For home use a manual lever seems ultimate in concept for quality and flexibility without getting too pricey. The oly cremina being the best manual lever I know of. Jim Hoffmann did a recent blog entry on Pressure Profiling and referring some to spring levers. I can see where a multi-group spring levers made more sense in most commercial environments to save time than if they were manual. And the learning curve is easier with less human control. And I can see where pump machines replaced spring levers and why pump machine are now getting really complex and expensive. Personally, I have mixed feelings when I walk into a shop and see a new ultra super expensive pump machine. How did manual levers like Creminas and Europiccolas come about? I've never heard of any commercial manual levers. Is that truly the case? But now some shops are using time consuming manual pourovers for brewed. Yet I don't ever expect to see a new commercial build 1 or more group manual lever. But if there was I would most likely want it.

If you are looking for a commercial grade lever machine:
http://www.keesvanderwesten.com/mirage-...resso.html
Jeff

Doolittlej wrote:If you are looking for a commercial grade lever machine:
http://www.keesvanderwesten.com/mirage-...resso.html
Jeff

But it's a spring lever not a manual one. There are many commercial spring levers.

There is no way I would want to line up and make 500+ cups a day on a manual lever machine apart from the slow pace your knuckles would be dragging on the ground

TRying to make 2 shots, 3 lunches, 4 breakfasts and get out the door by 7:30 has taught me that in a busy place a spring lever really helps. I cannot imagine a commercial location that would want to hire a guy to hang off the lever all day. BTW part of my springless routine involves using my chin to push the lever down as I steam milk.

zubinpatrick wrote:BTW part of my springless routine involves using my chin to push the lever down as I steam milk.

I think we need a video of your espresso preparation routine.

beanflying wrote:There is no way I would want to line up and make 500+ cups a day on a manual lever machine

Hahahaha - I'd quit my first day!!!

KnowGood wrote:Hahahaha - I'd quit my first day!!

First time I fired up my Izzo commercially we did 20kg in a couple of days

but you had a spring didn't you Bean?

Having used spring levers and manual levers my feeling is spring is best. The manual control part is over-rated: as long as the grind and tamp are correct the pour will be good. A spring allows to to pull the lever and move on.


Having said that the caravel remains one of my favourite machines.