has helped a lot too, but no doubt this machine is more demanding on technique. I try to build edges of the basket well and try to make distribution as even as possible.

You also have to kind of pair the coffees to the machine. For example Cafe Fresco Black Hand on E61 group is just mocha/chocolate shot that is wonderful. On Maximatic mocha goes into the background and it is subtle, but blueberry and through age lemon, comes to foreground. It did not pair well with Maximatic.

For me 49th Parallel Epic Espresso was easy to dial in and tastes great. So it was Counter Culture Espresso Aficionado which had great chocolate note. Black Cat was little harder to dial in but works well too. Some single origins were good as well.

This finickiness is probably caused by lack of pre-infusion and lack of OPV, but I don't really know for sure, I'd put my money on lack of OPV.

And on another hand after month of training on Cremina, which was very frustrating BTW, I make better shots more consistently on Cremina than Maximatic, but Maximatic is still my morning go to machine it just needs more attention... It is not that forgiving.

Teme wrote: I guess adding an opv might help quite a bit and I recall someone installing one.

Here's a thread that contains info about adding an opv to a Maximatic: Olympia Maximatic. Stick to old or change to new?

Best of luck,
Jon

Teme wrote: I am yet to experiment with different grinders, but I have a hard time believing that the Mahlkönig ProM is a total dud (I know it is not).

I can verify that it is not, I have pulled some great shots with it. I usually just tamp on top of the mound, as I noticed that attempts at grooming the puck just lead to problems and are not needed anyway.

Hi Teme

It was me that inserted an OPV - though the thread that jon (roadman) pointed out is more a proof of my (initial) incompetence than anything else.. However, with the help of erics I was able to install it correctly in the end. The main problem is the pretty cramped inside of the maximatic, which made it necessary to move the water tank sideways to get enough space for the OPV.

I continue to use the maximatic daily at work (except on weekends of course) where it is paired with my K10. My impression is that the OPV makes it much more forgiving and also eliminates the sharp notes that I couldn't get rid of before. I'd be interested in the actual brew pressure at espresso-flow on your machine - on my 49mm machine I was usually around 12bars at espresso flow rate pre-OPV. But then again you've got a 54mm version and therefore you may pull at higher flow rates which then would lead to a lower brew pressure. IMO it is a serious design flaw that such a high quality machine is not equipped with an OPV or any other means of regulating the pressure. Even though it would add one more component to the system that can fail, for me the benefits outweigh the drawbacks by far.

And BTW: My machine usually runs at a much lower pressure than yours - usually around 0.9bar. I found that at a higher boiler pressure it was almost impossible to get the temperature in the range I like; something around 89-91°C. Of course the steam gets a bit anemic in comparison to a setting of 1.2 or even 1.4 bar, but since I'm pulling milk drinks only occasionally that doesn't bother me much.

I have read the four reviews of the Olympia Maximatic and I have a couple of questions. Did the reviewers who moved from the Cremina to the Maximatic feel the need to change the grinder settings to match the machines?

I agree with the finding that the supplied tamper did not provide an exact match to the coffee filters. I also agree that the supplied tamper is a vast improvement over the tampers supplied by other manufacturers. Olympia Express import their filters and I believe the mismatching is the Filter manufacturer's responsibility

I find that I am unable to get a dry puck when I use the single shot filter I measure the coffee using digital scales to comply with the manufacturer's recommendations but I always get a mushy puck. I do not have this problem with the the two shot filter.

I would be grateful if any of the Maximatic reviewers could help me overcome this problem.

antipodes wrote:Did the reviewers who moved from the Cremina to the Maximatic feel the need to change the grinder settings to match the machines?

Yes, my grinder settings are pretty much the same on Cremina and Maximatic.

antipodes wrote:I find that I am unable to get a dry puck when I use the single shot filter I measure the coffee using digital scales to comply with the manufacturer's recommendations but I always get a mushy puck. I do not have this problem with the the two shot filter.

Don't worry about that. Dry or wet puck is not indicator of bad espresso, rather indicator of space that is between shower screen and puck. Single basket can take 7-9 grams and double basket 14-16 grams (might be little less or more depending on coffee blend). On upper ranges of these two, i.e. 9 grams in single and 16 grams in double, you will get almost dry puck since there is hair of space between screen and puck. On lower end you'll get water on top of the puck, but that is normal.

I have actually managed to just about sort out my dose, grind and distribution so that I get decent and sometimes even good results with the Maximatic. Having had issues with my grinder (which has now gone back to the manufacturer) made it more difficult to get things right. But I do maintain that this machine does need further development (especially on OPV) to be capable of consistently good shots and to perform even close to what its price would lead one to expect.

The dry steam really is better than what the GS3 offered. Even my wife and guests comment on the taste of the microfoam being superior

Having said this, I do find myself longing for a bigger machine that yields better results, is more convenient to use as well as comfortable in handling larger volumes. The Maximatic is in my opinion aimed for domestic use - for 2-4 people and it does have some serious shortcomings. So I have actually decided to put my Maxi up for sale and move back up to a commercial or heavier duty prosumer machine (not a GS3, though)...

Br,
Teme

EDIT: Added some info and thoughts from another post