Beautiful machine. Must have good beans, grinder, tamper and patience to make a good shot. With a little practice it is all worth it.
Positive Product Points
One can produce an excellent shot with this machine provided they have all the proper tools, ingredients and patients. Attractive looking.
Negative Product Points
Heats up very hot after a couple of shots. Takes a little time to figure out how to pull a good shot.
Detailed Commentary
This is a pre millenium model, circa 1980, I bought through the local classifieds. The price was excellent,$100, but it had been sitting long and need the seals replaced. So another $100 for parts and labour. After that i tried to pull a couple of shots which turned out ok. I found the grind and tamp are very important for this machine. My modified grinder did the job well and I got a Reg Barber tamper to top it , from then on it was smooth sailing. With the right beans, grind, tamp and pull i can produce a perfect shot with nice cremae almost every time.
The only issue i can see with it is that the boiler gets screaming hot, so be careful.
I would think that you have to really love the process of making the coffee to fully appreciate this machine. If you just want a good shot then there are easier ways of getting one. That being said I would only give it up to get a bigger lever machine.
Buying Experience
Good
Three Month Followup
After a little practice it is easy to pull a quality shot. Very pleased with this machine.
