Single boiler vs double boiler, HX vs non HX, lever vs semi-auto, vs... - Page 3

[randomperson]

randomperson,
thank you for your interest

i am still obsessing
will let you know once things are narrowed a bit more

Ah, still obsessing -- I know that stage very well!

[kikuchio]

Ah, still obsessing -- I know that stage very well!

randomperson,
since you have shown an interest in my journey i will tell you that i have now narrowed the list somewhat. it will probably ultimately turn out that the machines i am considering are all good and that the differences between them are, for the mostpart, small. nevertheless, at these prices one wants to make a correct decision.
so, at the present time the contenders seem to be the elektra semiautomatica, la valentina, andreja, and maybe brewtus. tomorrow i will visit salvatore, which is not too far a drive, and see what they have.

kikuchio

[javabob]

So, what did you find out on your visit to Salvatore? Have you decided on a machine? I'm in the process of narrowing down a list of high-end hx machines, too, so I'm quite interested in reading about the process you're going through.

[kikuchio]

So, what did you find out on your visit to Salvatore? Have you decided on a machine? I'm in the process of narrowing down a list of high-end hx machines, too, so I'm quite interested in reading about the process you're going through.

our visit very pleasant and informative. as you can learn from their website salvatore has been around espresso since childhood.
he also learned machine work and some mechanics along the way. salvatore and wendy were very kind and took us all through the shop showing us every aspect of their little enterprise. they spent well over an hour with us.
we discovered that the gentleman builds the machines himself from the frame up. while he does buy a few of the components such as electricals, pump and group head, he does the the fabrication, much of the machining, and plumbing himself. although i have not seen the inner workings of many other machines it seems that the build quality is very good. because he does the fabrication himself he can customize machines to suit the whims and fancies of his customers. some of his custom machines are truly impressive to look at. the man obviously takes pride in what he does.
based on our experience, and the fact that we like to support small businesses and local ( well, within a few hours drive) craftsmen, we are leaning toward getting one of his machines.

kikuchio

[randomperson]

our visit very pleasant and informative. as you can learn from their website salvatore has been around espresso since childhood.
he also learned machine work and some mechanics along the way. salvatore and wendy were very kind and took us all through the shop showing us every aspect of their little enterprise. they spent well over an hour with us.
we discovered that the gentleman builds the machines himself from the frame up. while he does buy a few of the components such as electricals, pump and group head, he does the the fabrication, much of the machining, and plumbing himself. although i have not seen the inner workings of many other machines it seems that the build quality is very good. because he does the fabrication himself he can customize machines to suit the whims and fancies of his customers. some of his custom machines are truly impressive to look at. the man obviously takes pride in what he does.
based on our experience, and the fact that we like to support small businesses and local ( well, within a few hours drive) craftsmen, we are leaning toward getting one of his machines.

kikuchio

It is a rare thing when you meet a real craftsman and can order exactly what you want from him. Get your rig customized in some way so that it is one of a kind! That would be very special! Can you also specify the internals, ie Sirai, Gicar and the like? If so, it sounds ideal!

When are you placing your order??