Hello fellow lever enthusiasts
I'm breaking into the lever and commercial espresso scene and I'm looking for some electrical help for my vintage astoria single group lever. It's a 230VAC set up but not sure how to wire it up without hurting the machine. I've been comparing italian electrical codes to US codes, perhaps i'm over thinking it. I would like to use the old 230 VAC socket pictured its a NEMA 10-50, the plug on the machine came as a NEMA 6-20. I believe i have 20amp fuses on the socket.

Let me know if you can give me some advice. Thanks,
I've posted a few pics
~Philip

Also that grinder look familiar to anyone, no markings on it. I'm trying to identify its make and model.

grinder is a Rossi RR 45.

So the machine is a 230 volt? What is marked on the heating element? I ask because the plug that you are holding is a 110volt 20amp configuration.

What is the wattage on the heating element?

You will want to make sure that your breaker on that circuit can handle it.

If you are truly concerned you can have an electrician do it, or, since the boiler isn't all that large you could get a 110V heating element from EspressoParts and turn it into a 110V machine.

Tom@Steve'sEspresso wrote:So the machine is a 230 volt? What is marked on the heating element? I ask because the plug that you are holding is a 110volt 20amp configuration.

The one that has the inscription "20A 250V" on it? For me, the interesting part is "USA", which suggests to me that the machine has already been running on US 230V (or whatever we call it.) In which case, you don't need to worry about adaptation between Italian and US current, because that bridge has already been crossed, you just need to map the old terminals to the new terminals. (Though ... I'm assuming that the US is all pretty much one standard, and now in the back of my mind I have some vague memory of weird stories about east coast apartment buildings ...)

A couple more pics here of the two heating elements i have, one installed is 230VAC, other is 115VAC. I think both are 2000W elements. Its interesting that the plate on the front says 110V but the heating element, the plug, and the Gicar controller are 230VAC components. This makes me not really trust that plate very much.

Thanks for the grinder identification, i'm so glad to have a name and brand to that guy so i can get some replacement parts for it.

I was also curious, my boiler pressure gauge must have been damaged during shipping. it now rests at 0.5bar. Do any of you have suggestions for replacement gauge? any favorite gauges out there?

You guys are awesome thanks for the help!
~Philip

whatever you do conversion-voltage wise, MAKE SURE that your electrical circuit can handle the amperage power draw appropriately. I briefly ran my same 110v 2000watt machine on a 15 amp rated circuit and promptly melted the outlet. Dumb of me to do that, could have burned down the house., and that would have been a bother.

But it's a great little machine, very solid, and a nicely engineered grouphead design with the replaceable sleeve. I miss mine sometimes. Good luck.