Olympia Express - Cremina SL

Just a thing beforehand. If you have the chance, actually go to a store and try out machines. I decided against some very nice machines because I tried them out and was disappointed by the looks IRL or the experience (Olympia Cremina, Profitec Move), and was almost swayed to get others (ECM Puristika, Rancilio Silvia Pro, Linea Micra). Like you, I didn't really have a budget consideration but wanted a machine that was perfect for me. I know, Lelit are kind of the Internet Darlings because of price performance and people like Lance hyping them, but there are so many more nice machines out there. If I were still in your position, I would at least consider the Profitec Drive, but you might have of course already decided against it for one reason or another (I also have no idea how expensive it is where you are located). Or an ACS Falcon or Vesuvius.

I have a bunch of machines, including spring lever and manual lever so I can give my 2 cents here. It's kind of funny with a spring lever. It just makes good coffee. You have some control, in my case via the ma-ter (boiler pressure, only really relevant for temperature and water pressure during filling the group head/pre infusion), then grind size, dose and pre infusion time and that's it. Find a good dose for your coffee, good grind size and pre infuse shorter for dark roast and longer for lights. Try out a couple of ratios until you find a good one and that's it. Great coffee. It is really hard to pull a bad shot. Even my botched first and so so second attempt tasted nice, and that was with light roast. It is incredibly simple so I have a hard time imagining a lot of failure points. Even if there ever were to happen anything, I could just go to the next hardware store and buy a replacement, except maybe for the Ma-Ter. And I am not even that technically inclined. I felt with my Flair it was kind of an involved pull, trying to hit your desired pressures at certain times, if you fuck up, it can actually taste bad. That amount of fuck up is really hard to do with a spring lever. The only other machine that lets you do it like a spring lever is kind of the opposite, something like a decent or in my case, a modded Silvia. And even then, it's not AS idiot proof or forgiving out of the box. That being said, you have to accept them for what they are and let go of some of the control you maybe wanted before. I find it liberating, some might find it frustrating. Also, I tried a bunch of lever machines and the Vectis is the only one I really enjoyed so far. The Cremina, the only other spring lever I tried, makes incredible espresso, but I really don't like the form factor. It's too short so it can potentially dip forwards when you pull. I don't like how hot everything gets, since you kind of have to stabilise it with your hand or arm and that is outright unpleasantly hot, even when you use your sleeve or a towel as an improvised oven mitt. In my opinion, there is really no excuse for that in a machine at that price. They can keep it almost as is and make it a lot more user friendly by using a single wooden part for better heat insulation to hold on to and a drip tray that is minimally longer. The Flair I had, the Pro3 is so labor intensive, it gets kind of old when you are not really into every step of it and you have to really pay attention when pulling. It is however capable to make mind blowing coffee. The La Pavoni suffers from the same problems the Cremina does but it gets even hotter, so hot that it can burn your coffee. And the drip tray is absolute shite, which is annoying in a lever machine. It is however priced a lot more fairly. On the Vectis, so far nothing annoys me. The drip tray is HUGE, The form factor makes it virtually impossible to tip it and it out of the box makes better coffee than the Silvia Gaggimate, Pop Up and ECM Classika I have. The Flair might be capable of better shots in theory but being that consistent and dialled in with it will probably not happen for most users.

I have, and still use, a BBE, BDB and an Olympia Cremina SL. I can pull good to great shots on each of them. I started with a BBE for three years but never sold it (brought it to work) and upgraded to a BDB. I have a BDB at home and used it for 3 years with a Niche Zero, and only got upgraditis when somebody on FB marketplace unloaded their Olympia Cremina SL with an Olympia Moca SD for a steal and so I moved into the world of Levers (this coincided with me needing to replace all the o rings in my BDB). My wife loves the BDB and does not like the Cremina (it's just not as easy or consistent). They each have their pros and cons. I still use the BBE, and it remains incredibly quick to turn on and produces great shots once you figure it out. It's biggest downside is the shit grinder and lackluster steam, and it's buzzy and noisy and just loud, but with a decent grinder I reliably get great coffee when I need something at work.

First of all you watched the wrong people on yt. It's coffee influencers. On yt money talks. All the reviews of machines it's not real user experience, they have the machine for 1 week, play a bit pull 2 shots and think they know all a about it. I suggest get a manual lever machine. A cremina, a Pavoni or a cafelat robot with a top of the line grinder. All this heat up under 10 min, the Cafelat is ready as fast as the water boils. Also a manual grinder like a kinu m47 it's awesome, small compact setup. I use a manual setup and the quality it produces can't be found in a coffee shop. I hope you consider. https://preview.redd.it/ve845w6lhzhg1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9759480de7adc0ba19d3618b28f96acfb8a2fc6b

Cremina is a power house when it comes to milk steaming power

There are indeed certain manufacturers that have built a reputation and thrive with brand loyalty. La Marzocco can be considered as a modern day Apple having a cult following. Olympia Cremina is another product which is overpriced despite being a LaPavon in disguise! However a Vantro X1 is definitely different from other prosumer machines like an ECM/Profitec or a QuickMill or a Lelit Mara. I wouldn't compare them. More than flavor it is the durability, reliability and longevity of the parts fitted inside these machines.The thing that is often overlooked is the maintenance involved with espresso machines. I am not talking about the usual grouphead cleaning, decalcifying etc. but replacing gaskets, tubes, springs etc. Modern day machines have too much electronics built into it (chips with software) and they never last. How many times do our laptops/mobiles become non-responsive and need hard reset?! Likewise at some point, the parts (LCD screen, touch sensor etc.) would fail and when you look for repair services, it would be like repairing a budget laptop under 10k. Repairing would cost you the same as a new one or even more! Replacement of parts would be most economical but non-standard parts would be difficult to find. The classic machines are fully mechanical and have only electrical components like diodes, relays etc. The parts of patented E61 machines which first appeared in the market in 1961 are still being produced and are abundantly available. The cool thing is, if you know how to fix a tap in your home, you can easily disassemble the whole machine yourself and replace parts easily with a wrench and screwdriver set. I say this from my experience. These machines are built for easy maintenance and to last another world war unlike those cheap ones out there.

olympia cremina will last longer than you

Hot take— Olympia Cremina. Can find them used for $1200-1800 depending on condition and age. The first day or two will be a little fiddly as you get it down. After that, consistent shots won’t be an issue and it doesn’t take me any longer to pull a shot than my Rancilio does. Honestly I would argue direct levers are more forgiving because if your grind size is off, you can still make it work. Now the best part: it’ll last you a lifetime. There really isn’t much to it— a heating element and a switch are the only electronic parts. Even the pressure stat is mechanical. Just swap the piston gaskets out once a year or so, takes 10 minutes.

If you want to compare the Go to a high end machine where you’ll really see some differences, an Olympia Cremina is the far more practical option for home use. It’s built like a tank (just look how many 67 Creminas are still in operation and looking good). The lever gives you more cushion if your grind is a little off (which let’s be honest, if you are making espresso once a day in a home use setting, it happens). It’s the right size for home use. And it’s gorgeous. The LMLM has a lot of upgrades in construction that make it more temperature stable and ready for near commercial grade use. But at the end of the day, they won’t be all that noticeable for household daily use, and it’s still going to need regular professional maintenance. 

I don't quite agree with your criticism of the Cremina. Sure, it can dip forward, but in the year I've had mine, it's happened only twice, and both times were because I forgot to fill up the tank. As for the machine's heat, it isn't really a problem since it's stable and there's no need to touch it. Plus, it doesn't get nearly as hot as my Elektra MCL or my LaPavoni Professional since the boiler isn't exposed. The Vectis is an interesting machine, and I was considering getting one, but opted out due to a lack of a proven track record and a few issues noted in reviews.

I have basically the exact same use case as you and ended up with a Londinium lever machine. I would’ve gone with a profitec 800 had I not found a Londinium locally, as Londiniums have a bit more complexity compared to your standard lever machine. Still, I was able to DIY all repairs I had to do and the owner will happily FaceTime/walk you through any repairs that you need to do. Go on home-barista and do some light reading on lever machines. Very easy to maintain vs your standard pump machine! I have a Cremina now, but definitely miss the bigger machine on the days I need to pump out 4 or 5 cappuccinos in a short amount of time. All that said, I’d probably opt for a Profitec 800 if I were to go back to a bigger machine.

I have an Olympic Cremina I inherited from my dad that's still going strong (he's in his mid 70s). Probably from the 80s? The machines don't look much different today but they sure are pricey! [https://www.olympia-express.ch/en/products/cremina](https://www.olympia-express.ch/en/products/cremina)