I recently met with Markus Fasnacht of Olympia while on an extended weekend in the Ticino region. Markus was very welcoming and provided me with some interesting insights about Olympia. For example, the reason why Olympia moved from its original purpose-built location in Morbio Inferiore to Mendrisio is because the zoning of the area where the factory was located changed from industrial to commercial. Luigi Bresaola tried to keep the company running, but it proved too costly to run an industry in a place zoned for commerce.
The old factory is sadly now a shopping center.
Thus was born Mokaespresso SA in Mendrisio. Markus moved the company into a smaller industrial complex and outsourced production of many components. All machines are still assembled and tested by hand, though, and the passion for the highest quality in espresso production remains intact.
The Olympia line of machines is marked by continual refinement over the years, but innovation also finds a home at the factory. Markus told me about plans to produce an espresso machine which uses electronic controls for the entire espresso-making process. Through a system of in-house designed circuits and valves, this machine would allow the user to adjust every aspect of espresso production and even permit timed operation. The machine is the same size as a typical semi-automatic. It does not include a grinder. The plan is to include several interchangeable parts and options which will allow users to customize the machine for a variety of uses.
I was impressed by the company's philosophy of production. Few espresso machine producers offer user-replaceable parts, but the Olympia website provides all parts and technical drawings, available at one's fingertips as it were. The factory is completely open with customers, even encouraging them to work on their own machines if necessary. Quite a switch from most modern industries.
In some ways, it seems as though Olympia is a victim of its own standards. Very few Olympia devices need to be repaired because they are incredibly well-made. It is nice to know that the factory still gladly accepts old machines for service and takes great care when refurbishing them.
Yet, in a world full of mass-produced equipment where profit margins outweigh quality, a company such as Olympia struggles to survive. The fact that Mokaespresso sells its products online as well as through vendors demonstrates their commitment to the customer.
It is refreshing to find a client-oriented corporation. Most Olympia products are expensive, but as Markus pointed out, when comparing the Cremina to a lever machine such as the La Pavoni Professional, the quality of components and manufacture would be favor of the Olympia machine. I love my Europiccola but would have to agree.
Some enthusiasts might be happy to learn that there are plans to build a version of the Olympia Moccaexpress grinder with a chute in lieu of the grounds hopper.
I got to take a close look at the grinder and was impressed by the solid design of the top burr carrier.
Reference marks on the adjustment wheel can be altered simply by loosening a lockscrew and turning the reference dial. Nicely elegant. I was surprised to find that the glass bean hopper and top grind assembly are tightly sealed with three different o-rings, a thoughtful touch.
I asked Markus about the reason why Olympia continues to use a 49mm portafilter on the Cremina and if that relatively small size has anything to do with the machine using a lever rather than pump for pulling shots. He explained that the Cremina could have a larger portafilter, but the group head would have to be resized accordingly. Such a machine would become quite ungainly and would lose its visual and mechanical balance. The travel of the lever would also be shorter owing the greater amount of water being displaced with a large piston. This would ruin the fine adjustment which distinguishes lever espresso machines.
Markus also gave me some insight into the function of a Cremina. Lever machines run with very hot water, so it helps the group when pulling multiple shots to cool the portafilter by running it under cold water between shots. This way, the portafilter will absorb some of the group's heat if it has become saturated after pulling several shots. If you are pulling only a few shots in one session, heat saturation is not a problem.
Another tip is to pull shots with boiler pressure slightly reduced, between 0.7 and 0.8 bar. The Cremina maintains boiler pressure between 1.0 and 0.7 bar automatically. It might seem that high water pressure is better, but the work in extraction comes from the lever, not the boiler. Opening the steam wand to drop the pressure down a bit will help the Cremina work more as it was designed.
The four holes in the bottom of the Cremina's piston? Ah, yes, as some suspected, they are designed to help the bottom piston seal more effectively on the lever's downstroke.
I got to enjoy a drink from an older superautomatic Olympia. A super-sized machine, indeed.
A friend told me that many Ticino communities keep or rent Olympia superautomatics for big events. The one in his community is very old, but it still works flawlessly. I must say the superautomatic at the factory produced a better shot than I have gotten in most Swiss cafes. Of course, Markus was the operator.
Markus showed me the spreadsheet he uses to track every single machine which exits the factory. There was a run of serial number stickers which had incorrect dates on them, and Markus told me exactly when my machine left the factory. He plans to revert back to individual serial number stamping to keep production dates accurate.
The ownership experience is quite unique, indeed. I got an English language version of the owner's booklet and discovered it provides a very comprehensive overview of all aspects of espresso extraction, surprisingly so for a user manual. The user experience. That is the essence of Olympia ownership. Olympia products are elegantly made, highly tactile in use, and the company is very careful about providing maximum value for its customers.
Olympia may indeed be one the few remaining low-volume, customer-centered manufacturers of espresso machines. I hope they can continue to remain profitable.
Thanks to Markus for entertaining me for a few hours.
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