I have been pulling shots on my Londinium 1 since January 2015, with about a year-long hiatus as I recovered from a stroke. I am fortunate to have recovered pretty well.

I have been tempted by other machines over the years, but I find myself only wanting machines that allow enough manual control to mimic the lever profile, which ... well, why get a non-lever machine then?

Over time I've found my tastes have evolved to prefer light roasts, and I'm considering the R24 but I don't see myself getting a non-lever machine anytime soon. I know I'm in good company.

Hi Folks,

Long overdue, but figure it's time I join the LMWDP club.

So my story begins on a trip I went on to Austria in 2006 upon working with a fellow from Austria. He encouraged me to visit his native country so my first stop was Salzburg. The hotel I stayed at offered free breakfast, and to my surprise, offered espresso as their "coffee" pulled on a lever machine by an older gentleman. He carefully pulled the shot, and never had ever seen a lever machine before I was amazed.

The taste, flavour and mouthfeel was by far, one of the most amazing espressos I ever had. I never found out which blend of coffee they used, and I didn't care - I wanted more. But back then, I was young, dumb, and ignorant, so I didn't care or wanted to know enough about this machine. All I knew was it was a small lever machine boxed in red. It wasn't until 2010 or so was when I started to build an interest in coffee, picking up a Rancilio Silvia, but from that point onward, I had been lusting over this magical machine.

After several years with the Silvia, I finally learned about the Olympia Cremina reading several forums (this one in particular.) At the time, the price tag was out of reach, and there were no Canadian authorized dealers that I knew of any way. Fast forward to 2016, I picked up the Rocket Giotto from a fellow HB'er here in Toronto, then saw the Cafelat Robot on sale, decided to give it a go as a novelty item, and that reignited my lust for a lever machine. Which brings me to my acquisition of a Ponte Vecchio Export, and on order is an Olympia Cremina arriving in February of 2021. Looking forward to sharing my experiences with all. This forum has been a great inspiration (and also a wallet drainer lol!)

bcrdukes wrote:Hi Folks,

Long overdue, but figure it's time I join the LMWDP club. ...

Welcome Mike!

You got a Cremina on the way too???

LOL yup!

I found out that there is now a Canadian authorized dealer in Vancouver, BC (QCS Coffee Systems, owned and operated by a Swiss team.) I decided to pull the trigger once and to call it a day to end my chase for a Cremina once and for all.

bcrdukes wrote:LOL yup! ...

............. I decided to pull the trigger once and to call it a day to end my chase for a Cremina once and for all.

Good luck with that!
As you experienced peering in to the rabbit hole back in Austria you have now gone into the Lever Wonderland and will forever be lusting for the next one.
Seeing as you have the Robot and the PV and now the Cremina you'll soon wonder about the Europiccola then the commercial group springs, then the Vintage ones then .....

This thread and forum has lead me to do terrible things lol

Fun side fact: A close friend of mine picked up a pre-owned La Pavoni Professional, so when I started to look, they seemed to have disappeared on the used market (locally any way) and that fueled my envy and desire to pursue the PV and Cremina. God knows what I'll end up with next.

After admiring levers for years, I'm excited to officially join the group. This is my 3rd espresso machine after an E61 (sold) and DE1 (keeping). I've only pulled about 10-12 shots so far. Very excited to learn from you all.

Sweet Jesus, that's a beauty! Enjoy, and welcome to the club!

I love your choices of gear -- not lots of stuff, very high quality for the best espresso prep.

Nice looking Strietman! What a great machine for your first lever.