Inspired primarily by Karl's posts about the joys of espresso from his spring lever Microcasa, and by the documented experiences of Peacecup and prof_stack, I picked-up Ponte Vecchio's little spring lever machine. I have been extremely happy with my Brewtus II over the past year, but I wanted a machine for the cottage; one that could be easily emptied and left alone for a few weeks, that would not be too big, that would not be too hazardous around little kids, and that was a bit different from what I already had. The Export seemed like the ideal choice. My only problem was finding one.

Used Samas and PVs are not easy to come by, so I looked into a new purchase. It seems there are currently 2 dealers in North America that carry this unit. As prof_stack had nice things to say about A Good Coffee Company in Seattle, I tried them first. Joe at GCC is a very nice guy, but he is not really set up for cross-border, long-distance sales, and the hassle (combined with a possible excess of questions from yours truly) soured his interest in shipping me a machine! Gensaco was my second choice, since they did not seem to have the same level of machine knowledge or interest, but they sell the Export a little cheaper, and...they would sell me one.

So here it is, sitting prettily next to my Brewtus II, just to give a sense of proportion to an E61-style machine:



Everything about the machine is new to me, and the tamper that comes with the machine does not fit into the filter baskets, so until my Reg Barber 45mm piston shows up, I will refrain from posting any shots:



The elegant simplicity of this machine appeals to me. The stamped steel pieces covering the top of the machine and the drip tray are interchangeable:



The qualities that make the machine appealing to me carry through to the inside. I noticed that the boiler cap has a little hole drilled into the threads in case an over-eager user attempts to unscrew the cap while the boiler is still under pressure:


I also liked the way the water level appears as the colour of the casing in the sight-glass:


The Export takes about 10 minutes to get to heat. I have so far only tried the double basket using 12 grams of coffee, and the single basket using between 5 and 7 grams. The other reason I wanted the Export was that the low water draw lever machines are built for low volume shots that use low volumes of coffee. I really like the idea of making smaller coffees, more often. Also, the coffee market seems to be going in a direction where the home-barista can snag some expensive, ultra-premium coffees. A 5-6 gram single or 10-12gram double yields a lot more shots from a small roast batch than what I would be brewing up in a 58mm PF.

I'm really looking forward to getting down to some brewing. While I've read pretty much every post in the lever forum, I would certainly appreciate any advice for a first-time lever head.

Mark

I would certainly appreciate any advice for a first-time lever head.

Sell me the red PV at a very low price...

I like the red finish - it compliments the black nicely. I once spoke with Mr Gensaco on the tele - seemed like he knew something about the machines. There isn't much to know - a day to learn and a lifetime to master. I've done nothing but put water in mine for 16 months of daily use, including a weekly commute to and fro the offic. . And a drop of olive oil on the top of the piston rod occasionally, and also on the rubber feet and on the group head gasket. I tend to turn mine over to empty it occasionally, and I recently read that this is a good idea. I drain the leftover water to the bottom of the sight glass every day, and refill with fresh filtered water right before brewing. If you empty it to the bottom DO NOT FORGET TO UNPLUG IT UNTIL YOU"VE REFILLED - TURNING IT ON EMPTY FOR EVEN A MINUTE IS A NO-NO.

Then there is brewing - you will need a tamper, but it you grind fine I'll bet you can get a decent shot with the plastic one. I've been reading Jim Schulman's article on downdosing, and experimenting with lesser doses lately - supposed to get a sweeter extraction, but I haven't mastered it yet.

If karlschneider's posts inspired you the PV is the perfect machine - absolutely total control, and a small volume of water - really a purist's pursuit -

good luck!

PC

I bet you guys did not know that there is an inner circle of LMWDP. We have a fabulous ritual on the night of the blue moon, in which we sacrifice an E61 machine to the lord of the underworld. We nod as the last drops of its copious cooling flushes fall into the river dividing that nether realm from our sundrenched world. That stream flows black, a thick layer of tiger-flecked crema upon its surface. Shaped like a vintage lever's single basket is the ferry that moves from bank to bank. On the far side along the shore the rocks glow red with heat, and there, where the current swirls against the pier, the crema thins; if one should happen to gaze down, a face stares back. Some say the head belongs to Bezzera, Luigi and below the surface a serpent's body wriggles out of sight.

To join this elite cadre one must post a close up picture and provide exact dimensions (in mm) of one's filter baskets, and send $25 in cash, check, or postal money order to:

Espresso Underworld
PO Box 666
Grand Central Station
NY NY 10013

timo888...
Author! Author! Is the critics review... An eye grabbing introduction which is followed by a vivd and "flowing" body picturing another world, that of fantasy and delight... climaxing in a mysterious and elusive scene of that which can only be created of the mind just before rema, in dreams and illusions of the ultra imaginative... awe....oooh...
4.1 stars out of 5.

By the way how do I get to that other shore... I have a booming business selling semi-autos right now on Ebay.

peacecup wrote:Sell me the red PV at a very low price...

Thanks for the suggestions. Next time you get upgrade fever, you could just spring for a new case in a different colour for your Export . Not sure when I would know to put a drop of olive oil on the piston shaft - when it begins to lose its smoothness during the upstroke (spring release)? I like to clean the group after use by turning off the machine, placing a mug up over the group, and pulling the lever down to the point where water is pushed out the group into the mug.

Timo - cheque is in the mail. I appreciate the tip .

I received my 45mm piston, which fits well in both the single and double baskets. Both baskets are ridgeless, and despite the fact that there is no retaining clip in the PF, the coffee knocks out nicely. Since I bought a spare single basket, this makes it easy to either knock out the spent puck and reload, or to pull the entire basket out and place a loaded one in the PF for the next shot.

It's a very enjoyable machine to use. The lever has no play at all (either side to side or up-down), and the machine does not need to be held down during the downstroke (loading the spring). Working with the single basket, I am finding that the best shots are the ones that flow (like in Peacecup's videos) rather than drip from the PF.

Mark

If you want extra crema you can grind finer, stand directly over the machine, and force the piston down by pushing on the lever near the yoke. This probably exceeds the specs for the poor little cotter pin that attaches the piston to the lever - might void the warranty.

I never noticed any real need for the oil, just thought it might be preventative.

PC

BTW, replacing the case would be a bit more trouble than it would at first appear. Once you've removed the back plate you'll see that the rest is bolted under the boiler, so it, and the group, also need to be removed. Given the quality of the machine, I'll probably need to do something like that about thirty years from now.

PC

TUS172 wrote:By the way how do I get to that other shore... I have a booming business selling semi-autos right now on Ebay.

You must gaze into that stream where the crema thins, eye to eye with the shade looking up at you -- and play the blinking game. You blink, and it's back from whence you came.

Regards
Timo

I adjusted the p-stat down by a 10-minute increment last night. To make sure I had not gone too far, I steamed some milk this morning.

This breakfast beverage courtesey of Export (PV, not Molson):