Why I'm selling my lever machine... and dreaming of another

[HB]

Split from "La Pavoni Europiccola needing someone new" by moderator...

Please Note:
I checked with Dan (HB) in advance and he said it would be OK to help this lever find a home on this forum.

Oooh-h, tempting. Why are you selling such a fine machine? It would make a nice weekend travel machine...

[mogogear]

Dan,
Thanks again for just letting me post. The short version is I was upgrading from my Rancilio Betsy to a Silvia( a buyers remorse return to 1st line) I bought the Silvia, then I started reading the Levers forum, and was lured there to consider a LP. Before either of the machines got to me, I had read Steve's Cremina restoration details so much I was in a state of reality disconnect and found and bought a Olympia Cremina 67- still yet to be delivered!! In case your not adding correctly- Thats 4 espresso machines. My wife really loves the espresso drinks I make her- but it really stretches my home-political capital to have 4. So the Besty is going to a friend who will really appreciate it as a starter machine. The Silvia is also up for sale- HINT HINT- to anyone else reading. 2005 Silvia, in box, as it shipped from 1st Line - $400 has the Rancilio factory testing paper work etc. And now comes the LP for sale- Nice yes, a pleasant surprise when I opened it. But I knew she couldn't stay. So I cleaned her up and off she goes. Steve made me not love it before I even got it. So I'm cemented in to the Oly! Really, I mean it this time... isn't this what all of you before me said, did or bought? Or am I the only one that has done this?

So I'm espresso poor or rich -just depends on how you look at it- and some funds must come home.... so I can sneak in some smaller less noticeable goodies, beans, Maybe some Thor woodwork..... tampers in a size I don't have...... parts.... you get the picture.

nite

mo

[srobinson]

I am now a home-wrecker for leverheads? I cannot handle the pressure.

I think we have all made the comment..."this is the last machine I will ever buy"....I just don't think that works with male genetic makeup.

[Dr Jim]

Dan,
In case your not adding correctly- Thats 4 espresso machines. My wife really loves the espresso drinks I make her- but it really stretches my home-political capital to have 4.

It is my belief that 5 espresso machines constitute reasonable grounds for divorce in all 48 contiguous States (6 in Alaska, 4 in Hawaii) - you're getting dangerously close .....

Cheers

Jim

[happytamper]

I am not married so I can buy as many espresso machines as my heart desires. But I would easily trade them all for a wonderful woman in my life, well maybe not all of them.

[bill]

Dr Jim
I just returned from San Antonio where I was picking up my '7th' espresso machine (not a lever)bought on Ebay. Does that mean if my wife wishes to see a lawyer I've got no defense?
Bill
P.S. I haven't got the Palanca installed yet because I had to go to San Antonio. Life is rough!

[peacecup]

Dr. Jim said:

It is my belief that 5 espresso machines constitute reasonable grounds for divorce in all 48 contiguous States (6 in Alaska, 4 in Hawaii)

He also said:

... my morning desire to have enough hot, mind-expanding beverage ready to hand that I can bear to contemplate each day's impending horror with some degree of equinimity...

which is a bit off the subject, but I've been meaning to salute this poetic sentiment.

I expect the extra quota for Alaskans is to help deal with interminable winter. I'm the only Alaskan I know of on this forum (at least the only one who admits it). I've got three machines in use currently. I'm glad to see I still have three more in my allotment - I've seen some real beauties lately (see photos!). Unless I count two steam espresso makers languishing in my cupboard, and one stovetop Bialetti I leave at my inlaws in Europe, I should be ok for a while.


Here's a classic I just discovered:




Then there is the ULTIMATE (i.e. Faema) pour over:





And last, but not least, this beauty from the RavensBrew roasters:



PC

[peacecup]

PS: Bill, if nothing else you'll be running out of space in your signature. Then there's this Conti I've seen recently for sale.....

[peacecup]

BTW mogogear, good luck with the Pavoni sale and the new Cremina. I trust the Pavoni will find a good home - quality never goes out of style.

I must admit to a modest amount of Cremina envy myself, the blame for which Steve R. may not be entirely absolved (although in this case it was his bench review of the hopelessly-out-of-reach 2002 Cremina!).

And while I'm posting re: Cremina envy, why not add a couple of more photos of "levers I'd like to know better":







PC

[srobinson]

Looks like a few eyes on that Conti. Someone is looking to expand their impressive collection.




And did anyone see the price on this club? I may have to put my custom on the market for these prices.



Sorry for continuing the derail of this thread.

[mogogear]

Steve, peacecup, Bill,

Yeah those evil people just keep putting eye-candy up of those crema-spawners! I looked at the Conti too- and said -yeah I can expense a drive to SF Bay to pick that up..... TWO LEVERS ---Yeehaw!!!!! sorry, I'm originally from Texas- it just slipped out. and Hey no worries on derailing by anybody, The LP and the Silvia are on CL also - The Silvia is a no gamble semi-auto , that will be easy for someone to figure out. Since this is the only lever board- I wanted to throw the LP here first in case there were other new comers reading this section and starting to look for a lever of their own. Beats throwing the dice and getting a geriatric machine needing serious rehab- Steve's rebuild notes makes think about what is lurking around..... and that I don't want to ever get something that some one went and bent up like his 67 was. I don't know if i would have gotten creative enough to have saved it like he did. And what a save....... My expectations are being hard to keep in check while I camp on my front porch looking for that delivery man...

Oh, well off to the beach for three days with the family- hopefully it could be here when I return. My Betsy makes her last road trip to keep our mornings pleasant.

mo

[Dr Jim]

Looks like a few eyes on that Conti. Someone is looking to expand their impressive collection. {picture deleted to save room}

I had a very interesting E-mail chat with the Conti's owner - he wasn't aware that it could (just barely) be shipped UPS ground - and while he doesn't want to ship it himself will be glad to work with one of the Package Forwarders in the Bay Area who do UPS - estimate about $100-$120 shipping to the Lower 48, I paid $78 from Pennsylvania for mine.

Oh, and why is he selling? The Conti was a spare in case his La San Marco lever broke - which he's decided probably won't happen in his lifetime - so the Conti has to go.

BTW - let me reiterate that while I've owned or operated more than my fair share of lever-actuated espresso machines (an original Europiccola, an Olympia Club, a Faema, a twin-group Gaggia, a dual Astoria-group Futurma, and a PV Lusso) that the Conti now fitted with very cheap Dwyer/Love TCS5010 temperature controller, and using a bottomless portafilter with a Marzocco triple basket, makes the most consistently luscious and creamy espresso shots of any of these machines.

There is something just 'right' about the Conti's lever and piston group, I get near-perfect infusion/dispersion on nearly every shot, the temperature is now rock-stable, and I can pretty much dial-in any pressure profile I desire by gently manipulating the lever - this is the least fussy, and most consistent machine I have ever owned.

Whoever gets this machine may be in for a surprise ....

And did anyone see the price on this club? I may have to put my custom on the market for these prices.

Mutter. Mutter, Mutter - Painting the bleeding sides up like a pumpkin does not make it an Olympia ... Mutter, Mutter, Mutter

It's a bloody Bezzera, which in itself was a very nice machine, and was the original design from which several 3-liter boiler, spring-lever machines evolved. There is a case to be made that the Bezzera group is better than the Olympia/Riviera/Elektra/PV group, since it has pretty decent top-bearings, but it is still a cam-and-striker design, not directly coupled with an actuator rod.

The layout of my PV Lusso is nearly identical, but that the steam and hot water valves have been rotated 90 degrees and now come out the sides. The grouphead uses a 49mm basket, where (I believe) the Bezzera uses a 53mm, and the lever mount is much less complex, consisting of a flange, a rear-mounted pin, and no bearings.

I'd hesitate to characterize the Sellers' asking price as manifestly insane, so I'll settle for describing it as merely 'disturbingly psychotic.'

Cheers

Jim

[peacecup]

The price on that Bezerra is a trifle high...

Bezzera still makes a lovely lever, the Ellisse :



Also available in a single group 110 V, 5 l boiler, 1400 W heating element, weighing in at 50 kg. Might give the Conti a run for her money. Anyone ever seen or used one?


RE: the old Bezzera on Ebay: did anyone notice that from the top view the group is not bolted directly to the boiler, but rather with a length of copper pipe? Might this not reduce the universal overheating issue?

PC