Buyer's Guide to the Elektra Semiautomatica - Page 5

by **miKe mcKoffee** on Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:38 am

RapidCoffee wrote:Jim, as I understand it, your heating element is on when you pull the shot (please correct me if I got this wrong). Mike, is that also the case with your Bric? Or does your heating element cycle off before you pull the shot? Cycle time must be pretty short on the Bric...
________
John

On at the start of the shot but yes the Bric's heater is so powerful it cycles back off during the shot. Be interesting to see how things change when the 0.05bar deadband Barksdale pstat gets here instead of the Mater.

by **another_jim** on Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:14 am

RapidCoffee wrote:Jim, as I understand it, your heating element is on when you pull the shot (please correct me if I got this wrong).

It stays on for the 75mL in 27 seconds or so measuring device I use; it goes off for the much lower flow ristretto singles I'm pulling. The heater is only 800 watts, and the HX is set up so inflowing cold water immediately affects the boiler's temperature -- this is actually a somewhat unusual setup for an HX machine. The basic technique of flushing until the boil stops, and then a few seconds more to modulate the shot temperature, applies to almost every HX machine. The added wrinkles are usually very machine dependent.

by **Ken Fox** on Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:57 am

another_jim wrote:It stays on for the 75mL in 27 seconds or so measuring device I use; it goes off for the much lower flow ristretto singles I'm pulling. The heater is only 800 watts, and the HX is set up so inflowing cold water immediately affects the boiler's temperature -- this is actually a somewhat unusual setup for an HX machine. The basic technique of flushing until the boil stops, and then a few seconds more to modulate the shot temperature, applies to almost every HX machine. The added wrinkles are usually very machine dependent.

This would be an issue if you lived at altitude. Where I live, water boils at around 94C, which would mean that a 203F shot would likely be unobtainable with such flushing. A Scace device, and probably also a PID, makes repeatable higher temperature shots, at about the desired temp but not burning the beans, possible at 6000 Feet. Simply NOT flushing wouldn't be a good idea as I have recorded very high Scace device temps with that approach.

ken
p.s. before someone unfamiliar with this topic comments, espresso is made under pressure in the PF, so the local boiling point, within reason, does not preclude espresso extraction at a somewhat higher temperature in the PF. By the time the espresso exits the PF, it will have cooled down below the local boiling point in most instances.

by HB on Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:19 pm

I've thoroughly enjoyed following Jim's insights on the Elektra Semiautomatica. With his permission, I've moved this thread into The Bench forum where it will be more easily accessible for future owners. Great work Jim!

by **another_jim** on Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:26 pm

Before I start posting the daily scores of the Tea versus Semi shootout (Chi-town HBers are welcome to visit anytime and sample), I'd like to answer a much more general question -- what class of espresso machine is this?

It's got an HX, it steams faster than any semi-commercial on the market, in the 10 second interval shots at the end of the WBC test, it doesn't conk out, instead it actually overheats unless flushed. Sound like a 150 pound commercial behemoth?

No. It's got a joke for a driptray, no water tap, it's only 10 inches round, has only 800 watts power, and weighs less than a Silvia. So, it's a home machine, right?

Wrong again. Imagine espresso machines were cars. They would go from subcompact little home machines to Mack truck 4 groupers. The Elektra Semi doesn't fit anywhere along this continuum, because it's a motorcycle. It's too light, too overpowered, too outrageous, and in need of delicate handling (you thought an e61 box gets hot?); but when it's right, the rush is unparalleled.

by **another_jim** on Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:16 pm

I've repaired the Tea and fired her up on the other counter (and 20 amp circuit). So now it's comparison time; anyone who wants can join me here in overheated chi-town.

The motorcycle analogy really came to me as I was doing these sides by sides. the Tea is big and solid, the knobs are big and easy to reach, it's easy to get the PF in and out. The Elektra requires a far more gentle touch, even the group bell is tighter and the PF needs to be inserted more carefully.

I'm keeping a log of the comparison shots. Today the Elektra came out on top, but it doesn't count, since my coffees and technique basically sucked. However, this thread is about unvarnished impressions, and I want to give people an idea of the frustrations of doing side by side machine tests, and why they so seldomly prove anything:

Tea versus Semi Shootout

Format: Pull simultaneous shots, and taste. Noted if done alone, or with other tasters.

Ranking systems, roughly equivalenced:
----------------------------------- SCAA WBC Verbal ----------------------------------- 80.0 1.0 Just Drinkable 82.5 2.0 Fair 85.0 3.0 Good 87.5 4.0 Very Good 90.0 4.5 Excellent 92.5 5.0 Godshot 95.0 5.5 Best Ever More 6.0 Died & in Heaven -----------------------------------

I'll use the WBC format, since it penalizes bad shots more, and correlates better to how I react to them.

Friday, 4 August

1. 2:30pm, ristretto doubles, houseblend, I'm pulling and tasting: Elektra is a little brighter and defined, Tea a little oilier, both blahish 2.5s. Improve guys, or I'm scrapping both of you! At least the grinder settings are close to the same.

2. 3:20pm, singles, Tea's a little longer than the Semi's, houseblend, I'm pulling and tasting, both are better, nigh indistinguishable, but still well short of the mark, 3s. I don't like how the Houseblend is tasting today, it's too soon after the roast and the aged Sumatra hasn't settled down yet. I'm switching to the remaining Redline.

3. 4:25, singles, both too fast, Redline, I'm pulling and tasting, Tea's a sinkshot, and Semi's a 1.5 or so. Will redo once my buds recover. Not a good espresso day for me.

4. 4:50, singles, Tea too fast despite grind adjustment, Semi in the zone, both cremas are too light. The Tea's tastes like generic classic cup, the Semi's like peaches turning to dust. The Redline is over the hill, alas. I can see why I never bothered with singles on the Tea, it doesn't respond to grind adjustments in a linear fashion; the Semi is much easier for singles, and showed up the not so great tastes in the coffee much better in this round. Tea 2.5, Semi 3.5.

5. 6:30, doubles, Tea is a ristretto, Semi is a semi ristretto, I'm pulling and tasting. Verona Blend from Classico (Jason Casale). I've given up on doing them simultaneously -- the machines are just different enough to confuse my motions. Elektra first, finally, a joyous shot! High quality, creamy Brazil with a pinch of central citrus, slightly spoiled by a hint of overextraction in the long aftertaste - 4.0. Tea second, mouthfeel oilier, clear but slightly rough flavors and aroma, finish has the wintergreen I'd noticed earlier, but with a lingering lemon peel, coffee oil on the palate - 2.5.

This is it for today; my conclusion as to the ratings -- the fault is at the other end of the portafilter. Hope I'm smoother tomorrow.

by **niad** on Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:10 pm

I was almost determined to buy a Micro Casa a Leva but after a bit of thinking and discussing with my wife AND after reading the review on Coffeegeek by Mark and also this thread i have changed my mind. I have talked with Espressocoffeeshop in Italy and i am now about to make an order in the middle of august for a semiauto Chrome.

The nice smooth portafilter handles is now standard as i get it, this was one of the things i wanted on my machine. I will also try to get the eagle on top with the wings bent downwards, i think it looks nicer.

Thanks for this thread, it has lead me on in the right direction for my purchase.

I hope everything is spelled right, i live in Sweden and we start to learn english in third grade but now i have been drinking Avery Barleywine Ale (from the states) during the afternoon so i might not be very sharp..........

Not the right place maybe but check out Avey Brewerys nice line of ales, i like the belgian style trappist monk ales best myself.

Coffee will come later on my Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic. I guess it will be deported to the cottage after i get the semiauto at home.

Cheers.

niklas
sweden

by **another_jim** on Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:41 pm

I got the double spout commercial Elektra PF with the smooth brown bakelite handle and logo on the neck. I've seen pictures with black handles too. The a Leva is beautiful, buit not an all-day machine; the Semi is.

I'll have to try "the Beast;" although it sounds more like beer trying to be wine.

by **another_jim** on Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:49 pm

I'm suspending comparison taste testing until I can do it with blind tasters. I spent today dialling in both machines very precisely, and learning how to do singles on the Tea (much tougher than the Semi). The result: I got shots that seemed a hair better from the Semi than the Tea. Given that this is exactly what I expect comparing a new to old toy; I think I'm tasting my biases, not the espresso.

Suffice it to say, the shots are in the same league, and a lot of testing would probably show the differences to be around 1/4 to 1/2 WBC point (1 or 2 SCAA points).

However, there is a big difference in the user experience of pulling shots:

-- At first the Elektra has the big advantage. One only needs to flush around 2 to 2.5 ounces, and there's no 10 second wait for the coffee to appear. The shot is off and running in an instant. On the Tea, it's 7 ounces flush, then the wait until the preinfusion winds up.

-- At the end, the Tea is the big winner, since one can clean everything into the monster drip tray. With the Elektra, the pf wriggle and brush needs to be done with a bowl underneath. More importantly, the machine is so pretty, I feel compelled to wipe everything off each time; the Tea gets a once a day shine.

by **another_jim** on Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:12 pm

I changed my mind on taste testing, since my houseblend finally hit its peak today and I got my singles mojo working on the Tea, so the comparisons were tastier, fairer and less costly on beans and tongue.

The best shot was the Elektra's at a nice 4.75 (about the limit for this blend); but the Tea, the machine the blend is made for, showed more consistent. Final score over 6 pairs of shots: 3.79 for the Elektra, 3.88 for the Tea, basically a tie given the intershot variations.


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