Posted Sun Jan 31, 2010, 6:58pm Subject: Re: Speedster Espresso Machine
I have been haranguing Kees to build a 1-group Idro for a couple of years. His e-mail response is always the same - "sorry, no 1-group Idro".
Mark - I see that you mention in several places (not just this article) that the steam boiler HX preheating the brew boiler water was a GS/3 innovation; and yet Expobar had this in their BrewtusII in 2004 (possibly even in their Brewtus in 2002). Are you sure you are correct with this statement, and if so, how did Expobar get it into production 4-5 years before LM?
p.s. love the Speedster photography - please keep it going.
Posted Sat Feb 6, 2010, 8:30am Subject: Re: Speedster Espresso Machine
andys Said:
The brain box is supposed to prevent the auto refill from actuating while you're pulling a shot, but surprisingly, about once every hundred shots it happens anyway.
A few back and forth emails with Kees revealed that he was trying to get Gicar or Giemme to fix the problem, but they weren't much motivated to do it. So I bought a few electrical parts (a 240v relay, terminals, and high-temperature wire) and installed them so that the autofill solenoid cannot open while the 3-way solenoid is energized. One less thing to worry about.
MarkPrince Moderator Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 5,462 Location: Vancouver, BC Expertise: Professional
Espresso: KvdW Speedster Grinder: Compak K10 WBC Vac Pot: A bit too many Drip: Clive Coffee Drip Stand Roaster: Hario Glass Retro Roaster
Posted Sat Mar 6, 2010, 3:26pm Subject: Re: Speedster Espresso Machine
Kees sent me that photo last summer, but asked me to keep it under wraps since he wasn't sure if the machine would actually be produced.
There's several challenges with a HX-equipped, dual boiler setup and the Speedster's body design vis a vis the lever.
- machine may be unstable (it wasn't designed to handle a lever's action) - brew boiler heating the grouphead (a stock Gaggia piston lever) not hot enough - screws up the thermal dynamics of a very tight setup (using Kees' standard Speedster design, grouphead, etc etc).
But he is working on it - quite a bit last time we chatted. He may have to design a piston lever grouphead from scratch to pull it off.
This is a remarkable and beautiful machine, and an excellent review. My question is - how does the quality of the espresso compare to that produced by a high quality single boiler E61 machine, such as the Isomac Zaffiro? In your review of the Zaffiro, you wrote:
"It was a such a joy to use this machine as an espresso purist - it gave me great consistency and amazing shot performance."
I understand that the single boiler machine cannot compare with the Speedster with respect to capacity, engineering and aesthetics, but for pure espresso performance, how would the machines compare? I have a Zaffiro, and it's hard to imagine better espresso.
WOW What a machine, after reading this i am going to start saving every month to get one,it is so BEAUTIFUL, im into old motorcycles and this machine would be right at home in my basement with my old relics, not to mention the quality of the espresso, i love exotic machinery, and i love my shots, im goingto sell my expobar when thetime is right, and with my savings, i should have one nest year, if there availa ble still, great review mark, i love the perlage finnish to, i wonder how long it takes to get here once its sent from the factory, cant stop thinking about this OUTSTANDING MACHINE.
Posted Sun May 23, 2010, 7:23am Subject: Re: Speedster Espresso Machine
Can't read what it says but I imagine that is the new commercial machine with Speedster groups that Kee's mentioned would be his #1 priority this year.
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