@@emanuelhess9909 i have owned and used both. cremina bought in 1980's was my first real espresso machine after moka pot and bellman steamer. cost around 350usd new. a few years later got an europiccola. coffee quality same as well as steam ability. imo the cremina is a europicola in a rectangular case and the current price is absurd for a europicola equivalent machine.
Living in Switzerland, a country in which you can reach any place within 2 or 3 hours, Olympia's manufactory is basically in my neighbourhood. I have visited them twice and it's very impressive. Not so much because of their espresso machines, but because they manufacture anything that is made of steel. The entire building shakes to the beat of the giant punch that forms steel into something that will be used for fridges, white boards and whatever.
I love that you take the time to make these videos. The Cremina probably won't be the most popular click bate content, but for those invested in this industry this video means loads. Thanks for everything Lance and team
thank you! and i've never been in it for the views, though I wouldn't mind having Hoff numbers haha! I do it for the fun and the spreading of good info
Love actually watching this video! My first espresso machine was the 1973 Olympia Cremina, and it’s by far my favorite way to make coffee. Use it every day. I inherited it from my grandfather
Excellent review! I've been using my Cremina (83') for about 15 years daily. I've had to do multiple rebuild of all of the seals and gaskets over the years, but it still runs like a top! Prior to that I used a pre-millenium La Pavoni Europiccola. When she starts to want to tilt, that is where you know you are roughly at about 8-9 bar lol.
I'm surprised at the high price, seeing the La Pavoni machines are so much less. What are we paying for? I'm a Europiccola owner. I use the bong isolator mod which basically adds a chunk of nylon between group head and body to reduce heat conduction. This machine would benefit from an equivalent
Great video and thanks for the mention, it was lovely to see that Cremina '67 again! I really appreciated that you took many months before the review to really get to know the machine and you did not approach it in the same way as pump machines since it probably was your first lever when you got it! Let's make levers great again!
Unless you count flair machines, it was my first lever I used a lot with a built in heating element. My first spring lever was that beautiful 1953 Faemina. First lever was flair 58 technically but yeah! Loving it
I've had a modern Cremina for about 4 years now and this review covers most of the ownership experience. Managing the temperature is an art, one point I would add is that you can change the pressurestat target easily (lid needs to come off but that's it), so if you find the heating element clicks off a bit too high or low for your liking which might be the case if you have a strong preference for particularly dark or light roasts, this will be helpful.
Daddy Hoff’s review of this had some of the highest praise of its shots than most other of his reviews. It’s just hard for me to see how a +3,000$ dollar machine still needs some hacks /adjustments.
it doesnt need the adjustments. its only if you want. i actually bought mods for it , the pressure profile kit and the temperature strip, but i dont use either now.
Its simplicity is a big part of what has made them such a long-lasting and reliable machine, that naturally comes with some compromises. You fix them and you completely change the nature of the machine and you create problems down the line elsewhere. At that point you may as well buy something else.
the shots are super tasty! As Hugo murmured in the video, its hard to pull a bad shot. But, I wouldn't say it necessarily makes the best espresso of all time. i've had some pretty incredible experiences with similarly priced machines
The only hack i did on my Cremina was to add a temperature strip to the head. If you’re someone like me, who want to “feel” your shot every morning to have a sort if intimacy with your coffee, I feel in my hand what the profiler tells you visually. It’s just a beautiful machine that works with you to make your life a bit more delicious!
Great video Lance and you cover lots of the same tricks that I use. I have a 2023 Cremina and love it! Very satisfying to use and can craft great espresso. Being able to manually adjust group head temperature using the dry pumps means it can handle everything from dark to light roast. Upgrading to a 3rd party 1 hole steam tip makes steaming milk easier and better micro foam. The newer Cremina's from 2000 and onward have a heat break gasket between the boiler and group head. Helps keep the group head at the right temperate. And it's retrofitable to older Creminas too. In the United States the old Creminas have gotten expensive and some are in rough space. I opted to buy new considering total cost and work to restore. An important date for old Creminas is somewhere in 1983 they stopped coating the boiler asbestos. Now back to making a flat white with my Cremina 🙂
Thank you, Lance, Awesome video! As an Espresso Tech, I love seeing these machines, there are a lot of them on the West Coast. AND I learned something new today, the Fellini Move! I think that some important differences are in the design and components like the pressure-stat design, safety valve location, vacuum valve update, and overall evolution of the boiler assembly as in the old models they had these welded together with some components, perhaps an idea for the next video? All the best, Yossi
Thanks Lance for such a fair and deep review of the Cremina. I love mine so, so much. I feel intimately connected to my morning coffee. Interesting to see that through years of trial and error i pull shots on my Cremina very much as you did. A naked portafilter, a temperature strip on the head, a good scale, a shot mirror abd most importantly my taste buds helped me learn to feel the puck and treat each puck individually. I love experimenting with lighter roasts and live at altitude, so my Swiss watch of a coffee machine is very happy here! I chose not to mod with a profiler because i like the intimacy of feeling the shot without the visual interruption of the profiler. Still i think the profiler is very cool and I absolutely understand why people with a different relationship with their espresso might love that!
I got into espresso with my gaggia classic . I really want my next machine to be an olympia cremina. I love the footprint and the build quality the machine has. And the most obvious there is just something beautiful about a lever.
I love Lance because everything he reviews I feel like I must buy and he's not even trying to sell anything. I think it's the love for the craft and the engineering of our products that drives him and myself ❤. We only have one BurrMan, protect him at all costs 🎉🎉🎉
I'm so happy that you make a review of those machines. I rebuild and use 2 of them (73 and 76) and they just work flawlessly since then! As I live in switzerland, we kinda have a reliable part supplier also, it's pretty uncommon to have access to new parts for a 50 yo machine... As for the tilt problem, I find it less likely to occur than with my previous la Pavoni, probably using it from the side for filming is not the best option for a stable shot. Thank you again for summing up everything I like on this machine that will probably live further than me!
I appreciate your passion for coffee Lance. It really is something special to extract crema the way they did many years ago with a machine you can say is a piece of art. Funny enough I was never a big coffee drinker (but loved the smell) and for my extended family it has always been a daily routine. I’m the oddball but since watching your videos I have now bought my first espresso machine and loving it. I make coffee for the wife and friends enjoying every minute of creating that perfect shot.
The Cremina really is a piece of art. Nonetheless not everything in their new machines has the quality standard that you would expect considering the price tag. The shower screen can be made inconsistently as well as the filter baskets - up to a point where water spreads all over the place. Both problems can be fixed though, and I love this machine…
as a happy La Pavoni Professional owner, I can´t but agree that a good lever machine, can be a pal for life! steep learning curve, but once you understand your machine, infinitely rewarding.
definitely steep. Most think because of the lever dynamics, but in reality, the more steep curve is the temp maintenance. Once you hvae that down, you are pulling delish shots for life!
I bought a new Cremina in 2012. In that year, our child was born and we wanted a machine that runs silently. It is still in use in my away-from-home office. It is a very nice little machine that requires very little maintenance. The only issue I have with it is that it is eating the rubber valves of the steam wand at high pace. When I used the steam wand regularly I had to replace the rubber every two years or so. Today it is only used for espresso, so not a worry anymore. All romanticism aside, the Cremina in its standard configuration doesn't give you the variability and predictability of a modern espresso machine, as the volume per shot is limited and the temperature fluctuates more. For dark roasts this is fine but lighter roasts are a little bit hit and miss. As to the price, I'm not worried about the purchase cost but the difference between purchase and sale. The machine is now 1000 bucks more expensive than when I bought it so if I had to sell it I will still get a decent price for it. Overall, it will have lost me about 800 bucks or so, which is about the same or less than what I would lose on a medium-level machine like an E61. I had to do only very little maintenance (greasing, group head gaskets, steam valves), so I am more than happy with that, given that it allows me to have good coffee away from home and not having to get the filthy coffee from our office vending machine.
Love love love love my cremina. She a part of my soul now. Travels with me. My goddess. My saviour. My forever companion and friend. My love. When the whole world will leave me she won’t. Love ❤️ u. You have to own one and go on this journey. None of these useless fancy automatic machines can ever come close to it.
Maybe getting way ahead of myself here, but in my head this is perhaps the start of reviews for levels in light of a pair of new ones being recently released, and im excited.
Hi Lance! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the great work you have done to produce this great video, in which you show the virtues, excesses and defects of this iconic machine. I have been a user of domestic levers for more than 10 years, in which I started with the Pavoni Europicolas and Profesional, which I also keep. I agree with you on the excessive price of the current Creminas. Despite this, I have two Creminas, a Cremina 67 (1972) and a current one (2023). I have been able to verify firsthand most of your statements. I also agree that by making small mods, you can get practically the same result with a Cremina 67 as with a current one, so it is not necessary to spend as much on a current Olympia. I love the Zen point of these machines, in which the sensations are above the coldness of complicated electronics and the need for the overwhelming collection of data, which appears to be the trend of current machines. Obviously they are machines for personal enjoyment, they are not for intensive or commercial use, where consistency in parameters is obviously much more necessary than for a domestic user, with an average of 2-4 shots/day. The quality of the materials used in its construction, the low footprint they have due to their design, facilitating their integration into the countertops of today's small kitchens, which are the ones that most users have, together with their simplicity in maintenance, the Infinite possibilities of obtaining pressure profiles and parameters, being a direct lever and the excellence of the espresso, made entirely to your liking, are for me the keys to its success and the fact that these machines are practically eternal.
Beautifully said. I think it’s so interesting that the Cremina and the Decent are the same price. I compare mine to a swiss watch, simple, beautifully made to last forever. And yes, you get an intimate relationship with your morning coffee!
It's out of my price range, but so cool and to know I could buy one at 50 years old and not worry about parts availability or service life is incredible. Thanks for the video.
Great video, I'm very happy that swiss made is so popular. I really enjoy this espresso too. However, I would ask you to note that some of the old devices are insulated with asbestos. And what I find even worse is that there are heavy metals such as lead in the brewing unit in the older machines, unfortunately they dissolve and are found in the drink. Not really healthy, I think. This can no longer happen with the newer models, unfortunately I don't have any information from which year of manufacture this is no longer a problem. I am very lucky to be able to enjoy an Olympia Cremina SL. I see it as the next level through the spring force. Thanks for the great video - keep it up.
My cremina is from 1983. I bought it from an old man who had used it in his restaurant near the Schwarzwald forrest in Germany. I restored it and removed the Asbestos.
Thanks Lance for this great video! Absolutely love my Cremina, after spending the heap of cash you forget quickly about the money and enjoy the machine forever😀
I don’t know if Doug and Barb reached out to you they probably did but thanks to this video they got so many messages about the 3rd shot they made a new model. I am saving my pennies to buy a new Cremina, and plan on getting a new 3rd shot to control the temperatures. Thanks for all your videos they are very informative and got me excited about coffee ☕️ again!
Hey man! Thanks for the shoutout! Some thoughts - I haven’t noticed a difference with raising the lever beforehand - my Cremina only tips after I go to 9bar - and yes. I am obsessed. But im ok with that 😂
Arthur, I’ve learned a lot from watching your videos. With my Cremina I rarely use enough pressure to actively tip the machine when i put a shot. It’s like the tipping tells you to pull with a tiny bit less pressure!
Completely enjoyed the video, always something to learn. Simple fix -if the machine were deeper it could have a much bigger reservoir, avoid the tipping while preserving the aesthetics. Similar to Rocket/Stone. I was recently in Chamonix and a coffee shop there had a display of lever machines, (Flair type) I was the only person in our party who knew anything about them. Thanks for making me look good!
Had mine for several years from the 80s. I’ve done similar upgrades but like idea of a light on the inside to more easily see the water level. Mine will tip too so I place my wand cleaning rag on top and just hold it down from there. Great to see it continue to get the accolades. It’s buijt like a early 911 which should go on and on with the right maintence.
This hunk of metal that you showed with the rubber on the perimeter to cool off the group head, where did that come from? I've looked at your links but haven't found it. Thanks for the excellent review!
I had a 1981 Cremina. With the aid of Orphan Espresso videos, I was able to restore it. This was about 2000. Lovely shots, decent steaming. I added their improved steam wand as well.
I always liked Cremina, but after f58 came out I get lots of the user experience as using these and I find the routine less fiddly and I can use standard accessory and it’s easier to use for more modern roast and it has even less maintenance.
Telling people to remove asbestos is a mistake. Just leave it alone! Asbestos is especially dangerous in the manufacturing process, and of course, if for any reason the tiny fibers could realistically be dispersed. So, unless you are afraid of your machine exploding and filling your lungs with fibers, don't worry about it. If asbestos ever does need to be removed, it is NOT SELF SERVICE!
Depends on your expertise but yes. I don't think i implied the person should remove it without any experience. If it came across that way, well, it was unintentional. It should be removed- no implication of the buyer doing this on their own.
Users can ask to specialized companies to take the asbestos away. You cannot know when asbestos starts flaking and it might then be too late. So Lance's advice is just right: you don't know how to do it, then pay a company to do the job for you in safety
Asbestos is a coating that increases the thermal efficiency of the boiler and prevents much of the transmission of heat to the outside, increasing the useful life of the internal components of the machine and preventing the cover from overheating, avoiding you burn when you touch it. Following Doug's (Orphan espresso) directions it's not that hard to remove the asbestos from the machine safely. Then you have companies that are in charge of its elimination. A good suggestion after removing it is to cover the boiler with a non-toxic thermal insulation product, which will have the same effect as asbestos, but in a totally safe way. In The Lever Magazine article, dedicated to the mods of this machine, you can find an example of this boiler coating, which you can also do on modern Creminas.
@@LanceHedrick Thats true. It’s not implied, it’s explicit. You said directly, 2:44 “You _need_ to remove that asbestos for reasons…” Not trying to be a jerk but judging from your other videos and corrections you’ve made in the comments on those videos you seem like a meticulously detailed person who likes to get things right. People should know better, but there is no safe level of asbestos exposure and there are strict regulations for disposal of asbestos containing products.
I think a lot of the tips and workflow also applies to the La Pavoni Europiccola. My post-millenium model though I think it does fine temperature management wise for light roasts. You should put it up against the Europiccola.
I can absolutely understand how using the Cremina gives you an amount of pleasure and satisfaction justifying the price tag. It's not for me though. I was very impressed by my Pre-Mil Europiccola (which introduced me to the world of lever machines) but ultimately decided I really wanted to upgrade to a spring lever. Brian Quan did a video comparing his Cremina to a modern Pavoni which really sums it up. While the Londinium Vectis looked very promising I grew wary of waiting and bought a vintage SAMA machine instead, better known as Ponte Vecchio nowadays. Couldn't be happier and while it's nowhere near the quality that the Olympia is known for it does make fantastic coffee and to me at least it is a more interesting machine.
How would you compare the PV to the Pavoni, despite the spring in the PV? I am in the market for one of the two, so i am wondering which would suit my needs best. I drink almost exclusively espresso, 1-2 per day, medium-dark roasts.
Moccamaster fixed the flower taste of loosing heat in a gold cup standard cup of coffee. That fix is pot will fill from the bottom up. I've had my Moccamaster for 5 years. It had made from day 1 to today the best cup of coffee I've ever had. And its measured next to every coffee machines that has been created to date and still comes out on top. That's why they give you a 5 year warranty. Parts are available for everything. And I've never had to replace a part at all. I highly recommend the Moccamaster.
When i first saw this im thinking how cool, ill grab one to experiment with levers; then the shock of the price point. Thx lance, very detailed and insightful review.
Honestly if I wanted a box around my pavoni id probably prefer a la pavoni eurobar, they are incredibly rare but still less expensive than olympias. I think having the group decoupled from the boiler and being able to cycle water through it with the water spout to manage temp is a very good solution for the temperature management issues these machines have.
Lance, I'm quickly becoming a big fan of your content. Foolishly never committed to watching your videos in the past, but now that I'm looking to replace/upgrade my grinder I finally took the leap and am so glad I did. I'd love to follow your lead with the thermometer & LED mod. Much more elegant than what I've seen previously online. Any chance you could provide more guidance on sourcing parts? Thanks!!
This machine is beautiful, and I prefer the smaller footprint it provides. It's an endgame machine for a certain type of consumer, but certainly not an endgame machine for everyone.
In the "dry pumps Vs flushing" section, is it actually true that "there's no water in the brew chamber"? At least on my europiccola, when the piston is down, there's water in there (just above the piston). So, the dry pumping works to preheat by flushing that (probably cool/cooler) water out, and flooding in more fresh from the boiler (again, above the piston). When you raise the lever all the way up, the piston goes above the water inlet hole, so then the water enters below the piston. I thought the cremina works the same way. It's maybe an important distinction, in that the heating is happening when the lever is down, while the fresh water is sitting above the piston. With my machine (and the bong isolater, which is brilliant), I can get pretty accurate and consistent with my preheating. Little pumps will only cycle out a bit of the water, so I can go up a few degrees at a time if needed. The cremina looks like a beautiful machine, but I'm in a committed and passionate relationship with my modified premillennium la pavoni. Using it brings me joy every single day.
@@LanceHedrick In the video you're saying that lifting the lever lets some water in, and then pushing the lever back down sends it back to the boiler. That's the opposite of what happens on my europiccola. With the piston down, the chamber's full of water, and lifting it up sends some back into the boiler (so then pushing the lever/piston back down lets some fresh/hot water from the boiler into the chamber). I had to think about all this at one point, since before adding the bong isolator mod to my machine, the grouphead was steam heated and would get stupidly hot. So, just kindof curious on the mechanism in the cremina.
I just inherited this amazing machine and learning all I can about it. I think it is an '85 based on the serial number. Wondering what to do to maintain its pristine condition inside and out.
I love this machine! Amazing & insightful video, thanks! Could you do a similar one for the la pavoni europiccola 1st edition vs now? There is also a big modding community for that one and imo its kind of a dark horse in terms of getting a low cost second hand but reliable machine thatll keep running for "a small eternity". I have one from 1978, modded it quite a bit and it runs like a dream.
I bought one for myself for Christmas 2022, honestly, I don’t think I’ll even buy another machine, so frankly I think if you only buy once they are good value for money.
It's certainly not as precise and results are not as repeatable as with more modern machines, but silence is golden for me, as is the tiny footprint. I ended up with a Strietman CT1, and then a Cafelat Robot, and won't go back to a machine with a pump. But that's just me.
Regarding your comment at 2:47: Please don't ever remove asbestos yourself. While the stuff is bound, it's still more or less well contained. But once you start ripping it out, all the tiny fibers become airborne and can be inhaled and damage your lungs. Special equipment and expertise is needed to deal with it.
I really want the spring version for the sake of consistency, and the cost well it will last longer than anything on the market and its a machine to hand down like an expensive watch to the family.
I do not understand how this price point can justify itself against my La Pavoni Europiccola with basically the same performance and a fraction of the price.
Hi Lance ! Great video ! I rebuilted a lot of rare vintage espresso machines and also many lapavoni's and after talking with many lever heads , the post millenium la pavoni pro are doing better tasting shots and are more thermaly stable . The cremina look better but thats about it in my opinion and i wouldnt pay that much for a new one but might buy a used one at some point 😅
@@The_Coffee_Rabbit_Hole it could be simply that im just used to the Cremina more. Or it could be that the wider portafilter is less forgiving in puck prep. Also with the pavoni I have to hold my hand down on the boiler cap while pulling a shot, making sure not to burn my fingers, so im less focused on the shot itself.
thx a lot for this reel about a vintage espresso gem... (which actually is another example for the Swiss economic approach: copying other stuff, also hardware, changing it a little bit from the outside e.g. building a case around existing technology and minimally doubling the price. perhaps make it even more expensive... sad)
Hello! I was just wondering if a Fellini pull on a spring lever espresso machine would cause the same issues with disrupting the puck? Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my question and for producing this video!
Let's hear your comments! Would love to chat below! Hope you enjoyed. Cheers!
How would you compare the Cremina to the Europiccola ?
@@emanuelhess9909 i have owned and used both. cremina bought in 1980's was my first real espresso machine after moka pot and bellman steamer. cost around 350usd new. a few years later got an europiccola. coffee quality same as well as steam ability. imo the cremina is a europicola in a rectangular case and the current price is absurd for a europicola equivalent machine.
Where did you get your temp gauge/probe? I want to upgrade my Cremina with that (and the lighted level gauge too)
a standard plumbed in option would be nice at that current price point.
I'm looking forward to the Sanremo You review!
My dad gifted this to me for my college graduation. To this day my favorite part of my morning ritual.
My dad was given one for free about a decade ago. I had a great time with it, but he ended up selling it. I'll always regret letting him do that!
How long ago was this?
Dang, your dad is an OG coffee bro, I am so jelly 😊😊😊😊
Your dad is a real one!
Living in Switzerland, a country in which you can reach any place within 2 or 3 hours, Olympia's manufactory is basically in my neighbourhood. I have visited them twice and it's very impressive. Not so much because of their espresso machines, but because they manufacture anything that is made of steel. The entire building shakes to the beat of the giant punch that forms steel into something that will be used for fridges, white boards and whatever.
I love that you take the time to make these videos. The Cremina probably won't be the most popular click bate content, but for those invested in this industry this video means loads. Thanks for everything Lance and team
thank you! and i've never been in it for the views, though I wouldn't mind having Hoff numbers haha! I do it for the fun and the spreading of good info
Love actually watching this video! My first espresso machine was the 1973 Olympia Cremina, and it’s by far my favorite way to make coffee. Use it every day.
I inherited it from my grandfather
LOVE that shot pull with silence at the start. Just you and the shot. Excellent 👌🏻
I thought your opening was stunning. Going from the music + voiceover to the silence of the lever pull... *chef's kiss*
Rockin' that Papa Hoff swag, Lance!
As a lever aficionado, I pretty much consider the Cremina my endgame.
Excellent review! I've been using my Cremina (83') for about 15 years daily. I've had to do multiple rebuild of all of the seals and gaskets over the years, but it still runs like a top! Prior to that I used a pre-millenium La Pavoni Europiccola. When she starts to want to tilt, that is where you know you are roughly at about 8-9 bar lol.
I saw the 8-9 bar tilt in a RUclips video, at some point and it's been my analog "manometer" since! :-)
I'm surprised at the high price, seeing the La Pavoni machines are so much less. What are we paying for?
I'm a Europiccola owner. I use the bong isolator mod which basically adds a chunk of nylon between group head and body to reduce heat conduction. This machine would benefit from an equivalent
by the sounds of this video, you're paying for good welding
Ha! And being Swiss made. Higher wages. And brand name perhaps.
LP Professional owner here - seems to be mostly the luxury factor, since our machines are functionally pretty much identical.
Love my pre Millenium la Pavoni! They have also passed the test of time, nothing wrong with them.
It’s made like a swiss watch.
Great video and thanks for the mention, it was lovely to see that Cremina '67 again! I really appreciated that you took many months before the review to really get to know the machine and you did not approach it in the same way as pump machines since it probably was your first lever when you got it!
Let's make levers great again!
Unless you count flair machines, it was my first lever I used a lot with a built in heating element. My first spring lever was that beautiful 1953 Faemina. First lever was flair 58 technically but yeah! Loving it
I have a lovely Cremina and i so appreciate your magazine!
@@dinnyf thank you! ☺️
I've had a modern Cremina for about 4 years now and this review covers most of the ownership experience. Managing the temperature is an art, one point I would add is that you can change the pressurestat target easily (lid needs to come off but that's it), so if you find the heating element clicks off a bit too high or low for your liking which might be the case if you have a strong preference for particularly dark or light roasts, this will be helpful.
Daddy Hoff’s review of this had some of the highest praise of its shots than most other of his reviews. It’s just hard for me to see how a +3,000$ dollar machine still needs some hacks /adjustments.
it doesnt need the adjustments. its only if you want. i actually bought mods for it , the pressure profile kit and the temperature strip, but i dont use either now.
Its simplicity is a big part of what has made them such a long-lasting and reliable machine, that naturally comes with some compromises. You fix them and you completely change the nature of the machine and you create problems down the line elsewhere. At that point you may as well buy something else.
the shots are super tasty! As Hugo murmured in the video, its hard to pull a bad shot. But, I wouldn't say it necessarily makes the best espresso of all time. i've had some pretty incredible experiences with similarly priced machines
The only hack i did on my Cremina was to add a temperature strip to the head. If you’re someone like me, who want to “feel” your shot every morning to have a sort if intimacy with your coffee, I feel in my hand what the profiler tells you visually. It’s just a beautiful machine that works with you to make your life a bit more delicious!
@@LanceHedrickbut was it as much fun ;) Great Video
Great video Lance and you cover lots of the same tricks that I use. I have a 2023 Cremina and love it! Very satisfying to use and can craft great espresso. Being able to manually adjust group head temperature using the dry pumps means it can handle everything from dark to light roast. Upgrading to a 3rd party 1 hole steam tip makes steaming milk easier and better micro foam. The newer Cremina's from 2000 and onward have a heat break gasket between the boiler and group head. Helps keep the group head at the right temperate. And it's retrofitable to older Creminas too. In the United States the old Creminas have gotten expensive and some are in rough space. I opted to buy new considering total cost and work to restore. An important date for old Creminas is somewhere in 1983 they stopped coating the boiler asbestos. Now back to making a flat white with my Cremina 🙂
Thank you, Lance, Awesome video! As an Espresso Tech, I love seeing these machines, there are a lot of them on the West Coast. AND I learned something new today, the Fellini Move!
I think that some important differences are in the design and components like the pressure-stat design, safety valve location, vacuum valve update, and overall evolution of the boiler assembly as in the old models they had these welded together with some components, perhaps an idea for the next video? All the best, Yossi
Thanks Lance for such a fair and deep review of the Cremina. I love mine so, so much. I feel intimately connected to my morning coffee. Interesting to see that through years of trial and error i pull shots on my Cremina very much as you did. A naked portafilter, a temperature strip on the head, a good scale, a shot mirror abd most importantly my taste buds helped me learn to feel the puck and treat each puck individually. I love experimenting with lighter roasts and live at altitude, so my Swiss watch of a coffee machine is very happy here!
I chose not to mod with a profiler because i like the intimacy of feeling the shot without the visual interruption of the profiler. Still i think the profiler is very cool and I absolutely understand why people with a different relationship with their espresso might love that!
I got into espresso with my gaggia classic . I really want my next machine to be an olympia cremina. I love the footprint and the build quality the machine has. And the most obvious there is just something beautiful about a lever.
You’ll never go back!
I love Lance because everything he reviews I feel like I must buy and he's not even trying to sell anything. I think it's the love for the craft and the engineering of our products that drives him and myself ❤. We only have one BurrMan, protect him at all costs 🎉🎉🎉
thank you, George! I greatly appreciate the kind words! I do love coffee ;)
I bought a new Cremina in 2021. I love my machine. Thank you for the deep dive into this machine.❤❤☕☕☕
I'm so happy that you make a review of those machines. I rebuild and use 2 of them (73 and 76) and they just work flawlessly since then! As I live in switzerland, we kinda have a reliable part supplier also, it's pretty uncommon to have access to new parts for a 50 yo machine... As for the tilt problem, I find it less likely to occur than with my previous la Pavoni, probably using it from the side for filming is not the best option for a stable shot. Thank you again for summing up everything I like on this machine that will probably live further than me!
Yes. But even pulling in front, it has tilted many times. I've been using the 2023 for 6 months.
Thank you for the kind words!
Check the surface are where you are put it on, mine just stick to the wood and doesn't move....
I appreciate your passion for coffee Lance. It really is something special to extract crema the way they did many years ago with a machine you can say is a piece of art. Funny enough I was never a big coffee drinker (but loved the smell) and for my extended family it has always been a daily routine. I’m the oddball but since watching your videos I have now bought my first espresso machine and loving it. I make coffee for the wife and friends enjoying every minute of creating that perfect shot.
Such a nice machine. I think for me this wouldn't be my primary daily machine but more something to enjoy collect and play with.
The Cremina really is a piece of art. Nonetheless not everything in their new machines has the quality standard that you would expect considering the price tag. The shower screen can be made inconsistently as well as the filter baskets - up to a point where water spreads all over the place. Both problems can be fixed though, and I love this machine…
Thanks! That's a big boiler. Makes my europiccola look like a baby. Also like the slightly larger group for more shot volume.
as a happy La Pavoni Professional owner, I can´t but agree that a good lever machine, can be a pal for life! steep learning curve, but once you understand your machine, infinitely rewarding.
definitely steep. Most think because of the lever dynamics, but in reality, the more steep curve is the temp maintenance. Once you hvae that down, you are pulling delish shots for life!
Really enjoyed watching the video this morning while drinking shots from my Cremina. Great video!
fantastic! love to read that!
I bought a new Cremina in 2012. In that year, our child was born and we wanted a machine that runs silently. It is still in use in my away-from-home office. It is a very nice little machine that requires very little maintenance. The only issue I have with it is that it is eating the rubber valves of the steam wand at high pace. When I used the steam wand regularly I had to replace the rubber every two years or so. Today it is only used for espresso, so not a worry anymore.
All romanticism aside, the Cremina in its standard configuration doesn't give you the variability and predictability of a modern espresso machine, as the volume per shot is limited and the temperature fluctuates more. For dark roasts this is fine but lighter roasts are a little bit hit and miss.
As to the price, I'm not worried about the purchase cost but the difference between purchase and sale. The machine is now 1000 bucks more expensive than when I bought it so if I had to sell it I will still get a decent price for it. Overall, it will have lost me about 800 bucks or so, which is about the same or less than what I would lose on a medium-level machine like an E61. I had to do only very little maintenance (greasing, group head gaskets, steam valves), so I am more than happy with that, given that it allows me to have good coffee away from home and not having to get the filthy coffee from our office vending machine.
all good points!
Love love love love my cremina. She a part of my soul now. Travels with me. My goddess. My saviour. My forever companion and friend. My love. When the whole world will leave me she won’t. Love ❤️ u. You have to own one and go on this journey. None of these useless fancy automatic machines can ever come close to it.
I absolutely agree. I travel with mine as well!
Maybe getting way ahead of myself here, but in my head this is perhaps the start of reviews for levels in light of a pair of new ones being recently released, and im excited.
I may or may not have a Nurri and Vectis in my studio. And a new Vostok on the way. And an Argos. 🤣
@@LanceHedrick awesome! :) Excited!
It's amazing to see the 50 year old machine still going strong. Yes, the new one is expensive. I have no regrets, it gives a zen like calm.
super zen! And you know it'll be beside you in 50 years.
That‘s a perfect example of Swiss quality, exactly like their watches!
Hi Lance! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the great work you have done to produce this great video, in which you show the virtues, excesses and defects of this iconic machine.
I have been a user of domestic levers for more than 10 years, in which I started with the Pavoni Europicolas and Profesional, which I also keep. I agree with you on the excessive price of the current Creminas. Despite this, I have two Creminas, a Cremina 67 (1972) and a current one (2023). I have been able to verify firsthand most of your statements. I also agree that by making small mods, you can get practically the same result with a Cremina 67 as with a current one, so it is not necessary to spend as much on a current Olympia. I love the Zen point of these machines, in which the sensations are above the coldness of complicated electronics and the need for the overwhelming collection of data, which appears to be the trend of current machines. Obviously they are machines for personal enjoyment, they are not for intensive or commercial use, where consistency in parameters is obviously much more necessary than for a domestic user, with an average of 2-4 shots/day.
The quality of the materials used in its construction, the low footprint they have due to their design, facilitating their integration into the countertops of today's small kitchens, which are the ones that most users have, together with their simplicity in maintenance, the Infinite possibilities of obtaining pressure profiles and parameters, being a direct lever and the excellence of the espresso, made entirely to your liking, are for me the keys to its success and the fact that these machines are practically eternal.
great comment! and yes, definitely agreed wrt pricing! Thanks for chiming in, Juan.
Beautifully said. I think it’s so interesting that the Cremina and the Decent are the same price. I compare mine to a swiss watch, simple, beautifully made to last forever. And yes, you get an intimate relationship with your morning coffee!
It's out of my price range, but so cool and to know I could buy one at 50 years old and not worry about parts availability or service life is incredible. Thanks for the video.
Great video, I'm very happy that swiss made is so popular. I really enjoy this espresso too. However, I would ask you to note that some of the old devices are insulated with asbestos. And what I find even worse is that there are heavy metals such as lead in the brewing unit in the older machines, unfortunately they dissolve and are found in the drink. Not really healthy, I think. This can no longer happen with the newer models, unfortunately I don't have any information from which year of manufacture this is no longer a problem.
I am very lucky to be able to enjoy an Olympia Cremina SL. I see it as the next level through the spring force. Thanks for the great video - keep it up.
Just ordered a vectis, excited to start my lever journey!
Please continue to make videos about your vintage machines!
My cremina is from 1983. I bought it from an old man who had used it in his restaurant near the Schwarzwald forrest in Germany. I restored it and removed the Asbestos.
Thanks Lance for this great video! Absolutely love my Cremina, after spending the heap of cash you forget quickly about the money and enjoy the machine forever😀
I don’t know if Doug and Barb reached out to you they probably did but thanks to this video they got so many messages about the 3rd shot they made a new model. I am saving my pennies to buy a new Cremina, and plan on getting a new 3rd shot to control the temperatures. Thanks for all your videos they are very informative and got me excited about coffee ☕️ again!
Im new to espresso lever machines, long time aeropress and v60 brewer and I can say now I understand the love. So far I’m happy with my flex neo.
This is EXACTLY what I was after.....Thanks!! I own and Love my 2023 Cremina....
Hey man! Thanks for the shoutout!
Some thoughts
- I haven’t noticed a difference with raising the lever beforehand
- my Cremina only tips after I go to 9bar
- and yes. I am obsessed. But im ok with that 😂
Deserved, my friend!
Arthur, I’ve learned a lot from watching your videos. With my Cremina I rarely use enough pressure to actively tip the machine when i put a shot. It’s like the tipping tells you to pull with a tiny bit less pressure!
I’m also obsessed with my Cremina.
@@dinnyf yes me too! I try to stay below the tipping point. And thanks for watching!
Completely enjoyed the video, always something to learn. Simple fix -if the machine were deeper it could have a much bigger reservoir, avoid the tipping while preserving the aesthetics. Similar to Rocket/Stone. I was recently in Chamonix and a coffee shop there had a display of lever machines, (Flair type) I was the only person in our party who knew anything about them. Thanks for making me look good!
Love the shirt! Nice homage to Daddy Hoff!
Beautiful 🎉 I have enjoyed this you have no idea how much. It's been a delight ❤
Had mine for several years from the 80s. I’ve done similar upgrades but like idea of a light on the inside to more easily see the water level. Mine will tip too so I place my wand cleaning rag on top and just hold it down from there. Great to see it continue to get the accolades. It’s buijt like a early 911 which should go on and on with the right maintence.
absolutely! Built to last a life time, unlike many newer machines today that are built for margins.
I love the Porsche comparison as they are two of my loves.
@dinnyf , mine too!
This hunk of metal that you showed with the rubber on the perimeter to cool off the group head, where did that come from? I've looked at your links but haven't found it. Thanks for the excellent review!
I had a 1981 Cremina. With the aid of Orphan Espresso videos, I was able to restore it. This was about 2000. Lovely shots, decent steaming. I added their improved steam wand as well.
I always liked Cremina, but after f58 came out I get lots of the user experience as using these and I find the routine less fiddly and I can use standard accessory and it’s easier to use for more modern roast and it has even less maintenance.
The Cremina is my end game machine. One day soon I hope.
Telling people to remove asbestos is a mistake. Just leave it alone! Asbestos is especially dangerous in the manufacturing process, and of course, if for any reason the tiny fibers could realistically be dispersed. So, unless you are afraid of your machine exploding and filling your lungs with fibers, don't worry about it. If asbestos ever does need to be removed, it is NOT SELF SERVICE!
Depends on your expertise but yes. I don't think i implied the person should remove it without any experience. If it came across that way, well, it was unintentional. It should be removed- no implication of the buyer doing this on their own.
Users can ask to specialized companies to take the asbestos away. You cannot know when asbestos starts flaking and it might then be too late. So Lance's advice is just right: you don't know how to do it, then pay a company to do the job for you in safety
Asbestos is a coating that increases the thermal efficiency of the boiler and prevents much of the transmission of heat to the outside, increasing the useful life of the internal components of the machine and preventing the cover from overheating, avoiding you burn when you touch it. Following Doug's (Orphan espresso) directions it's not that hard to remove the asbestos from the machine safely. Then you have companies that are in charge of its elimination. A good suggestion after removing it is to cover the boiler with a non-toxic thermal insulation product, which will have the same effect as asbestos, but in a totally safe way. In The Lever Magazine article, dedicated to the mods of this machine, you can find an example of this boiler coating, which you can also do on modern Creminas.
@@LanceHedrick Thats true. It’s not implied, it’s explicit. You said directly, 2:44 “You _need_ to remove that asbestos for reasons…”
Not trying to be a jerk but judging from your other videos and corrections you’ve made in the comments on those videos you seem like a meticulously detailed person who likes to get things right. People should know better, but there is no safe level of asbestos exposure and there are strict regulations for disposal of asbestos containing products.
Great to see the video quality improving, a pretty high based on where you started.
Great job as always.
a thoroughly interesting review. really liked the editing too. love your work, Lance, thank you.
Hi Lance! It would be interesting to hear your opinion between spring lever vs non-spring lever machine.
Yeah deffo, I'm keen to buy a spring version one so it pulls more consistent lever shots
I think a lot of the tips and workflow also applies to the La Pavoni Europiccola. My post-millenium model though I think it does fine temperature management wise for light roasts.
You should put it up against the Europiccola.
I can absolutely understand how using the Cremina gives you an amount of pleasure and satisfaction justifying the price tag. It's not for me though. I was very impressed by my Pre-Mil Europiccola (which introduced me to the world of lever machines) but ultimately decided I really wanted to upgrade to a spring lever. Brian Quan did a video comparing his Cremina to a modern Pavoni which really sums it up. While the Londinium Vectis looked very promising I grew wary of waiting and bought a vintage SAMA machine instead, better known as Ponte Vecchio nowadays. Couldn't be happier and while it's nowhere near the quality that the Olympia is known for it does make fantastic coffee and to me at least it is a more interesting machine.
How would you compare the PV to the Pavoni, despite the spring in the PV?
I am in the market for one of the two, so i am wondering which would suit my needs best. I drink almost exclusively espresso, 1-2 per day, medium-dark roasts.
Moccamaster fixed the flower taste of loosing heat in a gold cup standard cup of coffee. That fix is pot will fill from the bottom up. I've had my Moccamaster for 5 years. It had made from day 1 to today the best cup of coffee I've ever had. And its measured next to every coffee machines that has been created to date and still comes out on top. That's why they give you a 5 year warranty. Parts are available for everything. And I've never had to replace a part at all. I highly recommend the Moccamaster.
When i first saw this im thinking how cool, ill grab one to experiment with levers; then the shock of the price point. Thx lance, very detailed and insightful review.
it is not cheap! Good news is they resell very well!
Good mellow vibes in this video. A nice change
appreciate that!
Honestly if I wanted a box around my pavoni id probably prefer a la pavoni eurobar, they are incredibly rare but still less expensive than olympias. I think having the group decoupled from the boiler and being able to cycle water through it with the water spout to manage temp is a very good solution for the temperature management issues these machines have.
Lance, I'm quickly becoming a big fan of your content. Foolishly never committed to watching your videos in the past, but now that I'm looking to replace/upgrade my grinder I finally took the leap and am so glad I did.
I'd love to follow your lead with the thermometer & LED mod. Much more elegant than what I've seen previously online. Any chance you could provide more guidance on sourcing parts?
Thanks!!
After watching this, I'm thinking about picking up a working La Pavoni Europiccola for sale nearby...
do it! I will be working on an LP vid soon!
This machine is beautiful, and I prefer the smaller footprint it provides. It's an endgame machine for a certain type of consumer, but certainly not an endgame machine for everyone.
definitely very, very niche!
Had two vintage Creminas.Make amazing espresso.
Excellent video, as always. Does anyone know where to purchace one of the heat sinks that Lance showed?
Apex… we shall wait with great anticipation
In the "dry pumps Vs flushing" section, is it actually true that "there's no water in the brew chamber"?
At least on my europiccola, when the piston is down, there's water in there (just above the piston). So, the dry pumping works to preheat by flushing that (probably cool/cooler) water out, and flooding in more fresh from the boiler (again, above the piston). When you raise the lever all the way up, the piston goes above the water inlet hole, so then the water enters below the piston.
I thought the cremina works the same way. It's maybe an important distinction, in that the heating is happening when the lever is down, while the fresh water is sitting above the piston. With my machine (and the bong isolater, which is brilliant), I can get pretty accurate and consistent with my preheating. Little pumps will only cycle out a bit of the water, so I can go up a few degrees at a time if needed.
The cremina looks like a beautiful machine, but I'm in a committed and passionate relationship with my modified premillennium la pavoni. Using it brings me joy every single day.
I said it is in the chamber. Just not all the way because if it was, it'd come out. I tried to be nuanced there. What was confusing?
@@LanceHedrick In the video you're saying that lifting the lever lets some water in, and then pushing the lever back down sends it back to the boiler. That's the opposite of what happens on my europiccola. With the piston down, the chamber's full of water, and lifting it up sends some back into the boiler (so then pushing the lever/piston back down lets some fresh/hot water from the boiler into the chamber). I had to think about all this at one point, since before adding the bong isolator mod to my machine, the grouphead was steam heated and would get stupidly hot.
So, just kindof curious on the mechanism in the cremina.
Thanks Lance.
As for the tilting, I simply screwed the machine to the desk and it's now rock solid!
Excellent video! Well done, Thanks.
So for someone that likes the idea and nostalgia of lever espresso would a La Pavoni have similar build quality and longevity?
Thanks for the video! An interesting piece of equipment
I just inherited this amazing machine and learning all I can about it. I think it is an '85 based on the serial number. Wondering what to do to maintain its pristine condition inside and out.
I need you to review a La Pavoni!
'Fellini moves' ha ha that brings to mind whole other topic I wont get into. Just ensure its consensual. Hilarious 🤣loved that
I love this machine! Amazing & insightful video, thanks! Could you do a similar one for the la pavoni europiccola 1st edition vs now? There is also a big modding community for that one and imo its kind of a dark horse in terms of getting a low cost second hand but reliable machine thatll keep running for "a small eternity". I have one from 1978, modded it quite a bit and it runs like a dream.
who else was yelling at their screens at 17:45 NOO, you missed the 2 other feet things on the casing!!
Lol I had it fixed before rolling again
I bought one for myself for Christmas 2022, honestly, I don’t think I’ll even buy another machine, so frankly I think if you only buy once they are good value for money.
No they’re not good value lol. By All means do what you want but it’s like saying a Louis Vuitton purse is good value - objectively not true
@@cwill2127 never tried to make coffee in luggage, perhaps I’m missing a trick
It's certainly not as precise and results are not as repeatable as with more modern machines, but silence is golden for me, as is the tiny footprint. I ended up with a Strietman CT1, and then a Cafelat Robot, and won't go back to a machine with a pump. But that's just me.
for sure! They are absolute joys to work with!
You're a freaking legend Lance!
Regarding your comment at 2:47: Please don't ever remove asbestos yourself. While the stuff is bound, it's still more or less well contained. But once you start ripping it out, all the tiny fibers become airborne and can be inhaled and damage your lungs. Special equipment and expertise is needed to deal with it.
now you’ll have to review La Pavoni Europiccola as well 🤓
planning on it!
Excellent review Lance, thank you! Brass is highly susceptible to attracting coffee oils, Stainless Steel none.
Correct! And thanks!
Love these videos Lance! Have you considered reviewing 58mm thermoblock espresso machines by Ascaso?
I really want the spring version for the sake of consistency, and the cost well it will last longer than anything on the market and its a machine to hand down like an expensive watch to the family.
fun video nice!
He Lance, which smallish lever machine would you recommend? Cremina, Argos, Vectis, or other?
i'll be working on a comparison style video in the near-ish future!
Great video. Would love to see a comparison video with the lapavoni
I do not understand how this price point can justify itself against my La Pavoni Europiccola with basically the same performance and a fraction of the price.
Hi Lance ! Great video ! I rebuilted a lot of rare vintage espresso machines and also many lapavoni's and after talking with many lever heads , the post millenium la pavoni pro are doing better tasting shots and are more thermaly stable . The cremina look better but thats about it in my opinion and i wouldnt pay that much for a new one but might buy a used one at some point 😅
i have a post millenium pavoni. its easier for me to get better tasting coffee out of the cremina
@@coffeewitharthur426 i think you are the first person i hear saying this ! Why exactly?
@@The_Coffee_Rabbit_Hole it could be simply that im just used to the Cremina more. Or it could be that the wider portafilter is less forgiving in puck prep.
Also with the pavoni I have to hold my hand down on the boiler cap while pulling a shot, making sure not to burn my fingers, so im less focused on the shot itself.
I have yet to purchase a post mil pavoni. My only pavoni is from the 60s. I'll need to get one soon!
@@LanceHedrick sound like a plan 👍 if you can find the full brass/copper version , its the best 🤩
thx a lot for this reel about a vintage espresso gem... (which actually is another example for the Swiss economic approach: copying other stuff, also hardware, changing it a little bit from the outside e.g. building a case around existing technology and minimally doubling the price. perhaps make it even more expensive... sad)
Another great video Lance!
thank you so much!
Here I was thinking "i'll buy that"
*8:59**sec* Hold My Beer
Im curious about the Olympia Cremina SL, so little reviews of this new(er) lever model.
Hello! I was just wondering if a Fellini pull on a spring lever espresso machine would cause the same issues with disrupting the puck? Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my question and for producing this video!
My fav comic book guy of coffee
heck yeah! KAPOW
Me encantó tu video
Hell yeah, Doug and Barb! The nicest people on the planet.
absolutely! They rock!
@@LanceHedrick met them at SCA and they were so cool and happy to show me everything! Wish I had bought an Apex while there.
Great tee shirt
Another great vid! Btw Lance, Gilda is read like “Jeelda” 😉
19:57 "Cremina goodness" followed by a GLASS-BUMP 😆
gotta do it!