I received my second Caravel recently. I bought it because I need something to use at work and the Bruni is not yet reliable.

I have owned a newer version Caravel for a few years. After divesting myself of an Olympia Cremina and trying to make my Conti Comocafé work, I started relying 100% on the Caravel. It has been my primary espresso machine for the past year. I even brought it with me when I recently moved to the Land of Beer and Hotdogs: It is nice to be able to pack all of one's espresso gear in a medium-sized box!

My original yellow Caravel is the model that uses two o-rings in the piston chamber (no seals on the piston itself) and has a hole in the center of the piston. I have been quite happy with it once I learned to use it well. I put a temperature-sensitive sticker on the side because the reservoir easily moves on the base, affecting its contact with the "thermostat." Recently I have been playing with one and-a-half shots to get more espresso, but it leaves more grinds in the reservoir than I want. For single pulls, it makes what I consider a 90% equivalent of a Cremina shot.

My new Caravel is an older version with two opposed seals and a hole in the center of the piston. I took a slight gamble bidding on it (eBay.it of course) because there was only one photo. I asked several questions beforehand and, given the seller's reputation and return policy, felt reasonably confident about winning the auction. It arrived well-packed and in what appeared to be in good condition. A teardown and some careful cleaning revealed it to be in mint condition, just dirty in places. There was a thin veneer of vintage crust on a few places that leads me to think it was used a few times and then put away for several decades. De-crusting was easier than I thought.

Today I finally got a good look at my new, older-style Caravel. I was always curious how the older version compared to the newer one.

As Hamlet said when encountering his father's ghost, "Oh my prophetic soul!"

I now understand why so many others effusively praise this machine.

Everything on the older Caravel is significantly better made and more robust. Everything. I am stunned at how beautiful and cleverly engineered it is. Mind you that I've been a Caravelisti for a while now. I could not have imagined how much better it could get.

Enough words. Here are some comparison photos.





The first hint at how different these two machines are can be found with the original spoons.

Older version:



Newer:





The way each lid fits the reservoir is another hint.

Older:



Newer:



Newer on the left:



Stainless steel has a distinct look that is slightly less bright than regular steel, slightly tinted, and definitely more lustrous. Can you guess which one is the older, stainless steel version?



The reservoir on the older version is slightly thicker and definitely heavier. It retains heat longer than the newer version. Older version on top.



Not a big difference, but the older version has four holes to the group whereas the newer one uses one slotted opening.





The rear of each reservoir shows just how different these are. The newer version is folder and welded at the back but the older version appears to be one piece. On the back of the older reservoir is a button that locks it into the base and the vertical strip to contact the mechanical thermostat.



The group heads are also strikingly different. The older version is deeper and thicker. The older version appears to have pieces welded on, but on the newer version all the flanges and openings appear to have been made by stamping.

Newer version on the left:







This demonstrates just how much deeper the older group head is: I used the older portafilter for both photos!

Even the portafilters are different:





The older portafilter (on the left) is deeper and appears to have a ring welded to the top with tabs. The newer version had two tabs welded onto the sides. The handle on the newer version is visibly spot-welded twice and the older one uses a much more nicely finished connection.

Each lid clips onto the top of the group, but the older version actually clips and holds on firmly whereas the newer version needs a bit of pushing to fit as snugly as possible.





An example of just how nicely designed the older version is can be seen in that little ball on top of the group. To remove the lid, swivel it counter-clockwise and the little ball catches on an indentation in the lid clip, popping it up and off. Clever!

My version of the group mechanism has two pins that slide in and out when the top is rotated, another incredibly clever design. The piston on the older version is solid steel-not stamped like the newer version-and is perhaps three times heaver that the newer one. When clearing the group, the older version actually sprays water through the screen where the newer one pushes a loose mass of water through.

The handles are also indicative of the attention to detail found in the older version. The newer version uses two rods that are the same diameter from one end to the other; the older version uses rods that taper when they reach the handle.





An interesting similarity: Both machines use the same shape for heating elements. The older one has a ceramic insulator at the tray where the newer has none:







Note the initials cast into the front of the base on the older one.





The older version includes spring-loaded adjusters (the little ball-looking things) for the heating element tray:





The "thermostat" on the newer version is, well, crude. Two metal strips right at the back of the base where the reservoir fits. One needs to be careful to not shift the reservoir or it will affect how the thermostat works. The older version is an articulated piece that is adjusted at the bottom of the base. It has a very wide range of adjustment and uses macro- and micro-adjusters. So far it is much more stable than the newer Caravel.







The older base includes nice detail touches, such as grooves around the edges:





So far the espresso from the new machine seems slightly more robust and finessed than the newer version, but I need more time to be sure. I suspect the quality will be only slightly better owing to the more precise piston and assembly.

Regardless, the difference in build quality between each machine is unexpected and amazing. This post is dedicated to those who enjoy good engineering and clever design!

Great write-up and pics. I have tow different Caravels of similar age and was equally astounded at the quality differences (feel the weight! ).

Interestingly, however, the consensus seems to be there is very little if any difference in the cup....

What have you found?

Cheers

Mike

Looks like you really lucked out with your new old Caravel. That is in great condition. Mine is the same generation, and I agree they are amazingly well made. Mine came with the new style portafilter instead of the original. Just judging by that one piece compared to the rest of the unit I am very happy to have an older one. Wish I had the matching portafilter as well!

That was a killa thread. Thanks so much for posting. I'll be looking at big Orange and Ole' Gray a little closer after your posting.

OO

danno wrote:I received my second Caravel recently. I bought it because I need something to use at work and the Bruni is not yet reliable.

I have owned a newer version Caravel for a few years. After divesting myself of an Olympia Cremina and trying to make my Conti Comocafé work, I started relying 100% on the Caravel. It has been my primary espresso machine for the past year. I even brought it with me when I recently moved to the Land of Beer and Hotdogs: It is nice to be able to pack all of one's espresso gear in a medium-sized box!

My original yellow Caravel is the model that uses two o-rings in the piston chamber (no seals on the piston itself) and has a hole in the center of the piston. I have been quite happy with it once I learned to use it well. I put a temperature-sensitive sticker on the side because the reservoir easily moves on the base, affecting its contact with the "thermostat." Recently I have been playing with one and-a-half shots to get more espresso, but it leaves more grinds in the reservoir than I want. For single pulls, it makes what I consider a 90% equivalent of a Cremina shot.

My new Caravel is an older version with two opposed seals and a hole in the center of the piston. I took a slight gamble bidding on it (eBay.it of course) because there was only one photo. I asked several questions beforehand and, given the seller's reputation and return policy, felt reasonably confident about winning the auction. It arrived well-packed and in what appeared to be in good condition. A teardown and some careful cleaning revealed it to be in mint condition, just dirty in places. There was a thin veneer of vintage crust on a few places that leads me to think it was used a few times and then put away for several decades. De-crusting was easier than I thought.

Today I finally got a good look at my new, older-style Caravel. I was always curious how the older version compared to the newer one.

As Hamlet said when encountering his father's ghost, "Oh my prophetic soul!"

I now understand why so many others effusively praise this machine.

Everything on the older Caravel is significantly better made and more robust. Everything. I am stunned at how beautiful and cleverly engineered it is. Mind you that I've been a Caravelisti for a while now. I could not have imagined how much better it could get.

Enough words. Here are some comparison photos.

Nice comparison photos. I like the new version spoon.

Joe

Another note of thanks for the informative comparison. You'd have been especially non-plussed with a Caravel of the vintage I received, with the illuminated toggle-switch at the front and no thermostat control. My lid doesn't fit very neatly at all, in fact there's a bit of an opening no matter how evenly I try to position it. I don't really mind as it still gets plenty hot, and I tend to run a thermocouple into the water tank anyway, but truth be told I was quite surprised at how thin and lightweight the legendary Caravel turned out to be. I still completely adore it; it pleases me to see it every time I enter the room, let alone to sip of its compound-rich bounty. But I surmise now that mine might have been made in the '70s, on the cusp of the era when small appliance manufacturing the world over took an irrevocable turn towards chintziness. Congrats an your solid, more "mature" acquisition.

You have discovered the secret- no matter which model you have- if it is functional (generally they are) it is a marvel of design- and you love it. But every time you see an older model: you realise it is even better! And this goes all the way to the progenitor- the Mighty VAM! now that is quality work... the little details...

The Caravel perfectly embodies the decline of true heart in Western manufacturing, into the 1970's, from the post War pinnacle. Each iteration of the original design loses a feature, a fine touch, a thought. It seems the Vam was born perfect and declined through time... at leats from a purely mechanical/craftsmanship point of view.

I believe the same aesthetic decline can be seen in almost all household goods, everything... by the 1980's every car is ugly to me.

The Golden age of Milan design was truly over when the Caravel turned into the bastard son Zerowatt...



Though I will admit the machine has its own charms... Only problem is I can see what is coming: Memphis! Alessi... and then sunbeam... forgettabout it. And I know what was lost... Oh god, what was lost:

I am a new Caravel owner and my version is similar to the one you describe as new. Am still getting used to the machine and its quirks. I had a quick question regarding portafilter dosing. My basket is very similar to the version you have marked as new. I have problems getting more than 11 gms of most beans (CCC Toscano/Barefoot Redcab) into the basket at a grind setting of 6 on my Rocky. Have others found this 'double' basket to hold similar volumes?

Great post. Great pictures. My VAM (still 'in the shop') never ceases to amaze me. I love that thing. Can't wait to get it working. I think the only difference between the VAM and Danno's early version is the cool little lever on the boiler top. And the logo, of course.

Below is a picture of my portafilter. In all the pictures I have seen of VAMs and Caravels, I have never seen these spouts coming out like on mine. They don't really serve a purpose and pop out easily. Perhaps that is why they are extinct? I don't know if a previous owner modded his PF (like Italian dual exhaust) or if this is how they originally came. Anyone know?

Pete

cyclocrossleverman wrote:I have problems getting more than 11 gms of most beans (CCC Toscano/Barefoot Redcab) into the basket at a grind setting of 6 on my Rocky. Have others found this 'double' basket to hold similar volumes?

I regularly dose approximately 12-13g in my double basket. Depending on the bean and quality of grind, I sometimes get as much as 14g in the double basket but find that is often too much.

My memory of using the Rocky suggests you might try grinding finer and tamping lighter. I think I was adjusting my Rocky only a few marks (maybe three to four?) from the burrs touching.