samgiles wrote:Hi everyone at team Caravel.


1. My basket appears to be punched so that it's permanently lodged in the PF. I can't move it at all. Is this normal or can others be taken out.


3. Is there a trick to getting the PF gasket out? It's wedged in there pretty tight and I'm afraid to damage it.

Hope someone can help.
Sam.

It is not welded- nor is it punched in. It is just very tight fitting. You will see that the edge of the basket overlaps the PF edge by a fraction. Use this 'ledge' to begin prying the basket away from the PF- don't worry about breaking it. You can pry against the PF locking flange thing to begin. Use something strong and flat and very thin.

Once you manage to move the basket a fraction use your strong flat thin thing to wedge in here and there working the basket out. It will come out. It's probably a bit jammed with coffee scum on the inner edges. I find once you have it out a bit the end of a teaspoon makes a good lever against the flange and 'ledge'.

I assume you were thinking the little dimples are where it was punched in- these are just to make it snap in- I have found on many machines it to be very tight and seem jammed or permanently fixed when first inspected. Then I get out my thin, strong flat thing...

Oh, wow, Jack!

I'm quite silenced with unspeakable jealousy!

A triple basket? I still want one of the single baskets, but now I want one of the big ones, too. If we can get measurements, I know some one-off/small run shops where we can get an estimate for getting some fabricated.

I tried to get some costings on making larger stainless baskets here in australia- the estimate was 10,000AUD- to set up the tooling. there is quite a bit of work to set up to mass produce such an item- the basket would be kind of punched from a disc- the holes added, buffing, chroming, and punching the little dimples...


After all that the baskets would be 20 cents a pop...

but maybe some one can make them using different methods. Better still find out what happened to the original tooling in Italy- chances are it is out there somewhere- didn't I read someplace that the company that was VAM/Arrarex- still exists and makes elements or some such? Perhaps there is an old box with a couple of thousand left over baskets just sitting in Milan. If the tooling could be tracked down I could possibly have these machines manufactured again.

Yes, retooling isn't cheap, but there are short-run prototyping manufacturers who may be able to do a couple of dozen baskets for an end cost that might be affordable. I can talk to some people (if you don't mind me using your photos) and try and get a quote.

absolutely- go for it.

put me down for an order as well.

Ditto!

sorrentinacoffee wrote:I tried to get some costings on making larger stainless baskets here in australia- the estimate was 10,000AUD- to set up the tooling. there is quite a bit of work to set up to mass produce such an item- the basket would be kind of punched from a disc- the holes added, buffing, chroming, and punching the little dimples...


After all that the baskets would be 20 cents a pop...

but maybe some one can make them using different methods. Better still find out what happened to the original tooling in Italy- chances are it is out there somewhere- didn't I read someplace that the company that was VAM/Arrarex- still exists and makes elements or some such? Perhaps there is an old box with a couple of thousand left over baskets just sitting in Milan. If the tooling could be tracked down I could possibly have these machines manufactured again.

To match the pour characteristic of the Caravel, wouldn't it best if the new manufacturer had the actual basket from which to work?
The hole pattern is SO crucial. There is a major difference in how my Elektra and Cremina doubles pour, not just due to the slightly deeper size of the Elektra.

IMAWriter wrote:To match the pour characteristic of the Caravel, wouldn't it best if the new manufacturer had the actual basket from which to work?
The hole pattern is SO crucial. There is a major difference in how my Elektra and Cremina doubles pour, not just due to the slightly deeper size of the Elektra.

But if I send my basket off to somebody, I can't pull shots until I get it back, and that simply wouldn't do.

Yeah, you're right, and if I can ever find a couple of spare baskets, I would gladly send them off to a prototype/fabricator for duplication. In the meantime, photos and careful measurements may be able to get us somewhere. If there's anybody who's handy with a CAD program (which isn't me, at the moment) it would make it even easier.

I don't think it would be that crucial to make an exact duplicate- I think the main thing here is to make it fit the PF. The hole patterns/number are very different for my normal and my "super basket". The super basket can take (actually needs) a notch or two finer grind- and needs a double pull IMHO to get all the goodness from the coffee. The normal can do for double or single pulls.

both are quite different- but both are excellent. I think any basket that fit the PF- and had rather fine holes- would work well. Obviously needs to be well shaped for easy knocking out-and good flow- but the shape of the PF dictates a conical edge anyway. The only adjustment would be grind and maybe tamp.

BTW- has anyone searched to see if any other coffee maker ever used this diameter filter?