. . . .what do you say?

Circumstances brought a busted old europiccola into my life, and having got it in great working order and jazzed it up with wood handles and all, I'm pretty attached to it. I also really like the fact that there's no meaningful warm-up period required. And I think the espresso is just somehow different, in a way I've come to really like.

The 'cons' are big and many. I went from a pump machine where it was practically science -- timers and gauges and scales and all that -- to this machine that I just kind of zen my way through. Making coffee for 4 people, or even 2, pretty much requires that you 'use the force' and guess about every step of the way. And the darn thing sneezes, or mine does anyhow, on every pull after the first one (unless I wait for the first shot to pretty much reach room temp before cracking the portafilter). All the stuff that the typical coffee geek worries about is ascertainable with my machine . . . we're out of the conversation on almost all the stuff those folks are interested in.

What's drawing you to lever machines?

bobby yarrow wrote:. . . .what do you say?
- to this machine that I just kind of zen my way through. Making coffee for 4 people, or even 2, pretty much requires that you 'use the force' and guess about every step of the way. And the darn thing sneezes, or mine does anyhow, on every pull after the first one (unless I wait for the first shot to pretty much reach room temp before cracking the portafilter). All the stuff that the typical coffee geek worries about is ascertainable with my machine . . . we're out of the conversation on almost all the stuff those folks are interested in.

What's drawing you to lever machines?

Like you say, Zen. For me, that is the major draw. I could probably form a soliloquy as to why I like it, but suffice it to say, I like the control, and I like to know that I am responsible for it. Every damn bit of it as I make my own blends, or SO's, roast my own and manually grind (I can all but feel if I am not grinding fine enough for a particular shot) Now, if the espresso from it sucked, that would be another story, but like you say, it is different, and I have actually started getting the clarity that Malachi speaks of. I will actually go a little further and say that it is simply damn good espresso. Like most people, it took me a little while to zero in on my lever. But now that I am there (after about a 3/4 of a year) I am virtually golden. The espresso is always full of crema, is silky smooth and just never bitter. And I can hit it shot after shot. And then it is all the little things - the quite, the look of the machine and the feeling I am truly involved in the process and that it would utterly not be possible without me.

Simply, I love the process and the espresso it produces. It is fulfilling on multiple levels.

Because some things in life are worth mastering and women think lever guys are sexier....enough said.

Because it takes a little science, a little skill, a little luck and a lot of love. It is more than a drink, it is 1.5 oz of my heart and sole.

And they look really cool

I was first tempted to say process that leads to a result. but the result is something in itself. I really like the process. It is one of the few things in 2006 that I don't hurry. It is something that I own. It harkens back to the old book series for me " Fox Fire". I know how to roast, grind, control a machine that results in something I enjoy. I strive to make it better, but i really am pretty forgiving because I love the process. My car, blackberry, computer, house don't fill this niche. It is me and a bean and a lever.

A quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. Where do you think that I have been?"
"A fixture also."
"On the contrary, I have been to Devonshire."
"In spirit?"
"Exactly. My body has remained in this armchair and has, I
regret to observe, consumed in my absence two large pots of
coffee and an incredible amount of tobacco..."

Espresso is transportation of the spirit. But don't take my word for it - roast some Yemen Moka over a fire, grind the beans with a finely-crafted hand grinder, and pull some shots on your lever machine....

Peace

PC

peacecup wrote:A quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. Where do you think that I have been?"
"A fixture also."
"On the contrary, I have been to Devonshire."
"In spirit?"
"Exactly. My body has remained in this armchair and has, I
regret to observe, consumed in my absence two large pots of
coffee and an incredible amount of tobacco..."

Peace,
I feel I must disagree with you. The quote in question is from Holmes talking to Dr Watson. Doyle was only the literary agent Watson used to publish The Hound of the Baskervilles.
A fellow Sherlockian,

bobby yarrow wrote:. . . .what do you say?

What's drawing you to lever machines?

For me it's just an excuse to put "LMWDP" on my resume . . .

More seriously, if I just pushed a button to get espresso I'd feel that it's more of an addiction then a culinary art!

Henry

hbuchtel wrote:...if I just pushed a button to get espresso I'd feel that it's more of an addiction then a culinary art!

The spurious distinction reminds me of the apocryphal story about Disraeli, though sometimes it's told with Churchill as the protagonist, whose punchline goes like this: "Madam, we've already established that fact. Now, we're haggling over the price."

Regards
Timo

timo888 wrote:The spurious distinction reminds me of the apocryphal story about Disraeli, though sometimes it's told with Churchill as the protagonist, whose punchline goes like this: "Madam, we've already established that fact. Now, we're haggling over the price."

Regards
Timo

I found lots of interesting reading while searching for the story (did you know the New Yorker is online? Archives! ) but not that particular one, mind posting a link?

Henry