drgary wrote:From that era it is probably dual switch high/low for fast heating, good shots, steaming. The old Microcimbali for all its corrosion problems brews and steams well.

But it's radically different from that old Microcimbali, isn't it? Where's the boiler?

The boiler is integral with the group like the MC and is where the sightglass is located. It looks like it has high/low switches on the base. It looks like a similar spring lever.

I would guess some machine makers "appropriated" designs from others in the same manner that some songwriters "appropriate" the lyrics and melodies from others.
That said, (and not familiar with the Cimbali mentioned) am I correct in assuming that, like certain grinders "rebadged" with the permission of the original manufacturer, this machine might have be so licensed? Seems like, in that case, you'd see MORE of them. I wonder if this was a "one-off?"

drgary wrote:The boiler is integral with the group like the MC and is where the sightglass is located.

They look utterly different to me, maybe I'm confused about something. To me, "Microcimbali" means like this -

... with the group in front of something I always imagined was a boiler. Compared to

It makes me think it is a double walled machine with the boiler inside the space between the piston sleeve and the external shell with sight glass.

The MC boiler is integral with the group and the sight glass opens into the boiler. I doubt this is double walled. Many machines of this type are cast in aluminum. Think of Kim, the Faemina (not aluminum) that probably inspired cheaper imitations, etc. Heating of home levers of that era that also steamed was typically high/low. New readers don't know it but I've restored a Microcimbali. The one shown above is the Microcimbali Liberty, which is pressurestat controlled but still has the corrosion prone boiler.

The unique heirloom we are being shown apparently has a steam tap and hot water tap, which is seen in some early home machines and can also serve to drain the boiler after use to slow down corrosion.

The lever length and long footprint suggest it has a powerful spring for a home lever. The cast aluminum body would provide good resistance to the pull.

I bet a quarter the levers are the same length. It's hard to get the scale, but it is a small machine.

I LOVE IT !

This machine is a kind of hybrid between the Microcimbali and the San Marco 'tipo famiglia'.

Never seen one like it before either... but I knew I already saw this brand somewhere: Chicobar is an Italian brand from Milan (Alfonso Bruni & C., 1956).



They also produced grinders (which is the subject of my last topic, that's why I noticed) and were the owner of the brands "Microbar", "Petronilla" and "Piccolo bar" (spéciale dédicace à Lucio ).