Exactly what I need to know. Many thanks! Jim

Can someone help me with information about the length and width of the Lusso boiler? I am trying to estimate whether it will fit in a specific ultrasonic cleaner. At this point the Lusso is several hundred miles away and I have to decide whether it's worth getting the cleaner. It is easy to find out...

Ryan, You are right. I call the design open loop that you term thermosyphon. The first time I saw that design was the Lambro that was Paul Pratt's first venture into restoring old machines. My older Urania is a dipper that uses the "V" group. It is a first series machine that, unfortunately, remains...

I will give beans a third vote. I have been struggling with decafs for 25 years, and it is very, very difficult to produce a shot with a flavor anything like a caffeinated coffee. Decafs normally produce much more acid shots, which is a major reason they are often roasted quite dark. I know that dec...

I will second the pitch for the NIche + Export pairing. Moreover, it fits in the small space available in many European kitchens. A different note. I have lately experimented with a Peppina basket on the export. This is accomplished by using a 4mm gasket and a bottomless portafilter that has thinner...

Do you have a rough idea when thermosyphon designs appeared in the Urania series? I have never seen one. All the Uranias I have seen have been either dipper, open loop, or the occasional rare model with a heating element in the group and the boiler used only for steam. I have seen a couple of vertic...

Don't forget about the issue of removing the brass sleeve from the group body. I assume Francesco has the necessary tool or fabricated one. The Marcfi/Graziella is easy to take apart; I have done it a couple of times. But the one sure way to ruin the machine is to try to get the "shower screen" off by

To address your basic question, it will make good espresso once you learn how to use it. But it is unlikely to function adequately without new piston and group gaskets (at a minimum). They probably are decades old and the group will leak. That gets you into the brass sleeve service issue. Please rea...

Spanish Marcfi version of a La Pavoni that was imported by Thomas Cara in the 1980s. Eventually, Pavoni sued for infringement and the machine went off the market. I know a good deal about it if you have any specific questions. I own one that has been in a box for years now. I used it as my daily

Assuming you use something like Pavlis water in it, there is only sporadic maintenance. Change the portafilter gasket every year or or so. Clean the screen and bottom of the piston while you are at it. Lube or change piston seals maybe every 2-3 years. Not much more than that