Hands on experience with Elektra Microcasa a Leva - Page 2

April 18th, 2021, 12:39 pm

Chert wrote:This one isn't really hard to push down or pull down except at the point of opening the valve where it's like exerting 7-9 bar of pressure on a Pavoni extraction gauge. It seems like that level of force.

Is it normal to require more force to the bottom of the downward pressure?

In my new-longer-spring-in-old-group-geometry setup, there is no lowering of effort towards the bottom of the pull (like what one feels in a CMA-type commercial group). The effort in mine gradually increases as one pulls down, reaching maximum at the bottom of the pull - I don't notice any jump in effort required.

#12: Post by **drgary** » April 18th, 2021, 1:02 pm

^ ^ ^

This, except in my 1989 MCAL I also replaced the piston and piston rod to update them as suggested by Stefano. Maybe that full upgrade wasn't needed.

April 18th, 2021, 1:58 pm

drgary wrote:This, except in my 1989 MCAL I also replace the piston and piston rod to update them as suggested by Stefano. Maybe that full upgrade wasn't needed.

I think that it is more that replacing the other parts is the safe thing to do, as the new spring isn't held in position radially (side-to-side) with the old group parts. Thus, if one isn't careful when installing the spring, the spring could be installed slightly off-centre. In that case the spring will rub against the cylinder of the group and scratch/gouge the group cylinder. (I added a shim to center the spring, but others haven't done that.)

The other consideration is compression at the bottom of the lever pull. Fortunately, when fully compressed, the new spring is only about a mm taller than the old spring - otherwise the new parts would have been required to prevent the spring binding before the lever is pulled all the way down.

#14: Post by **drgary** » April 18th, 2021, 2:02 pm

Yes, that's right, and it's the one machine I regret selling.

May 5th, 2021, 10:12 am

I won't regret selling this one because I want to continue trying different devices that produce tasty coffee as the MCAL does. Thanks for all the comments and information. I pulled the inner spring out. The group is really easy to service in that way so I like that about this machine too. Like the CMA group, no need to devise complicated clamps to dismantle or reassemble. The inner spring is double so there were 3 springs impeding maximum lever downward travel before I returned it to single style. See pic below. The restoration to single spring makes the group easy to use like in the videos I saw. (or else I ate my spinach for strength). And coarser grinding is needed. And I think espresso is a bit tastier from 3 springs, although 5 shots in redialing in is a bit premature.

May 23rd, 2021, 1:00 am

I found pulling the lever down easy like the videos without the additional spring.

Maybe with further use I would have found the sweet spot with the single spring ease of use, but I found the espresso was more layered and flavorful with the additional oomph of additional spring so I replaced it.

So that's how I learned to stop worrying and love the Elektra Microcasa a Leva.

#17: Post by **drgary** » May 23rd, 2021, 2:16 am

I found more layered taste with the current version new spring in my 1989 MCAL. I wonder why our experience was different?

May 23rd, 2021, 8:58 pm

Hi Gary,

I assume the single spring is a bit weak in the machine I am using. And so the triple spring version brings it up closer to a new spring. Isn't that likely?

#19: Post by **drgary** » May 24th, 2021, 1:41 am

Flint, I tried double and triple springs and preferred a single new spring. I believe the double and triple configuration apply more pressure than a new single. Also the pressure decline may be less eccentric a curve with a single.