LMWDP Rollcall - Page 240

#2391: Post by **mrgnomer** » January 4th, 2023, 9:36 pm

Satchmo780 wrote:Guess it's time to enroll in the LMWDP.

My coffee journey began a long time ago drinking terrible drip coffee to style awake through morning class in high school and it stayed that way for a long time. I decided I wanted more from coffee a decade ago and got into chemex and decent beans and started actually enjoying it.

I always enjoyed espresso, but didn't start making it until the start of the pandemic, with a PID'd Silvia. I love anachronistic things, automatic watches, old motorcycles, vintage guitar amps, so I knew that when I upgraded it would be to a lever. My dream would be a vintage Lambro or Conti, but as prices have shot up, I'm making do with the Salvatore and couldn't be happier. Pulls a great shot and is easy to work on.

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Beautiful machine, Satchmo 780. I too find nothing beats analog. The car I love is a naturally aspirated V8 6 speed manual transmission. My pursuit for exceptional espresso started with a Silvia and ended with a commercial grade lever. Best espresso from any machine so far.

January 13th, 2023, 9:19 pm

When I was a teenager I bought a "broken" 1981 Volvo 240 for $400

When I was in my twenties I bought a "broken" 1977 La Pavoni for $100

When I was in my 30's I bought a "broken" 1974 BMW 90/6 for $1500

Now I'm in my 40's and they're all working great.

How many pump machines are in the landfill?

#2393: Post by **domo** » January 14th, 2023, 4:39 am

My little collection of italian made lever espresso machines.

#2394: Post by **yakster** » January 14th, 2023, 1:58 pm

Nice collection.

Where did the lever on the Gaggia Factory come from? I have the Factory and the Faemina and also a La Peppina, oh and of course the Robot. I guess I'm evenly matched on manual versus spring levers, but you seem to have more spring levers.

Have you tried a coffee screen or paper filter above the puck in your Faemina? Thoughts?

#2395: Post by **domo** » January 15th, 2023, 5:29 am

Thanks

I use a mesh filter by bplus for the zacconi grouphead (Zacconi Riviera and both machines by Sama) but not in the Faemina. I tried it but it made no difference.

Edit: the lever on the Gaggia Factory was custom made. As far as i remember Coffee Sensor also got some.

#2396: Post by **poison** » February 13th, 2023, 2:24 pm

I've been making espresso at home since around 2003, starting with a Gaggia, then Silvia, then Expobar, and for the last 12 years, an Astra Pro (with accompanying grinder upgrades along the way, currently a Fiorenzato Doge conical). The Astra is a GREAT machine, and punched way above its weight; I abused it heavily, serving many groups of 40-60 people, and only in the last year or so did anything fail. It was good enough to stave off upgrade-itis, mostly because I felt I'd have to spend $3-5k to buy a machine that brewed better espresso (and if it doesn't, why upgrade?). My search coincided with the Micra release, and I always thought an Elektra A3 or La Cimbali Jr would be high on my list, but things move fast, my search led to levers; someone hit me up Sat, and this happened yesterday.

I got home late, and only had a chance to pull shots of a very good decaf Honduras, but....wow. Immediately apparent difference, both my wife and daughter noticed it in milk drinks too. So cool.

February 24th, 2023, 3:07 pm

I had the original londinuim l1, which is sold and ended up with the lr24 for a short while. Very short

I now have an acs Evo leva

#2398: Post by **poison** » February 24th, 2023, 4:42 pm

I had my last E61 HX for 12 years. I don't see the londinium having a shorter stay.

#2399: Post by **FotonDrv** » February 24th, 2023, 7:13 pm

Cuprajake wrote:I had the original londinuim l1, which is sold and ended up with the lr24 for a short while. Very short

I now have an acs Evo leva

Is the ACS Evo Leva a better build quality?

#2400: Post by **mathof** » February 25th, 2023, 5:00 am

I've had an L1 since 2014. With my usage - one flat white and one espresso a day - I don't see any advantage in "upgrading". It's true that the work flow could be easier, as I have to surf the group temp for certain beans, but I don't have any reason to believe that my shots would taste any better pulled on any other machine.

My Kafatek Flat grinder with Shuriken Light-Medium burrs seems more important to the results I get, with the medium to ultra-light filter roasts I prefer, than the mechanism used by various espresso machines to press hot water through the puck.