# Tired of L1 threads time some other lever users got involved



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

After reading so many threads on the wonderful L1 I thought it was time some of the other levers out there got some exposure. As a lever head and proud owner of the Bosco, I thought it might be interesting to get people's thoughts and experience on the smaller side of levers. I recently purchased this

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It is a beautifully crafted caravel I believe from the 50s and I am just getting to grips with pulling shots on it. It amazes me the craftsmanship that goes into levers throughout the ages, I have a collection I am building up of different non pump machines from the fourties onward, I managed to get my beautiful atomic circa 1947, a beautiful design statement and still fully functioning.

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From the seventies I have a la pavoni with the horrible but nice brown base, completely working and no rust thank god

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I am currently hunting out machines indicative of the other decades , your thoughts and ideas would be great, they must all be different!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Great idea Coffeechap and great pics. More please.


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

Here's a pic of my old Gaggia Factory which pulled some great shots!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Perfect example of the modern lever that's the 2000s covered


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Nice pic Luke. I do miss him and hope he goes to a good home!


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

There are some stunning rare lever machine pics on Home Barista.

I'd love to collect a few if I had the space!


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

MY wife's Auntie in Sicily has been using an Atomic for over 50 years, she even gets crema using it!


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## FDC (Jan 7, 2012)

Thanks coffeechap for posting these fantastic pictures. I was in Milan last October. Unfortunately I didnt find out about the espresso coffee machine museum in nearby Binasco until recently. Would have been a great place to visit and see these lovely machines through the ages.

http://www.mumac-espresso.com/museum/


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## bubbajvegas (Jan 26, 2013)

Great link for MUMAC,could look at those levers all day


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

glevum said:


> MY wife's Auntie in Sicily has been using an Atomic for over 50 years, she even gets crema using it!


So do I it is a fab little machine


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## CoffeeDoc (Dec 26, 2012)

However, the L1 threads have provided hours of entertainment to us all. Pure soap opera at times.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

CoffeeDoc said:


> However, the L1 threads have provided hours of entertainment to us all. Pure soap opera at times.


Agreed, quite a drama at times, so thought a nice change in direction would be nice, plus the other levers are not really spoken about here.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

wrong thread, removed


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## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

Here's my Pavoni. Dates from 1995 when I bought it from Harrods as a cheer-me-up present for working six months on a crappy job in Millbank Towers. The eagle was sourced from Italy by my wife (- I had seen them in Venice, but was too mean to spring the money for one). Quite a feat in our pre-internet days - and at the time even Fairfax (who were the Pavoni importers) had never even seen one. Also has a Gaggia chrome panarello on the steam wand - which is never used as I use the machine solely for espresso. Has worked without problem - except routine seal servicing - from new, and still pulls a couple of good shots most weeks.


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## CoffeeDoc (Dec 26, 2012)

What a lovely looking machine, the eagle just adds that je ne sais quois!

Paul


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Thought I would throw up some more photos of the caravel as the earlier one just didn't do it justice. What amazes me about this machine is the ability to strip it down using only your hands, no tools, such is the ingenuity of how this lever was designed and manufactured. Very few modern machines share this simplicity.

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The design is so reminiscent of its era beautiful form and perfect simple function.

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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Brilliant, just looking at some of these on Youtube, some have an adjustable thermostat. What a simple machine with a good end result.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

coffeechap said:


> So do I it is a fab little machine





glevum said:


> Brilliant, just looking at some of these on Youtube, some have an adjustable thermostat. What a simple machine with a good end result.


Yes this one has the adjustable thermostat on it. Here it is next to a couple of other levers to show you how compact they are

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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

coffeechap said:


> Yes this one has the adjustable thermostat on it. Here it is next to a couple of other levers to show you how compact they are


Bosco - compact?? Have you put it on a diet??


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

didnt know you had a strega dave


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

glevum said:


> didnt know you had a strega dave


I don't just doing an evaluation in them which I will be posting on here once I have finished.


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Look forward to that, i can see me getting a lever soon


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Well I hope my candid evaluation will help


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## bubbajvegas (Jan 26, 2013)

glevum said:


> Look forward to that, i can see me getting a lever soon


+1,same here,got upgraditis again already,looool


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, there are plenty of lever aficionados on here for sure. The Strega Dave has is mine and I too will value his candid assessment of it.


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## coffeebox (Apr 23, 2013)

Here's mine. Will try and get some better photos at some point.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

That's one nice La Pavoni you have there


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I think the Stradivari is very pretty and you have the professional to boot, lovely would have gone on my list of levers however I am trying to get different makes.


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## coffeebox (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks. I had an old group Europiccola to begin with, then got the new Professional and finally settled for this one. Let's see for how long...


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Shame there are no grinders of similar era(s) to match


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Tutt tutt gary, What about spong, Hobart, even mazzer satarted producing grinders in the 50s I have a seventies mazzer that i am currently refurbishing to match in with these old machines.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Yeah, or vintage LMs etc


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Would be great to see some lovely old grinders along side these levers


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

have we got so few lever lovers on this forum, would love to see other peoples machines.


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## 666tyler (Apr 19, 2013)

Think you may have inspired me to go looking for a caravel when I have a few spare pennies!!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

you will be amazed at the quality of the shot you can get from the caravel, use a temp probe in the water tank and it is just an incredible little espresso lever machine.


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## 666tyler (Apr 19, 2013)

Found this site today whilst doing some research today into a machine i had seen for sale and thought i would share as it shows just about every vintage home lever machine.

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/index_eng.htm

The gaggia gilda 54 is pretty!!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

yes i have my eyes firmly fixed on one...


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