RTFM = read the official manual, right? Well, sometimes I do and sometimes not, especially when it comes to manuals from espresso manufacturers. As a general rule, they are devoid of useful information. Some of their awkward translations offer some humor but little else.

However there are exceptions. The manual accompanying the Olympia Cremina was excellent. I don't recall finding even one typo. Prose accompanying the Cimbali Junior was nearly as good and the technical diagrams in the appendix were interesting. Elektra's is similar to Cimbali's in that respect, but closer to Olympia's in its usefulness quotient. After my little mishap with the water pressure, I reasoned it might be prudent to search for other caveats.

It begins with the usual warnings to deter lawsuits ("After having unpacked the appliance, make sure it is intact." Good advice for the terminally inept). There were warnings for parents of young ones ("The packaging elements should not be left with reach of children since they are potential sources of danger"). By the fifth warning, I found my first violation: "do not operate the appliance barefoot." Well, the floors are wood, and the machine is grounded on a GFI circuit. What about "do not allow children or incompetent persons to use the appliance"? Oh well, one out of two...

In all seriousness, it was warning number 10 that I want to bring to your attention:

Do not obstruct the intake and outlet grilles. In particular do not cover the cup warmer with a cloth or such like. (sic)

The manufacturer is concerned about the interior components being subjected to excessive heat. And indeed I found that if I ignored their warning, the machine's exterior got hot. And not a little warm, I mean really, really hot. Fortunately the electronics are located underneath the driptray away from heat, however A3 owners should definitely heed the manufacturer's warning.

If I were keeping this machine, I would insulate the boiler. Elektra's cup warmer is great for a busy cafe, but the machine radiates considerable heat. I've read good things about ceramic fiber blanket insulation because it is easy to handle and form around irregular shapes (you can "stitch" together pieces around them).

The next section covered daily and weekly cleaning. I was heartened to see good advice on water treatment. Before the subsequent section, bold letters intoned:

The unit is to be flushed after 12 hours of inactivity.

It then details how to flush out the heat exchanger and boiler. You may be surprised by the amounts of water they recommend: one liter of water through the group and five 10-second draws through the water tap. I generally flush the boiler before shutting down, but followed their advice to see how much time it added to the beginning of my routine. After the second or third water tap draw, the boiler pressure was near bottoming out. Flushing water through the group didn't seem to appreciably affect the boiler pressure.

With the six liter boiler slightly over half-full, their advice is warranted, especially if you draw water for Americanos or tea. However, you'll need to plan a few minutes ahead to allow time for flushing and for the machine to then recover. My advice is to flush the group as they prescribe, but use the microwave to heat up water for drinking, and then flush the boiler before powering off for the day to keep the mineral content down.

Tim,

Below is a picture of the ceramic fiber blanket insulation I mentioned earlier:



Someone posted their neat insulating job of an Isomac Millennium boiler including the ends using this stuff on CG, but I was unable to refind it (there's this recent thread but that's not the one I'm looking for; pointers welcome). The big question is whether to insulate in-place by working around all the various fittings or remove the boiler so it's easy to cut and form the insulation to size. Nobody thrills to the idea of disassembling their brand spanking new machine, but that approach will lead to the best end result. If I were keeping this machine, I'd block out an afternoon and do it right.

As for the flushing prior to service, I believe the owner's manual was referring to a carbon filter system, not the Elektra. They're concerned that you'll fill the boiler and HX with a bunch of carbon dust and blame them for it.

Yes, that's it! Dan Bollinger sure did a nice insulating job.

Today was a good day for Team HB. Abe posted this stunningly beautiful pour:


It just doesn't get any better

Sorry gentlemen at espressoporn.com ("Espresso in the Nude"), but Abe really nailed the four-tamper espresso excitement award. It's 'back to school' time for all of us...

This weekend I was coming from a less than stellar two-week stint with my Elektra Microcasa a Leva, as documented in Barista Tips & Techniques. Not bad shots mind you, but nothing to write home about either. After playing with the Scace thermofilter a little yesterday to confirm my flushing routine (more on that later), I pulled several "competition worthy" espressos this morning. Sorry, no pictures! Like Abe's, the extraction held evenly and richly dark until the end (in all honesty, it wasn't perfect; the center was a teenie bit underextracted at the pour's onset). A true full two-ounce double, sumptuously luxurious crema, and well balanced.

I've not written the conclusion to the Elektra A3 review, but the words are forming in my mind. As is often the case, the first week's impressions are very close to the final assessment. Steve said it well back in late May:

srobinson wrote:I was extremely impressed with the mouthfeel of all 4 shots I pulled. I recall folks describing an all crema shot like drinking espresso chiffon, and this is exacty what my second shot compared to....simply amazing.

He would have really popped a gasket this morning, as the mouthfeel of today's espressos orbited well above the ones we sampled back then. I wonder if my two weeks of lever machine isolation paid off? Whatever the cause, I admit to being spoiled by the A3's continued impressive performance and ease of use. My excuse to Chris' Coffee for holding onto it another couple weeks is already drafted for this Friday.