looks like a later one (one on the left at OE site/explanation) seems in decent shape...boiler screw messed up. Just wondering what it's worth. May pick it up for a friend. Are the seals etc still available? Oh yeah, and most importantly do these make a decent shot?

I don't know what a boiler screw is, are you referring to the center post that secures the lid? Anyhow, these are pretty nice because they function as either gravity fed or pressure fed. The espresso is very good. No thermostatic measurement but you can do it by sound and feel. Steaming ain't so great. This really is a precursor to the Peppina. Orphan has seals, and the work is a challenge. Very good espresso and a nice conversation piece.

You need to have a good seal from the lid in order for the preinfusion mechanism to work properly.

by boiler screw I mean the cap mechanism that screws the boiler down....it's a bit buggered but the actual threaded shaft in the boiler and the screw itself are fine. Anyhow what I am looking for is ball park values. I may want to buy this, fix it and give it to a friend as a present, so would like to have some idea. From my research it seems a bunch of you have found these for $5 at garage sales etc....this is in a concession antique shop. Apparently the owner wants $350 for it. Not sure I want to spend that plus seals etc....but if someone could give my a clue as to value. For instance I would not buy a broken Pavoni for 350 as after the seals etc I would be able to buy a new one for $500.

Actually, if the heating element works $350 sounds like a fair if low price. It's a very rare machine. You can't turn around and buy these anywhere.

The shop at the corner of Jean Talon and the Main (in Montreal) has one that he has refurbed. He wants $800 for it. So $350 really doesn't sound too bad. I spent 15 minutes talking to him about it on Saturday -- in the usual Montreal mix of Italian, French and English ("funzione perfettamente, mais elle a 50 ans.")

yeah I've talked to the old man before. If he wants $800 that is probably blue book on it. That guy never lets anything go for less than full market value.

At home I am now using a Faemina. I was lucky to find it in Italy and paid 60 euro. It was missing a portafilter so I cast a few in bronze and used a basket from a Capaccino amore.

What a great machine. Large volume basket so that I can make two decent shots at once for my wife and I in the morning. Strong spring. Cool site level glass. I was able to get many parts needed at Orphanespresso. For me the steaming has been fine. Definitely strong enough. Though less strong than my Elektra and stronger than the Europiccola. The Faemina also has a low profile and fits under my cabinets with ease. With the Elektra I had to move it around to open doors..

This machine requires a bit of temperature surfing. The group is attached directly to the tank so it heats up fast and can overheat when using it as a steam machine. I would not like to use this machine if I needed to make a few coffees in a row with steaming. As a gravity fed machine I guess you can control the heat better but we like to steam milk so I have not tried it yet. Another thing worth mentioning, One can assist the spring (pushing up on the lever) if the ground coffee was too fine or the tamp too hard or both. We use a Zassenhaus for the grind.

As for the price. 350.00 sounds like a good value with a working element, as stated before. Mine had the same type of problem with the cap but with a bit of tinkering I ot it working again. All the other parts are easily found. I also use a transformer to get the 220 heating element to heat quickly.

If you do tinker though, make sure the cap threads into the standing rod (in the the boiler) tight and with many threads/turns. You don't want it to accidentally open while you are using it or if you accidentally turn the cap for steaming instead of the steam knob. It does happen at least to me.

Definitely my favorite machine to use at home!