Hello Greg,

We've been missing you on the lever forum lately - must be the busy season there!

Richard, thanks for the link. I finally got a meat thermometer in there today - a rolling boil measured ~201 F. which is likely low, because I can see the ocean from my office window. I pulled a shot with the water boiling and the piston well-heated. It again had a bitter tinge, something I have not had from the same blend on my Ponte Vecchio. I'll try a cooler temp next time.

PC

Thanks Jack ... You know -I am pretty settled with my home espresso machines - I am in between machine rebuilds-So I have been checking in - but have not seen a lot of topics that my usual wordy self needed to chime in on... So I am lurking in the background...

plus I am getting really distracted re-building some boat models from the 1920's. Mostly pond boats ( launches) and to boot adding steam boilers and steam engines to them.........

A perfect pastime to drink espresso and tinker in the shop... the daughter is having fun in the shop with me.
We are getting ready for spring and hope to be running the boats at some local park lakes
.. Made by the Bowman company in England around 1920-1945..A small horizontal boiler, with a OPV set to about 1.5 bar and a small single cylinder engine. The boats I have are 24" and 35" long.

So here is a Bowman Snipe...it is not mine but this is what I am working on ...



If I could just get it to make a decent 25 second shot


So here is mine at the moment:



Lots more Dremel work to do.... Time for an espresso!

Ciao!

As my un-sainted Grand daughter would say: " How totally cool " Couldn't put it better meself!
Cheers
Richard / espressme

Man, on a sunny afternoon the Caravel sure is a beauty!

... a pleasure to use as well!

Henry

Sure is pretty!! Sunny side up!
Cheers
Richard / espressme

A lovely sight! We're waiting for ours to arrive from Italy....and waiting....and waiting...

I just wanted to share another picture of my second shot this morning...

Smooth to pull and to drink!

Hey Richard, you inspired a great breakfast this morning

Doug & Barb, do you think there might be a Caravel o-ring set in the future?

Henry

Yes Henry! If the Caravel doesn't leak, it'll be AFTER a few, or more cups of espresso...if it leaks upon arrival, it'll be much quicker!

johhnyguitar wrote:Yes Henry! If the Caravel doesn't leak, it'll be AFTER a few, or more cups of espresso...if it leaks upon arrival, it'll be much quicker!

Niiiiiice

Do you know which generation/style you are getting?

Henry

OK GUYS.

I have to reveal that, almost hitting six months of my ambrosia enjoyment and preparation, I became ...inspired? yea, I guess it is the right word... so I became inspired to have a look into the amazing world of lever machines.

For simplicity and beauty being the thing I first concecntrated on open boilers only
but then well... I found myself a believer : Microcasa a Leva (the all-chrome) is the most gorgeaus looking beast. Hot & able & classic I'd say

So, saving time has come for a lever first and then a roaster (I found a roasterie in my city HURRAH! Ethiopian Djimmah is my bean of this year's spring : - D )(I meant to put a smiley here and... Dan? what's that??? a smiley per post limit??? >shock<)

In the meantime I managed to ask greg about his mini-gaggia and to find a nice caravel for sale here.
So, the luck is in the air, I'm going to spread my wings and catch it (I mean the luck : - ) )!See you on LMWDP with some lucky number soon! Hopefully Dan won't limit a lucky-numbers-appearnce on the list LOL!