Just got my Leva, installed it and followed the instructions to flush both boilers, then proceeded to try some beans I know well and some beans I never could master with my old Strega + HG-One.
Well, be d*mned, after just one calibration shot I immediately got results far superior to anything I’ve ever managed to produce, even after perfecting my routine for 10 years on the old Strega, using every trick in the book. Beans I know well opened up some new nuances and lost every unwanted edge, just pure balanced, perfection, something I only managed once every 100 shots by some stroke of luck I could never reproduce. Beans I could never master (light roast, washed) now turned out beautiful, fresh acidity, sweet, zero astringency. On my Strega I could manage a nice tongue feel, some good sweetness, but always left a horrid astringent aftertaste. I always needed to wash that away with a good full bodied medium roast to get rid of said aftertaste. But now with the Leva + Bentwood even my wife wants to drink them straight espresso shots, they’re so fruity!
Things I noticed:
-the new feet and rails are really sturdy and nice. Included where both felt pads and rubber pads, great touch, I took felt for my wooden bar.
-the cap nuts now seem flush with the group head
-not sure if changed, but was there always a decoupling seal between the group head and body?
-the new drip tray is beautiful, though does collect fluids on top, which need a regular wipe.. but that’s the price for beauty
-the shower screen spring is now a spring, no longer a flat clip, so no changes needed
-I struggled very long with isopropyl to get the protective sticker residues off the grid and any stainless steel plates.. took me several hours and got pretty intoxicated by the fumes.. but yeah.. the polished steel is flawless.
-the drip tray doesn’t click or stay in place, when wiping it slides away.. got to consider that all the time, but that’s a minor gripe, maybe I can add silicone strips on the tray rails so it doesn’t slide so easily
-the gear pump sound is so much quieter than what it seems when watching videos on the internet of the Leva. I can live with it fine, and love the large flow rate.
-the included tamper is beautiful, polished steel, but unfortunately too small.. for now I’ll be using my 3D printed 54.4mm tamper, until I can find a nice one to buy
-the lever joint is flawless, zero scratches (for now), was expecting anything after the reports here
-no dripping or leaking whatsoever
-the dust cover on the water reservoir is very finicky, but since I no longer need to flush (like my old Strega HX) I use very little water and refilling is not so often.
-matte black with the Oak wood grips with steel ends looks absolutely stunning, my wife is in awe, it’s worth every penny in beauty, even if it couldn’t even make coffee :)
-switching between medium and light roast temperatures is easy and fast, it’s a true all round performer, feel like there is no bean I could not master with this setup!
Thanks guys for all the stories and tips, you made me choose this machine and I’m glad I did, looking forward to another ten years of happy levering :D
Thanks to the ACS team for listening to the community and making this machine so refined! For the money, there’s nothing out there like it!
(redid the whole kitchen to match the newcomers, not finished yet)
