Posted Sat Jun 9, 2012, 12:03pm Subject: My First Lever Machine
Hi. We have owned a fully automated Gaggia Syncrony for several years. I give music lessons in my living room for a living and like to offer espresso (and lattes, etc.) to my adult students and to the parents of my younger students.
We are considering our first manual espresso machine and I'd appreciate suggestions. One of the things that troubles me about what I've read so far is the warmup time - our Gaggia takes a minute, perhaps 75 seconds maximum, to go from its power-saving setting to being ready to make coffee. I need that because the time it takes me to make coffee is coming out of my students' lessons.
I would like to have the manual espresso machine here - I'd like the experience, and I'm happy to buy a good grinder to go along with a machine. We also need to froth milk but are used to not doing it at the same time as the coffee and that's fine - we froth milk once in the morning for my wife and that's it every day. All the rest of our coffees and coffee drinks either use no milk or cold from the refrigerator.
I have a relatively limited budget and also a limited amount of room in a small kitchen. I'd prefer a used machine if I can find one.
Our Gaggia was a $900 machine for which we paid $375 used and had to drive an hour to get. I'd be happy with something similarly priced or less because I'll still have to get a grinder. Let's say up to $400 used.
Posted Sat Jun 9, 2012, 4:37pm Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
How many people would you be serving at once? In your price range, you should be able to find a used La Pavoni Europiccola, or a Gaggia Factory (essentially the same machine), though they may need some clean up or servicing. However, the smaller Europiccolas are good for maybe three double espressos before they need to be refilled - which requires depressurizing, refilling, and reheating. If you add steam to that you may still be able to get three drinks, but only just.
Posted Sat Jun 9, 2012, 5:06pm Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
Thanks.
A quick look on the Internet shows an 8- and a 16-cup model - I take it that the smaller of the two is what you're saying will make six shots (three doubles) - is that right?
That would do for me. My only question would be the warmup time for those six shots. The most I usually need is 4 or 5 shots at once. My wife usually makes a triple with frothed milk when she gets up and then I make her a double shot iced latte for the commute - 5 shots plus froth.
How long is it from "I want coffee" to espresso in your cup with one of these?
Posted Sat Jun 9, 2012, 5:50pm Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
With the La Pavoni there are two sizes, the 8-cup model is called the Europiccolla, the 16-cup is known as the Pro. The only differences are the larger boiler on the Pro and the fact that the Pro comes with a pressure guage.
I Have a Pro and plan on 15 minutes from switch on to first pull. I can't say how fast it is on the Europiccola but I don't expect it will all that much faster.
Why get a larger Pro? Number of shots that can be pulled before needing to shut down, de-pressurize and refill. Read the discussions on group head cooling to understand the real limiting factor.
Posted Sun Jun 10, 2012, 5:38am Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
Is there no lever machine that goes quickly (a minute or two) from standby to ready to use? Our Gaggia lives in standby mode - no idea of how much power it might use - but it comes up very quickly, and you can configure how long it stays ready before going back to standby, currently set at 15 minutes in our house.
Posted Sun Jun 10, 2012, 8:04am Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
SteveFreides Said:
Is there no lever machine that goes quickly (a minute or two) from standby to ready to use? Our Gaggia lives in standby mode - no idea of how much power it might use - but it comes up very quickly, and you can configure how long it stays ready before going back to standby, currently set at 15 minutes in our house.
I may have a solution for you. A repeat cycle timer. It would turn on the machine and keep it on for whatever period of time you set (whether seconds, minutes, or hours), then turn it off for whatever period of time you set (again either seconds, minutes or hours), then repeat continuously until you turn it off. I use this exact one for many projects I do, and it works excellent:
So basically you will figure out how long your lever machine needs to stay on to keep its water at a "standby" type temp. When you wish to use the machine you increase the timer to the amount of time you desire it to stay on; when done revert back to original timer settings.
Len
"Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water." ~The Women's Petition Against Coffee, 1674
Posted Sun Jun 10, 2012, 9:36am Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
SteveFreides Said:
I give music lessons in my living room for a living and like to offer espresso (and lattes, etc.) to my adult students and to the parents of my younger students...
My only question would be the warmup time for those six shots. The most I usually need is 4 or 5 shots at once.
With all due respect to the leverheads on this site, you do not want a home lever to crank out half a dozen successive shots during music lessons. My advice would be to stick with a pushbutton superauto. Superauto brew is mediocre, but you can focus on being a music teacher rather than playing home barista.
On a budgetary note: $400 for a lever machine plus a decent espresso grinder is somewhat unrealistic.
Posted Sun Jun 10, 2012, 9:59am Subject: Re: My First Lever Machine
I think timing will have to be a consideration when you switch from the superautomatic to the lever. Even if the lever machine is warmed up, there's still the extra time needed to grind, tamp, pull the shot, steam, refill the boiler and clean. Depending on the lever, you may only be able to pull a few shots before heat management becomes an issue. The trade off, of course, is wonderful espresso and coffee drinks for your students and their parents. For example, if you are giving hourly lessons and you are also the person preparing the drinks at the start of the hour, it may take you 5-10 minutes to complete the process of pulling the shots, frothing the milk, etc. for a drink or two. If the way you schedule the lessons can accomodate the additional time needed, a lever with a timer may work for you.
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