I have been interested in a MCAL for a long time because of its great reviews here as well as its similarities to the Olympia Express Club. Recently, I spotted a 1981 model on eBay that looked to be in good condition.


I don't know what is going on in New Jersey, but this MCAL sat in someone's house since 1981 unused. I bought a 1985 Olympia Express Cremina a few years ago, also in unused condition, also from New Jersey. I also don't know how they store a machine for 38 years and all of the rubber/plastic is as pliable as if it was made last week. A lady bought a house and found the MCAL left behind and not forgotten. They didn't want it anymore, and she decided to "upgrade to a Krups pod machine." How do you respond to that?


The group head nooks and crannies show zero evidence of grinds or coffee staining.


I started with a white vinegar/water descale for two hours, which was probably 1 hour too long.
The only problem was the pressure gauge - it was stuck at .6 bar. When I turned it on, the gauge both steamed up and pointed in a seriously scary direction, so I turned it off and put in an order with Steffano to replace the gauge with a new chrome one.

Due to the previous tank pressure test, didn't want to do anything with it until I had a new gauge on it. The old one came right off, with bright threads, and the new one was on in a jiffy. The pressure went to 2.0, then settled back to about 1.5. The pstat adjustment nut turned by hand. I turned it back so probably three or four threads are showing on the pstat. It goes to 1.5 then settles back to right where I wanted it. I really want to keep this original pstat healthy and was quite happy it woke up from a 38 year nap without a fuss.



There is no corrosion of any kind anywhere. It's like it came out of a time machine and is as nice as it was when it came out of the box. It has a sticker that says, "Benjamin & Medwin", which I think was the store in Manhattan that sold it.


It came with an eagle, but the eagle doesn't fly with my cabinet space, so I bought a Murano glass ball from Stefano, which I really like. Although the overall shape is La Pavoni-esque, this is far more stout machine. I'm also impressed with it's steam capacity for a 800 W element.



I had a Cremina when I had the Club and found the Cremina liked a different grind. I've been using MCAL baskets in the Club, so I didn't change the grind to try the first shot. We can't tell a difference between the MCAL and the Club. I had a smooth shot from the first pull.


I have some food safe teflon and will make a group head gasket for it over the holidays. I feel a sense of real duty to maintain this thing's condition while still using it. The only question I have is if the steam tip really does come off? The parts diagram says it does, but it doesn't look like it. Everything else works finger tight except removing the tip.

The family is asking what I'm going to do with the Club? Why just have one spring lever?

Nice!

The steam tip in an '81 is going to be soldered/brazed in place.

Great find! I'll be curious to see how it performs over time compared to your club.

@baldheadracing - thank you for confirming what I suspected. I ordered a new wand assembly from Steffano. I have found milk residue remaining in probably every wand I've ever cleaned.

@Jasper_8137 - I've found this machine to be very easy to transition to from the Club. I decided against further descaling and have been using the machine frequently to see if usage would clear things up. The pstat is now well behaved and settles right down to exactly where I want it. The steam power continues to impress me.

Overall, the Club has a larger boiler and is suited to when crowds show up. I see myself using the MCAL as my daily driver for a while. I was about to install a manometer on my Club. Migg tells me my Club was one of the very last manufactured; those models didn't have a manometer, and I find myself missing it. I am postponing that modification.

Also, we are making progress on the OE mechanical pstat spring question: "how to replace that spring." I'm doing this with a friend and we'll start ordering parts after Christmas.

FYI, you might need the locknut on the steam valve as early machines that I have seen didn't have it. Alternatively, you could go with a whole bunch of plumbing tape. That also works .
https://www.espressocare.com/products/i ... team-valve

FWIW, keeping the steam pipe/tip immersed in a jar of water after use for a while (overnight?) keeps those internal milk deposits from building up. That's what some local Italian bars do ...

I was nervous about interchange between models as the Olympia wands are not interchangeable by year, so I ordered the whole assembly locknut, wand and tip.

https://www.espressocare.com/products/i ... ete-chrome

I also like one hole tips - they're easier to keep the steam focused where I want it. Will be interested to see if the Club tip interchanges. I'll know Saturday when the assembly arrives.