This evening I decided to take a few measurements. I wanted to get the double basket capacity, physical dimensions and the amount of water dispensed with one pull.

I started with the basket volume, and was surprised at the consistency of the basket volume. While the Elektra uses a 49mm basket and the Gaggia Factory (La Pavoni pro 16) uses a 51mm basket the volume was very close. I used the same grind, overfilled the double basket and leveled off the basket with no down pressure. The Gaggia Factory weighed out at 12.8, 13.2, 13.2, 13.3 grams which averages out to 13.12 grams. The smaller diameter, but deeper, Elektra basket weighed out at 12.7, 13, 12.7, 13 grams. That averages out to 12.85 grams. So both machines double baskets are within 0.27 grams. I also checked the basket on the Gaggia Achille. The Achille uses a 58mm basket and weighed in at 15.5 gram dose.

I also wanted to check the volume of water dispensed with one lever pull. I adjusted both the Elektra and the Gaggia Factory to one bar of boiler pressure. I dosed the baskets as stated above. I used a 4 second preinfusion before I pulled, or released the lever. Both the Elektra and Gaggia Factory dispensed one ounce of espresso. I did not have the Achille hooked up so I did not measure it.

To finish things up, I got out the calipers to measure the baskets inner diameter and overall length of all three baskets. The Factory measured 51.6mm inner diameter and overall length (bottom of basket to top of lip) was 24.7mm. The Elektra basket had an ID of 49.57mm and an overall length of 25.4mm. Last was the Gaggia Achille which came in at 58.7 OD and overall length of 24.1mm. Both the Elektra and Factory baskets are straight sided, the Gaggia Achille uses a standard Faema style double basket which tapers in at the base.

So what did all of this measuring reveal? While the Elektra and Factory have different sized groups, the actual basket volume is very close and both machines dispense the same amount of espresso with a single pull of the lever.

HB wrote:... this weekend I pulled lots of Paradise Roasters' Espresso Havana:

Vibiemme Domobar Super:
Rich, thick crema with deep tobacco flavors. ...

Ponte Vecchio Lusso:
Surprising front brightness with tobacco finish...

... Paradise Roasters' describes Havana Espresso as "Deep and smokey - a heavy bodied espresso that can stand up to milk or a fine cigar"

With all that tobacco in the espresso itself, who needs the cigar!

HB wrote: Espresso Havana morphed under the influence of the spring-powered lever, becoming a brighter, fruitier blend with subdued tobacco notes. That is, a darker roasted coffee that I'd expect to have less varietal characteristics brewed more like its lighter roasted counterpart. ...

This jibes with my experience at the very low end of the brew pressure continuum, when pulling gentle (very easy on the lever) lungo S.O. shots on the Caravel. The lower the brew pressure, and the piu lungo the extraction, the more pronounced the varietal flavors become.... the cup loses in body but gains in expression of varietal flavors.

Regards
Timo

HB wrote:Narc comments above that "So far, the [Lusso and Microcasa] are pulling distinctly different types of espresso," but that wasn't my experience. It's trickier to compare them head-to-head because the Microcasa's brew temperature is a moving target.

I'm still pulling "distinctly different types of espresso" with these two machines. Pre-infusion (4sec), release lever, when 1st drops appear pull the lever gently down, release. Total volumes are similar. Total extraction times are similar. Grinder at set level. PVL tamped at ~#15, MCaL at ~#30. Significantly more headspace in the MCaL basket. PVL boiler pressure 0.95 to 1.05 bars, MCaL boiler pressure 1.0 to 1.2 bars. Will be dropping the MCaL boiler pressure down to 0.8-1.0 bars.

The espresso from the MCaL looks, feels in mouth & taste to me significantly different. Crema has more speckle & mottling, less in volume, less dense/creamy mouth feel than the PVL. My perception of the MCaL espresso taste is a brighter character with more distinction vs. the PVL espresso as more heavier, fuller but with less distinct character.

With all the variables I'm assuming that the differences in espresso is more due to operator than machine. That said, I'm beginning to feel that these machines do pull different types of espresso. How distinctly different is probably due to the person pulling the shots & a little luck. Life & espresso would be boring if it was a constant predictable replication of itself.

Any data available yet on the spring pressure gradient?

narc wrote:Total volumes are similar. Total extraction times are similar. Grinder at set level. PVL tamped at ~#15, MCaL at ~#30. Significantly more headspace in the MCaL basket. PVL boiler pressure 0.95 to 1.05 bars, MCaL boiler pressure 1.0 to 1.2 bars. Will be dropping the MCaL boiler pressure down to 0.8-1.0 bars.

You can get different shots from, say, the Cremina, merely by changing the shape of the single basket, with all other variables the same: dose, tamp, grind, roast. So, when you say you're tamping twice as hard on the MCal as you are on the Lusso and that their pstats are set differently, you are not really comparing apples to apples... not that you ever could when the machines have such radically different temperature-management designs. But pstat setting, tamping force (different here to compensate for some differences in the machine), basket shape/height-to-width-ratios, are hardly insignificant variables.

Regards
Timo

narc wrote:Any data available yet on the spring pressure gradient?

The pressure gradient is linear with volume on the Lusso. It takes 2 pulls to pour a shot of around 3/4 ounce, the way I 've been doing it. I'm not letting the first pull go to completion so that the cake doesn't get so riled up when I recock the lever. So the profile is a sawtooth with two teeth. Max pressure is around 100 psi or a little less. Min pressure is 50 or a little less.

-Greg

narc wrote:
The espresso from the MCaL looks, feels in mouth & taste to me significantly different. Crema has more speckle & mottling, less in volume, less dense/creamy mouth feel than the PVL. My perception of the MCaL espresso taste is a brighter character with more distinction vs. the PVL espresso as more heavier, fuller but with less distinct character.

I should prolly report what I've been up to the last day or so WRT 2-group Lusso testing. Fundamentally I really hate the fact that I have to use two pulls in order to produce a larger than microscopic shot. Since I'm pulling shots with a nekkid portafilter I can see how the second pull disrupts the coffee cake if I'm not careful. But I've gotten the hang of it, I'm getting reasonable reproducibility, and I'm quite fond of the shots I'm getting. As Narc posted, the shots are very creamy. I find them smooth, and generally sweet. On the other hand a lot of the flavors that are present in the Marzocco shots are diminished in the Lusso's more chocolatey, less distinctive flavor. That's good if the flavors are excessively bright or metallic. I think the Lusso is more tolerant of bright coffees than the Marzocco for sure.


The pressure values that I obtained over the last weekend weren't all that surprising considering how coarse of a grind I needed to use with the Lusso compared to the Marzocco. In order to get both machines more on the same page, I reprogrammed the marzocco's pump on Monday to produce a linearly declining pressure profile, with maximum pressure of 100 psi (measured with a scace 2) and minimum of 50 psi. The pre-infusion was 2 secs at about 30 psi, with a second order (concave up) pressure rise to max pressure taking place over 3 seconds. These values are substantially lower than the 135 psi to 90 psi that i was using, and the shape of the decline is different as well - straight line with increasing time, rather than curved. Shots brewed at these pressure were more similar to the Lusso's. They were somewhat sweeter, but the brighter notes were more muted. I don't have all of the puzzle pieces yet. I still haven't gotten temperature data, and the basket shape has to have some effect. I like the shots brewed from the marzocco at these relatively low pressures. For a while now I've thought that Illy and whoever's canonical 9 bar optimum pressure didn't really hold up to scrutiny because there's no supporting documentation on how the 9 bars gets measured. If measured under conditions of no liquid flow, such as when one uses a pressure gauge mounted to a blind filter basket, the real brewing pressure is over-predicted. The amount of over-prediction varies from around 3/4 bar to as much as 4 bars, depending on the machine layout and pump used. Pressure drop in pump-driven espresso machines is due to friction losses in tubing / plumbing, and restrictions that are created by group solenoids, group passages, gicleurs, etc. Since lever machines have much fewer impediments to fluid flow between the spring-actuated piston immediately above the coffee, as compared to a pump machine, I would expect that the Lusso's relatively modest brew pressures are within reason. Certainly my taste buds think so, and I'm trying to duplicate some of the Lusso's flavor profile in the Marzocco, rather than the other way around.

This AM, I reprogrammed the Marzocco's pump again, using the same maximum and minimum pressures, but changing the shape of the pressure declination. Today's profile has relatively higher pressure than the Lusso in the second third of the extraction, but relatively less pressure than the Lusso in the last third. I came away from this AM's caffeinated tongue thrashing with the sense that the non-linear pressure reduction added some flavor nuance, but I'm not entirely sure if it's better or not. I'll have to go back and forth a bit to see which I prefer.

My opinion of the Lusso right now is that one shouldn't get too hung up on the double pull thing. It's only a big deal if you absolutely have to have big shot volumes. If, on the other hand you're flexible and observant, you can get some pretty killer coffee for your 1100 bucks. The Lusso is very tolerant of coffee. Brightness and distinct flavors are diminished compared to my benchmark machinery. Whether or not that is your cup of coffee is up to you.

-Greg

gscace wrote:For a while now I've thought that Illy and whoever's canonical 9 bar optimum pressure didn't really hold up to scrutiny because there's no supporting documentation on how the 9 bars gets measured.

Right on brother!

Fundamentally I really hate the fact that I have to use two pulls in order to produce a larger than microscopic shot.

I did too for a while, but now I just go with the flow. I'm not using the naked PF, but its gotten much easier for me take two or more pulls without causing the puck to be disturbed (at least by looking at it afterwards).

If, on the other hand you're flexible and observant, you can get some pretty killer coffee for your 1100 bucks.

Right on brother (I might add that the Export, which shares the same group, can be had for ~$500).

PC

peacecup wrote:

gscace wrote:For a while now I've thought that Illy and whoever's canonical 9 bar optimum pressure didn't really hold up to scrutiny because there's no supporting documentation on how the 9 bars gets measured.

Right on brother!

Let's not dis the good Illy. In The Chemistry of Quality :

Volume: 25-30ml
Ground coffee portion: 6.5 ± 1.5g
Water temperature: 90 ± 5° C
Inlet water pressure: 9 ± 2 bar
Percolation time: 30 ± 5 seconds

gscace wrote: I really hate the fact that I have to use two pulls in order to produce a larger than microscopic shot.

Microscopic Hyperbole, from a scientist

Regards
Timo

timo888 wrote:Microscopic Hyperbole, from a scientist

Regards
Timo

+- 2. Aha! Sorry Mr. Illy. FWIW 7 bars is roughly 101.5 psi, which the Lusso barely reaches at full pressure.

-Greg

timo888 wrote:Inlet water pressure: 9 ± 2 bar

But it also says inlet pressure, where is the inlet? That could make a big difference. As you noted pressure drops as you snake your way through the inner workings so if the inlet measurement is just after the pump, the group pressure could be a bar or two lower at the puck.

gscace wrote:FWIW 7 bars is roughly 101.5 psi, which the Lusso barely reaches at full pressure.

I prefer to say, "The Lusso is a reliable machine that never exceeds its target inlet pressure of 7 bars ..."

Then the ad-man jumps in and adds, "So say goodbye to overextraction!"

Regards
Timo

cannonfodder wrote:But it also says inlet pressure, where is the inlet? That could make a big difference. ... pressure drops as you snake your way through the inner workings so if the inlet measurement is just after the pump, the group pressure could be a bar or two lower at the puck.

In the case of those levers that have a piston directly above the dispersion screen, I would expect the inlet to be located at the egress side of the dispersion screen, directly above the ground coffee. With this kind of design, there is no loss attributable to "snaking".

Illy's multivariable equation for brew pressure in a percolation scenario takes into account, IIRC, the loss of pressure caused by the liquid exiting "the deformable medium" (i.e. exiting the ground coffee and flowing into the cup). The more densely packed the ground coffee, and/or the greater the swelling of the coffee grounds because of hydrostatic pressure, and the taller the medium column, the more gradual the loss of pressure (assuming, of course, that no channeling occurs).

I've noted it before, but it bears repeating: Illy has a great little sidebar in the discussion of pressure, where the ancient technique for quarrying slabs of stone is used to underscore the importance of hydrostatic pressure during preinfusion. The Romans would drive dry wooden pegs into holes that had been bored into the stone, and then pour water onto the pegs. As the cells in the wood absorbed the water, the hydrostatic pressure would cause the stone to split apart. The lessons the barista may learn from the ancients:

the preinfusion, during which the coffee grains absorb water and hydrostatic pressure is building up, has significant effect upon the brew pressure and thus upon the extraction

a proper preinfusion can help to prevent channeling as the grains swell against each other and against the walls of the basket

a lighter tamp with an adequate preinfusion is more likely to yield a better extraction than a heavy tamp with an inadequate preinfusion

Regards
Timo

timo888 wrote:a lighter tamp with an adequate preinfusion is more likely to yield a better extraction than a heavy tamp with an inadequate preinfusion

i.e. do it right and it tastes good, do it wrong and it tastes bad.

cannonfodder wrote:i.e. do it right and it tastes good, do it wrong and it tastes bad.

But a tad more specific about the what and the why of it ....

I have gotten to spend a couple of quality weeks with the Elektra Microcasa Leva and it has been an interesting trip so far. I have always had a thing for Elektra espresso machines, they are simply the best looking machine on the market in my humble opinion. But looks don't make espresso, thankfully they have gotten that part right as well.

The Leva has an exposed brass (which has been plated) boiler that holds around 0.8 liters. The boiler is filled via a hole in the top of the boiler that is located under the brass eagle topped chrome dome. The Leva also has a vacuum breaker located on top of the boiler. Other lever machines have the vacuum breaker integrated in the boiler cap. When the breaker goes bad or starts to stick you must replace the entire boiler cap. On the Elektra you can simply replace the vacuum breaker which appears to be a relatively standard sized breaker available from almost every espresso machine vendor. The boiler dome has 4 holes in it to allow steam to escape be it from the vacuum breaker or dribbles from filling the boiler. That helps prevent the top from rusting.


The Leva is equipped with a glass water level sight glass on the left side of the boiler. The sight glass is also topped with a boiler pressure gauge. You will want to watch your water level while using the machine. The small 0.8 liter boiler will run out of water relatively fast. The water level will also affect the steaming ability of the machine. If you go beyond three quarters full the steam tends to get a little wet. The reduced headspace in the boiler produces a higher velocity steam but with less quantity. A lower water level will provide a higher volume of steam but will less velocity. It is a bit of a balancing act but regardless of the water lever there is ample steam for 6 ounces of milk. More on steaming a little later.


The inner workings of the machine are housed in the base of the machine. Now here is where one of the stand out points of the Elektra. The base of the machine is large when compared to many home lever machines. It measures a full 10 inches across and two and a half inches thick. This provides a very stable platform to work from. Housed inside that base are the adjustable pressurestat and electrical workings of the machine. To gain access to the inner workings you must remove a Phillips head screw which is located under the drip tray, then pull the plastic base off of the pedestal.


That's one of my pet peeves about most lever machines: Why do they insist on putting a screw under the drip tray? Any liquid that gets spilt on the base will end up under that drip tray. Most drip trays on these machines are small, and the drip tray on the Leva is particularly small. You most certainly will overflow it one day. Then all that water will end up under the drip tray. Once there, it will find its way around that screw and into the base of the machine. Once in there, the machine will slowly rust from the inside out. It would be nice if the screw was relocated to a non water prone location, like under the machine or behind the boiler. The other option is to create the base from a non rusting metal like stainless (such as the Gaggia Achille) or giving it a corrosion resistant coating, but I digress.

Included with the Microcasa is a portafilter, double basket, single basket and plastic tamper. The portafilter is 49mm and surprisingly, the tamper is around 49mm as well! The fit is a little loose; I would guess 47-48mm but close enough to work reasonable well. Anyone that has purchased an espresso machine knows how useless most included tampers are, here is a pleasant exception. That made me happy, because I do not have a 49mm tamper in my lineup. The double basket will hold 15 grams of coffee if filled to the top of the rim, I have not measured the single basket.


Now onto the business end of the Microcasa, the group and lever. The Microcasa Leva uses a spring assisted lever. The user must depress the lever to cock the spring and fill the piston chamber with water. Once released the piston will lower under spring pressure and extract your espresso. A caution, don't forget that without coffee in the basket, the lever will raise at an alarming rate. This is a point that the Leva would be happy to remind you of by breaking your jaw or nose when the lever flips up.

The Microcasa heats quickly and requires very little warm-up time. Once the machine has come to temperature, it needs another 3-5 minutes to warm the group and then you are ready to pull your shots. If you get side tracked and leave the machine on for a half hour you will need to turn it off and let it cool for an hour or two. The machine will overheat if left on for an extended period.

The grouphead is bolted directly to the boiler so over time, heat leaches into the group. Since the Elektra requires positive pressure to push water from the boiler to the brew chamber the machine must run at higher than brew temperatures. When the lever is raised the steam pressure in the boiler pushes water into the group. The water is well above the target temperature range of 195-2005F, that is where the mass of the group comes into play. The grouphead acts like a large heat sink and draws heat from the water.

I have played around with dosing in the double basket. I consider the maximum dose to be 15 grams, not because the puck bottoms out against the shower screen but because to go beyond a 15 gram dose you will have fill the basket to the rim, do a partial tamp then add more coffee. As with most espresso machines, there is a sweet spot for dosing and the Elektra is no exception. Now that spot moves depending on the coffee you use, but I find that between 11 and 9 grams are the best target points.

A 10 gram dose is a good starting point and what I usually use when using the double basket. 10 grams is just a little below the rim of the basket. With a little practice, you will be able to dose very accurately based on volume. I can live with that.


Once tamped the basket is around half full.


Now there are as many ways to pull the lever as there are baristas. Some pull down the lever, hold, release, re-cock, release, others pump the lever several times. Me, I just go with one lever stroke with a 4-5 second preinfuse. That gives me a about one ounce of espresso. Now I know that sounds like not much and we are using a double basket, but that is only 10 grams of coffee in that double basket which in on par with a single shot.

I have tried re-cocking the lever but have never gotten any decent results. Even with a very gentle re-cock after the first drops appear I get a poor quality drink. The shot flows fast and goes very blond. I am sure there are others that get good results from a multi pull but I do not. These machines are about quality not quantity and to that end I am perfectly happy with a one ounce drink. If you want larger, than get a pump or a commercial 58mm lever.

Tuesday I got a care package from Counter Culture Coffee. I received a pound each of the Twin Cities Express, La Forza and Toscano. I decided to heat up the Elektra A3 and pull a shot of the Toscano as a benchmark for tasting. It was a good looking shot but the coffee needed another day or two to degas. So while it looked wonderful, it tasted like baking soda. So a little heads up for others, Toscano needs 5-6 days rest before using it.


So today I made a few fine adjustments to the grind and ran a few shots through the Microcasa Leva. I was getting a nice creamy and nutty cup with a little chocolate in the finish from the Leva. I had to watch my temperature management. If I let the machine heat more than a few moments I started to get a bitter note in the finish from the hot shot. Again, I would lower the lever until water started to flow from the group then lower the lever until it stopped. Then I lock in the portafilter, gently raise the lever and hold the lever for 5 seconds. That allows the piston to fill with water and the puck to partially infuse with water. Then I let go and watch the love come forth.



The shots from the Leva are different. They are lighter in body and crema but brighter and cleaner in taste than most pump machines. The shots tend to be a little paler than those from a pump machine or a manual lever where you can generate more extraction pressure. The cups are more of a press pot/espresso fusion than your typical syrupy shot that a pump machine produces. One is not better than the other, simply different. But if you are thinking of purchasing a Microcasa Leva you may want to keep that in mind.

Frothing with the Leva is very easy. The steam wand is fixed so wherever you position it when you attach it to the valve is where it stays. The steam wand on the right side of the machine and positioned far enough from the boiler to allow sufficient maneuvering room. The steam valve is a quarter turn assembly and uses a plastic knob to prevent it from burning your fingers. The small 4 hole steam tip will easily produce microfoam with just a little practice and the boiler has plenty of steam to froth enough milk for one or two drinks.



I still a little more learning to do but I believe I have a solid grasp of the machine. While the shot volume may be small the quality is good. The cup is very different than most espresso machines so you have to keep that in mind when contemplating a purchase. For a home machine that is tuned to produce three or four espressos at a time (more than that and it overheats) it is a nice machine and a darn good looker.

Dave,

As an experienced Microcasa a Leva user I find your review very accurate, insightful and helpful for those considering acquiring one. A few observations. My Microcasa takes 13 minutes from start to ready(when the heating light goes out). Your observation that temperature must be monitored is very accurate. It is also very manageable for 3-4 shots. I start making espresso immediately when the machine is hot. I do pull some water through the group to heat it.

Your dosing with 9-10g is also my practice. However, I always use the single basket and use 9g or slightly under depending on the roast used. With the same dose in the single obviously a less find grind or a lighter tamp is i order.

I am also a single-pull espresso maker. I tend to use a 10-sec pre-infusion and get my best shots when I get a drop or three at 10 sec. I also get the best taste when the single rise of the lever happens in 25-30 sec.

Your point that the Microcasa makes a different taste is immensely important. It is my experience that no pump or manual lever can make an espresso that tastes the same as the Microcasa and the Microcasa cannot make an espresso that tastes like a pump machine espresso or even a manual lever espresso. Where this taste difference comes out the most for me is with SO espresso. Your tests are with the high-end commercial blends with which I have only limited experience. My own experience is that some SO's taste best in the Microcasa and some I much prefer in my manual lever.

KS

Thank you Dave.

One correction: The steam wand has three holes, not four, and they are arranged in a fairly tight dispersion pattern. I think this hole pattern helps explain its steaming acumen, but I'm not sure why.

I have adopted the short (3-4 second) preinfusion that you use, and for good, I think. My results have been great.

gscace wrote:The piston displacement of the Lusso's lever group is pretty small. .... the displacement is too small to pull a double shot with one pull of the lever,... You have to resign yourself to recocking the lever if you want a ¾ to 1 ounce drink. ... The wet coffee cake is easily disturbed during recocking. Visual clues that the cake was disturbed come when the lever is released and the extraction stream becomes disorderly, thin, and sprays all over the place. Recocking early, before the piston has traveled its full displacement seems to help for whatever reason. The extractions are more viscous, and much more orderly. Shots pulled in this manner have more body than shots of similar volume that were pulled with lever recock taking place later in the extraction. Reducing headspace above the coffee also seems to help keep the cake under control. Updosing seems to help with this machine. ...

This is probably as good a time as any to say that I just don't get why the piston displacement is so small. It's very apparent to me when using a bottomless portafilter that recocking the lever plays hell with the extraction.

emphasis added

If you take a look at my Initial Impressions of the Lusso thread, you will see a video of a two-pull extraction, where the first pull was allowed to run to completion, and was then followed by a full second pull which also ran to completion. Recocking the lever does not "play hell with the extraction" if the barista tamps very lightly.

Regards
Timo

KarlSchneider wrote:
Your dosing with 9-10g is also my practice. However, I always use the single basket and use 9g or slightly under depending on the roast used. With the same dose in the single obviously a less find grind or a lighter tamp is i order.

I am also a single-pull espresso maker. I tend to use a 10-sec pre-infusion and get my best shots when I get a drop or three at 10 sec. I also get the best taste when the single rise of the lever happens in 25-30 sec.

Evening Charles, I was hoping you would chime in with your observations. I have pulled a few singles from the Elektra and find them equally good. I believe I use slightly less coffee than you but I have not measured it. I have pulled a single into a 3oz cup and then make a single shot cappuccino from it.

I have not preinfused for quite that long but will give it a try. I tend to grind relatively fine so I do not get any coffee flowing prior to releasing the lever.

Your point that the MCal makes a different taste is immensely important. It is my experience that no pump or manual lever can make an espresso that tastes the same as the MCal and the MCal cannot make an espresso that tastes like a pump machine espresso or even a manual lever espresso. Where this taste difference comes out the most for me is with SO espresso. Your tests are with the high-end commercial blends with which I have only limited experience. My own experience is that some SO's taste best in the MCal and some I much prefer in my manual lever.

KS

I would also agree with the SO observation. While the blends I have used, including some home roast blends, are good and have a unique cup character, a single origin will spotlight the clarity of the Microcasa. I like a nice fruited African or Brazilian for a single origin, the origin and terrior really pop in this machine.

frege wrote:Thank you Dave.

One correction: The steam wand has three holes, not four, and they are arranged in a fairly tight dispersion pattern. I think this hole pattern helps explain its steaming acumen, but I'm not sure why.

Thank you for the correction. The Leva does in fact have a three hole tip. I must have been thinking about my Elektra A3 which has a 4 hole tip. The steam tip is quite small and the holes spaced very close. I would have to take the tip off and put a few wires in the holes to try to guess the angle at which they are drilled but they appear to be very tight.