ironpeddler
Ye Old Newbie
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2008
- Messages
- 6,661
I've always wanted a commercial espresso maker made in Italy as those seem to lead the industry in high end, rugged, dependable espresso makers. They just pull a better shot than the home units, brew at a higher temperature, and put out a good amount of crema...and the espresso tastes different than what we make with the stove top pot....both good, just different. Seems I've been using the moka to make cafe style coffee lately and went back to my Capresso espresso maker for my daily espresso habit.
I knew what I wanted and I didn't want any digital controls or fancy electronics, just a straight forward, manual espresso maker. One thing is, these type of machines hold their value because you can rebuild them back to new spec at any time....IF you have an engineering background or are a rocket scientist! The schematics for any part on these things is mind boggling...and the parts?...open your wallet and assume the position. Well, I finally found the one I wanted. :thumbs:
The whole feel of the machine is awesome. From the weight of the portafilters to the feel of the steam knobs...precision and quality.
When I got it home, I stripped it down and started to inspect each component...
I spent two days sorting through things and cleaning it up, the worst of which was an electrical issue on the control module that was fried, which I guess is why they parted with it. I spent an hour and a half with a soldering iron to repair the burnt circuit board with a few jump wires. I'm going to go through the rest of the functions before disassembling it so I can acid dip the copper boiler, descale it, and then start to clean out all the copper tubing, solenoid controlled valves, manual valves, and the braided stainless steel hoses. While it sounds like a lot, it's not too bad considering the end results.
Got it cleaned up and put back together, now I'm waiting to see if the heating element works in the boiler and if it comes up to pressure...I was so psyched to see the red power light come on!
Talk about a labor of love :laugh: But once I'm done, it should last me 'til I croke!
I knew what I wanted and I didn't want any digital controls or fancy electronics, just a straight forward, manual espresso maker. One thing is, these type of machines hold their value because you can rebuild them back to new spec at any time....IF you have an engineering background or are a rocket scientist! The schematics for any part on these things is mind boggling...and the parts?...open your wallet and assume the position. Well, I finally found the one I wanted. :thumbs:
The whole feel of the machine is awesome. From the weight of the portafilters to the feel of the steam knobs...precision and quality.
When I got it home, I stripped it down and started to inspect each component...
I spent two days sorting through things and cleaning it up, the worst of which was an electrical issue on the control module that was fried, which I guess is why they parted with it. I spent an hour and a half with a soldering iron to repair the burnt circuit board with a few jump wires. I'm going to go through the rest of the functions before disassembling it so I can acid dip the copper boiler, descale it, and then start to clean out all the copper tubing, solenoid controlled valves, manual valves, and the braided stainless steel hoses. While it sounds like a lot, it's not too bad considering the end results.
Got it cleaned up and put back together, now I'm waiting to see if the heating element works in the boiler and if it comes up to pressure...I was so psyched to see the red power light come on!
Talk about a labor of love :laugh: But once I'm done, it should last me 'til I croke!
