Last week my Black with silver flecked Ponte Vecchio Export (PVE) arrived from The Good Coffee Company (TGCC) in Seattle. Unfortunately even with excellent packaging the sight glass lens was broken. Fortunately the sight glass was intact and the boiler pressurized.

My decision to purchase the PVE was primarily influenced by this excellent website and it's people. A very heartfelt thanks goes to all, especially the lever users, the folks who worked in the Lever Smackdown, and Timo and Peacecup. My goal is to make good coffee with the minimum amount of gear and fuss so Peacecup's PVE and a Hand Grinder approach looked perfect.

I had difficulty finding a black machine until I contacted TGCC. Joe had one and somewhat endorsed my color choice by saying that the chrome ones "seemed to radiate more heat" (chrome was my second choice). One of my reasons for choosing a spring lever machine was to eliminate the pull variable and I did not want to add another with this potential heating issue.

About a week after placing my order Joe of TGCC phoned to say that he did not want to sell me a machine because "all the new models sprayed coffee everywhere when the porta filter is removed" This is apparently caused by different machined features in the new group heads. He gave me several options: 1. return my check. 2. Purchase a Ponte Vecchio Lusso for an additional $100 3. Purchase the same new black machine to which he would fit one of the older group heads and refund me $50. I chose a new machine with on older model grouphead.

First impressions: A very very basic yet functional design devoid of any unnecessary detail and in a monolithic way quite handsome. Reasonably sized (for me) 10.63" deep X 6.38" wide X 15.5" tall, and weighs 17.6 lb The machine is quick to come to temperature/pressure. Even using a hand grinder I was able to have 2 cappas and one baby froth on the table in about 15 minutes.... I probably need to explain a "baby froth" to the U.S. readers. It is steam foamed milk, not too hot, sometimes with chocolate or other flavors and made specifically for children. An Aussie solution for the parents who got tired of spooning off the milk foam from their cappas for their kids. It is unfortunate that it is not common in the U.S. for it allows whole families to enjoy the "coffee experience". Sorry, I digress.

I am still at the "breaking in the barista" period so my shots vary from OK to horrible which is understandable. However, the milk foaming was almost perfect the first time. Very fine micro foam, sweet, and surprisingly creamy for 2% milk.

Kudos to TGCC. Having been in the business for over 30 years, Joe apparently is a U.S. espresso pioneer, willing to share his knowledge and very helpful. He was extraordinarily honest and fair with me. So when he says he will fix the new machines even if it requires going to Italy. I have every reason to believe him.

Some later observations: On the positive side, absolutely no porta filter sneeze problem. On the downside, the drip tray is useless because does not stay in place. This is caused by the combination of it not being very flat and the recess into which is fits is not deep enough.

I guess I should join the LMWDP but with such a title I am concerned that sometime in the future we will be all called upon to rise up and beat everyone into coffee submission with our levers?

Geoffrey

Geoffrey, welcome to the lever group! Great post.

Joe also sold me my first lever machine, the Export (the older incarnation made by Sama). Yes, he is great to work with and is ethical/honest to the max. I'm a little closer to TGCC than you ( )and like to take the bus and buy great green beans there. Quite a museum collection of old levers and grinders as well.

Enjoy your machine. It won't take long for about every shot to be great.

I look forward to seeing some pictures of the new Export in action. Congrats on the new purchase.

Does TGCC have a website? I tried to google it but came up with nada.

jamhat wrote:Does TGCC have a website? I tried to google it but came up with nada.

Ha ha! TGCC is old school to the max to have a website. Joe and son Carl keep the shop open Mon-Fri only. You can get a small sample, if you ask, maybe, of espresso from their magnificent monster 2-group lever but no capp or latte or any milk product. Joe had some disagreements with the health department about selling coffee drinks so he decided not to. Prices don't change on things in stock. If they have to pay more for the next shipment, then the new stuff goes up in price.

But nothing lasts forever and Joe is over 80 years old. Son Carl is working to become a HS math teacher (I offered for him to student-teach with me) so the business might be a memory in a few years. Time to go down for more beans...

jamhat

I agree with prof-stack and seriously doubt that The Good Coffee Company will ever have a website. Joe is so old school that he writes with a fountain pen. But you could give him or his son Carl a call 206-622-5602

Good luck

Geoffrey

GB,

Welcome to the Export club - I think you are member two, since Prof. Stack sold his. In fact, there are lots of Exports out there, but I have not seen many people write about them. The fact that they very seldom come up for sale means that they either break fast and are discarded, or that they are well-loved and no one wants to part with one. I'm inclined to believe the latter is true.

Its too bad the Lever Machine Smackdown did not include an Export. It is priced competitively with the La Pavoni, and based on my limited experience it makes equally good espresso while being easier to use.

PC

Oh, and btw, my little barista has been enjoying virgin cappacinos from the Export since she was 3. Lately she's been able to stand on a step stool to help pull down the lever or hold the frothing pitcher, although we have to be careful around all that pressure and heat. No problems with "ouches" from an exposed boiler though...

PeaceCup

Thanks for your kind words. I too was hoping that the Smackdown would include the Export. But went ahead with my purchase based on theirs and Timo's evaluation on the Lusso and your experience with the Export.

I looked for used Exports for about 6 months and found about prof-stack's a little too late. I also think it is curious that little is heard of them. Maybe they are like as you infer, the espresso equivalent of the Energizer Bunny and "just keep on espressoing"?

It is wonderful that your 3 year old is able to enjoy "the coffee experience" with virgin cappacinos. My 9 year old is also helping me to pull shots. And for this I must agree the protected boiler is essential - another reason for my purchase.

Today I got some really good dark brown creama with 4 pulls from a double basket. Which quickly became two really nice cappacinos that left a loverly lingering mouth taste lasting at least 1/2 an hour

Thanks again
Geoffrey

Update on my Ponte Vecchio Export

As per the kind and detailed instructions from Joe at The Good Coffee Company (TGCC) I dismantled my machine to replace the broken sight glass lens. In doing so and during use I discovered many quality issues. They and their extent in my opinion are an indication of low quality manufacturing.

My findings, other user comments, and discussions with Joe lead me to suspect that the later machines may not be of the same quality as the earlier models. However, it is important to note that after fixing many of the problems with my machine that it functions well, pulling good shots (at least by my standards) and steaming milk very well.

I really appreciate the machine's very basic and simple design. It is quite elegant, certainly not sophisticated, yet very functional. I really enjoy using it but wish it had the quality in manufacture that I had expected.

Geoffrey

GB noted:

I really appreciate the machine's very basic and simple design. It is quite elegant, certainly not sophisticated, yet very functional. I really enjoy using it but wish it had the quality in manufacture that I had expected.

Have owned & used almost daily for ~3months the Ponte Vecchio Lusso 2 (PVL). In agreement with your statement quoted above. Not the beauty of an Elektra Micro Casa a Leva (MCaL) or the build quality of my old Isomac Tea E61/HX/vibe pumper. But its basic, simple design and ability to relatively easily pull consistent decent shots are its strengths. Plus the cost of the machine is relatively reasonable. Time will tell regarding the durability of this generation of PVL and Exports. In the USA market with the decreasing value of the US$ vs Euro, the cost of the PV machines will increase. With the increase cost PV will need to have improvement in overall quality in order to maintain & increase its market share.[/quote]