# Not bad for an old girl?



## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

20y old. A gave her a bit of a polish..what do you think?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Bricoletta if I remember rightly, a friend of mine has one....


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Very tidy indeed.


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## GengisKhan (May 8, 2017)

Looks amazing!!! What's the machine?


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

Looks like it's been well taken care of - lovely machine.



GengisKhan said:


> Looks amazing!!! What's the machine?


 Here - https://fiorenzato.co.uk/bricoletta_espresso.html


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

Yeap! Tis my beautiful art-deco Bric! Built as solid as a brick too.. everything is stainless steel. I've no idea why these machines have so little profile?


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

GrahamSPhillips said:


> Built as solid as a brick too.. everything is stainless steel.


 It certainly looks solid. What influenced your choice in buying it?Would be very interested to hear a little more about how it's has been used and maintained during your twenty year ownership. For example, is it used most days? Do you largely make milk based drinks? Have you maintained it yourself and had to replace any faulty components during that time? Have you had to treat the water that you feed it with?

I had the same manual E61 based machine for 15 years, used most days at least twice a day. Aside from the usual E61 maintenance, it needed a steam and water valve replacement and a pressurestat. It was used for both milk based and espresso drinks. I'm pretty lucky in that the water in my area doesn't cause problems with scaling so it was fed with filtered tap water.


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

Wow. Love the aesthetics and looks like it has been cherished.

I'd be delighted to have that on my kitchen counter.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

It is a really brilliant looking machine.

I'd also be really interested in hearing how you've used the machine/ found maintenance over the last 20 years.

Information on their website seems scant. Is there somewhere that provides a detailed run down?

The idea of having a machine that lasts 20 years is something of an ambition/ aspiration. Does simplicity = longevity?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

GrahamSPhillips said:


> Yeap! Tis my beautiful art-deco Bric! Built as solid as a brick too.. everything is stainless steel. I've no idea why these machines have so little profile?


 Many manufacturers became far less prominent in the prosumer market starting almost 20 years ago, Isomac, La Sacala, Firoenzato.. etc It was a combination of profitability, competition and technical development.



Profitability - for the main stream manufacturers commercial offers much more profit and far less hassle


Development - used to be fairly pedestrian in the commercial market, they had to be on their toes in the prosumer market. Many companies had the problems of machines that were technically and developmentally unloved and left behind. The manufacturers eventually open their eyes to this...but it can come far too late e.g. Isomac


Competition - Prosumers can be very choosy, it's expensive to keep up with what they perceive as the customer demands....for many of them they only engage with the retails/wholesalers (fortunately this is changing) who often have very different requirement to the end customers.


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> Isomac, La Sacala,


 Oddly enough, seeing the manufacturers you mention above, brings back an initial memory on my coffee machine history. Even though I'm on machine number two in 16 years, I tested at home for about a week a La Scala Butterfly. Initial impressions of it was the build quality was not quite what I'd expected and so it was returned. I ended up with an Isomac Millenium and stuck with it for 15 years until going over to the dark side of a lever. I guess I must be lazy by nature or perhaps age has softened me to wanting a life of minimum faff, I really don't miss the E61 maintenance.


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

So it was a relatively recent purchase from someone who then upgraded to a Rocket Evolutione R. He'd looked after it beautifully and even put me in touch with the technician who had serviced it. All the internals are high spec (I took the lid off and checked). Maintenance is standard stuff really... backflush regularly and full service every year or two. All the seals had been replaced and nothing leaks. I'm toying with adding a thermometer or a a flow control to the group.. but first let's see what difference my NICHE ZERO makes when she arrives in the next week or two. What would be really interesting would be to add a PID. I know the jury is out on PIDs for Hx machines but they are the latest vogue.

I highly recommend these guys http://www.caffevinci.com/ who have been really helpful sending me bits and bobs. They are the UK importer. Stephen even sent me the internal diagrams and he's trying to get a me a copy of the manual in pdf. Her tells me the machine is still being made and its largely unchanged. If you are really sad (confession I was) there's an amazing thread here:

https://www.home-barista.com/blog/fiorenzato-bricoletta-pros-perspective-t291.html

I wanted a bit of a project and little Bricoletta has become precisely that. Its like having jewelry on our counter!

How sad am I?

(Please do support the team at Caffe Vinci of you can!)

Best!

Graham

PS: @Dave recommend me some espresso beans to try.. I'm flirting with different options and still haven't fallen in love with one or two...

To be continued!


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

Vis a vis nothing whatsoever I stumbled across this. Mine is in much better nick! Still it'd be a nice project for someone

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiorenzato-Bricoletta-Semi-Pro-Coffee-Espresso-Machine-REFURBISHED-/363305836642?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

@GrahamSPhillips

Really interesting. This design/ style has certain gone down well in my house, so will go on the list.

I've already been doing various bits of googling. I might drop CafeVinci an email, there is also Fiorenzato.co.uk but few real details - seems you can have a brew switch or lever, but no explanation.

Does yours have a rotary pump?

That eBay one also has the buttons in the top right - seems that version gets some bad reviews.


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

Yep mine has a rotary pump - they all do; I'm vaguely thinking of selling mine by the way perchance anyone is interested..


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

GrahamSPhillips said:


> I'm vaguely thinking of selling mine by the way


 Hopefully this doesn't sound too inquisitive, but why?


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

I'm kind of thinking about an Hx with PID plus flow control (more toys to play with)


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

GrahamSPhillips said:


> I'm kind of thinking about an Hx with PID plus flow control


 Enjoy the research and good luck with your deliberations.


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

OK so she's now up for sale should anyone be interested?


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

Sold!


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

GrahamSPhillips said:


> Sold!


 On here or someplace else ?


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