Hello,

I'm newer to the espresso scene, came across this for sale. Supposedly bought in the 1980s in Italy, but I have nothing to back that up. I was surprised to see "Italia" in a colored label rather than "Elektra" in brass, so thought I'd ask some experts to help me with what I'm looking at. They're asking $1,000.

I have no ability to get additional pictures or serial numbers or anything like that. This is all the information I have. I did note the portafilter and drip tray are missing.

Thanks for any guidance you'd like to share.

Welcome to H-B!

Unless someone reputable tells you that this is some super-rare collectors' item, $1,000 for an MCaL-like machine that is missing parts seems like a lot.

[SOLD] Elektra Microcasa a Leva looks like it went for $1,000

[SOLD] 2019 Elektra Microcasa a Leva (Denver/Boulder, CO) shows $950

I Drink Coffee has new MCaL's on sale for just over a $1317 CAD, which is just over $1000 USD:
https://idrinkcoffee.com/collections/sp ... le/elektra

They're a reputable dealer I've purchased from before, and I believe a site sponsor as well.

Thanks for the reply. I'm really looking for guidance on what, exactly, this is. Trying to understand the specific model and vintage, with just this pic and a statement that it was bought in Italy and he's owned it for 50 years. You're all so excited to give me advice on what machine I SHOULD buy, or where to buy it from. That's not what I'm here for today. I do appreciate it, though.

As your first post here says that you're "newer to espresso" and that your equipment is listed as "just looking", I think it was reasonable to assume that your were considering this as a purchase to use on a regular basis, rather than to restore. As such, it seems very overpriced.

If you are looking to collect and restore, one of the best resources for home machines is Francesco at http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/m_elektra_eng.htm

It seems unlikely that it is an Elektra or Elektra copy from the 1980s as Francesco lists the original MCaL in 1980 with the group design changing around 1990 to remove the rack-and-pinion mechanism. That seems to contradict the "1980s" claim.

irishpajamas wrote:You're all so excited to give me advice on what machine I SHOULD buy, or where to buy it from. That's not what I'm here for today. I do appreciate it, though.

I mean, you did say, "Thanks for any guidance you'd like to share."

Wow. I'm sorry I didn't ask my question the way you all would have wanted. You've all proven how right you are that I didn't ask the right thing in quite the right way. Congratulations.

Looks like this forum is more about being right than being helpful, or just making sure I feel stupid as a new guy, so I'll go elsewhere. Good luck to you all.

irishpajamas wrote:They're asking $1,000... I did note the portafilter and drip tray are missing.

It appears to be an original model Elektra Microcasa a Leva (rebadged models like this are not uncommon). That said, the asking price, especially given its condition and missing parts, is quite high.

salvia wrote:They're a reputable dealer I've purchased from before, and I believe a site sponsor as well.

They are indeed a site sponsor. FYI, all the site sponsors are listed on the Resources page under "Commerce".

Back to the iDrinkCoffee offer. The price is shown as "$1,745.00 $1,047.00", presumably in USD because I'm accessing from the USA. I added it to the cart and it shows 1,317.00 CAD. It notes all sales are final. Honestly, I'm shocked by that low of a price and wondered if it was a typo.

irishpajamas wrote:Wow. I'm sorry I didn't ask my question the way you all would have wanted. You've all proven how right you are that I didn't ask the right thing in quite the right way. Congratulations.

Looks like this forum is more about being right than being helpful, or just making sure I feel stupid as a new guy, so I'll go elsewhere. Good luck to you all.

I'm sorry you feel that way. Reading through the thread, I found everyone's responses kind and helpful. You were initially steered away from buying that machine because it seems overpriced and people thought you were looking to buy it. When you reframed your question, Jeff pointed you toward a wonderful resource for identifying vintage machines

I'd stick around, this place is awesome for coffee stuff, and maybe you'll find over time this conversation was different than how you initially viewed it

That exact same style of Elektra, Italia and all, just sold on Ebay for $860 - all parts included and in working order.

If you decide to stick around, welcome. If not, see ya.