Show Off your Espresso Machine

[Chris]

Alright, I will put the logo on since so many have asked.

I am not responsible for how it looks though...

Hanan, you will have to email me all files you have.  I have PM'ed you my email.

[Abouna]

Now don't laugh, but I couldn't take the stock look of most e61 machines and had this beast electro-plated with copper and gold (gold didn't cost that much more than brass, and it's very temp stable/food safe)... The old chrome just clashed with the brick wall.  The Kony is next!

Beautiful.  I'm not overly fond of gold and and such but that looks great.  Very pre-60's Italian.  Looks like a pump version of a lever machine. 

Sweet.

[PaulM]

Now don't laugh, but I couldn't take the stock look of most e61 machines and had this beast electro-plated with copper and gold (gold didn't cost that much more than brass, and it's very temp stable/food safe)... The old chrome just clashed with the brick wall.  The Kony is next!

Beautiful.  I'm not overly fond of gold and and such but that looks great.  Very pre-60's Italian.  Looks like a pump version of a lever machine. 

Sweet.

I think this would look even better there:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/for/472516015.html

NYC craigslist for a few days now, could still be available!

[irunbird]

woah- I'd have to knock a hole in the ceiling for that thing.. what a beast!  I've seen several of those in cafes (one here in Tucson, another in Boston), never in working order.. kinda sad- they're so beautiful, but out of style, I guess.

Ray

[PaulM]

Just picked up one of these used, a Vibiemme Kometa, their commercial one group, sold mostly in Europe and Australia.  I found it on Boston's craigslist wired for 110/60hz, not sure how that came to be. Sorry for the stock photo, need to recharge the camera batteries. Anyway, it is an automatic that can be operated semi-automatically and has a built in rotary pump with a 5 liter boiler. (!!!)  The thing weighs like eighty pounds, so I took a ride and picked it up in person.

I originally thought the group was true E61, but alas, having taken it apart to clean it out, I learned that it is not. Thermosyphon but no preinfusion chamber. Plan to add a delay timer on the pump motor to accomplish preinfusion. Will post photos of the interior when I can, it is impressive! I think my upgrade fever is officially over, if not forever, then at least hopefully for a long, long time.

[Joe]

Paul that seems very similar to what my elektra is internally. I wouldn't mess with it personally, I'm not sure your gaining anything with preinfusion. I know my group is a thermosyphon Elektra , I have no idea if it is preinfused or not. Is there an easy way to tell?

Joe

[PaulM]

Paul that seems very similar to what my elektra is internally. I wouldn't mess with it personally, I'm not sure your gaining anything with preinfusion. I know my group is a thermosyphon Elektra , I have no idea if it is preinfused or not. Is there an easy way to tell?

Joe

Hey Joe,

I actually enjoy messing with these things. But the timer is really simple to install, essentially just snip the power lead to the pump and attach clipped ends to timer, bring power to timer, and voila. If you add a switch across the clipped ends you can readily bypass it, too. And the whole thing is easily reversible. You also need an inlet water regulator for it to work right, but if the machine is plumbed that is a good idea to have anyway.

But I wouldn't do it if I didn't think it would make a difference. I have only had the machine for a couple of days, but I know already that this machine is not as forgiving as the Faema, and I think the reason is no preinfusion. Ken Fox did this to his rotary non-PI Cimbali on the advice of Michael Teahan, who I respect immensely. Apparently Ken is happy with it. There's a long, long posting about this on alt.coffee from a few years ago if interested, I believe a search for "delay on make" will turn it up.

I don't know about the Elektra, what model is it? I'll see what I can find out about it.

Paul

[Joe]

I don't know about the Elektra, what model is it? I'll see what I can find out about it.

Paul

Well Crap man!

Now I might have to do this after you post some pics. One thing I will warn is that if yours has the electronic dosing like mine then it is very sensitive and any short circuit will blow your Gicar/Giemme controller. They are not cheap mine cost $300 when I blew mine. Mine is an Elektra Delisioza T-1 1993 model. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find info out but there is so much info on the newer models that these seem to have been lost. I am interested in what you can find.

Joe

[PaulM]

Well Crap man!

Now I might have to do this after you post some pics.

 

One thing I will warn is that if yours has the electronic dosing like mine then it is very sensitive and any short circuit will blow your Gicar/Giemme controller. They are not cheap mine cost $300 when I blew mine. Mine is an Elektra Delisioza T-1 1993 model. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find info out but there is so much info on the newer models that these seem to have been lost. I am interested in what you can find.

Thank you for mentioning that. Yes, I have electronics in there too and the possibility of them failing scares me. I would actually prefer a machine with a manually operated group, manual boiler fill, and boiler sight glass, but those "features" seem exceedingly rare in the newer machines. Like it used to be that if your car window wouldn't go down, you'd need a new crank handle, but now you mortgage your house if you ever want to use a drivethru again.

[Ron_L]

Nice CL score, Paul!  What kind of shape is it in?  The stock pic looks like a nice machine.

[PaulM]

Nice CL score, Paul!  What kind of shape is it in?  The stock pic looks like a nice machine.

Hey Ron,

Please excuse my ignorance, what is a CL score? [edit, sorry, I get it now, doh!]

Cosmetically it is very good, interior and exterior. When I got it the pump was seized and the post for the autofill solenoid was cracked and leaking. The guy told me that "it was working just last month!" Whatever, pal...

I happened to have another pump on hand, and happened to have another solenoid post of the same type, so actual cash outlay for repairs was $0, but if I had had to have the pump rebuilt and had to replace that post, I am guessing approximately $100 in necessary repairs, including shipping.

I got the machine for $750 plus $50 in gas to pick it up (I drive a dodge dakota..), so that plus the theoretical repair cost brings me to $900 (though actual outlay to date, including gas, is $800), and the machine retails for north of $3,000, so, my initial frustrations aside, I am feeling pretty good so far!

Now to work on that preinfusion...

Paul

Edit: I also had to chip out the group gasket with a 1/8" woodworking chisel. The thing was obviously original to the machine and absolutely fossiilzed, but it did eventually come out. And initially I got very little flow from the group, but a nice soaking in Cafiza took care of that (buyers of used equipment note: the word "backflush" is probably not even in your seller's vocabulary...). I would replace the group gasket and clean the group on any used machine anyway, so I don't consider the minimal expense and trouble involved to be significant, just routine maintenance, all just IMHO of course.

[lurkerjohnny]

Good find Paul! At least you don't have to worry about 220v.  What year is that machine?

I also had to chip out the group gasket with a 1/8" woodworking chisel. The thing was obviously original to the machine and absolutely fossiilzed, but it did eventually come out. And initially I got very little flow from the group, but a nice soaking in Cafiza took care of that (buyers of used equipment note: the word "backflush" is probably not even in your seller's vocabulary...). I would replace the group gasket and clean the group on any used machine anyway, so I don't consider the minimal expense and trouble involved to be significant, just routine maintenance, all just IMHO of course.

I know how you feel.  I can't wait to start hacking away at that gasket on the machine I picked up.

[Ron_L]

Hey Ron,

Please excuse my ignorance, what is a CL score? [edit, sorry, I get it now, doh!]

Sorry... To lazy to type out Craig's List... 

[PaulM]

Good find Paul! At least you don't have to worry about 220v.  What year is that machine?

Good question. I can't tell for sure, but the seller told me he bought it new three years ago. Allowing for memory failure and seller exaggeration, and considering the overall "clean" look of the machine, I would guess five years or so. Here's a view of the innards, click for larger pic:

[PaulM]

Hey Ron,

Please excuse my ignorance, what is a CL score? [edit, sorry, I get it now, doh!]

Sorry... To lazy to type out Craig's List...