This page is intended for those friends (named or anonymous) whoare kind enough to send me pictures of their machines: Five or six pictures (or more) with or without comment and telling the history of the machine, if possible. Of course everybody has the right to read it! (Translated by Gary Seeman) |
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Geoffrey’s Europiccola A friend’s Mokacream Happy’s Eurhappyccola Anonymous friend’s Zerowatt Olaf’s Speedster Mike’s Sama Happy’s Mini Moka Pascal’s Campeona Bambina David’s Martian David’s Aster grinder Olivier’s Arom levers Gary’s Lady Duchessa Davide’s San Marco Type 'F Pascal’s Marcf David’s Pleezon Kay’s Comocafé II Pepe’s Mini Gaggia Fabian’s Campeona 12 Kay’s Gaggia Gilda |
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Geoffrey’s Europiccola |
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A friend’s Mokacream |
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Happy’s Eurhappyccola |
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Anonymous friend’s Zerowatt |
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Olaf’s Speedster / |
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Mike’s Sama |
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Happy’s Mini Moka |
Before leaving Belgium to the home of friend, Geoffrey said this was the "dish packer of the plain country." A small detour to my home, because in this instance I didn’t say I wouldn’t need two machines to make one, given the state of my Mini ... and it’s bizarre that the one that was most damaged was not the one we expected. So, to please my pal Happy who had dreamed of having one. The work and the photos speak for themselves about why he has become so attached to this machine. Frankly this cream colored Mini makes me almost jealous ... actually I am.
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Pascal’s Campeona Bambina |
I don’t know about you, but when I get a package like this I always have a twinge of sadness. Everything was okay with the seller, complete machine, in working condition and 220v. He even made the effort to write operating instructions. And then the horror appears before our eyes!! A 125v beast! And what is more, after adding water, alternating current is leaking all over the place ... well this is a fine affair! A little later, dismantling the machine itself by unfastening two or three bolts, and a better outlook appears. The heating coil had been changed and part of the thread was broken. After a little brazing, hoping it would return to functioning again. Some details about the materials: It really is made for one cup. It's nickel-plated brass everywhere, and the cap is cast aluminum. The handles are rounded on this first version of Bambina. With its rear grip it is well designed for stability. Its polished nickel shines brightly to highlight the illustration of the gymnast on the badge. The number is also written on the handle of the portafilter! This is a very beautiful little machine. |
David’s Martian |
With great difficulty I managed to get two photos from David, with tears I should say! They show a unique machine one rarely gets to see, and I've never seen one work. I must admit that I would rather see the machine in action. It leaves one hungry, doesn’t it? Ah, if I could get a few more pictures … thank you David. |
David’s Aster Grinder |
Ah, a grinder for once, it's a pretty mill and especially old with its decorative glass hopper. |
Olivier’s Arom Levers |
Here are two beautiful and uncommon machines. Good pictures are worth a thousand words. These are incredible machines … I dream of them at night. |
Gary’s Lady Duchessa |
Warning, this is an exceptional machine! And above all it’s an exceptional story, that of a person trying to help someone who wanted a little advice. She was offering her La Cara Graziella on the local online market. Gary offered what advice he could. She sent him an email that she also had another vintage machine she wanted to sell. He asked for a picture, and she sent this first photo. Can you imagine Gary’s response??? While thanking him for his help, she offered him the machine. He told her he didn’t know what it was worth, but it was rare and valuable. She offered it anyway ... at the price she had paid at an antique store 16 years earlier. I wish I could have seen Gary's face at that moment. It is a Lady Duchessa manufactured by the company that later became known as Ducale. Doug Garrott of Orphan Espresso was so excited by Gary’s find that he offered to service it at no charge, just to get a look at it. The manometer is elegantly positioned behind the group. And it has this crazy thing underneath, a TSTAT (temperature switch)... just incredible. The TSTAT is activated by a switch like a telegraph key. It turns on once, comes up to temperature, and then turns off. When boiler pressure drops, you hit the telegraph key, and it turns on again. The first model Lady Duchessa has no sightglass. This is an innovative way to prevent boiling it dry. Note how it looks compact and powerful at once! After a big cleanup begins, then reassembly. The lever locks down for pre-infusion, like a commercial machine. The original spring is soft, which is excellent for dark roasted coffee. You can also push the lever for more pressure. Gary has added an extra spring, so it now brews coffee like an Elektra Microcasa a Leva. Later, Gary spotted another one for his friend, Cher. Here are these two extremely rare machines on his bench. Gary says this photo is just to make me crazy! A big thank you to Gary and Doug for pictures of these rare machines. |
Davide’s La San Marco Type F, Model 3 |
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Pascal's Marcf
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A new small machine for Pascal, not so common, even if one mistakenly thinks it looks like a La Pavoni Europiccola. There are minor differences nonetheless. This machine is extremely clean. It's always good to find a nice little machine that is so well preserved. |
David’s Pleezon / |
And now to discover a machine that is ultra rare and also beautiful. This is what happened to David, who was kind enough to allow me to publish his photos here. This machine is made in Israel, which is not trivial. And it’s in good condition, not too bad at all! The heating element has a unusual shape and inscriptions in Hebrew. A few details. An extremely original machine. Another big thank you to David for this lucky find. and now it's anow Francesco’s Pleezon! Gary note:: as we were trying to understand the origins of the Pleezon, online research revealed that it was made by a company that manufactured heating elements. |
Kay’s Comocafé II |
It's always nice to have contacts with foreigners. This opens one’s horizons to see the relationship of people to machines in other places on the planet. I got to know Kay following the sale of my Marcfi, which was to help me finance a new purchase. Little by little, I discovered that Kay has a small well-stocked collection. I thought to ask for more photos of Kay’s machines. Here’s a second generation Comocafé. This machine was unearthed in Belgium, and in beautiful condition. It flows, currently, on many happy days in Germany. Thanks Kay. |
Pepe’s Mini Gaggia P. Cardin |
What could be more gratifying than receiving such messages, and on Christmas Eve at that. I consider this a lovely gift. Too bad, but I do not even know his first name. I will not ask him in the end. (It is done.) Here is the text in full. Hola amigo francés. Te escribo desde España. Te contaré una historia que quizá te
guste:
Yo merendaba con mi abuela todos los días.
Nunca probé otro café igual al que ella hacía. Hace unos días me dieron una
cafetera idéntica a la de ella. Estaba estropeada, y sin usar hacía más de 30
años. Me decidí a arreglarla, pero no encontré documentación necesaria para
ello. Entonces ví tu web. Tus fotos me animaron a desmontarla, limpiarla,
cambiar algunas piezas y... voila! Ahora me hago todos los días un deliciosos
café expresso, con crema.
Gracias y un saludo.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE (and edited by Gary):
Hello English friend. I write in Spanish. I'll tell you a story that you may like: I picnicked with my grandmother every day. I never had another coffee the same as hers. A few days ago I received a coffee maker identical to hers. It was broken and hadn’t been used for over 30 years. I decided to fix it but couldn’t find the necessary instructions. Then I saw your website. Your photos encouraged me to disassemble, clean, change parts and ... voila! Now I make a delicious espresso with crema every day. Thank you and greetings. |
Fabian’s Campeona Model 12 |
And then one day I receive some pictures like this without asking. I already knew of the machine and had been in contact with Campeona to learn a little more. I received this in return. Es el modelo Brasil, del año 1958. And so today. Well I do not mind receiving mostly images like this. I suspect Fabian has a passion for these machines and a passion for photography. A big thank you to him. |
Kay’s Gaggia Gilda |
Again my friend Kay sent me pictures of this latest acquisition, a magnificent Gaggia Gilda. I always open a package like this with some anxiety, even when it is not my machine ... Phew! Everything is fine, disassembly can begin. After a good cleaning, the machine returns to its former glory. It is Version 1.0 because the logo is on the left. It sparkles! And the first shot can finally be pulled. I expect to make a few good tweaks, but it’s looking good. Thanks to Kay for this contribution. |