Hi folks. I'm something of a newcomer around here, doing a lot of reading, and learning quite a bit from your collective wisdom. Thank you!

So, on to the Export...

We were looking to get an espresso machine for the home, and

Here it is as delivered. Not bad shape, though missing the portafilter, top trim pieces, and one foot (as advertised). A bit grubby, perhaps, but nothing a good scrub wouldn't take care of. The inside of the boiler looked clean, though, and the case and base were in fine shape with no rust and few nicks or scratches.



I did get it filled with water, flipped the switch, and was able to run steam and hot water out of the appropriate places. Looking good so far.

At this point I turned my attention toward the show screen, gaskets, and piston.



While the water had come through the shower screen, it was a bit drippy and uneven. I sourced some Craftsman gasket picks from Sears (about $10) and was able to easily pull off the screen and the gasket. Unfortunately, no photos of the mess inside. Just a lot of grime on the inside of the screen and the face of the piston. The filter gasket, however, looked to be in great shape.

I'd guess this particular Sama had been well used and cared for, but at some point put away, and at that point anything not physically attached got misplaced.

Anyway, I cleaned up the dirty bits with hot water, a fine needle, and a scrub brush. Here are the results.

OK, now I got the pieces in hand back together and the water dispersion through the screen was obviously improved. Next step, before we could make any coffee, would be to find somewhere to put the grounds.

Following the advice of our lever experts, I called up Vaneli's and ordered a PV Export portafilter and double basket. This was something of a gamble since, while the Sama and PV are obvious relatives, I couldn't find any definitive proof that parts are interchangeable. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so money sent.

In the meantime, we ate turkey (organic Bourbon Red from Stone Barns -- best I've ever had), played Wii, fiddled with our new Silvia (another story for another day), and the parts arrived about a week later.



Lovely. And they fit. Barely.



It's a little dicey, but engages securely enough to pull a shot without any apparent danger. Here's a closer shot that shows how far the ears engage.



If all else works out, I may carefully file or sand a mm give or take a smidge off the top edge of the portafilter, which should make a bit better fit. But at the moment it's fine.

That's where we stand at the moment. I was able to pull two shots tonight, one of which resembled espresso. It wasn't particularly good -- actually, it was quite bad -- but I'm more likely to attribute any flaws to beans, grind, and/or technique. At this point, brown liquid in the cup is close enough to victory.

Next steps are to get the grinder situation figured out and to source some known-quantity beans as a baseline. I have been messing around with a vintage Armin Trosser hand grinder. However, I don't think this particular grinder is up to the task of doing an espresso grind repeatably, if at all. And our old Cuisnart grinder... well, the less said the better. It's true that we willfully disregarded the collective wisdom around here and dove into the machines without a proper grinder. Guilty as charged. I'm working on that, though still inclined to go the hand mill route if we can find a suitable mill. (Yes, I have tube hifi gear and LPs in the house, too.)

As things progress, I will report back on my successes and failures. In the meantime, again my hearty thanks for all of the knowledge and encouragement shared here.



Terry

I am afraid I won't be much use with the Sama, though others around here will. I may however be able to help with the Trosser mill. Provided the burrs aren't completely worn I would assume that it is fully adjustable and capable of an espresso grind. It sure looks from the pic that it is in good order. It looks like it may be a similar model to one I have.

Pull out the drawer and look up into the burr chamber. Does it have something sticking down that resembles a propeller? If so that is the grind adjustment. May take a while to figure out the proper grind, but if you can adjust it you will find it eventually. Often the finest grind on these manuals is just backed off a bit from the point where the burrs are almost touching.

Thanks Lynn. The Trosser works exactly as you describe. It is in nice shape and deserves some further experimentation. However, my impression is that it is not holding an adjustment after I set it. Could be me, or could be this particular mill.

In the meantime, I hope to pick up a few others for comparison. One could buy a good many hand mills for the price of even a used Mazzer these days.

There are numerous threads in this lever forum that may guide you to a solution to the trossers drift. Others will probably be along in the next day or so with their two cents too.

They definitely are a considerable deal less than a mazzer. I have multiple mills, but I went and bought a Macap as well. Sometimes the mills just aren't speedy enough. They are a lovely way to travel though.

stsmytherie wrote:It's a little dicey, but engages securely enough to pull a shot without any apparent danger. Here's a closer shot that shows how far the ears engage.

If all else works out, I may carefully file or sand a mm give or take a smidge off the top edge of the portafilter, which should make a bit better fit. But at the moment it's fine.

That's where we stand at the moment. I was able to pull two shots tonight, one of which resembled espresso. It wasn't particularly good -- actually, it was quite bad -- but I'm more likely to attribute any flaws to beans, grind, and/or technique. At this point, brown liquid in the cup is close enough to victory.

Terry

Your description of the portafilter sounds exactly like my former Sama Export. After some months the gasket wore a little to allow the handle to turn a little more. But as long as you don't overtamp and as long as you clean the gasket inside the grouphead you should never have any problems with the handle turning from the pressure and blowing off.

If you call Joe at the Good Coffee Company in Seattle, he might be able to get you the top that's missing from your Sama. It makes a nice cup warmer.

Have fun with it!

stsmytherie wrote:Thanks Lynn. The Trosser works exactly as you describe. It is in nice shape and deserves some further experimentation. However, my impression is that it is not holding an adjustment after I set it. Could be me, or could be this particular mill.

In the meantime, I hope to pick up a few others for comparison. One could buy a good many hand mills for the price of even a used Mazzer these days.

The Trosser is my main mill these days. I have one like yours and have the setting pretty tight so that the gears meet. But with coffee beans between them they work fantastically to make great espresso. You might want to play the ebay game and get another mill. Start a collection! PeDe is also good as are some other German grinders.

If you call Joe at the Good Coffee Company in Seattle, he might be able to get you the top that's missing from your Sama. It makes a nice cup warmer.

I second that: The Good Coffee company has no website or online order form, but Joe is a pleasure to deal with by phone (206-622-5602) or e-mail: goodcoffeecompany@att.net
He sold me a used topper for my old Sama at a very reasonable price.
Also, on the portafilter to grouphead fit; mine seems to turn about as far as yours, and it is the original. I find that if I leave about 1/4" headspace after tamping I don't have any engagement issues.
Enjoy that Sama. I find it to be fun to work with , and it produces some pretty good espresso.
While you're at it, be sure and get your LMWDP number; espresso tastes just a wee bit better when you're plotting

I don't think my PF turns very far to the right either, and it was a new Ponte Vecchio two years ago.

A lucky Sama user nowadays, with the Lever Smackdown thread analyzing so many variables.

I've found the 45-mm group incredibly versatile, from 15+g doubles to 7g singles, with a wide variety in between!

PC

I filed the bottom side of the ear tabs on my portafilter, taking care to retain angles and to take a proportional amount off of each ear. My portafilter (Lusso) now locks much more securely at 6 o'clock. I have a fine file that has a safe edge—with the teeth ground off of the file's side—so that it didn't cut into the side of the portafilter. You could also protect the surface of the portafilter with masking tape. The ear tuning procedure and testing for a new fit only took minutes. Over time, the underside of these ear tabs will wear anyway.

Before I tuned the ear tune-up, I was able to lock on the portafilter for many pulls but knew it was only just getting a secure seating, a fit that went from loose to tight immediately. All it took was for the portafilter to blow off one time, and I filed the ears. It was a dramatic and messy explosion, well beyond a portafilter sneeze, that also smashed a nice espresso cup. The new fit is gradual and secure.

I also did this same procedure on an Isomac Zaffiro.