Arnoud, a friend and fellow roaster who also restores vintage espresso machines on http://www.vintage-espresso-machines.nl visited the other day and on the Dutch forum he posted this report (translated below):
Ik heb vrijdagavond de LR even kort geprobeerd en van binnen bekeken. Ik ben erg onder de indruk van de mate van afwerking en hoe vernuftig het allemaal in elkaar zit. Lekker compakt en nauwelijks natte vinger werk, allemaal vaste waardes en je hoeft niet meer te spelen en te flushen. Filterdrager laden, hendel overtrekken, wachten op PI en genieten terwijl de espresso in stilte als warme honing in het kopje vloeit. En dat is ook eigenlijk precies wat je van deze machine moet willen, mooie klassieke hevelshots met veel body, zonder gedoe van vaste water aansluitingen, flushroutines en andere ongein. En dat allemaal voor een acceptabele (prosumer) prijsklasse.
Friday night I tried the L-R briefly and also got a look inside. I'm very impressed with the level of finish and how ingenious the machine is constructed. Pleasantly compact and hardly any guesswork, all fixed values and you don't need to fiddle and flush anymore. Load portafilter, pull handle, wait for PI and enjoy as the espresso silently flows into the cup like hot honey. And that is really precisely what you must want from this machine, beautiful classic lever shots with lots of body, without any fuss for water line feed, flush routines and other nonsense. And all of that for an acceptable (prosumer) price tag.
Egbert came over from his home 45 minutes from Amsterdam and tonight he posted on the Dutch Koffiepraat forum as well:
Today I visited Frans to taste the LR. What a beautiful machine. Especially for the lighter/fruitier roasts, shots had a nicer taste and more body than I can get from my Strega so far. Furthermore, the machine is more chic with better/nicer finish and the group is also much more firm and heavier. The rotation pump makes much less sound than the vibe pump in my Strega. I find what I have seen and tasted so far a REAL upgrade. And all of that in a compact machine. All in all a very successful morning in a coffee lover's nirvana.
Frans, I saw in one of Reiss' earlier blog posts that the wenge handles from the factory are untreated (raw wood?). As such, he recommended treating them with food grade mineral oil (or butcher block oil) and re-treating them on a periodic basis. Are they in fact untreated? Do they need to treated immediately or shortly after putting the LR in service? Just one of the things I want to be ready for. Just got the notification of shipment earlier this morning! Not that I'm excited or anything like that...
Mine were indeed raw. I had some Howard's butcher block mineral oil on hand and have put on 3 coats of that so far - it can probably take many more than that, it's pretty thirsty wood. I have some beeswax somewhere, but haven't been able to find it, but I think I'll put some of that on too - seal in the oil and give it a shine. Hopefully that's a good idea!
I bought "Cire a patiner" wax to treat the wood with. Bought it at a nearby place where men build furniture from wood. I think the wood was untreated which is best because then you can choose yourself what the initial wax / oil / etc you prefer to use.
Roger Healy post=12798 wrote: Frans, I saw in one of Reiss' earlier blog posts that the wenge handles from the factory are untreated (raw wood?). As such, he recommended treating them with food grade mineral oil (or butcher block oil) and re-treating them on a periodic basis. Are they in fact untreated? Do they need to treated immediately or shortly after putting the LR in service? Just one of the things I want to be ready for. Just got the notification of shipment earlier this morning! Not that I'm excited or anything like that...
hi roger
as soon as possible is obviously sensible, but equally, no one will die if you use it for a few days in the raw. over time it builds up a superb patina that only a natural product can give you. i despair when i hear of owners putting a lacquer or synthetic sealant on them - they are very robust and they just look better as they age and give the machine character. the maintenance is in no way onerous - three times a year will be ample in a domestic environment. if they were not standing up to the rough and tumble they would be gone - anything that doesn't work on our machines i change; the wenge is staying.
"Italian Espresso Style"-Teabags?! I have no idea what that is supposed to be but man, you're showing some nerve posting this on here next to your new toy ;-) surely gave me the shivers…
My L-R won't be arriving until the end of March (my decision not a supply issue) so in the mean time will have to stare longingly at Mini-L-R .............
Day 2 of LR ownership, I realised I was reaching the end of the day and hadn't picked up beans yet again. A quick run to the only local cafe remaining open yielded a bag of Campos Superior. A blend I don't particularly enjoy, but is a well roasted bean by a large, popular roaster that still attempts to cultivate a boutique vibe.
One shot on the LR told me exactly why I dislike this particular blend. With more nuance it just tastes like wet dog. My wife complained about bitterness in her milky coffee.
So yesterday I made the hour return trip to pick up some Aslan Coffee yesterday, a roaster I've enjoyed in the past. I grabbed a couple of single-origins - a Sulawesi Toraja and a Java Jampit Estate, I cracked the latter.
Tasting notes describe it as a medium roast with honey, almond, peach and chocolate notes.
To truly test the machine I perhaps should have gone for the more citrus Sumatra, but I don't really enjoy those kinds of notes so much, so I left it.
My palate isn't the greatest, but I feel like I really got the almond, choc and honey.
With the adjustments to the pstat and secondary pressure regulator I'm getting big, voluminous pours that still have good body and full mouthfeel. The taste was smooth, rich yet with some delicacy.
I can't emphasise how much this is a different machine from the L1. As much as Reiss said that would be the case, I really didn't think the difference would be this profound. I'm definitely still dialing it in, but I feel like I'm learning an entirely different machine. I'm exceptionally happy about that, not just because it justifies the upgrade, but also because it's giving me something new to learn, to taste and to adjust - I'm just now realising that I'll really be able to tailor this machine to my exact tastes.
Comments
Kfir.
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Ik heb vrijdagavond de LR even kort geprobeerd en van binnen bekeken. Ik ben erg onder de indruk van de mate van afwerking en hoe vernuftig het allemaal in elkaar zit.
Lekker compakt en nauwelijks natte vinger werk, allemaal vaste waardes en je hoeft niet meer te spelen en te flushen. Filterdrager laden, hendel overtrekken, wachten op PI en genieten terwijl de espresso in stilte als warme honing in het kopje vloeit. En dat is ook eigenlijk precies wat je van deze machine moet willen, mooie klassieke hevelshots met veel body, zonder gedoe van vaste water aansluitingen, flushroutines en andere ongein.
En dat allemaal voor een acceptabele (prosumer) prijsklasse.
Friday night I tried the L-R briefly and also got a look inside. I'm very impressed with the level of finish and how ingenious the machine is constructed. Pleasantly compact and hardly any guesswork, all fixed values and you don't need to fiddle and flush anymore. Load portafilter, pull handle, wait for PI and enjoy as the espresso silently flows into the cup like hot honey. And that is really precisely what you must want from this machine, beautiful classic lever shots with lots of body, without any fuss for water line feed, flush routines and other nonsense. And all of that for an acceptable (prosumer) price tag.
The machine is completely quiet now, just like the L1-P.
Pre infusion pressure currently set to 2,5 bars, you can see the taller legs from the plumb in kit installed and the new top panel.
Took a quick video today, sorry about my amateur shooting skills
Kfir.
I've tried lubing all the moving parts but there is still some noise.
Kfir.
hi roger
as soon as possible is obviously sensible, but equally, no one will die if you use it for a few days in the raw. over time it builds up a superb patina that only a natural product can give you. i despair when i hear of owners putting a lacquer or synthetic sealant on them - they are very robust and they just look better as they age and give the machine character. the maintenance is in no way onerous - three times a year will be ample in a domestic environment. if they were not standing up to the rough and tumble they would be gone - anything that doesn't work on our machines i change; the wenge is staying.
kind regards
reiss.
Kfir.
Youtube version:
Forgot to buy beans
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
surely gave me the shivers…
But in the meantime.....
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That homage is so beautifully done!!
That homage is so beautifully done!!
Thank you. Originally it depicted my L1 ......
...... so I just needed to change the text.
And thank you for your many informative Londinium posts, especially your photos and videos.
One shot on the LR told me exactly why I dislike this particular blend. With more nuance it just tastes like wet dog. My wife complained about bitterness in her milky coffee.
So yesterday I made the hour return trip to pick up some Aslan Coffee yesterday, a roaster I've enjoyed in the past. I grabbed a couple of single-origins - a Sulawesi Toraja and a Java Jampit Estate, I cracked the latter.
Tasting notes describe it as a medium roast with honey, almond, peach and chocolate notes.
To truly test the machine I perhaps should have gone for the more citrus Sumatra, but I don't really enjoy those kinds of notes so much, so I left it.
My palate isn't the greatest, but I feel like I really got the almond, choc and honey.
With the adjustments to the pstat and secondary pressure regulator I'm getting big, voluminous pours that still have good body and full mouthfeel. The taste was smooth, rich yet with some delicacy.
I can't emphasise how much this is a different machine from the L1. As much as Reiss said that would be the case, I really didn't think the difference would be this profound. I'm definitely still dialing it in, but I feel like I'm learning an entirely different machine. I'm exceptionally happy about that, not just because it justifies the upgrade, but also because it's giving me something new to learn, to taste and to adjust - I'm just now realising that I'll really be able to tailor this machine to my exact tastes.
Fantastic work.