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phirebird t1_iwyr835 wrote

I love this. Looks like it was taken out of the International Space Station

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edwardianpug OP t1_iwyssc1 wrote

It's an Olympia Cremina 67.... first made in 1967.... the serial number shows that this one was produced in '76

The slightly yellowish marks on the mechanism are where the chrome has worn away and you can see the brass underneath.

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Naunauyoh t1_iwyxrxc wrote

Nice! How much difference do you see/taste with a La Pavoni?

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bahpcb t1_iwzri55 wrote

I have a La Pavoni, and it`s quite a journey I can say. Definitely not a starter friendly machine :D
At least that was my experience. You have one too?

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Naunauyoh t1_iwzy5hs wrote

It's definitely a cool journey. But yeah, got one second hand. It's a f*cking tank and I love it.

Daily driver for daily cortado, and still trying to learn how to do decent latte art. Emphasis on "trying".

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bahpcb t1_ix0p2un wrote

Haha, ja a tank it is, and I love it. Yesterday I had to make four espressos for some guests. It was a mess :DUnfortunately after almost a year I'm not able to pull a proper shot.Since I only drink cartado too I don't care to much :D
Edit: And dont get me started on latte art xD

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edwardianpug OP t1_iwyy6oy wrote

Never tried a La Pavoni. I think with good coffee, lever machines are probably similar in terms of results.

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chasonreddit t1_iwyzrji wrote

I am often accused of being pedantic and I am.

But this is an espresso machine. Do we now consider espresso and coffee to be the same thing? I suppose you could say that all espresso is coffee, but not all coffee is espresso, but this thing doesn't make non-espresso coffee.

But that's a beautiful machine and definately bifl.

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edwardianpug OP t1_iwz0eze wrote

When you say coffee, do you mean the beans, or the drink? :)

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chasonreddit t1_iwzaj8n wrote

drink. I don't have a machine to make beans.

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nevertrustawoman t1_iwzeovc wrote

As you’ve pointed out espresso is a coffee so that would make it a coffee drink. Also any coffee seed (bean) can be ground and used in this machine

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chasonreddit t1_ix0a2fk wrote

> any coffee seed (bean) can be ground and used in this machine

Well sure. Espresso is not just a machine it's a roast and technique. You can use any bean. I would argue that if you put a light roast in an espresso machine you are not making espresso. But any bean, if roasted properly would be.

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nevertrustawoman t1_ix0d7il wrote

I’ve had plenty of good experiences with light roasts ran through an espresso machine

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edwardianpug OP t1_ix0psc4 wrote

A lot of people (myself included) would say that there is no such thing as an espresso roast

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rattalouie t1_iwzd91l wrote

Go to Europe, ask for a coffee—you’ll get an espresso.

You’re just thinking as an American.

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chasonreddit t1_ix08hnz wrote

Being one, I find it hard to think as anything else.

But is Turkish coffee espresso? Most German and Scandinavian coffees I am familiar with are drip.

> ask for a coffee—you’ll get an espresso.

I think this is the key. I never ask for a coffee. I make coffee.

I am not well traveled. I also believe that the proliferation of fancy coffee shops has somewhat influenced this as they tend to focus on upscale espresso based drinks. Do people drink espresso at home?

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Verity41 t1_ix0hy6x wrote

I’m an American and drink espresso at home, with steamed milk or cream/half & half. I usually use my Nespresso as my $$ Breville is too much hassle to use / clean. The Breville grinds beans even but I have failed to get the hang of it so haven’t used in a couple years.

Espresso take a different machine and have to buy actual espresso coffee for it (capsules for the Nespresso, otherwise beans or ground) which is NOT the same as buying regular normal coffee (beans or ground) so I thought your statement made total sense 🤷🏻‍♀️

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ImperatorPC t1_ixws130 wrote

I know this is a week old but likely you aren't using good beans.

Check out red bird espresso, it's freshly roasted and is damn good in the breville. The breville is tricky as it's harder to dial in like other espresso machines. My next one will be a manual press.

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InadmissibleHug t1_ix2cp1v wrote

Yes, Aussies definitely do. That drip shit isn’t great at all, barely qualifies as weak bean water here.

It was brought here by Italians. Who drink espresso.

I always hear about how many people are Italian in the states and yet, espresso is lacking there?

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Verity41 t1_ix4ac7i wrote

I think Italian ancestry is localized to certain parts of the U.S., I definitely wouldn’t say there are “lots or many” outside the east coast (NYC, etc) or maybe Chicago. Like I live in Minnesota and it’s mainly all Norwegian / Scandinavian heritage. Lotta folks seem happy with the Folgers lol 😂

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InadmissibleHug t1_ix4urkw wrote

It’s not like our Italian population isn’t concentrated in particular areas either.

Our country is physically as big as the us even though it’s more sparsely populated.

We have still managed to have the humble espresso spread everywhere. And I mean everywhere.

My husband it sorta mad, he actually liked drip coffee for the years it was available out and about! Now, no.

That being said, at home plenty of people still drink instant coffee. No one is a monolith.

We often have espresso machines at home too, some will have a French press instead, and rarely people will have a drip set up.

Stovetop coffee pots are common enough too.

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Verity41 t1_iwzsjco wrote

Serious Q (as a non-passport holding Midwesterner) - How does one go about ordering a “regular” cup of coffee in Europe then? Is that possible, or is it just espresso everywhere?

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rattalouie t1_iwzw8s5 wrote

An americano is espresso topped up with hot water to fill a large cup. That’s kind of like drip, but will still have the roasted espresso notes.

If you want your typical North American coffee, you can ask for drip, pour over, or an “American coffee.”

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Verity41 t1_ix0gy1z wrote

Good to know, thank you! Will file that info away on the very unlikely chance I find myself on that side of the pond ever haha.

Even I do have two “espresso” machines (a Breville and Nespresso, if the latter even counts to the purists) and a French press at home.

But sometimes you just want that plain ol’ Mr. Coffee Folgers :)

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zap_p25 t1_ix1x5za wrote

Until you are in central/south America and parts of the Caribbean. Then drip is cafe Americano (as that's what translates to American coffee in Spanish).

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Ill-ConceivedVenture t1_iwzt5j9 wrote

You order an Americano, I believe.

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zap_p25 t1_ix1xgbc wrote

Depends on where in the world you are. Americano is actually espresso topped with hot water but in the Americas (specifically the Spanish speaking parts) cafe Americano is standard drip coffee as that's a direct translation for American coffee.

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Ill-ConceivedVenture t1_ix28f7k wrote

Context. We were specifically talking about ordering a 'regular cup of coffee' in Europe.

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C_A_N_G t1_ix07f3s wrote

Depends on where in Europe. Here in Sweden ”a coffee” will in most cases give you a classic drip coffee.

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rattalouie t1_ix0ahbv wrote

Sorry, I should’ve clarified-south Western Europe-Portugal,Spain, Italy.

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nalc t1_iwzfhye wrote

Coffee is a drink made from the roasted seed of a plant.

Espresso is a subset of coffee. Drip coffee, Turkish coffee, cold brew coffee, French press coffee, Japanese ice drip coffee, all are different preparation methods. There's tons of different combinations of time, pressure, and temperature that can produce coffee.

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chasonreddit t1_ix09bri wrote

This is exactly what I said. All espresso is coffee. Not all coffee is espresso.

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InadmissibleHug t1_ix2cj2v wrote

Well, shit. I guess if something doesn’t make every type of coffee, can it make coffee at all?

Get your freeze drier out, kids.

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cherlin t1_ix2k9at wrote

Put a drip basket under the shower head and don't put in the portafilter and now you're making drip coffee with this.

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bloodycpownsuit t1_iwzi76c wrote

My dad has one of these from the early ‘80’s, uses it daily (the gaskets have been replaced a few times but that’s it).

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edwardianpug OP t1_iwziinv wrote

Same, the occasional change of gaskets (once every few years) and it's as good as new.

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toastyblunt t1_ix1cwho wrote

I showed this to my DeLonghi just to make her cry

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ariearieariearie t1_ix2br84 wrote

They still make the Cremina. Would LOVE to have one but 💰💰💰

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scottkilmartin t1_iyadmqn wrote

Love those old lever espresso machines

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DudeFromMiami t1_ix0dbz4 wrote

Very popular in Switzerland, see them for sale a lot here

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86tuning t1_ix12sd7 wrote

oooh, a lever!

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zap_p25 t1_ix1xqhf wrote

I've never used an actual Espresso machine. I figured out how to use a mocha pot but for me, I use a drip machine that actually produces pour over coffee...or a french press...or a perculator...or sometimes even cowboy style.

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spizzywinktom t1_ix2jl98 wrote

That's like calling a Ferrari a "sedan."

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DiaMat2040 t1_ix2kuyw wrote

Is there any food safety problems with 50 year old pipes in such a machine?

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sk8erade t1_ix2oh73 wrote

Not the metal components, however, early models used asbestos insulation for the boilers.

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