LMWDP Rollcall - Page 5

[dane1234]

January 17, 2006

Dan:

I would be honored to accept LMWDP number 57.

I have had my La Pavoni PC16 for about two months. It's been lots of fun. I guess that my claim to fame would be my 45° pressure gage modification. See http://community.webshots.com/album/501856419ynPQMP . My second accomplishment is the math espresso cup; see http://community.webshots.com/album/543099527TvXQSd .

Regards,

[buzzmc]

OK, I feel now that I've claimed #55, I should probably elaborate on my story, as well as post some progress... So here goes...

I started out like most in the states, drinking normal drip coffee. Of course my dad molded my ways, and had me drinking it with milk and sugar, and it was probably something the likes of Folgers.

Fast forward a lot, and I'd converted to black, whole bean, burr grinder, and still drip coffee, though in the mix was added a Krups espresso machine. I don't know what model, all I can say is it made hideous espresso, tepid at best, never hot, always had to be microwaved, and was best used for capps or latte's... Little did I really know at the time that it was really meant to go down the sink, but hey, you get a lot of forgiveness in a latte.

The Krups was given away, due to lack of interest. It never worked well enough for me, nor did it peak any sort of interest.

Along the journey somewhere I'd seen the La Pavoni... Don't know which model, but I know I knew I wanted one. Then a friend bought one... I asked how much, and had a small heart attack. I couldn't believe it. And I still wanted it!

Now a few years later, this Christmas season, my fiancee gave me one. Again, she's a sweetheart. Little did I know what I was getting into.

So I set it up the next morning, do all the things the manual says to do, and then I start making a cup. OMG, this stuff tastes terrible, and how am I ever going to get a pull with any pressure at all? I'm determined, I go to my laptop, and start google'ing for information.

Thus, I've come upon this place. Where everyone seems to be nice, wants to help, and thankfully very few if any flaming going on. It's extremely pleasant for me, as I am sure it is for all who participate.

Little did Lisa (Fiancee) know what she'd gotten me into, and she doesn't even drink coffee at all. Now several weeks later I've prepaid Les at Thors Tampers for a tamper, handles, and a knockbox, and I've made a trek to Sweet Maria's for a Rancilio Rocky DS. I can't wait for my tamper to get here.

Update to today, I've pulled maybe 3 shots that are worthy of drinking. I don't know what I did to deserve them, but the espresso god's have to throw you a bone every once in a while, right? Otherwise we'd all have scrapmetal. Almost all my shots now have a decent amount of crema, I think I'm just trying to diagnose why some shots are bitter and others are so delightful... And I'm also trying to perfect my frothing technique. Maybe I'll have to try some latte art in the next month, just to maintain my frustration level

I can say this... There's no way I could have done this without you. The help here is extremely valuable for the newbie / home barista. The La Pavoni manual is criminal in its lack of details for what you need to do. The tamper is a pain in the you know what, and for a fairly pricey machine should at least fit the basket. But oh well, at least there's a very nice fix or two out there, and if you like wood like I do, it adds to your kitchen too!

Still learning, #55

-bryan

[cpl593h]

Sadly, I have moved away from the realm of lever machines (for now). I'd like to keep my LMWDP# to keep the spirit.

[bobcraige]

The grinder and tamp came in yesterday, and I am very pleased with both. I ordered both from 1st Line the day before, and they came in the very next day just as promised. Never having seen a Mini in the flesh, it is a little overwhelming initially. I am sure glad I did not decide to save money and buy a used Super Jolly or heaven forbid a Major on Ebay. My Mom was watching as I set up the Mini and could not stop laughing. All she could say is all that for two teeny tiny cups of coffee!

It is really wonderful to actually be able to really control the grind and go through optimum grind in both directions. I have been having some problems with the doser, there was a nasty very long aluminum chip in the doser, and I seem to be having trouble getting it to sufficient volume. It is supposed to adjust from about 5-9 grams, but the most I was getting was 6+. Now I seem to have gotten it up to 7 by cleaning coffee from where the star wheel seats on the shaft. I am suspecting that it just is not free enough and hence the adjustment is not making the full upward travel.

It appears to me that the way to work with the doser in the home is to run the grinder just long enough to overfill one or two sectors as (assuming just one single or double shot) It seems to nicely dump the fresh grind into the sector at the twelve o'clock position. In this way I think I should be able to minimize the waste of ground coffee which I like to clear out after finishing.

Of course, there is coffee all over as I dial things in, and I have got to go get some more as I have thrown quite a bit away. The fineness of the Mazzer adjustment is really great, it certainly beats my old grinder which would not even go fine enough for some coffees, and certainly had huge step sizes-not to mention the difference in grind quality.

I also really like the Reg Barber Olympia tamp. It is even nicer than I expected. The fit and finish are excellent and it fits the basket beautifully. Recently, I had been using the "New" Olympia spoon as a tamp which works quite well, but the dedicated tamp is so nice. It certainly is a pleasure as opposed to the undersized plastic tamp that I had been using all along.

[Gatewood]

I received my new brass Europiccola (now called the EPG-8 Romantica) yesterday. Too late to try it out. This morning, I was stepping through the preliminary steps, and it turns out that I have a defective cap. Hot water spewing all over the kitchen, and not even up to temperature. Bummer. Anyhow, I am supposed to receive a new cap sometime (for crying out loud, this is so disheartening! ) from European Gift and Housewares, and who knows if I'll ever be able to use my machine. Not with the batch of freshly ground Black Cat that I ordered from Intelligentsia, that's for sure. It will be old before my cap gets here. Oh, well. I still am going to have a lever machine, if I have to send this one back and order another. So, could I please have a number? Not picky about which number, I just want to help institute World Dominion.
Thanks,
Gatewood

edit: I'll take 58, since it seems to be available. So, from now on, unless instructed otherwise, I'll consider myself:

LMWDP #58

[macgaggia]

hi
another german would like to be a member.
i moved to the bay area last year. i am collecting and repairing old espresso machines not for to long. but i love them since i saw the first one back in the 80th.
so i started to buy some a few years ago. restoring and rebuilding has become a nice hobby. my machines will hopefully arrive from germany next month. than i can post new pictures

take a look at some of them here

http://homepage.mac.com/macernst/espresso/Menu32.html

would be glad to be LMWDP #59
thanks
ernst

[recdotcoffeedothack]

Copper Boiler, spring group, Brass steam wand, group head and details, Bakelite base and portafilter handle.
That should be good for#60.

Pictures will follow. Hopefully good espresso will follow as well.

At present consistency with this unit is not my forte.

G.

[whodat]

A most Humble Application for my LMWDP Number, in the Form of a Chronology:

c. 1990: I taste espresso for the first time.

c. 1995: My brother, not knowing any better, buys me a Krups steam toy. I, not knowing any better, try to use it. It is quickly relegated to the cupboard.

1999: I marry one of only 8 Italian women who are totally indifferent to any sort of coffee.

12/03- A Foot Upon the Slippery Slope: Two of my sisters-in law come from Rome to help when our daughter is born. I decide that it would be nice to be able to be able to provide them with real espresso. After Christmas, a nearby store has one Capresso EspressoPro left & I buy it on sale. At the risk of being stripped of my LMWDP number (and possibly even my Home-Barista.com decoder ring) even before it's been awarded, I still think that the Capresso is underrated, and can produce some pretty decent shots.

2/04 (approx)- Both Feet Upon the Slippery Slope: I discover coffeegeek.com.

6/04 (approx): A fellow coffeegeek accidentally buys a La Peppina on eBay. Well, actually, he intentionally buys it, and thirty seconds later, realizes that it's 220V. I had been thinking that it would be nice to have an espresso machine at my wife's old place in Rome (there's only one person who has ever made moka that I really like, and it's not either of us). I relieve my fellow coffegeek of the need to explain to his wife that he has just bought, on impulse, an espresso maker that he cannot use. It's unfortunately avocado green, but at least it's not "harvest gold" (yes, they do come that way too).

9/04: I accidentally buy a La Peppina on eBay. Taking a break from work one night I surf to eBay and note that an auction for a (110V) La Peppina will be ending in about 30 minutes, and the price is about half of what they've been going for. I make a bid. It is, of course, a silly futile thing to do, as I know that people lurk until just before the auction closes and then the price shoots up as they all bid, but hey, bidding is easy and it's free.

9/04, 45 minutes later: Actually, in this case, bidding cost about $115 plus S&H.

10/04: Descaling and rehab of La Peppina while watching the World Series. I finish, and get to pull my first shots just as the Sox win it all. Nirvana!


Pictures will follow, but for now can I please have Number 61?

[hbuchtel]

_________________
La Peppina "Gasparo de Salo"
Presso "Benjamin Banks"

Ha ha! You even got the nationalities right!

Henry

[hperry]

I would like to ask to join the lever group and use #63 if it is available.

I was introduced to custom roasted coffee in Seattle substantially before Starbucks came into being. The Good Coffee Company is probably Seattle's oldest small roaster - I have bought most of my coffee and tea there for the 30+ years they have been in business (in 3 locations). At various times I have brewed coffee in Moka pots, Toddy's, Melita's and for the past few years a succession of espresso machines. I started with a Saeco Barista with a pressurized head which was replaced with a Grimac. The Grimac was followed by a Bezerra BZ40 which has seen daily use for the last 5 years. The lever group piqued my interest in the potential of lever machines. While I intended the Olympia to be my "occasional use" lever, the chance to buy a "new" 30 year old Termozona was irresistable. I think I'm fully into the lever world. My initial experience suggests that it will be my daily machine.

While it sounds like I'm emphasizing machines over barista capabilities that's not the case. My take is that the closer the machine is to being a "constant" the more you are able concentrate on the tamping, distributing, grinding and subtle machine manipulations necessary to get a good cup.

My real thanks to the lever group for sparking my interest in levers. The willing sharing of information in this group has contributed a great deal to my being able to achieve increasingly good espresso.

[mogogear]

It all started at a Spring break weekend a couple of years ago. Espresso bit me hard this time. Prior nibbles were only from owning some little Krups steamers, purchased to help me adapt to the Pacific Northwest. For me, they just really weren't good espresso makers . Maybe that is mostly true because I only had a blade coffee mill to produce the desired product- low effort and low expectations. Ok, back to Spring break at a house rental we are sharing with three other couples and kids- The subject happens to land upon espresso when a friend comments that he needs to get a machine because of a kitchen remodel.
His comment revealed that he knew little more than the words "espresso machine" and as a life long amateur researcher- It was my duty to help him find out what the best options were, and where to find to find them... Fast forward through a blur of hastily bought entry pump machines from Craig's List and thrift stores. Buy , sell, buy, sell ( I even find that the friend's need never rose beyond a Krups Novo I found for him)

I found my first real machine that produces decent espresso- A Rancilio Betsy($9.99-Goodwill in box) and I paired it with a ( budget) reworked and modified Starbucks re-badged grinder and she's been producing pretty good espresso for over a year. But the espresso "bite" keeps itching... so the on-line searching and reading goes on and as I am monitoring eBay and CL , CG, I discover Home-Barista and the Lever forums... I think "Hmmmm, interesting, but I really want a Silvia" and... the cost of the Silvia can be subsidized, I say to myself if I buy one more machine and fix it up , sell it to help me justify my espresso budget to the wife...

You know the thoughts of hobby budgets needing to be justified... Anyway,
I grabbed a 1966 La Pavoni to work on, turns out it doesn't need it- it's almost perfect. Then I see the 1st Line offer from Jim on refurbed Silivia's for HB members. So I buy one, and then... oh yeah , here it comes... Before I even get it, I find a Olympia Cremina 67 and just can't resist and buy it as well. Yep- that's three machines to help cure the itch- impulsive buying at its worst.

So, I blame all of you, or thank all of you. You folks have drawn me in like a moth to the flame. So I now am going to sell what turned out to be a buyers remorse, returned 2005 Silvia- pristine, boxed condition, which was what I thought I always wanted, and maybe sell the La Pavoni .. and wait like a kid on Christmas night for the UPS driver to bring my fixation- MY 67!!!. I have to say Steve Robinson completely pushed me over the cliff with his captivating documentation of his restoration process. The lever process really speaks to me. The passion that all of the members have spoken to here says in capital letters to me- WELCOME- YOU AREN'T ALONE. So thanks again to all of you for sharing and casting such a good net....
Could any of you help explain this to my wife.....?

Did I leave out the new grinder? That itch just keeps needing a little more scratching.. just a little to the left.. yeah that's it.

Since it (my 67) is the reason my life is going to revolve around making my adoring spouse the best - mochas- she's ever had, from it, so may I please be LMWDP member #67? I will respect the ruling of Steve or HB(Dan?) on this jump ahead. Pics follow in hopefully 2 days.
If anyone is looking for a Rancilio Betsy ( time for a new home) or La Pavoni Europiccola that I don't want to start liking it too much.....

mo

LMWDP #??

[srobinson]

Take it it's yours. Show me pics when it comes in.

[mogogear]

I will. I'm doing alot of travelling and it has been fun if not awkward to arrive back home to find a new box to open. I've been really lucky with the individuals I have purchased from. Exemplary boxing and packing. Led by the 1st Line folks with double boxing of the Silvia down to more peanuts and bubble wrap than I can get rid of.

This is a sellers shot of the 67. It looks to be a mystery color. somewhere between red and orange. Ok. guess I need to go read up on the posting directions for pictures again. I have stuff on Photobucket.





I can't quite tell if it is light brown or the orange color. The badge on the back is the black background type like I saw on DylansM 67( A fellow Portlander) I am trying touch base with.



Last note: A small world it is- at a Oscars party with some friends I met a fellow lever-man. The word "roasting " popped up in a conversation and discovered yet another olympia owner. One with a matching Mocca Express Grinder in need of a glass bean hopper to replace the one broken during shipping. The plot gains strength!! Anybody knows where to get a used hopper please let me know( he actually spent the $80 Olympia-Express wanted for the new blue acrylic version and he sent it back, it just wasn't "stock" enough for his taste.

More later- I hope the shots worked

Thanks again

mo

[Borys Ta Polon]

Hi All.
I would like to claim LMWDP # 62.
I have been coffee obsessed for nine years now.
My coffee "hobby" has grown into an occupation for me, and I have been roasting coffee now for 4 years as a business.
My newest "home" espresso machine is an Astoria 1987 Lever machine. I will post pictures eventually. It is a full size commercial machine. After purchasing the machione on EBAY I received it very damaged. The sellers did not even drain the boiler before they shipped it to the frozen north. But I digress...
After a 1 month rebuild effort, the Astoria came back to life today. I am totally amazed at the quality of the espresso extracted. It blows my $9K Sibilla out of the water. I have much to learn about the operation of a lever machine though. For example how do you pull a longer shot? Can I PID it?
So much to learn, so little time.
Great Forum!

[Gregory Q]

I'd like to lay claim to number 63...

I finally had enough with not having a decent home espresso rig,
and started on a quest to find a Pavoni like I used to lust after on
visits to Italy back in the day.

The local eBay had a good one last week, and some other lever thing
in a really bad brown squarish case. A little research revealed it to be
an Olympia 67, a diamond in the rough. Then I found this site, and the
reconstruction projects, and the "pimp my cremina" series. Oh man.

I couldn't perform a snipe, so had to overbid this morning on that 70's
brown Oly, which I later discovered was mine, with $28.00 to spare!

It's almost midnight, I've just made my order with Olympia Express,
the machine should be here in another day or two. Can't wait. I'm going to
be hard to resist making engine-turned and polished panels, and I'll have
to hide the carbon-fibre and the electroplater's phone number too.

Now to try for a good grinder and make nice with the local bean roaster...

Greg

[mogogear]

Now to try for a good grinder and make nice with the local bean roaster...

Or.... really come in the the deep end of the pool and just get a source for green beans and start roasting your own!!!! That could be next in your life!!

Congrats on your machine =

[Gregory Q]

If I had read enough of the thread prior to my post I would have seen that the next number was in fact 64, which I'll take if no one else wants it.

...And yeah, I am thinking of a bean roaster, but first the restoration of the -67 awaits, and other projects.

At least I have a good stash of wood if I decide to go ditch the Bakelite.

Has anyone ever installed a pressure gauge in the handle of a PF of one of these things?
It might be a solution to the conundrum of getting a reading from the group head. I think I saw this
in an exploded parts diagram for some other machine, so its not an original idea.

Greg

Olympia 67
member, future grinder owner's club.

[HB]

You're enrolled, welcome!

LMWDP #064 Gregory Q
LMWDP #065 Borys Ta Polon

[Maarten]

Oops, I guess I just posted in the wrong thread.

I deleted this message, but here are the pics again. (Yep, it's a '71 Cremina.)
And it's not that I'm willing to sell it, but there's another post called: "How much would you spend on a '71 Cremina?"
Let me assure you I didn't get it cheap (although that depends on how you look at it), so there's no "HAHA, I found it at the dump!" clue.

[OlywaDave]

Man gorgeous machine! Olympia makes some high quality gear. We sold them once before 2 or 3 years ago and thats the one thing I could say about Olympia. Its just really nice stuff. I love the vintage style of this one though... Beautiful.

How much did you get it for?