Hi - I am a new user on this forum.I have just collected an Arrarex Caravel - according to the seller it has almost not been used. He has been selling espresso machines for decades and the machine was part of his personal espresso museum. Fell for the look of the machine and afterwards found out it is a classic.

It is the grey model with thermostat on the back and a ship on the side.

I hope you guys can help me out a little her.

- If the guy is telling the truth -then the machine has not been used in like 30-50 years - and maybe never. What should I do to the seals before use? (I do not have the 111 stuff I read about elsewhere in this forum)
The piston has 2 U seals and there is a small o-ring seal inside the piston. And a hard Portafilter gasket.

- How tight does the seals go when in working condition? If i push the lever down, and close the two holes where the espresso should be coming out if I had water in the tank, I cant build up tight air preassure when lowering the handle. Should airpreassure build up in that situation?
(Just tried with boiling water and regular coffea - preassure could be built up and coffea came out - no crema though - guess because regular coffea used?)

- Should the thermostat button also work as on/off button? I can turn the button and push it, however it does not turn the heater and light off (The red light is on and the heating element is heating up regardless how i turn and/or push the button)

Great forum! Your replies appreciated

Kim

From what you write it seems to be working OK. Try it with some finely ground fresh-ground fresh beans.

It sounds as if you have the model with the tank release knob higher up on the back and the thermostat knob towards the bottom. If that's the case there is no on/off switch. You either unplug it or fit a bedside-light-type inline light switch in the power cord.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers

Mike

Yes - that is exactly the model.
I did my first real pull with fresh-ground beans this morning - result was great
(I raided an espresso bar on the way home with the caravel - they claimed the beans were roasted by some world champ roaster.....and gave in when they heard about the machine - they dont sell beans normally)
Nice crema - will be better after in-house boot-camp this weekend.

I lubed the seals with vegetable oil over night just to do something and have found a few danish dealers of dow 111 (also called molykote 111 here) so will try to order some of that. The seal is good though - preassure is fine. I seriously think this is a virgin caravel.

While playing with her around midnight (OK you know what I mean....) I could not get her thermostat to kick in - kept boiling away. I did not fill the kettle all the way up and as I see it, the thermostat gets its input from the top of the kettle. Right? Is it likely the thermostat will work if I fill it higher?

Or is there somewhere else I can adjust? (Have seen a few other threads about thermostats but the pictures of the thermostats there is not the same as the one on mine)

Thanks for the replies!
Kim

I find that various aspects of the Caravel work beter with a full-ish kettle, especially even filling of the water into cylinder without having to pump it before a pull. I had assumed it would also make a difference to thermostat performance on my older caravel, but it doesn't really seem to make much if any at all.

What happens with the thermostat knob screwed out as far as it will go? That should be counter-clockwise on yours..... Does that water still come to a boil?

Both my Caravels seemed relatively unused....

Cheers

Mike

michaelbenis wrote:I find that various aspects of the Caravel work beter with a full-ish kettle, especially even filling of the water into cylinder without having to pump it before a pull. I had assumed it would also make a difference to thermostat performance on my older caravel, but it doesn't really seem to make much if any at all.

What happens with the thermostat knob screwed out as far as it will go? That should be counter-clockwise on yours..... Does that water still come to a boil?

Both my Caravels seemed relatively unused....

Cheers

Mike

If I screw out the thermostat knob as far as it will go - the water stille come to a boil. No matter which setting the thermostat knob is in - the water boils - continously. I know that I can just unplug the machine - but have to admit I am quite autistic about machines - they have to work as designed

I guess it is a bimetal themostat and there must be a way to adjust it?

Do you know why the thermostat knob can also be pushed in? (And comes out again automatically)

Hi Kit.

Basically the screw just lets the bimetal strip move back further and screws into it, so that pushing on it presses the bimetal strip back in. I have found that's the way most of these were set up, including on old clothes irons etc. It's handy on the Caravel because you can just hold it in for a while if the water has cooled a bit more than you want.

Are you sure the bimetal strip on yours is spring back all the way and that the mountings are tight?

Cheers

Mike

michaelbenis wrote:Are you sure the bimetal strip on yours is spring back all the way and that the mountings are tight?

Mike

Hi Mike,
to be honest I am not sure what you mean.... Would you happen to have a picture of what to look for? (Both the strip thing and the mountings...)

I have enclosed a very bad cellphone picture of the inside of mine seen from buttom and up

Cheers
Kim

Sory I can't get away from my desk today. The photo looks fine. Basicall, - and it's easy to check as a first step - if you srew the thermostat knob all the way out is the bimetal strip moving all the way out with it or stopping before?

I think I got it - there are two screwable parts on the thermostat knob - i managed to screw the part closest to the machine and that (and fiddeling with the two little screws that levers? the heating element) made it work. Sort of....
It is not consistent - it depends on how exactly i place the kettle -it can move a few milimeters and that is enough to change the thermostat setting. Probably not gonna use it as not consistent - but fine to use it as on/off button.

During my initial checking out the machine i removed the filter that sits with the portafilter gasket(What is this filter called?) - and put it back. Today i did it again - and this time I put the filter in the correct way I am out of espresso coffe - cant wait to get a package to test how the caravel works with the filter fitted correctly ......

I could not get the basket out of the PF - the "very thin tool" trick did not work and I almost gave up on it.
What did work was to push a very small philips screwdriver up the two holes towards the basket. Simple and effectively the basket came off.

Glad to hear you've got things working. A little more ifddling and you wil probably get something you are haoppy with.

There's also another Caravel thermostat thread that may be helpful. Particularly the pics of the older one. The comments about the influence of the on/off switch only half apply to yours because you obviously haven't got one (but you've got nicer build quality on yours) . However the business about the lower screw may be useful, also showing how you don;t have to remove the element mounting tray to fiddle.

That said, I doubt you will need this. It sounds as if you have enough range of adjustment with the knob.

The Caravel thermostat is hardly a precision device, but I find it works well enough if I time my grinding, filling tamping routine from just after it has switched out at a rolling boil...

Cheers

Mike

Welcome to the Nordic Caravel Club (2 members).

1) Just let the machine boil, and wait till it cools to 203-199 F (you'll need to do the math to convert to C). 2) Then pull a blank shot through the PF to warm it, and pull your shot.

For faster service turn the machine off at 204, and follow step 2.

The main thing is good freshly-ground beans. If you can't find good local roasts I've had goo luck with Musetti, Molinari, and Cafe August commercial Italian roasts, provided they maintain the factory seal on the bag when you get them.

PC