Buyer's Guide to the Elektra Microcasa Semiautomatica

[another_jim]

Over twenty years after its introduction, the Semiautomatica has remained unique. As the market for home espresso matured, other companies also produced home heat exchanger machines, but these were derived from small catering machines and looked far more conventional than the Elektra.

If one imagines espresso machines as cars, they would range from subcompact little home machines to Mack truck four groupers. The Elektra Semiautomatica doesn't fit anywhere along this continuum, because it's the motorcycle of espresso machines. It's as light and narrow as a standard home machine, has the drink making capacity of a small commercial machine, and has none of the conventional comforts.

Join me as I unravel the mystery behind the Elektra Semiautomatica, the ravishingly beautiful espresso machine that delivers surprising results with equally surprisingly ease. The Semiautomatica does this all while bucking the trend of ultra-flat brew temperature profiles. How did they do that?!?

Read more...

[another_jim]

An update:

I've removed the OPV and restrictor I previously retrofitted into the machine, and returned it to its stock, 14 bar single configuration. As I already said, it didn't make a lot of difference to the taste, and doing a Basset style overload on the doubles lets me be my usual sloppy self while levelling and tamping and still avoid the tendency to get overextraction on the edges.

Second, the feedback configuration of the OPV developed odd problems -- occasionally the pump would strangle, reducing flow but not pressure. I tried to analyze the problem but couldn't find anything wrong. My guess is that one can get a sort of merry-go-round, where the water just races through the exhaust port of the OPV back into the pump, and so on, and that this cuts the flow to the group. The original Valentina came in this configuration, and a beta tester Milwaukee found it very glitchy. They changed it to the conventional hose back to the tank configuration before they went into full production. The problem would go away when I blipped the boiler refill, dropping the pressure momentarily and cutting off the OPV exhaust. My guess is that the feedback configuration works well on rotary pumps because the mains pressure forces new water into the system and prevents this odd volume drop.

In any case, these two reasons together tipped the balance for me, so I'm back to stock.

[rjkramek]

I actually got a chance to see an Elektra Microcasa Semiautomatic in person at a local Williams-Sonoma store of all places. My first thought was that I can now understand Jim's comments in his review regarding pictures not capturing the presence of this machine. It is striking and the store model was more so because of it being on the optional rounded wood base.

And I have to admit my second thought was "Wow, Williams-Sonoma is actually selling a real espresso machine" (I didn't ask but I assume only limited stores are selling these). They also had the Elektra espresso grinder. The grinder surprisingly is very small and I thought with the small hopper was kind of cute. Of course at $1999 for the espresso machine and $900 I believe for the grinder these weren't bargain prices, but hey it was nice to see one in the store as an option compared to all the autos.

Also today I was leafing through Christmas catalogs and see Hammacher Schlemmer is selling the Gaggia Achille.

Are places like HB actually having some influence on what is being offered? Of course, it is coming up to Christmas ....

It would be interesting to see if more high-end espresso machines end up on eBay after Christmas versus some other time of year .....

[another_jim]

Stores like WS and HS will be attracted to any gorgeous kitchen equipment, since that will have a ready audience among its customers. I can't speak for the Achille, but the Semi may work out for them. Conventional espresso machines are a risk, since most people never use them properly and don't get shots that are as good as their local cafe's. This means the return rate may be unacceptably high, even at the markups they have. The Semi steams very easily, and is quite charitable on the shots. Also, one can pull the first two shots without flushing and be in the ballpark. So regular people may actually keep the machines.

[cannonfodder]

Williams-Sonoma, that is kind of surprising. One of my daughters friends mother is the WS manager for the local store. She stopped by to pick her up after a sleep over a few weeks ago and noticed the plethora of espresso machines in my kitchen. We got talking coffee, I made a few drinks, got into the coffee education talk and she offered me a weekend job running their coffee bar.

I had a hard time coming up with a way of politely saying you machines suck and your famed Illy coffee is horrible. I can not in good conscience push bad super-auto machines and bad coffee on people. I am afraid I would decrease their sales and increase the HB sponsors sales. WS would probably not approve of me telling folks to skip the Illy can and get a good grinder and beans from companies x, y, and z.

[javajay]

I have a semiautomatica coming to the house this week!

Jim's review here and Mark's at CG really prepared me for this purchase versus all the other options in this price range. I spent 2 years with Silvia, about a year with an S1, and now am awaiting this beauty. I plan to do my own mini-review here after some time. There are very few people out there with this machine so I hope to provide more info from a consumer perspective. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine also- As many know the Silvia routines are many but these routines can create a bond between user and machine. You have to be very well acquainted and treat with lots of respect if you want Silvia to play nicely. The S1 was the polar opposite. Most variables are well controlled so you can focus on tamping, grind volumes, etc. No more surfing! This was my primary reason for going from Silvia to a temp controlled dual boiler. My honeymoon with the convenience didn't last very long though. So now I'm going in another direction which I hope will be sort of 'the best of both worlds'. More stable and predictable than Silvia yet more demanding of my attention than the S1. I'm not knocking the convenience of dialing in a temp and pressing a button, I just want to be a little more involved in the process. I certainly will have some adjusting to do: No more quiet rotary pump, manually filling a reservoir, cooling flushes....... But I'm looking forward to all of it! Well, maybe not the vibe pump. I also needed a more portable machine. I'm an RN and my wife, 4 month old son, and I are going to be doing some traveling. The S1 was far from portable and plus needed to be plumbed. Many of my other HX considerations were heavier than I wanted for lugging around every 6 months. I'll be sure to post some of my experiences with the semiautomatica for those that may be leaning in the same direction. It's a little disconcerting to purchase a machine that has so little feedback (except for Jim and Mark) and that apparently fills such a small niche in the home espresso lovers arsenal.
Jay

[another_jim]

I look forward to hearing about your experience

[howard seth]

I am a fairly new owner of an Elektra Semiautomatica purchased a few months ago. I became intrigued about the Elektra Semi after reading Jim's guide to the Semiautomatica- and Mark Princes guide (at Coffeegeek). I bought it when my nearly 5 year old Isomac Millenium was in the repair shop -

I really like the beautiful Elektra - it is particularly terrific as a cappuccino foamer. But after getting back my Millenium - and using that again for a few days recently- I seem to be getting sweeter espresso singles and deeper color with it than with my Elektra - which surprises me. could be my technique but....

.....I am wondering if another_Jim or anyone else has adjusted the pressure stat on the Elektra Semiautomatica in order to affect the espresso flavor. Is this the right thing to be fiddling around with? or is there some other component to adjust?

It would certainly be a lot easier to open up the Elektra Semi to get at the pressure stat (remove one screw at the base) -than it is to open up an Isomac Millenium.

[another_jim]

The shots on the Semi tend to taste lighter bodied. This is an illusion, the shots are heavy, but not as muddy. I find them sweeter.

My pstat was factory set so it turned off just as it gets into the green zone. I never adjusted it. I flush 3 to 4 seconds past the time the boiling ends.

For doubles, dose a little less than on the Millenium 16 top 17 grams, rather than 18 to 19, be very finicky on distributing, and keep the shots to around 27 to 30 seconds. You can go longer if you use 21 grams on a triple. Keep the shots shortish, around 1.5 ounces.

[howard seth]

Jim -Thanks for your imput on the Elektra.

I opened up my Semiautomatica and turned the pressurestat screw up just a little towards the + (higher) It raised the pressure on the gauge a bit past the 1.5 line at the top of the cycle. More than I expected. I thought the espresso didn't taste as good, and the color was lighter so I subsequently turned it down again - now it goes up to about 1.3 - and better taste results.

Ah, Another thing I am wondering about - The group head gets quite messy with coffee grinds after every shot, so I flush it and wiggle the portafilter, and take a towel and wipe the screen, and then flush again before the next shot; am I perhaps overdoing the 'between shots' cleaning regimen? Should I wait to do such thorough cleaning till after the last shot -and then also include a few backflushes with a blind filter? (Which I usually do after the last shot.)

Howard

[javajay]

Question:
My new Semiautomatica arrived last week. This morning I had two of the best espressos I've had in months!
I'm a bit perplexed on one issue. My boiler seems to auto-fill as long as there is water in the top reservoir. I was under the impression that I would need to keep an eye on the sight glass and maintain the desired water level quite frequently. It seems that as long as there is water in the reservoir the level I see in the sight glass does not change and the water in the reservoir is decreasing so therefore must be auto-filling the boiler. When the water level in the reservoir drops to the bottom (to the outlet) the pump sounds different. Maybe this is totally normal and I just envisioned a slightly different process. The only potential problem with the current behavior is that if I accidentally overfill the boiler (say 7/8 full according to the sight glass) then I have to live with that level until the reservoir is empty and then the level will proceed downward.
Jim or any others familiar with the semiautomatica... Please let me know if your machines have functioned in the same manner.
jay

[niad]

It is correct that it autofills. This is how my machine works too. I believe that keeping it on for a long time makes the level go down a bit though and as you say when you almost empty the tank. The level also shows a bit lower when the machine is cold and it rises when it gets warm. I always check the level and fill if needed when the machine is warm. I have one or two times by accident filled the sightglass to the top and after maybe two days of use it was down to 1/5 or so again. Maybe frequent use of the steam also puts the level down a bit.

I have not tested this really so my answer is a bit vague but this is how i feel about how it works.

Congratulations to a great buy, i am still extremely satisfied with my SXC and it gives me ONLY good shots still. I now use Mauro De Luxe which is a great blend for both singles and milkdrinks. I have also bought a single portafilter so i now have two full PF sets. This have been a great buy, i make superb singles in the morning nowadays.

If anyone has a good tip for not spraying the machine when backflushing i would be glad. I am thinking of putting a plastic bag with rubberband around the tip of the backflush outlet pipe. The driptray is so shallow so the liquid sprays up on the machine sometimes when backflushing. I need to find a plastic bag that can stand the heat though. Maybe a tiny hose can be thread on to the pipe and the liquid let down i a bowl hmmm...

[howard seth]

Mr Javajay,

I have had my semiautomatica for several months - which naturally qualifies me to give you an expert opinion - well, actually I am still cutting my teeth on the machine as you can see from the post above yours -

However, I do believe you are not experiencing 'autofill'. On my machine the water in the sight glass will only drop lower when you are using the steamer - for making foamed drinks. The sight glass water will not be affected at all when making espressos. Check it out - make a couple of cappachinos and watch the sight glass water level drop. Then you push and hold the 'fill the boiler button' untill the water in the sight glass goes up to about 3/4 full.

By the way - the semi has the best steamer I have ever used.

good luck,

Howard

[another_jim]

Unless there's been a radical redesign, there's no autofill. The level in the sightglass varies if one doesn't steam, but I do not know why (it does do so when the heater kicks in, that's kind of obvious, but it also varies over the course of a day)

The group is kind of messy, as I mentioned in the review. I think now this is because the shots taste best if the puck doesn't hit the shower screen, or barely touches it -- this leads to the top layers coming loose in the shot and sticking to the screen. I do a flush/pf wriggle between shots, and use a group brush after each session. I backflush once a day with water, and also use a paper towel to clean the group and the group gasket ( the gasket appears to be very rounded, this makes for a good seal without having to jerk the handle, but traps grounds).

I'm still finding double harder than singles. 9 to 10 grams in the single basket keeps it well below the screen. Really underdosing the double and grinding fine tends to get a rather bitter shot, overdosing and grinding coarse gets kind of wimpy ones; so I think the dose has to be very strict, within 1/2 gram (this is more precise than I'm comfortable with). The LM triple basket is actually more forgiving on dose, but requires ultraprecise levelling.

In any case, although I think the machine has more of a learning curve than e61s for doubles, I also still think the top side potential is a scootch higher. For singles, I have no doubts at all: for my taste, these are what espresso should taste like; however, the shots may be too "coffee-like" for some people, lacking the (to me) over-amplified bitterness and acidity of traditional espresso.

[niad]

Good to get this clear.

At least for me it semed that it autofilled, i thought so because i almost never need to use the fill button. This is very rare for me. I only make one milkdrink a day or about 5 a week maybe so the steam is rarely used on my machine of course, wich explains my experience of this.

I cannot make singles with the filter completely filled to the rim, i cannot press the handle up against the shower screen then. If i fill the single filter totally i get a mark from the screw in the middle of the puck.

[javajay]

Here is further clarification of how my semi is working:
I can pull 5 double espressos, including my cool down flush and pf wiggle, w/o hitting the boiler refill once. The level in the site glass stays fairly constant (not fluctuating more than a 1/4 inch). The water level in the reservoir just needs to stay filled above the outlet. It seems to me the reservoir drains at a rate equal to what I am using. I could test this. Did they do a redesign? Or are the espresso gods intervening? Not sure!
I'll put a more detailed impression/review out after more time at the wheel but to sum up my first week- 1) Holy Moly that drip tray is a joke! I just pretend I don't have a drip tray at all so have adjusted my routine accordingly. 2) I cut up an old flannel shirt so I can keep the semi sparkling 3) Now that I'm dialed in I'm getting beautiful, thick, smooth, chocolatey, doubles. I made chocolate chip cookies last night and for breakfast this morning I had two cookies and two doubles- Life is good! Thanks to http://www.rocketcoffeeroasters.com for the holiday delight. The darkstar is excellent.
Transitioning from an S1 is a little crazy but the results in the cup (what really matters) are making the adjustment quite easy.
Jay
Fellow users-Please comment more on the ? auto-fill.................
Jay

[jesawdy]

I can pull 5 double espressos, including my cool down flush and pf wiggle, w/o hitting the boiler refill once. The level in the site glass stays fairly constant (not fluctuating more than a 1/4 inch). The water level in the reservoir just needs to stay filled above the outlet. It seems to me the reservoir drains at a rate equal to what I am using. I could test this. Did they do a redesign? Or are the espresso gods intervening? Not sure!

Jay-

No Elektra, but I think you are confused about the machine's operation.... You will use no water out of the boiler to make an espresso, all that water will come from the reservoir. The only time the boiler water level will change is when water leaves the system as steam when you steam your milk.

Hope that helps.

[another_jim]

I cannot make singles with the filter completely filled to the rim, i cannot press the handle up against the shower screen then. If i fill the single filter totally i get a mark from the screw in the middle of the puck.

The E61 single supplied with the Elektra needs to be filled with about 9 to 10 grams of coffee, just above the point where the baskets starts to taper. All 58mm single baskets have a 58mm wide cylindrical section at the top, then a tapered section in the middle, then another cylindrical section, usually around 49mm, at the bottom. They should be filled so the inner cylinder and the tapered section are covered by the tamped puck, but the upper cylindrical section is empty.

If you have a 58mm tamper, you should overfill a bit into the upper section, so you can level and tamp. If you use the 55mm to 56mm tampers on the grinder or supplied with the machine, you can just fill to the top of the taper -- this is what the Italian tampers are designed to do.

The only exception is the LM single, which has no tapered section, just a flat step from the 48mm lower basket to the outer 58mm diameter at the top. For this basket, a 7 to 8 gram fill just in the lower basket works beautifully **provided** you have a tamper the right size. Otherwise one needs around 12 grams to get a tampable surfece in the upper section. This basket is unique, at least for me, since with the compromise 10 gram dose, I cannot produce a decent shot.

[gchapman]

Well, I am happy to jump into this thread.

I've been reading for months about possible upgrades to my PID'd Silvia. I've been doing espresso for several years, roasting, grinding, brewing, tweaking - always reading the forums HB, CG & AC. It has been a LOT of fun, a great challenge, and plenty of great coffee along the way. Finally, my 6 kids and my wife all chipped in to make a new Elektra SXC possible for an early Christmas. A few calls and I found one at 1st-Line. Jim was a BIG help, making the decision easy. And it was on the way...

It arrived two days ago. I pulled it out of the box, put it on the coffee bar, looked at it and said, "I'm in love"! My wife, standing right next to me said, "Me too"! She wasn't looking at me, either. It's a remarkably beautiful machine.

I had a couple of lbs of Black Cat from a local Intelligentsia coffee bar here in Pittsburgh, some freshly roasted Monkey from Sweet Maria's, and was ready for some hours of learning how to use this thing. First shots (singles, as per Jim's comments) were very good (on my scale), once I realized I had to leave lots of head room. I had never pulled a single before on my Silvia - all doubles for years. Two days later, I am feeling a bit more comfortable, but the jump from the Silvia to the SXC has not been anywhere as difficult as the jump to the Silvia from my Starbucks pressurized portafilter machine. That was a stretch, requiring LOTS of learning.

The steaming, after just a try or two, is better than any I've ever done. No latte art yet, though. I will look forward to that.


The reviews and threads here and at CG have been a huge help. I am very grateful for the work many of you have put in.

I was surprised at the way an HX works. I didn't know that the boiler was sealed, except for steaming. And it was great fun to be able to produce a cap for my wife in 30 seconds, espresso and steamed milk! And to steam anytime (I leave it on about 15 hours/day). Or to have a steamer late at night. Last night I went to the Steelers/Browns game, about 17 degrees, and WINDY. I haven't been that cold in 25 years! I got home at midnight and made two TALL hot chocks within minutes. Great drinks, and easy. So long, single boiler for brew/steam!

The flush routine (2-4 secs past boil) is simple enough. And the recommended use of a 1 cup plastic tub for flush/cup warming has reduced the small drip tray to only a minor hassle.

I am glad for the clarity on loading singles, Jim. Those were exactly the comments I was looking for - weight, height, tamp, clearance, etc. Very helpful.

Thanks for all your work, guys. If it hadn't been for you I would have upgraded to an E61 box.

Did I tell you I think this SXC is beautiful? And pulls great shots - and I'm not yet even good at it!

[another_jim]

Glad you like the machine.

I pulled it out of the box, put it on the coffee bar, looked at it and said, "I'm in love"! My wife, standing right next to me said, "Me too"! She wasn't looking at me, either. It's a remarkably beautiful machine.

I didn't think of this in the review: how a good looking machine might make it past the spousal ban on taking up too much kitchen counter real estate.