So after nearly a week with the leva, and running it side by side with the bianca here are a few thoughts.
Ill compare it to some of the machines ive haive had in the past
Pump wise its noisier than a lr24 but not by much. Vids make it sound worse, its quieter than the l1 with its vibe pump though.
Temp wise, its up to temp very quickly 15-20mins, like the bianca. Other machines like my hx and the l1 were a good 40mins for stability.
The double spring peaks about 10.5bar, and by the end of the shot i pull the cup around 7bar, thats for a med roast(2bar infusion) not messed with that. Its a turn screw not app driven where they can be adjusted easier.
Londinium build is about 10% better. Thats only cos of the bloody side door, if it was top fill it would be solid, same gauge steels on the front case, potentially a tad thinner on the side panels but i cant say 100% on that. Theres some flex to the front but you dont really notice in person thats a video thing.
While weren flexing, most levers flex heres a vid of my old l1. Look at the flex of the group and a tiny bit on the body,
I do have others showing this too, flex on any of these is a none issue for me. I think the bigger front panel of the Vesuvius case exaggerates the visials of the flex, as the front panel of a l1 is smaller.
Next up is the force used to pull the lever, while you use more force id say its not night and day, nor hard to pull, and you’d need a single spring machine at the side of a double spring to really notice it.
So am i happy with the leva, yes. Very much so
Its brought out a sweeter version of espresso for me. Which at the end of the day is all that matters.
Is it an iconic classic looking machine, no it takes on a traditional lever with a modern twist, i sti think its a stunning machine, the metal work and finish of polished welds is up there with machines costing much more
Ill keep up dating as i go along
Jake
