Pulling Shots

Now to the meat and potatoes of an espresso machine. All the window dressing in the world does not mean anything if the machine does not pull a good shot. Testing out a new machine will use up a lot of coffee so I dropped our friends at PT's Coffee an email and the generously supplied me with ample coffee. Some La Bella Vita, Gizmo, El Salvador Finca Los Planes Pacamara variety (they also have a peaberry), Panama Elida Estate and KenyaAA Thunguri microlot to test the mettle of this machine.


Out of the box the Olympia has the boiler set at 1.3 bar. That is hot, real hot but I gave it a go as it was. My results were mixed. The machine needed a substantial cooling flush to bring the temperatures down which emptied the reservoir quickly. It also reheated very fast. It was a flush and go machine but even with a 10 ounce flush it was heating to the point of flash boil by the end of the shot. I decided to turn it down in 0.1 bar increments settling on 1.1 as being the sweet spot for me.

Once I had the boiler turned down things started to settle in. Now I have just moved out of state and am living in a little apartment while my house is finished. All of my stuff is in storage so I am going strictly by taste. This is a first, no temperature profiles, no data logging, we are going old school in the review. Might I add that the form factor of the Maximatic lends itself nicely to cramped quarters. I did have the foresight to pack my LaCimbali Max grinder so I have one piece of equipment that I am familiar with.

After a pound of La BellaVita I had my temperature management figured out. I was going with 10 seconds past flash boil, around 10 ounces followed by a 5 second rebound. I could not tell you what the actual temperature is, no thermocouple, but the taste buds say that is right. The shots were not as deep and heavy as I am accustom to but that is strictly a machine limitation. La Bella is best at high dose ristretto shot. PT's recommends a 21 gram dose. Since the Maximatic uses a 54mm portafilter, there was no way I was going to get anything close to that in the basket. So I had to compensate with a tighter grind, lower dose and tight ristretto shot.


This is a good time to bring up another interesting thing about the Maximatic. The dispersion disk is very similar to the ones Elektra uses. There is a solid brass dispersion disk screwed to the group bell with a single screw which also holds the shower screen on. Knowing that the Elektra does not work at a high dose due to the lack of headspace I anticipated that the Oly would be no different. After a couple pounds of coffee, I believe that is the case with the Maximatic. High doses tend to melt down and channel. If you live for coffees that work best at high doses requiring triple baskets, the Maximatic may not be the best fit for you. While you can compensate by using the maximum working dose the double basket will provide and simply grind tight and reduce volume the espresso will still not be the same. If I had to venture a guess, I would say around 15-16 grams is the most you will get in the double basket.

Tasting Notes

After several pounds of coffee, I have developed an opinion about the shots the Maximatic pulls. As previously surmised, the machine likes headspace. As a result you cannot over stuff the basket. The Olympia revolves around the 'standard' Italian way of making coffee using 14-15 gram doses. Again, I do not have a scale right now to confirm, so take it with a grain of salt, but my gut tells me I am in the ball park.

The shots are nice and lively. The machine appears to draw out the higher notes in coffee, accentuating the bright citrus and fruit notes in most blends. Even coffees that would normally present themselves with heavy herbal, spice, and chocolate notes are brighter and less heavy in the cup.

When using PT's La Bella Vita, I get a medium acidity cup with sweet fruit notes. On the Maximatic, I had to grind tight and pull short shots. PT's recommends a 21 gram dose for two ounces. I had to pull my shots in the 28-30 second range for just over an ounce to get similar results. It still lacked some of the body I would have normally gotten in a larger dose shot but still good. The down side is the shot gets lost in milk with the reduced body. It still pulled a good cappuccino but you have to keep the milk in the 4 ounce range. Otherwise the shot got lost.

PT's Gizmo blend was something new to me. It is a darker roast geared to stand up in milk, which it did nicely. With the Gizmo blend, I could pull 1.5 ounce shots with 5-6 ounces of milk. The coffee liked a lower temperature, so I increased my flush by 2 seconds. That gave me a 10 second past flash boil with around 5 seconds recovery before I started the shot. The chocolate notes come through very well in the milk. In keeping with the lively profile produced with the Maximatic, the body was still slightly reduced. In addition to the deep chocolate notes, I was getting a distinct red berry note that was absent when pulled through another machine.



PT's also sent me a few single origin coffees to try out. Given the Maximatics tendency to produce bright and lively shots, most of the single origins did not fare well. The El Salvador Finca Los Planes was bright, but manageable as an espresso. Prominent flavors being citrus and floral but it was tamed by lowering the dose and raising the extraction temperature another couple of degrees.

The Panama Elida Estate was super acidic and bright. Too much so for espresso from the Maximatic. The coffee was a pineapple bomb with a twist of citrus/lemon. So much so that it would make me pucker. I also had some Kenya AA Thunguri. It has a wonderful dry aroma but pulled in the Maximatic it developed a strong grapefruit. I pulled most of these coffees as americanos. That lowered the citrus pucker factor and mellowed out the cup. The Kenya developed a little berry while taming the grapefruit. They all made nice americanos and wonderful press pot coffee.

Materials & Workmanship

As I alluded to earlier, Olympia spared nothing in the build of the Maximatic. To call it solid is not an exaggeration, it really is solid. They used heavy gauge stainless steel for the front and top of the machine. The frame is heavy gauge mild steel and the internal components milled from blocks of brass.

The assembly of the machine is rather unique. Most of us have spent a half hour removing numerous small screws to remove the shell of a machine for some simple adjustment. The Maximatic is exactly the opposite of that. Remember back in the day when you use to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Bugs Bunny would disassemble Elmer Fudd's bulldozer by removing one screw, the nut that held everything together. Well, the Maximatic is built just like that. One nut, unscrew it and the entire thing opens up. Remove the boiler fill cap, unscrew the large nut from the boiler fill spout, lift the entire top off the machine, lift the shell off the frame and the machine is fully disassembled. Remarkably easy, yet once assembled it is solid, no wiggle room anywhere.

Under the covers, Olympia made liberal use of fasteners. Most every component is secured to the frame or boiler with stainless steel Allen screws that are recessed into the parts. There are no friction fit parts or spring clips. All the brass tubing has been kept to minimum lengths and the fittings are compression type.

[ed] older model pictured above does not have the new vacuum breaker cap

The boiler is made from stainless steel. The ends of the boiler are TIG welded on. The boiler is secured to the base of the machine with several screws. The boiler also have reinforcing extensions that rest against the front panel to further brace all the components. The heating element is bottom mounted. The boiler cap contains the boiler emergency pressure release valve.

The Maximatic uses a vibratory pump but due to the solid construction there is little to no harmonic vibration. It is one of the quietest vibratory pump driven machines I have used. The pump uses a rigid plastic line to feed the heat exchanger. Olympia elected to not install an over pressure valve, so there is no water return line to the water reservoir and no pump pressure adjustment, similar to a few other espresso machines like the Elektra Semiautomatic and Salvatore One Black (for a technical explanation, see I still don't get it: Why adjust the OPV?). Since the flow rate indirectly determines the brew pressure for such espresso machines, proper grind adjustment and distribution are critical.


The Maximatic is simply off the charts when it comes to build quality.

Steaming Performance

Well my time with the Olympia Maximatic is drawing to a close. It is time for it to move onto its new owner. So a few closing thought about the the machine and its steaming performance.

Normally, I like to do a video or two, especially when it comes to steaming performance, but due to my limited resources, I cannot manage one right now. Steaming performance is very good provided you stay within the design intent of the machine. As I mentioned earlier, the Maximatic appears to be geared to the European way of making coffee. The steaming performance appears to be no different. A traditional 6 ounce cappuccino is the sweet spot.

The steam wand on the Maximatic has a single pivot point under the front shroud of the machine. That gives you a front to back swing on the steam wand. The wand itself is about 3 inches long from the bend in the pipe. I occasional find myself wishing it was an extra inch longer. When steaming small amounts of milk the steam tip will occasionally breach the surface of the milk as the spinning vortex drops below the tip of the wand and the pitcher is bottomed out against the bend in the steam wand. The wand uses a small 4 hole tip.


I have been running the boiler about an inch below the max mark on the sight glass. That appears to give me the best velocity to longevity mix. With a high water level I get more velocity but less volume and the steam is a little on the damp side. Lower and I have a problem keeping the vortex swirling in the pitcher.

A few quick tips, use a smaller pitcher than the one provided with the machine. The pitcher that was included with the evaluation model is way too large for steaming but is better than what most machines come with, which is nothing. I use a 12 ounce pitcher with about 5 ounces of milk and it works wonderfully. Purge the steam wand for around 7 seconds and let the boiler rebound to almost the pressurestat shutoff point, then start your steaming. That will ensure you are running at maximum pressure. Angle the pitcher so the wand is just slightly off center where it enters the milk and the tip is close to the side of the pitcher, also tilt the pitcher toward you. That will work up a vigorous rolling vortex in the milk.


The Maximatic has no issue producing latte art worthy microfoam (my latte art skills not withstanding), but as I pointed out earlier, keep the milk amounts down. Six to eight ounces are the most I would recommend. She is simply not designed to steam 12 ounces of milk for those coffee flavored milkshakes that many Americans drink. It will do larger quantities, but you lose too much boiler pressure and cannot maintain that nice vortex. The Maximatic is a more than capable steamer.

Final Thoughts

[Dave] I enjoyed my time with the Maximatic. It packs a lot of machine in a very small footprint. The shots are good, exceptional when you compare it to other machines that have a similar footprint. The build is second to none, it is as comfortable in a boardroom as it is in a kitchen.

[Dan] I was surprised by a few things.

First, being a Swiss-made machine, I expected it to exude precision, and it does. But being an HX espresso machine with a shallow drip tray, it's a messy affair unless you enlist the help of a "catch bowl". My regular go-to kit, the Elektra Semiautomatica, shares this same character in use, though it's not in the same league as Olympia Express on build quality, despite that Elektra is a top-notch Italian espresso equipment manufacturer in their own right.

Second, I was surprised how easy it was to pull shots on, once again similar to the Elektra; however the Maximatic's espressos are lighter bodied that the Semiautomatica's.

Third, I was surprised by how popular the Maximatic was at the Counter Culture Coffee Camp, attended by 60+ coffee enthusiasts. Perhaps the attendees' heightened interest was attributable to the novelty of the Maximatic, a relative enigma in the US? The Olympia saw lots of action those two days and many were impressed how easily they mastered the basics after a 2 minute demo. I ribbed one attendee who was distributing the grounds using a deft Stockfleth's Move, "Hey, this thing is Swiss, not Eye-tal-yen. It doesn't want you to fuss. Just a straight cut across the basket, flush the group, lock and load."

Fourth, the price is still a bit of a shocker. I don't have the financial cushion to spend that kind of money, but I don't dispute the price is justified. For example, my E61 La Valentina goes for ~$1800 today and the construction looks mid-grade in comparison and it sounds like a rattling jalopy next to the Maximatic's smooth operation. If you have ample funds and worship build quality, quiet, assured mechanics, ultra compact footprint, and solid performance, you've found your espresso temple.

With joy I have read this informative article about the Maximatic issued by Dan Kehn, specially because I own a Ferrari-red one as well. Every day it gives us a lot of pleasure, is the "center of the cuisine" so to speak. Since I found probably the perfect espresso, I barely drink coffee outside of my home (anymore) - the coffee we make with the Maximatic you do not get else were, not even in coffee bars. About the price I admit that it is relatively high, but with the fact in mind that this thing will surpass my expectation of life time it is more than ok. I used to make coffee with Nespresso capsules. You better do not calculate how much money you throw away for a mid class coffee within a single year! However I calculated anyway and bought this fine machine inspite of the hesitation of my dear wife. Today she is very fond of the Maximatic too, every day more of her friends are coming to have perfect cappuccini in our place.

By the way: Ever seen this before pouring out of a Maximatic? I organised a second pitcher and just took away it's bottom. It is crazy how smooth the coffee stream pours out, there is less to clean, no need to warm up that pitcher anymore! This time I use "RAST coffee", a Napoli style - very dark mixture, roasted just around the corner here in Switzerland...



About that vaccuum breaker: I seem to have one of the latest generation which works just fine.

Occasionally the Bench invites guest reviewers who may offer a unique perspective to the evaluation. Such was the case for Karl's wonderful essays for the "intermission" of the Lever Espresso Machines Smackdown. Karl mentioned that he would be interested in extending the Maximatic review to include a lever enthusiast's point of view. Although the Maximatic review had reached a natural stopping point, it was too tempting an opportunity to pass up and Swiss Coffee Products / Olympia Express graciously agreed.

Karl begins his first installment tonight. Please note that he is evaluating a different unit than the one Dave and I used since it was sold before this new chapter of the review was agreed upon. Subsequently Karl's comments will reflect the absolutely "latest and greatest" updates (e.g., vacuum breaker, new steaming pitcher, etc.).

An unexpected collection of circumstances brought it about that Olympia Express, through its American Distributor, Swiss Coffee Products, has made a new Maximatic available to me for a continuation of this HB review. As a dedicated user of two lever machines - an updated Olympia Cremina Millenium (2002) and an Elektra Microcasa a Leva, I bring to the examination of this not well known espresso machine a different set of experiences from my review predecessors, Dan Kehn (aka HB) and Dave Stephens (aka cannonfodder).

It is worth clarifying that I was from 2002-05 a daily user of an HX ECM Giotto which I "traded-in" for lever machines. I have been completely satisfied with this move to lever machines and have said elsewhere on HB that I consider my two machines the "ideal home espresso 2-group". But we all are inclined to wonder about other machines. In my case my "wish-list" included only two machines: an Elektra Microcasa Semiautomatica (thanks ? to Jim Schulman) and the Olympia Maximatic. Said otherwise, I am not a purely disinterested participant.

First Impressions

I am approaching this review as I did a previous section of the review of the Ponte Vecchio Lusso. Since its arrival I have stopped using my own machines and inserted the Maximatic into my daily routine.



This includes pulling three or four doubles each morning to make Americanos and three single espressos each evening. The beans are my own roasts done weekly in my Hottop B. My grinder is a Fiorenzato Doge 63.

The packaging from Olympia Express is first rate with a special foam framework surrounding the entire machine. The accessories are packed in a foam lined box.



One immediate difference in the current products being shipped is a new steam pitcher made by ILSA. It is dramatically nicer than its predecessor.



I also noted immediately the presence of the safety V-groove in the boiler neck and conspicuous safety instructions and a vacuum breaker inside.



Setting up the machine was easy and I was able to pull three passable single espressos after one test shot to get the grinder setting in range. The shots were not in any way remarkable except for the very remarkable fact that I have never succeeded so quickly with any other new machine and avoided a series of sink shots. Getting a drinkable shot was my clear goal for this opening session. An auspicious beginning.

KS

Setting up and using this machine for the first time revealed a number of details worth sharing. My regular routine includes filling the boilers of both my lever machines at the start of each use. While the design of the Elektra allows this without the use of a funnel, the Cremina requires one. I have purchased two used Creminas and neither came with the original funnel from Olympia.

Details Matter

The funnel that Olympia included with the Maximatic is the best-designed funnel I have used. My regular funnel is stainless like the Olympia one (and not the standard coffee machine plastic), but it has to be held suspended above the filler tube with one hand while pouring water with the other. It has a large top and small bottom spout with an inadequate air vent. The Maximatic funnel has a small top bowl which, before using, I imagined would be a problem. It also has a larger bottom spout and a larger, functional air vent making filling much simpler.



As one who uses a funnel daily, I very much appreciate this attention to detail. Another distinction is found in filling the water tank.

Unlike all other HX machines I have used, this one has a direct connection between the tank and the pump and no plastic filler tubes. More importantly, it has a stainless water tank instead of the commonly used plastic ones. The Maximatic has a "pour-over" tank-fill design and does not provide for autofilling the steam boiler. As a lever user, this fact did not draw my attention since my routine for the past 4 years has included twice daily refilling of a small boiler.

Size Matters

It is clear from the manual provided with the Maximatic and from texts on the Olympia web site that an essential element in the design on this machine (and its sibling Cremina) is the "small footprint" or "compact design". Based on my having owned two different Cremina models and now using this Maximatic, I am fully in agreement with their assertion that these machines are ideally sized for home use. The Maximatic both fits under standard kitchen counters and is small enough to be moved out easily for manual filling. The more typical larger and heavier HX machines are not as easily movable for pour-over filling. I can fully understand wanting an auto-filling component of every one of the larger HX / pump-driven machines. By contrast, the Maximatic is "handy" in that it can be moved easily into a fillable position. The compact size of the Olympia machines is a very conscious choice made by the designers. I find the decision very rational and preferable.

The new Maximatics have a 54mm portafilter compared to the 49mm portafilter on the original Maximatics and to the old and current Creminas. For someone used to a 49mm portafilter/basket, a 10% increase looks immense. Although I had a 58mm machine, my memory of its size has faded. The manual recommends a 7.5-9.0 gram dose of ground coffee for a single shot. Since this corresponds to my normal dosage for my regular machines, I used the same amounts from the beginning of my test shots on the Maximatic.

The tamper currently supplied by Olympia is a quantum step above the plastic throwaway tampers other espresso machine manufacturers typically provide. This high quality tool reflects a passage at the beginning of the manual that presents the concept of "no compromise" as a principle articulated by the founder of the Olympia Express that remains a top priority of the company.

Taste Matters Most Of All

To this point, this review has been a patient overture to the one real question I have had from the first time I learned of the Maximatic: Does it make espresso as good as the Cremina? The immediate answer I got to that overarching question was a very simple Yes!

While this was very much the outcome I anticipated, I was not at all sure it would present itself until I made my first shot on the Maximatic. I was using a 1-day-old SO Yemen Ismaili, which is for me is the pinnacle of espresso roasts. I could taste the clear essential Yemeni earthy-herbal character. In terms of body, my first impression was that the coffee was the same as I would expect from the Cremina. I must say this outcome was, as indicated, not unexpected. My expectation came from having had first a Cremina 67 and then acquiring a Millenium Cremina (the first version of the Cremina 2002).



Tasting coffee from both side by side, I was not able to distinguish a difference. Based on this experience, I believe there is an "Olympia style" of espresso.

This is also the basis for my continuing curiosity about the Elektra Microcasa Semiautomatica. My unabated passion for espresso from the Microcasa a Leva leads me to think I might similarly favor Semiautomatica pulls. Jim Schulman's review served only to encourage that anticipation.

There is much more to this Maximatic exploration. As I have learned already, one has to expect the unexpected.

KS

Nothing brings forth my fascination about the Maximatic more than the question of how the coffee it makes tastes. The speed with which I was able to make really acceptable espresso is intriguing. As I gain experience, I taste subtle but unmistakable differences between the espressos made on the Cremina versus the Maximatic.

Studies in Taste

A first attempt to describe the difference:

• Maximatic espressos have greater body,
• Maximatic presents a fully blended collection of flavors,
• On the Cremina, the separate flavors are more distinct.

Keep in mind that I have used a very tiny range of coffees and other roasts may produce different outcomes. Directly connected to this is how the two machines being compared are set up. The pressurestat on my Cremina has a deadband of 0.2 bar. In contrast, the Maximatic pressure range is 0.10 bar. Whether this matters, I cannot say with certainty, but over the years using the Cremina, I consciously pay attention to where the pressure is for each shot because the lower the pressure, the richer the ensuing shot. At the high reading, the Cremina moves in the direction of the taste profile of the Elektra. In the lower ranges, it makes "thick" espresso. On the Maximatic, the narrower range of pressure readings encourages me to ignore the differences of top and bottom.

In the manual supplied with the Maximatic says:

While the Cremina is the choice for the gourmet willing to dedicate intuition and free time to his espresso, the Maximatic is the right machine for those who seek a bit more convenience.

As a devoted user of the Cremina, I can say that I find this subtle distinction very insightful. The Maximatic makes espresso of a comparable high quality and of similar style to the Cremina, but it does so by design more conveniently. This is certainly part of the explanation of my producing good shots so quickly.

I think it is quite fair to say that using a lever machine to produce the finest espresso takes continuous practice. The analogy to a musician is quite appropriate. In order to be able to perform at the highest level one has to be constantly practicing. Having not used either of my lever machines since the Maximatic arrived will result in a need to practice to return to my best productivity. The manual Cremina allows the most fine-tuning of how I make each shot. Not only can I make subtle adjustments based on pressure I can obviously adjust the amount of force applied through the lever. On the spring lever Elektra there is no adjusting the force and I have never watched its pressure gauge while making espresso.

In contrast, the semi-automatic Maximatic makes espresso of comparable highest quality but is significantly less demanding of technique. This is clearly a convenience. If I were (or were to become) an occasional user of an espresso machine this difference would make the Maximatic preferable to either the Cremina or the Elektra Microcasa a Leva. The latter, by the way, is for me the most demanding of technique but when done well produces a different espresso than either Olympia machine.

Convenience names the decisive quality of using the Maximatic in terms of ease in obtaining good results. It is also a central part of the previously noted compact size. This machine is far easier to fit into a kitchen and to move about as needed. I have never succeeded in getting my wife to spend the time to learn how to use the lever machines. Undoubtedly she could use a Maximatic far more successfully with less work on the finer points of dose, grinding and tamping.

KS