This showed up for a Christmas present and I could not be happier!
The heating element works, but it is the 220V version, so I've been heating water externally (slightly hotter and then watching temperature drop to ~200F) for ease of use. So far as I can tell there are only 3 blemishes on the machine:
1) There is a small dent in the metal flare at the bottom of the machine which I plan to rectify as soon as I have time and confirm the metal is stainless.
2) There is a small spot bubbling of the powder coating behind the drip tray. I likely will not strip and powder coat the machine unless it gets worse.
3) The bakelite portafilter handle is chipped as seen in the picture below.
My question to the club is can I remove this bakelite handle and replace it? I assume that the handle screws on and off, however I've been unsuccessful in finding a thread (here, HB, or CG) that indicates my suspicions are correct. As you can imagine, I'm not eager to brute-force snap this guy in half given the replacement cost/availability. I have the means of turning a nice wooden portafilter handle and lever handle to match, and I can try to source an aftermarket if the original cannot be removed.
