Incomplete list of Gravity-fed lever machines

[hbuchtel]

With this forum being the collection of lever-machine information that it is, I though it would be appropriate to have a list of existing lever-machine models. I have been caught up with the recent interest in gravity-lever or open-boiler designs and have collected photos of these models. I hope somebody else can put together a list of steam-pressure lever machines (Pavoni, Olympia, etc) and of Commercial Levers.

Some of the pictures are from past ebay auctions, some are from members of this or other forums, and some were downloaded from various on-line collections. I haven't kept track of where the pictures are from, unfortunately, and I hope there are no objections to displaying them here!

I've made an attempt at putting them chronological order according to dates of manufacture, but am not too confident about its accuracy.

Please contribute more photos, models, and information!

There are many types of Lever-machines, these ones rely on gravity or suction rather then high boiler pressure to fill the piston-chamber, and the boiler temperature and group-head temperature are equalized. There are many types, open-boiler (un-pressurized), closed-boiler, pour-over, and HX.


The following models are open-boiler-

Gaggia Gilda (1952)
Manual single lever, 45mm basket

Gaggia Gilda (1954)
Manual dual lever

Arrarex Caravel
Manual lever, 43mm basket

Zerowatt CA708
Manual lever

Bruni "Brunella"
Manual lever

FE-AR La Peppina
Spring lever

La Peppina, with a more familiar shape

Conti Comocafe
Spring lever

Arrarex Little
Manual lever

Comocafe (later model)
Spring lever

Mini Gaggia/ Minimoka
Spring lever, 58mm basket


These are designed to run at brew-temperature but also have the option of steaming-

Faema Faemina

La Cimbali

(no picture at the moment) La Peppina w/ steam wand

Zerowatt CA310
60mm basket


Also worth mentioning are the Pour-overs

Faema Baby (or Faemina?)
(perhaps not enough pressure for espresso)
Manual lever, non-standard basket/PF

Therefore Design/ All-Clad Presso
(potentially enough pressure for espresso)
Manual lever, 49mm basket

and in a category by itself, a curious sort of HX-

Gaggia Achille
Manual lever, 58mm basket


and one more, a mystery machine . . .

Zerowatt ???

[mogogear]

What a sneaky way to get your "new"Zerowatt in the forum Hey Henry- I have a question...........Hunan? give a little of the story- please. Curiosity has the best of me.

[timo888]

Henry,
On the beige Zerowatt sitting so prettily on the tablecloth, what do you do for steam if it's an open boiler? Do you close off the boiler to let pressure build up (if so how?) or is there a separate closed boiler?

Had I known the Z was an open boiler, you'd have had some competition on that auction I would have bought a voltage transformer for that peachy beauty.

Regards
Timo

[another_jim]

There's a French line of machines, called Como (I think, could be Garda or one of the other lakes), from the 50s, which look like Peppinas with glass kettles (that is they have the one armed bandit side lever); but at least some models were commercial and quite beefy. They show up on French and Italian ebay on occasion. I don't know about their pressure or shot volume characteristics; they could be demi-tasse, rather than espresso machines. The two armed baby faema qualifies more as a demi-tasse machine, since the portafilter has no basket (as far as I know) and is designed for lower pressure brewing.

[hbuchtel]

re: Zerowatt CA301- I'm excited to get my hands on it, but haven't written anything about it yet 'cause I hardly know anything! I don't think it is 'open boiler' like the Caravel or Peppina, where you can open the lid completely, but there should be a cap to seal the boiler and two thermostat settings, one for brewing, one for steaming . . . I hope!

re: Hunan- Came here several years ago to work, now studying TCM and working on a family

re: French "Como," "Grada" etc. Jim, do you have any pictures of these machines? I've never come across one. Thanks for the information about the Faema, I'll update the description.


The list is also missing pictures of the Peppina with steam wand, and a non-commercial (is that important?) shot of the Gaggia Achille, if anybody can send one I'll stick it into the post.

Henry

[mogogear]

re: Hunan- Came here several years ago to work, now studying TCM and working on a family

TCM-Now there's a prickly subject

[hbuchtel]

I just came across the French brand Jim mentioned, the "Comocafe." Picture added to first post.

Henry

[another_jim]

I just came across the French brand Jim mentioned, the "Comocafe." Picture added to first post.

Henry

That's the one! If I ever see the larger model again, I'll post it.

[timo888]

Is the Gaggia Achille gravity-fed? It looks to be pressurized.

[timo888]

Gaggia Gilda 1948

[hbuchtel]

Is the Gaggia Achille gravity-fed? It looks to be pressurized.

The Achille is very interesting, the boiler is at steam-pressure/temperature, and has a thermosyphon (I think) loop going around the piston-chamber. The brew water feeds directly from the (un-pressurized) tank on top, and relies on gravity and maybe suction to pull the water into the piston-chamber, where it is brought up to brew temp by the water flowing in the group head. So it is a gravity-lever-hx . . .

There is a good link and discussion in these threads- "Schematics of the Gaggia Achille" and "Anyone seen, used, or own the Gaggia Achille?"

Gaggia Gilda 1948

Nice! Do you mind if I add it into the first post?

It kind of reminds me of a giant beetle! Are those wood handles?

[timo888]

Nice! Do you mind if I add it into the first post?
It kind of reminds me of a giant beetle! Are those wood handles?

I believe its claws and ovipositor are of bakelite.

It's not mine, Henry -- saw the pic on the 'net and nicked it, in the name of journalistic Fair Use.

Regards
Timo

[hbuchtel]

I believe its claws and ovipositor are of bakelite.

Do you think Les (Thor Tampers) could be convinced to turn a wooden ovipositor?

It's not mine, Henry -- saw the pic on the 'net and nicked it, in the name of journalistic Fair Use.

Regards
Timo

. . .put the Gilda under "open-boiler design," does that seem right? ie could be opened while on?

I also wish to pay tribute to the Honorable Mister J.F.Use, and snuck in a photo of the Achille taken by Jojolever

Henry

[timo888]

. . .put the Gilda under "open-boiler design," does that seem right? ie could be opened while on?

I think the Gilda was pour-over but multi-shot, evolving from the likes of the Faema Baby:

Do you think Les (Thor Tampers) could be convinced to turn a wooden ovipositor?

Maybe if you asked him nicely. But I have trouble convincing anyone to do anything, Henry. Quickie Corp hasn't taken me up on a 45mm brush for filter baskets; HB-Creminites aren't showing much interest in mounting a pressure gauge to the boiler neck of their Creminas; MiniMoka won't re-release the MiniGaggia with one-way valves to keep the boiler from getting fouled; Izzo.cz aren't leaping at the chance to hit the U.S. market with a dual-boiler (one open, one pressurized dedicated to steam) gravity-fed spring-powered lever machine and, as for Les, well, he hasn't taken me up on a 22-second shot-timer made from desert ironwood or coffee burl loaded with powdered diamonds:


Regards
Timo

[timo888]

... the boiler [of the Achille] is at steam-pressure/temperature, and has a thermosyphon (I think) loop going around the piston-chamber. The brew water feeds directly from the (un-pressurized) tank on top, and relies on gravity and maybe suction to pull the water into the piston-chamber, where it is brought up to brew temp by the water flowing in the group head. So it is a gravity-lever-hx .

Henry, this explanation puts my overheated brain into a thermosyphon loop. It looks to me as if the water is not being gravity-fed into the group. Water level can fall to below the group port, right? 'Achille' is an apt name. Its fatal weakness (from the point-of-view of temperature stability) is the pressurized boiler.

I believe we need to summon a synod to decide the question of whether the Achille belongs in this venerable company.

Regards
Timo

[peacecup]

So now I finally have to ask why the pressurized boiler has a less stable operating temperature?

PC

[timo888]

So now I finally have to ask why the pressurized boiler has a less stable operating temperature?
PC

http://www.iapws.org/faq1/boil.htm
Regards
Timo

[timo888]

This Caravel Little from the 1970s turned up in another thread; might as well add it to the list here

[hbuchtel]

So now I finally have to ask why the pressurized boiler has a less stable operating temperature?

PC

It isn't that the boiler temp is unstable, it's that the brewing temp is unstable. Doesn't necessarily mean the espresso isn't good, but rather it is a challenge to get the water to a good brewing temperature.

Inside a boiler at steam pressure the water temp is far above the range of acceptable brewing temperatures. Lever machines with this design rely on the exposed metal group head to absorb heat from the couple ounces of water you will introduce to the coffee.

After a certain amount of time or certain number of shots the group head gets too hot to perform it's heat-absorbing function, and you get unpleasant shots.

With the gravity-lever or open (unpressurized)-boiler machines in this topic the whole shebang (boiler, group head) is kept at brewing temperature, so getting a good shot should be much easier.

Another interesting thing about comparing pressurized-boiler and open-boiler designs is that they will have different temperature profiles during the extraction. Pressurized-boiler designs should start out hotter and cool a bit, while open-boiler designs should have a flatter profile. I don't know how these two profiles would effect the taste.

Henry

[hbuchtel]

This Caravel Little from the 1970s turned up in another thread; might as well add it to the list here

Cool. Where did you find that image?

I have to say I prefer the elegance of the original design over this one . . . the cup warmer would come in handy tho!

Henry