I remember seeing this machine on home barista several years ago. So when it came up for the sale on the bay I had to contact the seller and work out a deal. A month later and the machine was just pulled off the truck and is now sitting on my counter. This is my first ever lever machine and I'm happy to join the club!

To my knowledge this is an 80s Astoria Fiore set up to run off propane and 110v. I should have it set up with a flojet by the end of the weekend and pulling shots!!

Here is the original thread I saw this machine in. Patrick Andrews from blue copper coffee in SLC did all of the work, and was an amazing person to deal with, top notch.

Customized Vintage Astoria Lever!

And of course some pictures of my own.
Sent in an LM box.


Packaged well with zero signs of shipping damage.


Here it is sitting on its temporary home until we build the mobile cart it will go on. (This will be used for a mobile/pop up).



And a side view showing Patrick's awesome wood work.



I'll be updating this thread with some videos once I get her pulling some shots. I sure do love the steampunk vibe it has going on.

How exciting! Major congrats!!!!!!

Thanks Susan!! I'm beyond excited to join the LMWDP. Quite a machine to be my first ever lever. Figured it's best to do it right the first time. Sucks I have to wait till Sunday to get her up and running. It came sooner than I expected, only took 5 days to ship!

Now that is one cool tool!!

Can someone guide me on the best way to find the vintage of this machine?? It's pretty much new since it has been rebuilt but I'd like to know when it was manufactured. Would there be a stamp on the boiler? I didn't have the time to take off the sides and open it up today.

I think it's exciting to learn more about the history of your vintage machine, it's like a book unfolding, revealing a unique tale of a previous life. Was it ever used in a coffee shop?

bluesman wrote:Now that is one cool tool!!

Thanks David!!! I think it is one of the coolest "custom" jobs I've come across when it comes to espresso machines. I really can't wait to get it fired up. I'm waiting on a wand for my flojet still, the one that came with it was cracked.... Hopefully come Monday I'll be pulling shots.

LaCrema wrote:I think it's exciting to learn more about the history of your vintage machine, it's like a book unfolding, revealing a unique tale of a previous life. Was it ever used in a coffee shop?

I think so too! That's why I'm interested. I would really like to know what year it was made.

It was used by the seller briefly as a pop up/mobile machine but hasn't seen heavy use at all since the restoration/customization. The seller got rid of it only because his coffee shop found that training his employees to use a lever machine proficiently was more trouble than it was worth, they use lineas in their shop, so they replaced it with a GS/3.

I don't know where they got the machine before the customization; it's a question I will definitely ask. If you look at the thread in my first post you can see what the machine looked like originally. He did mention that it was from the 80s in that thread.

Hi. Congrats on being the winning buyer of this machine.
I saw this machine when a supplier of mine introduced me to Patrick and his roastery operation.
Patrick was a great guy and I have no reason to doubt anything he said about this machine.
I will say as an owner of an Astoria Sonia lever of similar vintage to yours, I have a couple of concerns about using his machine in a commercial environment, none of which should reflect poorly on Patrick or his great work:
Firstly, and this is a big one, the stainless steel backsplash was removed for aesthetic purposes. This is a critical food zone feature. Certainly the major modifications made to the machine's appearance will make it more difficult to comply with food safety zone regulations in your state/country and at least will nullify relevant CSA and other regulatory certifications.
Secondly is in regards to the propane gas system, I have gone to considerable effort to ensure that my propane conversions meet emissions standards that allow them to be run indoors/outdoors, including free-air CO measurements using expensive exhaust gas analysers.
I believe your primary point of contention in using this machine in a for-profit business will not necessarily be in intitial approval of the space and equipment used therein (though that may still be an issue), but in a successful insurance claim in the event of a disaster. If it is revealed by an investigation that the espresso machine received unauthorized modifications before or during its service life, and a fire or other disaster involving said machine occurred, you may be denied insurance coverage for damages. So please have an honest conversation with your insurance company about what you intend to do before you do it.

Hey there Dave! Thinks for the insightful information.

I am not quite sure what you mean about the stainless steel backsplash though? How would that make it hard to be used in a commercial environment concerning food safety? Sorry but I just don't follow.

As far as the propane aspect goes. I am not going to simply hook it up and go to town without having it checked out first and tested. For now I am going to be using the 110v only. I do know that Patrick used this machine in a commercial environment with no issues, and know of several people using machines very similar. I don't plan on ever running propane in doors, it seems to hazardous no matter how many safety precautions taken. Great info concerning the insurance and I will make sure I have that conversation with my provider.

I don't see there being an issue with getting this machine approved for commercial use and have talked it over with all the right people.