Search found 198 matches

by CoffeeMac
January 22nd, 2024, 6:46 pm
Forum: Buying Advice
Replies: 9
Views: 555

Lever machine upgrade: Olympia Cremina manual vs SL vs Faema Lambro

I'd second the Londinium. My Compressa has to be the most consistent and forgiving machine I've ever had - exactly zero sink shots. I'm still getting to know my new Vectis. Definitely a bit more finicky than Compressa, likely similar to other boiler-pressure / dipper machines. Seems to be very sensi...
by CoffeeMac
November 3rd, 2023, 12:13 pm
Forum: Lever Espresso Machines
Replies: 229
Views: 33888

User Experience: Londinium Vectis

I've found the Vectis to have perhaps too much steam power, especially when I use my smaller 25cl Motta pitcher. I've ordered a 2-hole tip to try to tame things a bit. My boiler seems to settle in at around 1.4bar, higher than the 1.2bar I've heard elsewhere. This will likely have an impact on steam...
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by CoffeeMac
November 3rd, 2023, 11:08 am
Forum: Lever Espresso Machines
Replies: 229
Views: 33888

User Experience: Londinium Vectis

I've had a Londinium Compressa for a couple of years and it's by far my favorite machine so far. I recently moved house and the new kitchen layout didn't easily support the Compressa, so I got a Vectis for its smaller footprint. I'm still in the learning phase on the Vectis (my first dipper machine)...
by CoffeeMac
October 27th, 2023, 12:58 pm
Forum: Espresso Machines
Replies: 8031
Views: 1322277

Post a pic of your home espresso setup...

Day 2 on the Vectis. Still sorting out the recipe / process (different than my Compessa), but nonetheless some good output at this early stage... {image}
by CoffeeMac
May 12th, 2023, 2:24 pm
Forum: Grinders
Replies: 38
Views: 2150

Grinder retention - how much really matters?

Not to get stuck in a rathole here, but in the past I found myself really chasing numbers with my espresso - measuring weight in/out to the hundredths of a gram, temp to the tenth of a degree, shot time to the tenth of a second, extraction % with a refractometer, etc. As an engineer it was all good
by CoffeeMac
May 11th, 2023, 10:29 pm
Forum: Buying Advice
Replies: 20
Views: 854

Small espresso machine for sailboat

I really enjoyed using a Robot + hand grinder + bellman streamer on a weeklong sailing trip in the BVIs. We had 120V, but besides enjoying the quiet process in the morning and the excellent lever espresso, it was nice to be able to put everything away in a drawer when we started sailing. {image}
by CoffeeMac
April 8th, 2023, 8:41 pm
Forum: Buying Advice
Replies: 13
Views: 948

Versalab M4 or KafaTek MC5?

I can't say what you should do, but I sold my Max1 and MC1 and bought a new M4. Why? Vastly simpler workflow (no RDT or WDT needed) while consistently enabling great espresso with better mouthfeel than the Max1 and better flavor separation than the MC1. Downside? Initial retention and retention afte...
by CoffeeMac
March 29th, 2023, 4:16 pm
Forum: Lever Espresso Machines
Replies: 26
Views: 1353

Londinium thermosyphon stall on cold start

I've never experienced that on my Compressa. Have you posted on the Londinium forum or emailed Reiss? He's usually very quick to respond with useful ideas to further diagnose or fix issues, even if you are not the original purchaser
by CoffeeMac
March 14th, 2023, 11:00 pm
Forum: Lever Espresso Machines
Replies: 437
Views: 43270

The Londinium R24

I've had my Compressa for ~1.5 years with original seals, no problems. I have a set of the new greaseless seals, which I'll use when I need to replace the original ones. But I don't plan to replace until I start seeing issues traceable to the old ones wearing out
by CoffeeMac
February 13th, 2023, 10:38 pm
Forum: Knockbox
Replies: 115
Views: 9418

1 Picture = 1 Post

{image} Exploring advanced fermentation!