Hi, first post here, this is sort of a follow on from a thread over on the espresso machine forum, I would like feedback from you good people re the suitability of using a restored commercial lever machine in the home. Would love to hear from those who have tried it, did it work for you, would you do it again, that sort of thing.
To me with their preinfusion and gradual application of spring pressure they look to be a good thing. I have a hankering to do one of these things up if I can find one of course.

G'day Ted,

I've use commercial lever machines at home for about 5 years. Most of that time with a 3gr late 1970s carimali machine, my first restoration project.

There is a very nice 1gr restored boema machine up on ebay.au at the moment. This would be ideal as you'd get local advice and parts support. Good price too.

I've got a single group, lever Astoria at home. The shots are great. The only downside is, every time the pressurestat kicks in, it can be heard all over the house.

can you not just put in a new Sirai stat? Or is it the element that makes the noise?

shadowfax wrote:can you not just put in a new Sirai stat? Or is it the element that makes the noise?

It probably is the element, I'll check it out. Thanks for the pre millennium advice Nicholas.

If it's the element, there may be nothing you can do. The element on my La Pavoni is actually quite noisy for its small size when the machine is first heating up. It makes a lot of popping noises like water flash boiling around the element and then re-condensing into the cold water around... It actually seems to make the whole machine "bounce" a little on the counter. No motion is visible, but that's what it sounds like.

I can imagine if you have a stinking big heating element--especially a 220V element--that it could just knock the water around enough to make a bit of racket. On the other hand, I have never heard a commercial machine make noise like that in a cafe, so maybe it is worth looking into.

There is a very nice 1gr restored boema machine up on ebay.au at the moment. This would be ideal as you'd get local advice and parts support. Good price too.

Yes I saw that one Paul, sort of looking for something to restore myself, nothing exotic, just cheap
I am in the process of fixing up an old commercial single group HX not a restoration just a learning experience getting it up and running, however I find levers more interesting. Would like to know suitability plus pros and cons of various lever machines, for when(if) something comes along.

Hi Ted,
I've had a commercial lever in my home for about three years and have been completely satisfied. The advantages I've seen are 1)the machine's always on and ready to turn out a quick espresso, 2)the convenience of having it plumbed in to the water supply and a drain will spoil you very quickly, and probably the most important 3)the machine produces a good espresso every time with a minimum of fuss. As Dr Jim, another member of the forum, once said about his Conti (and I quote from memory) "you can just walk up, pull an espresso, and enjoy". I'm sure that's not an accurate quote, but you get the idea!
The disadvantages are 1)depending on the machine they can take up more counter space than the typical home machine, 2)most use 220 volts so that may an issue with some folks, 3)installation is more complicated due to the plumbing and electrical requirements, and 4)since the machines are on 24/7 the cost to operate is higher than a home machine.
All three of the commercial lever machines I owned have used Sirai stats. The noise comes from the snapping of the electrical contactor. Some seem to be much louder than others and I don't know why unless it's due to the way the stat is mounted. I have noticed that the newer Sirai stats have plastic covers rather than the metal covers used on the older ones. That probably makes the newer ones quieter. I have to be standing next to my Gaggia to hear the stat so noise is not an issue.
Good luck!
Bill

Thanks for your comments Bill.
The commercial I have at the moment has a Sirai and I can hear it through the house clicking on and off, These things can be replaced with a Ceme and magnetic contactor switch if one feels the need.

Fullsack wrote:I've got a single group, lever Astoria at home. The shots are great. The only downside is, every time the pressurestat kicks in, it can be heard all over the house.

Get a CEME - they are barely audible..

Hey Jack, PM me your email address so I can give you some tasting notes ? OK?