I really respect that Gabor didn't go against what he stands for the video/content. I think its fantastic he found a work around to get you where you wanted to be whilst keeping a piece of history intact. Pretty inspiring:)

I love that Gabor has taken the approach of a conservator by making sure all the modifications are fully reversible.

I’m glad for Gabor’s ethics. It looks very cool and functional, and the extra work to not destroy the original is amazing.

You summed up why I’ve stopped measuring shots. I used a scale, timer, etc. to understand what I like and now get much more pleasure doing it all by sight/feel. It’s like having subtitles on screen when you don’t need them… you can’t help but read them. It’s impossible not to fuss over numbers when they’re presented to you.

There is something truly special about the vintage lever machines. I have been pulling shots on a La Pavoni for 3 years now and feel like I have a true understanding and even feel for what pressures I should be feeling, the sponginess of grounds too far past roast date, etc. I would recommend these machines to anyone getting themselves into home espresso! Such a joy to see James highlighting some of the things us “slightly off” love about these machines 😂😂😂

As a "lever-head" myself, I am so happy that you made this video James. AND, perhaps even more importantly, you're thoughts/theories afterwards. I am very happy with all of the science and tools that has come out, that constantly helps us try to get the "best we can". That is all very useful and helpful. But, yes, there IS also an important aspect of these vintage machines; the art of pulling your shot. Skill that has to be developed over a long period of time. Using sight, taste, sound, smell, etc. And ultimately, all that "really" matters is what YOU like in the cup. I'm still learning the intricacies of my machines, but I also enjoy figuring it out, constantly learning, and improving. It's a process.

Gabor is THE man. How he balanced the technicality and aesthetic at preserving the machine is not a thing that should be taken for granted. I am an engineer and I kid you not that doing something that has high functionality but keeping the aesthetic as much as possible is not an easy thing. And for me it is an important thing because we are human, and that thing would be a thing that reminds us that we are not a machine and we should appreciate more about its humanity aspects for ourselves and people around us. Appreciating beauty is the thing that makes us us

Would love to see Gabor in action as well: how was the machine restored, geekout on the tech, etc

Went through this blind with a group of engineering friends and a Pavoni Europiccola. We learned a lot of the same things without the numeric details (it took 6mo and a 5-dimensional whiteboard graph), but the most important thing we learned was that the way to get quality successive shots was to chill the portafilter in cold tap water between shots. The first shot with the portafilter at room temp is fine because the group head is cooler, but for successive shots, getting that substantial mass down to ~50F between shots when you're cleaning the basket was key.

I agree. Gabor's work on installing those mods in a reversible manner is genius and makes me feel happy.

This, in the best way possible, looks like the kind of machine that would show up in an old Doctor Who or Star Trek episode and I love it

It's always a pleasure to see some lever machines on your channel James and congrats to Gabor for keeping the integrity of the machine! From our experience, because the boiler of the Faemina is elevated you don't actually need pressure to make water enter into the grouphead, gravity should be enough. So you can actually use the machine at a much lower pressure (and therefore temperature) and let the group warm up slightly more. Because the grouphead is integrated with the boiler it will tend to stabilize at the same temperature, so you can keep water below 100°C and the group won't overheat (or at least less dramatically) and only increase the pressure when you need steam. For people that don't have a Frankenstein Faemina like this one, the water temperature can also be measured pretty easily with an IR thermometer through the sight glass.

The Hames Joffman content writes itself. "I was [...] wrong." "What I wanted to do was [...] fill it [...]. And I tasked one person, Gabor [...] and I want him to tear this thing to pieces"

“Making espresso is always about more than just the end result.” Revelation! It’s like the tea ceremony!

James is always kindly reminding us not to be like him, and he’s so real for that.

Brilliant machine. I love the idea of "figuring out" a machine with the tools you created, then removing all of that after using it to get a starting point of how to tweak variables. I have used my Cafelat Robot nearly every day for around 3.5 years, and it's become an art. I don't necessarily need the pressure guage it came with even. You start to pick up on how many fines are in the coffee just by how the water looks when you pour it into the portafilter, etc. It's a flow state now where, like you say, you're just in the process. I thought it was funny that the guy who makes them kinda talks about it like it's a toy, but to me it's a fixture now, I just replace the gasket, keep it cleaned and it trucks on each day. Every new bag of beans is a slightly different experience to tweak.

The point of owning a machine like this is to master it. The probes and balance are nice, and can help to understand how temp, time, pressure relate. But in the end, not needed (because that what James’ videos are for ❤😅)

Love the approach of adding without destruction of the original machine, very cool!

What a beautiful machine, and I absolutely love the respect Gabor had for the machine and how he engineered his solution so that it didn't damage it.

Great video as always, James! After my super automatic that I had for 13+ years died, I was without a proper machine for a while. Your coffee in the park video got me into lever machines and now I’m loving my flair 58! So thanks for that!!

Your discussion about brewing by "feeling" reminded me of an article I came across a few days ago entitled "The brewer, the yeast, and the boundaries of human agency". Really interesting stuff when we delve into why and how we brew and what that says about us as people

As a musician and synthesist with GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) it's reassuring to know that others experience the same thing! (13:02) James, maybe you could give us a tour of all the gear you have in the collection. I'd love to see!

I like technology. A lot. But I can totally appreciate the kind of simple joy that comes from knowing how to using a tool like this well. You spend time bonding in a sense with a machine like this and down the road you have all these anecdotes about it to share with others. There's a certain harmony to it that only comes from doing something you love to do, even if it's not coffee stuff. Thanks for showing us this really cool project!

So poetic, analytical and romantic in all the right ways. Gabor’s perspective is necessary and refreshing. One of my faves vids!

Great call by Gabor. I love restoring vintage items to bring them back to their original function warts and all. Technology has brought as many problems as it has solutions so any device that eschews superfluous complexity has become, for me, a real pleasure to use. That being said, if you can use tech for what it was originally designed for, measuring and data collection, as you have here, that’s brilliant. You should call this a Borg

The respect for the machine is admirable. The effort to bring new things into the experience have great value and appear to have been executed thoughtfully! This is a beautiful work of engineering.

Truly appreciate the discussion and the thoughts that some have about appreciating vintage things for what they are. There is a magic to pulling a lever and it just being what you make of it. For me, I'm definitely a data geek and a technophile and I'm happy things like the Meticulous will exist to satiate my needs to analyze everything. And more I'm happy that everyone is able to find a place in the community. Sometimes I read Reddit and everyone is judging each other, primarily for 'faffe' as anything or any piece of equipment that they choose not to have or use. That can be frustrating. Also I hope that the hobby moves toward some levels of or at least some options of modularity. It would be really cool to have parts to more easily build your own lever machines with as many or few bells and whistles as you want.

Really good points made at the end. I can definitely appreciate the benefits of getting a load of data to optimize a process, and then take off the data acquisition stuff so you can just implement the process and enjoy the results! The benefits of analysis without all the paralysis.

Fascinating, I bought an old Astoria lever machine about a year ago, and discovered that it ads variables to the espresso process which I first saw as a whole new world of pain and frustration. A year on, I love it for the same reason - it forced me to learn by taste, sight, smell and feel what I was previously trying to do by measurement and precision. Same problem with heat - I spritz the group with a water spray between shots when it starts to run hot!

I personally appreciate the morals and ethics you both had with regards to this machine. Quality character traits that highlight true love and respect for coffee, now and in its history. Well done.

I have gotten into coffee and more specifically, espresso, recently from watching a large catalog of your videos. I’m a beer brewer and the science that captivates me with beer production does the same when coffee is discussed in depth. All that to say, if I could spare the money to get into the hobby beyond my spice grinder and French press, I would. This machine is now my penultimate aim. Something so brutally functional with all the modern measurements that allow for tracking and repeatability. Simply beautiful.

I bought my Olympia Cremina after watching your video with the profiler on a Cremina. As a teenager i worked at a shop in Seattle that had a terrific commercial lever espresso machine. I always loved the feel of pulling shots with a lever. I absolutely understand your appreciation of the process of using an old style machine. The feel of a great shot is a delicious delight, especially if i helped make it better by being able to feel the beginning of a channel and letting off pressure so the shot is saved from over extraction! That’s why I love the simple design of the Cremina, because I understand her inside and out. I didn’t want the profiler. While the data is fascinating, I’m more interested in understanding the idiosyncrasies of this bare bones beauty and working with her! Thank you for your passion and your ability to understand the “Art of the Shot” as well as the Science!

That lever machine looks fascinating. As always, your videos never disappoint. Keep it up.

Restomodding for espresso machines! Lovely, lovely work and a smart decision on Gabor's part. Digging this kind of thing.

Binge watching James is so cathartic to my soul.

My coffee journey started with a Elektra Micro Casa a Leva and let me tell you, making great shots was a looong journey! But, I don‘t regret getting a 30 year old machine to learn the fundamentals. There is something satisfying about knowing how to do something really good without having all the data to prove it. Great video and mirrors what I have observed over the years with my machine. Cooling the grouphead and portafilter after the second shot is critical to make a drinkable espresso.

Oh nice! the Faemina I was restoring just increased in value. Thanks James!

The best kind of classic lever machine to PID mod are the old open boiler machines like la peppina or the mini gaggia. You can just use a external PID controller like the inkbird, plug the machine into it and drop the temp sensor into the open boiler. Tada, perfect temperature control.

I own two of them and it’s so much fun! It’s true it’s kind of tricky, and in fact you need time to get it right. But looking back when it was my morning routine, it was great. It’s a wonderful experience. It’s a machine you end up loving…☕️👍😋

As a vintage La Pavoni owner I couldn't agree more! I love all the bells and whistles but the only thing that actually gives me enjoyment is the process of pulling that great shot that I enjoy the best.

Got my Faemina from Francesco recently. Loving it. Not the usual thermal block machine. The aesthetics and functionality from a machine made in 1960s. Simply amazing. It’s built like a Tank literally. You need the human touch to control the group temperature. ❤

I make espresso with a faemina most days, it’s a real sweet machine. You get a feel for it over time and I have a pretty effective temp surfing method worked out using a thermal strip and a pressure gauge. It’s super cool to see more data on what’s going on under the hood, thanks for making this video!

Great video, as an owner of a pavoni this really made sense about the temp difference.

This is awesome! Kudos to you and Gabor 🙌🏻

This was awesome, love that the original machine is still completely intact.

Fascinating as always. I got myself a La Pavoni last summer, and so far I have decided against monitoring temperatures and pressures. I’m trying to make coffee in a way that engages the senses as much as possible. Thank you for all the information in this video!

Fascinating stuff as always, James. Everything you said especially at the end is exactly how I think and feel about my La Pavoni Europiccola.

Ritual and repetition is everything. I’m glad you’ve gone into the data so in the future you can then let intuition take over and enjoy the result of better espresso. Fantastic video. I think the theory is applicable to my la pavoni.

Nice point at the end! It’s nice to know the data but at the end making coffee it is not only the maths! It is the process in itself that should give a pleasure and fun, especially using that beautiful vintage stuff 😊

James!! Just got my Weird Coffee Person mug in the post and want to give you props. Great quality merch.

The coffee restomod is the content which the algorithm needs.

Your channel was in my suggested channels! You are my new favorite KZfaqr ❤ Subscribed and Liked!

This makes me all the more excited for the Argos I have preordered.

I totally agree with this philosophy re this machine. To have this machine in its original form is to have a love and passion for the art/science and process of espresso.

Yesss. It's the journey, more than the destination

Such a great video and helps me understand the dynamics of my Elektra. I use a heat exchanger machine as my daily driver but have kept the lever machine for the experience. It is always fun to use on a rainy day.

I love this video. The best of James, for sure. He's struggling with how figuring out how this thing works conflicts with the Zen of coffeemaking. It's as if he's ashamed that he may have gone too far and somehow violated the machine. Great work. Quintessential James.

The sheer joy of this! Plus, nerd meets high tech steampunk! Bliss

Great editing on the espresso taste description audio coming in quickly!

"Tiny window for success" is no joke! I had a chance to try out a europiccola with the same two switch heating system for a week and found temperature management to be an absolute nightmare. Adding probes to take some of the guesswork out of it is a really neat approach and I feel somewhat vindicated that my frustrations weren't unfounded 😅. I don't think these machines provide what I'm looking for from espresso, but I can totally see why some people enjoy them. Great video!

Gabor is a great guy! I do appreciate this approach as a vintage machine restorer :)

Extremely interesting discussion indeed. And yeah, I agree with Gabor, and your eventual conclusion. :) The philosphy connects, and in a not entirely tangential vein, I want to see a video on your mechanical watch collection/preferences.

I guess, like a classic car, some people won’t know or aren’t bothered how the engine works they just love the experience of driving it, how it makes them feel, a bit of nostalgia etc. Great clip as usual JH Cheers

I love the look of this thing. It looks like it belongs in a future junkyard, the beloved possession of an old man recovered from the wreckage, who really loves his coffee.

I'm not yet done watching the video. But the little cup on the side is so adorable

Thanks for another great video Mr. Hoffman. I have been working on trigonometric functions and it's certainly pleasant to see science be applied physically. Best regards, Shoshi

Thank you for this. I enjoyed the thoughtful engineering but I loved the appreciation that the journey is at least as important! I often think about why we invest so much time and love into these processes when objectively it is probably not the most efficient use of time! 😂

I have a 1970s Pavoni lever action. Very similar with min/max elements. Whilst I do have a temperature strip on the group, I rarely look at it. Nor do I weigh the coffee. You do it all by feel and noise. The pressure comes from your arm, the temperature by ear, the coffee by eye. Still the best coffee of all my machines. Feel the force James.

I own a la Pavoni Europiccola Stradivari and actually use it for my everyday coffee and also thought about adding some "tech" to make the machine more "practical" - meaning nerdy. This looks like such a fun project!

Always the best timing! The notification comes up again as I’m setting my cup down on the table

As someone who likes older cars, I've always had a bit of an issue with people who go on about the sanctity of them and how modifying them is somehow wrong. I think people should be able to do what they want with their stuff without judgement. That being said it's also a really good idea to keep everything reversible, at least until you're intimately familiar with the object, and are sure it's what you want to do, so respect to Gabor for that!

Monstrous abomination of a creature, a Frankenstein of the century. I can admire the immense effort in creating something like this.

As a lever head I loved this video! I also tuned my La Pavoni - and go by feeling now. Because what's fun at the heart of making espresso by hand is the sensory experience not the reading of charts on screens. It would be really interesting to see James do a review of a really modern lever machine like the manument to get a comparison.

Thank you for this review! Now I understand my Micro Casa a leva much better. The thing I was able to figure out is turning the machine off right after it gets the pressure and flushing the group head before new shots

it connected so hard!!! it is like you are my brain. I love this machine, i do not know why but I what it!

I'm actually super happy I stumbled across your channel. You have such damn good videos I pretty much am watching them all at this point. I can't wait to see new ones in the future, too.

hi james, just wanna say, after seeing a few vids from 2-3 yrs ago, your vid quality is incredible now. also, the music used to be distracting and abrupt and now i realize how much it flows and accents, now in the current day. you're doing great things, totally leveled up. and just wanna say i appreciate it, good show, and i hope YOU have a great day. : )

Thanks for this. My everyday machine is the la pavoni and with these lever machines there's a real art to the temperatures and pressure which you just get the feel of over time. There's certainly easier ways to make espresso but in my opinion this delivers a wonderful shot.

What a great philosophy. It’s essentially a training aid to use a classic machine, and eventually you can kick the stabilisers off and ride free!

Great explanation for how lever machines work!

have had one of these since 1990 when restoring it. nice shots. this and cremina have been in closet now that i usea la spaziale.

I could cook food, or brew coffee. I never use a scale, or a clock. When I work with great ingredients, I just go on touch and feel. It has never failed me, or if it has, it served to make even better results...

Love the contraption you came up with. More tech, more better!

It’s nice to see you and Gabor respecting a wonderful machine and I’m happy to see to refurbishment and improvements you made to it. I would love to know more about the pros and cons of using vintage as opposed to a newer machine. Which one do you prefer and what are notable differences.

Love lever machines. Well done.

Amazing video.. lever machines are always more than welcome 🙏🏻

Even though I am not a coffee nerd and I've never even had a real espresso before I really appreciate that he refused to chop it up and Frankenstein it! 👏👏

Used to own a micro casa leva with PIDs, I used to keep it on with the boiler @ 97 degrees from 5am till i woke up. Then raised the boiler temp to 110 quickly, pulled my morning fix, cooled it down by washing the portafilter under the tap, and made a second cup for my wife. Now running a modified strega.

Types of roast that would be the best with a machine like this would be a pleasure to watch ❤

I watch this channel purely for the nerditude of it.... I drink store brand instant. My buddy, though, is a VERY skilled barista who runs his own artisan roast shop (with scooter delivery!) and I LOVE his Americano. He has my taste figured right down to the third decimal point. So he picks out a number of different beans of different types of different roasts, then grinds them and makes me a cup of coffee that makes me not want to talk while I drink it..... But the thing is... I KNOW I won't enjoy it THAT much if I drink it daily. What takes it from fantastic to angelic is that I only visit him a couple of times a month. So what I'm trying to say is: I could rather see myself with an old machine like this with all the digitization stripped off. A "trouble child" that I would have to be in the mood for mucking about with. Something I'd pull out on occasion for special moments where it didn't matter if I had to do a few runs to get it right.

I can't be the only one feeling a sense of relief when James reviews something that I can't easily buy.

Just came back to this video…can you please do more vintage machines? They’re just so beautiful 😍

Beautiful piece of kit.

I think the most amazing thing here is Gabor getting that through the TSA scanners in a carryon...

That's a neat approach to this machine.

First impressions: This thing looks amazing, like if it was part of a scifi/distopian/cyberpunk movie set. While some people see this as "desecration", I see this as peek DIY/right-to-repair success. What you did is turn a barely functional hunk of metal into a top 1% espresso machine. You took a machine no one would want to use and made it into the best of Frankensteins. Respect.

i saw this machine when i bought my flair 58 LE from Gábor, he mentioned that he was working on this project for THE James Hoffmann :) his workshop was very exciting and his Ethiopian coffee was awesome :)

I can appreciate Gabor's and many other's feelings on conserving the original machine, and I don't think it's a wrong feeling at all. At the same time, I feel that sometimes we hold old things a little too preciously. We can pay homage to old things while also breathing new life into them. I'll reiterate though: there's no correct answer, as long as things are being used for as long as they can

This so echos my early experiences with the La Pavoni.

Old school meets new Tech - maybe this reminds us that the simple process is sometimes all we need as part of the journey to get to the final cup. Very interesting.