Londinium I Lever Espresso Machine

Kelsey · December 2012

There have been at least two purchases, but they weren't in the first batch. I believe theirs will arrive late this year or early next year.

ash · December 2012

I'm very close to ordering one in the next day or so, pending me sorting out a few things. Hopefully it will arrive about the middle of January if I get in the order soon. I've been watching the HB thread about owner experiences with much interest. :coffee2:

Brett H · December 2012

on 1355352745:

I'm very close to ordering one in the next day or so, pending me sorting out a few things. Hopefully it will arrive about the middle of January if I get in the order soon. I've been watching the HB thread about owner experiences with much interest. :coffee2:

Great stuff mate. It looks like an amazing machine!

Wonder · December 2012

I was going to order one as well, before I picked up a Lambro... Tough decision but I couldn't pass it up.. Bring on the reviews... I'm sure it will be everything you guys have hoped for and more.. I also think It's great that someone else (Reiss) has put in 1000's of hours of their own time and $$$$$, so all we have to do is grind tamp pull and watch as a god shot is poured nearly every time. I'm sure KK, beanflying, Galumay and all the other lever owners Pretty much agree it's terrible getting god shots so often they are no long revered but expected every time the lever is pulled. I'm sure the L-1 owners will experience the same :thumb:

ash · December 2012

Well I've gone and done the deed and bought one. Standard model (no shiny insides on show) with tank / pump, a plumb in kit, a naked handle and a two hole steam tip. The machine itself is estimated to turn up towards the end of January. So if you happen to be Townsville from then on, I may be able to show you a Londinium I ;D The naked handle and the steam tip will arrive a fair bit quicker, probably Monday or Tuesday. So I'll at least have something to look at in the mean time ;D

Brett H · December 2012

on 1355373645:

Well I've gone and done the deed and bought one. Standard model (no shiny insides on show) with tank / pump, a plumb in kit, a naked handle and a two hole steam tip. The machine itself is estimated to turn up towards the end of January. So if you happen to be Townsville from then on, I may be able to show you a Londinium I ;D The naked handle and the steam tip will arrive a fair bit quicker, probably Monday or Tuesday. So I'll at least have something to look at in the mean time ;D

G'day Ash... I'll be up there in a few weeks I hope or for a week next September. Pencil me in mate!! :thumb:

ash · December 2012

Consider yourself penciled in :coffee2:

FreshCoffee2 · December 2012

on 1355370270:

............all we have to do is grind tamp pull and watch as a god shot is poured nearly every time. I'm sure....all....other lever owners Pretty much agree it's terrible getting god shots so often they are no long revered but expected every time the lever is pulled......

Getting a bit carried away here? I too wish anyone that makes this purchase all the best and hope it works out as you hope it will or for that matter, even better. However at risk of being made to look as if I am going against the spirit of the discussion, I urge commentators to remember that people read these forums and make purchasing and other important decisions based on what they read, expecting the information to be factual in basis. Therefore I would like to mention in my opinion, it does no good to write things that give the expectation, that just the very act of purchasing a (or any) manual lever espresso machine would seem to guarantee "god shots" almost every time. Any good quality coffee machine no matter whether it is a manual lever or not, will be able to deliver a "god shot" IF the operator in charge of the equipment knows his equipment and manages it well and knows good coffee beans and how to get the best out of them. Otherwise, even a 30 thousand dollar gold plated coffee machine with any number of manual levers will deliver swill, and myself and many others who are in the know (in terms of knowing their coffee machines and coffee), have no problem getting consistently great (god?) shots from machines that are more modern design non manual levers. I too will be interested to read and hear about this new model but it wont do much good to disappoint new owners that might jump in thinking as a result of reading comments like the above, that to pull a lever is a guarantee of getting absolute best quality brew, without regard to the miriad other variables in making a good coffee. Hope that helps. Attilio very first Crema site sponsor.

Brett H · December 2012

on 1355384032:

I too wish anyone that makes this purchase all the best and hope it works out as you hope it will or for that matter, even better. However at risk of being made to look as if I am going against the spirit of the discussion, I urge commentators to remember that people read these forums and make purchasing and other important decisions based on what they read, expecting the information to be factual in basis. Therefore I would like to mention in my opinion, it does no good to write things that give the expectation, that just the very act of purchasing a (or any) manual lever espresso machine would seem to guarantee "god shots" almost every time. Any good quality coffee machine no matter whether it is a manual lever or not, will be able to deliver a "god shot" IF the operator in charge of the equipment knows what he or she is doing and knows good coffee beans. Otherwise, even a 30 thousand dollar gold plated coffee machine with any number of manual levers will deliver swill, and myself and many others who are in the know (in terms of knowing their coffee machines and coffee), have no problem getting consistently great (god?) shots from machines that are more modern design non manual levers. I too will be interested to read and hear about this new model but it wont do much good to disappoint new owners that might jump in thinking it is a guarantee of getting absolute best quality brew just through pulling the lever, without regard to the miriad other variables in making a good coffee. Hope that helps. Attilio very first Crema site sponsor.

It certainly does help. The modern non-lever machine I purchased from you makes coffee so good that it has prevented me purchasing one of these or any number of machines that are waxed lyrical. Your ongoing advice in threads like this only sweetens the experience! The worst advice you can get is from a brand owner of a brand new machine. The Breville is a case in point; however, to be fair it is such a politically charged item whom does one believe?? The proof of value is from the owner having lived the the machine for year or years. My Diadema is 1 years old and my Unico Spendor now living with a new family is seven. Both machines delight me with what they produce and produce easily. I wish the owners of this lovely looking new Londioum lever a similar experience for this and many years. Only then may you don the smug hat... Which I'll have dry-cleaned for you!

ash · December 2012

Attilio - never fear, I don't expect this machine to be making god shots for me. Far from it actually. As you say, that will be up to the operator, the grind, the tamp etc etc etc. :doh: Your input is always welcome and gets people thinking with head, not heart. There are a few machines out there that have come onto the market over the last few years that have ticked most of the boxes in my requirements list, this one ticking all. Although I do enjoy my little PV Lusso (it does a stirling job), it only filled a gap in capability that I was looking for, at the time I bought it, that wasn't being serviced by any manufacturer. ??? Not long after, out came the Strega. And then in the latter part of this year, the Londinium I and the Quick Mill Achilles. All very capable machines from what I've researched. Trying to say which one is better would be a case of saying that mines bigger than yours ad infinitum :head: I was wondering if I'd made the right choice after the Strega came out. (I did manage to try one, and came very close to getting one. Except that it didn't meet all my requirements out of the box) I've watched the new owner thread on HB, and taken a few little gems from it, but it will take alot longer than a few days/ weeks to build up a true picture. All I can say is that this particular machine has met all my requirements. Hopefully it will last just as long as advertised, and I don't really care if anyone says its a fugly machine. :coffee2:

Wonder · December 2012

????Disappointing new owners, the only thing that will disappoint them will be them missing out on purchasing a beautiful lever Fortunately the so called "GOD" shot is based on people's experience and opinions, and that's the great thing about forums, there full of opinions. I'm sure if we where to look at the latest Giotto or VBM threads people would be saying similar things... Isn't it great. Yes grind tamp pull is a little simplistic but once dialed in levers are beautiful and it's not just about the taste of coffee it's the whole process. Which unfortunately you don't get with non levers

Enjoy your levers :thumb:

Koffee_Kosmo · December 2012

Regarding god shots :angel: I have the videos to prove it on all of my machines So the moral of the story is The operator must be a good driver ::) KK

BLrdFX · December 2012

Well, the Bottomless PF and some of the goodies I ordered with the L-I arrived today. 12 Dec to 17 Dec to get from London to Seattle; not bad. The Bottomless PF holds all the LM baskets and the all the VST baskets, 7-22g, easily. The PF appears well made although I will re-tension that spring for it has a better grip than I do!! By this time next week I expect to be pulling the first shots :thumb:

Brett H · December 2012

on 1355784462:

Well, the Bottomless PF and some of the goodies I ordered with the L-I arrived today. 12 Dec to 17 Dec to get from London to Seattle; not bad. The Bottomless PF holds all the LM baskets and the all the VST baskets, 7-22g, easily. The PF appears well made although I will re-tension that spring for it has a better grip than I do!! By this time next week I expect to be pulling the first shots :thumb:

We would love a video :angel: What an exciting development. :thumb:

BLrdFX · December 2012

on 1355784673:

We would love a video :angel: What an exciting development. :thumb:

As soon as the boxy, shiny, thing shows up videos will happen; note to self, find tripod adapter :-)

Kelsey · December 2012

Exciting stuff BLrdFX! Looking forward to it!

BLrdFX · December 2012

As an FYI the Bottomless PF weighs less than the same LaMarzocco Bottomless. LM=18.5oz, L-I=13.2oz both with standard 14-16g double baskets. The way it feels, like balance, the majority of weight in the LM is in the handle.

BLrdFX · December 2012

I received the Reg Barber tamper today for the specified diameter of 58.35mm. It fits the L-I PF basket well, now wishing the bright shiny box gets here soon, I am running out of Christmas "Spirits"

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Kelsey · December 2012

I missed this earler, but the coloured drip trays are now in stock: http://londiniumespresso.com/blogs/londinium-espresso-blog/7039190-londinium-i-coloured-trays-snapshots I must say, I'm quite taken with the white and yellow. I particularly like that they're really just accents to the machine - Derrilex could do worse than to offer matching steam/water taps, lever handles and portafilter handles as a matching set.

Brett H · December 2012

Blah! Those are certainly not to my taste! It's such a beautiful machine as it is. Still good of them to offer the option :thumb: Are those cup marks I see on the top of that L1 :rofl: :stir

Kelsey · December 2012

on 1356520703:

Blah! Those are certainly not to my taste! It's such a beautiful machine as it is. Still good of them to offer the option :thumb: Are those cup marks I see on the top of that L1 :rofl: :stir

Yeah, even Reiss acknowledged that you'd either love it or hate it! I'm on the fence and it's a great option for non-luxe purchasers to do a little blingy customisation.

BLrdFX · December 2012

I personally prefer the shiny one. It was my Christmas present!

Koffee_Kosmo · December 2012

on 1356573198:

I personally prefer the shiny one. It was my Christmas present!

Congratulations :thumb: A timely arrival from Santa I am loving the whole lever experience even though I have another brand of machine KK

BLrdFX · December 2012

For my way of enjoying various coffee drinks, mostly espresso or Americano's and rarely mochas, the L-I fits perfectly. The GS/3 was way overkill; sort of like hunting jackrabbits with a cannon.

Lacehim · December 2012

Nice Christmas pressie there BLrdFX. How's it going so far? Any trouble dialing it in?

BLrdFX · December 2012

Zero trouble dialing it in. 3 doubles and I had it. My LM GS/3 had a finer grind requirement, which I found surprising. I am using the Versalab to dial it in with 15g doses. Right now I am waiting for the plumbing fittings so I can convert it from BSP to American NPT and an adapter to go from 3/8 BSP to1/8 BSP. They are all on order and expected to show up by this weekend. Very easy to pull shots with about 24 pounds pull on the lever, as measured with the bathroom scale method. The steam wand is FAST!!! Maybe a 2 hole tip for the really small pitchers?!? The water wand is a real blaster too. I believe I much prefer my GS/3 water dispenser but it is really not an issue with the L-I. So far so good. Today the lube showed up so I can add a bit of lube, or at least check the seals because I hear a bit of a spring noise when I back off the lever(at least that is when it is most noticeable). Cheers! Stephen

Brett H · December 2012

Merry Christmas Stephen! A fine looking addition to your stable!

BLrdFX · December 2012

on 1356609358:

Merry Christmas Stephen! A fine looking addition to your stable!

Thank you! My wife likes the coffee but is a bit put out by the loss of counter space being consumed. The GS/3 might get relegated to tank mode only and moved to another location. Lovin' the lever!

Chris Stuffa · December 2012

Well my machine arrived in Sydney a week ago and I found out why it hasn't been delivered yet. They want to slug me close to $500 duties, GST and handling fees. I though I may have got pinged, but only a couple of hundred. I been through the paperwork DHL sent me and I figure they are overcharging me at least $90. But having to pay that much extra has certainly taken the shine off. Not sure when I will get the machine as it is a bit of a bung fight at the moment with DHL blaming customs and customs blaming DHL.

But I'm certainly not going to let the theives get away with the extra.

Kelsey · December 2012

Yeouch!!! Sounds like Gerry's been in someone's ear! Let us know how the resolution goes.

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