Owner experience with Bezzera Strega - Page 2

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
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farmroast
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#11: Post by farmroast »

JohnB. wrote:I solved the drip tray & gauge location issues by pulling my cooling flushes, cleaning flushes & steam wand purging directly into a large (16oz) latte/soup mug. Everything goes into the mug & then I quickly dump the mug into the sink behind me.
+1
Pretty common routine for home lever machines.

I'm quite satisfied with the overall build and general design. It's a nice prosumer machine keeping the size and price reasonable. Functionally it offers manageable headroom with the power boost preinfusion pump and strong spring. I also like it being the standard 58mm that adds the options of compatible accessories.

I've still got the tight pf lock in issue. I've watched the videos of other strega's and mine is definitely in the tighter range. I'd prefer to solve it with a different gasket if possible than shaving the pf ears.
LMWDP #167 "with coffee we create with wine we celebrate"

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JohnB. (original poster)
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#12: Post by JohnB. (original poster) »

farmroast wrote:I'm quite satisfied with the overall build and general design.
Same here. The Strega is very nicely finished & well thought out. The few minor issues I mentioned before are easily worked around & quickly forgotten once you start using the machine. LOTS of room under the grouphead! You could almost pull your shot into a travel mug. I turn a 5oz cup upsidedown & set my espresso cup on top when pulling a shot.

One thing I don't recall reading about in the various Strega threads is just how quiet the machine is when idle. Having read several posts recently about loud relays/P'stats clicking on/off all day long I was relieved to find that the Strega is virtually silent when you aren't running the pump. You have to be standing right over the machine in a very quiet room to even hear when the heating element is turned on/off. As for the vibe pump noise I don't find it all that loud or annoying & I've owned nothing but rotary pump machines in the past.
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espressotime
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#13: Post by espressotime »

Amazing.Maybe you got a newer presso.Mine is very loud. Clicks every 90 seconds.
Also has a very loud boiler.

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JohnB. (original poster)
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#14: Post by JohnB. (original poster) »

You seem to have bought the Strega from Hell based on your previous posts. :lol: A loud boiler is normally a sign of scale build up on the heating element.
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espressotime
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#15: Post by espressotime »

it's a freakin' nightmare. :twisted:

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farmroast
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#16: Post by farmroast »

I was very relieved with how quiet it is. The pump is nicely buried in the middle of everything so limits harmonics off the case.
The shot is still pulled in silence which I like. I find "hearing" a pour enjoyable and helpful. The pump noise only being during pre-infusion.
LMWDP #167 "with coffee we create with wine we celebrate"

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another_jim
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#17: Post by another_jim »

It's all relative -- after the Semi, the Bezzera driptray is huge :P Actually, I think it's about average in volume and size for this box style design.
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Anvan
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#18: Post by Anvan »

farmroast wrote:I've still got the tight pf lock in issue. I've watched the videos of other strega's and mine is definitely in the tighter range. I'd prefer to solve it with a different gasket if possible than shaving the pf ears.
Ed, I had the same problem though admittedly on a different machine. It wasn't as if the PF ears were sized incorrectly since once you "caught" it in the bayonet groove it didn't grind or bind - instead it felt as if the gasket was just too thick since catching the bayonet groove with the PF was the only tough part.

Relating the advice I got at the time in case it's helpful:

One solution to this is accelerating the natural over-time compression of that gasket by tightening the PF against it and leaving it overnight. Maybe after a night or two it will play nicer.

The other would be to soften just the angle of the lower entry corners of the PF ears - these are what are catching on the group bayonet entry. As you pointed out, you don't want to thin the ears in general (assuming they weren't mis-manufactured to start) but instead just round that sharp corner a little so it catches and enters easier. Again, this assumes that it's just a slightly thick-behaving gasket causing the tightness, not oversized or incorrectly positioned ears.

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farmroast
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#19: Post by farmroast »

So there's lots of variables that can now be considered. I'm used to the spring lever part of the operation. And some experience playing with profiles with the manual Cremina and what can be done with a traditional spring lever. Much of it done by feel and watching the pour.

The upper range of pump boost to the pre-infusion is the new factor I'm planning on exploring first. I have several various SO roasts resting.
LMWDP #167 "with coffee we create with wine we celebrate"

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farmroast
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#20: Post by farmroast »

Anvan wrote:Relating the advice I got at the time in case it's helpful:

One solution to this is accelerating the natural over-time compression of that gasket by tightening the PF against it and leaving it overnight. Maybe after a night or two it will play nicer.

The other would be to soften just the angle of the lower entry corners of the PF ears - these are what are catching on the group bayonet entry. As you pointed out, you don't want to thin the ears in general (assuming they weren't mis-manufactured to start) but instead just round that sharp corner a little so it catches and enters easier. .
thanks,
That's exactly been my starting approach. I sanded smoother the lower edges and a bit of a chrome pimple on each. I've also been tightening it on and letting it run.
LMWDP #167 "with coffee we create with wine we celebrate"

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