doubleOsoul wrote:Talk about sick or bad ass... (maybe both), here's the newest addition to my lever family. A 1958 New (new - never used) Faema Urania complete with Faema labeled accessories (coffee scoop, tamper, wrench, 4 baskets, etc) and original Faema labeled paper bags. After a 3 year search for a 2 group lever, this is the unit I'll be using in my cafe this summer. Should be up and running in a month. There's a red glass disc that is a mystery to me so if anyone has a clue please feel free to share. The caravel might be dwarfed beside Miss Faema but she's no less magestic.
This Miss Urania - she sho' is purdy.

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Did you ever find out what the red glass disc was for ?
Could it be a red filter for a light bulb, to change the light in the machine ?

vberch wrote:Very nice Andreas!! How about a front shot of your beautiful La San Marco? It also looks like you added a new grinder and a vintage scale.

Thx Vlad!
Here a side view of the LSM Oympic, a Novi grinder together with another, a Casadio in the back!

Gorgeous, Andreas!! Thank you very much for sharing!

Very nice comparison, Turriga. Know that at least one of us understood the Porsche references. I sometimes compare old espresso machines to old Italian cars, as the panel fit on each is often so-so at best, the electrical components are often suspect, and the mating surfaces between the hardware components are often less than ideal. All of the above in comparison to German/Austrian design.

But like a classic Alfa Romeo, the sum of the Italian espresso machine is so much more than its parts. I drive an Alfa 75 daily and though it's far from being the best built car of its day, the overall driving experience surpasses many better built cars. I own three Italian cars, but if Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Mercedes AMG each produced a Lever machine, I'd want to try the Merc first.

Cmtwgr wrote:Did you ever find out what the red glass disc was for ?
Could it be a red filter for a light bulb, to change the light in the machine ?

Cmtwgr, I never did. I suspect the filter is for the light bulb too but hopefully once I get moved, I can reach out for some thoughts on it.

Cmtwgr wrote:I have to ask , how was the two machines compared in easy use ,and/or shoot taste

what about shoot volume ?

Hmm, I can't recall the volume of the shots of Strega. But these pull very loooong shots if you do not grab the cup away. Hmm, this video does not show this clearly at all
Strega got nice new home, as a follower of microcasa. The new owner noticed that Strega was far more difficult than MC to get nice shot -and I felt the same on Gloria after getting along nicely with Strega. But there is always the new car/new strange clutch -dilemma. But After one year I still thing Strega is easier, and better in taste than Gloria. That's why I speculate now and then changing twin spring combo to my Gloria. Gloria has one and quite a powerless spring.
And: I know everybody there has a cars as automatics

Hmm ,, quite a soup you have on top of your puck
AND the lever rises almost halfway up before it engages

from my Lusso , i get this when i grind to fine

the first water that enters the cylinder can due to steam push out some of the air, IF the grind is not to fine
then doing a quick Fellini , this steam will collapse and make room for more water during the Fellini

All this is making the lever engage at a point further down = with i higher brew pressure

at the end of the travel, the coarser grind will let the remaining air push out most of the water

by the way , i am in Denmark we drive mostly manual

Ps , could you do me a favor ?
I have to help with a Astoria one group
the lever is broken of, the threaded end is still sticking in the threaded hole
could you measure how deep this hole is drilled , and how big the hole is
then i would know how much i could remove without touching the original threading
maybe you could tell me the thread size and length on the original lever

the metal on the broken lever looks gray ,is the lever magnetic ? or something cast strange metal ?

Here is the broken part sticking in the lever mechanism
some did drill and threaded a tiny hole and planned to use that for the lever ,,oh my g,,

i have to get it out , but would like to know the size of that sticking part