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**338** · 8 October 2020, 09:05 PM

Hi Warmtone, being in lock down Melbourne and all that entails I am pleased to read you can consider a new machine. I am a new Valexia Leva owner just out of the honeymoon period and still couldn't be happier. I think if you liked it before you will still like it now. There is probably a wider choice of alternatives now, some with weekly software updates, but lever machines have a simple magic about them which is actually their greatest strength.

I think servicing is probably less on the Leva, but the lever and piston is definitely different and more challenging the first time for most home repairs, also harder than some other levers. That said there is a guy on HB who changes hi piston seal in 2 - 3 minutes! Combine this with the fact that Alex has always been imported by reputable companies in Australia and I wouldn't worry about servicing.

If you still are thinking that you want one, you probably do!

**warmtone** · 14 October 2020, 10:58 PM

Originally posted by 338 View Post

Hi Warmtone, being in lock down Melbourne and all that entails I am pleased to read you can consider a new machine. I am a new Valexia Leva owner just out of the honeymoon period and still couldn't be happier. I think if you liked it before you will still like it now. There is probably a wider choice of alternatives now, some with weekly software updates, but lever machines have a simple magic about them which is actually their greatest strength.

I think servicing is probably less on the Leva, but the lever and piston is definitely different and more challenging the first time for most home repairs, also harder than some other levers. That said there is a guy on HB who changes hi piston seal in 2 - 3 minutes! Combine this with the fact that Alex has always been imported by reputable companies in Australia and I wouldn't worry about servicing.

If you still are thinking that you want one, you probably do!

Thanks for the encouragement!
Just out of interest did you consider the Profitec 800 alternative? - I recall this may have a pump for tank filling convenience whereas the Alex has to be plumbed in.
Also more convenient 58mm group.
I do recall there is some magic with the Alex Leva design of the smaller 55mm group head system and the fit and finish of the Leva when I viewed a demo at TC was exceptional.
I note these rarely come up for sale used which means owners must be happy!
My only point of resistance is my Izzo Alex Duetto iv is so good it would be hard to let go.

**338** · 15 October 2020, 12:22 AM

Hi Warmtone, definitely considered the Profitec 800! Also the Strega, Bosco and Londonium. I believe I would be happy with any from a machine perspective. First to go was the Londonium, you don't have to look very far on the net at all to realise the owner - and sole support person - is fairly opinionated and often believes he is right. While I believe all are possible to work on, if he got hit by a bus or went on holidays there could be a delay. So I cut it at the start, also the Strega, due to it's hybrid nature and a few reviews saying they preferred the others in a taste test. From memory it has heater cartridges in the grouphead, an idea I admire.

The Alex, Bosco and Profitec were hard to separate. The Bosco has decades of history and tuning. It with a pstat will be the only one working after an EMP bomb. It has a chassis hand built by a bloke, just like the rest of the machine. Your great grand kids could still be using it if they chose. What's not to like? (excluding size) No Aussie backup is a point but common basic components.

The Profitec has plenty of good things too. Great support from Jetblack, standard 58mm size, plumb or tank, easy piston seal changes and Profitec quality. I genuinely would be very happy with it.

So how did I end up with an Alex? First point was the 'magical' 55mm grouphead, supposedly more forgiving and better tasting due to increased depth of puck. Extremely large tolerances for fools and average prep, me being proof. I am not qualified to answer if better in the cup but plenty on that in this thread and one on HB. I will say I haven't got a sinker yet. Second is the full stainless body. These are circa $5k machines and just didn't feel I should go backwards on this durability and longevity issue. I had stainless on my $1k Lelit, why not at this price point? Of more minor issue I like the exposed spring and history of the LSM group. Lastly while I like the look of all these and would be content with any, I bought the Valexia Leva, the one I most would like to see in my kitchen. Again at this price point you should like the look of it. I didn't like the look of my modest Lelit (didn't dislike it either) , but respected what it did at its price. I like the Valexia

Back up service is excellent with Casa Espresso.

So that is my thinking and decision process , your requirements are likely different but it gives you another point of view

Ps about 58mm v 55mm, you can buy 55mm IMS showers screens and baskets (and I have), portafilter and tampers are straightforward. Even levellers but a much smaller choice. So high quality accessories exist in 55mm (Izzi standard is quite good anyway ) but with a smaller choice. Plus the machine is forgiving. Once you have bought these I assume most don't change or play weekly? To play the devils advocate, jokingly, as is the same for rifle bolts, why would you make do with only two lugs when you could have three! Do long slow pours with no fear of bending or breaking a lug!

Pps this HB 28 page thread digressed a bit but compares the taste of all these. Understand most couldn't compare but the consensus wast they were similar or some preffered the Alex. A chap in post 175 had the Alex and Pro and preffered the Alex, interesting read if you are going to spend this sort of money - like all forums there is quite a few tangents

https://www.home-barista.com/levers/...ga-t61056.html

**chokkidog** · 15 October 2020, 11:42 AM

Hi Warmtone, 338 has given a pretty convincing argument so all I'd like to say is that you shouldn't be disappointed with the Alex. Mine isn't being used at the moment but nor is it for sale, as it will have its time in the sun again soon. I won't ever sell it. In regards to the 55mm group... it's one of the main reasons to buy the Alex.

**Dr_Dave** · 16 October 2020, 09:15 AM

Hi, I have had my Izzo Leva for 5 years (purchased from TC), and still enjoy it every day
I agree with all the comments above, particularly regarding both the forgiving nature - it is difficult to make a bad coffee, and simplicity to service it
Previously I had an Alex Duetto which was great, however when it needed repair being in a small centre was a pain, so I sold it and upgraded to the Izzo
No regrets
Cheers
Dave

**Hoggers** · 16 October 2020, 12:14 PM

I second all the above comments.

Have had my Leva for 2 years now and it consistently makes the best cuppa. I use daily around 4 times a day (sometimes more on the weekend) and it is faultless. The only times I have produced a less than satisfactory cup has been been of my own doing (grind) than the machines... plus they are a wonderful conversation starter.

I don't regret for a second my decision to purchase. i alos purchased through TC and their service is second to none.

Cheers,

Alastair

**ivar1967** · 30 January 2021, 06:52 PM

Hi
Im a bit frustrated w my Valexia, posting here to get some tips on what I do wrong.
I have had a valexia machine for 3 years and a Rocket grinder. Valexia has new seals since a couple of months back. I am using the basket supplied from TC when i bought it. When i went for a demo Chris said he doses 25! grams in his basket for a 40 ml pour. I have tried a smaller basket and less dosage but i get no preinfusion if I do. Very underextracted.
My problem is find the Valexia very hard to dial in. I often get very short preinfusion times, if any, before i need to raise the lever. Coffee is still surprisingly good. when i get a decent preinfusion, 7-10 sec., my grind is down to around the 1 mark, or less, on the grinder, so as fine as i can get it. I feel the Valexia works better with darker roasts, easier to dial in, smaller doses, but i dont like the taste. Considering my short preinfusions I feel i get, mostly good coffe out of it. Normally about 35 ml. No blonding at all. Considering my grind is so fine I feel there is not much channeling either. So why complain you may ask? I get quite a few sink shots and often feel i have to raise the lever too soon. Getting 25g in and 35 ml out is not exactly normal either or maybe it is for this machine?
Grateful for any comments

**338** · 31 January 2021, 04:05 PM

Hi Ivar, very sorry to hear your setup isn't delivering what you hope.

Short answer: grind finer

Long answer: I have had my Valexia a bit less than a year and am surprised at the broad range available to get a good shot. I have run early 20s doses, finely ground to get a slow pouring 1:1 ristretto (my wife describes them as liqueur) or 18 - 23 g doses at 1:2 for espresso. Some have been fine and some coarse, I don't mind experimenting. Most will hold the pre infusion as long as I hold the lever down, some wont. I haven't tried something I think I read by Chris where he fills the basket, wipes the excess off with his finger then tamps but I that would roughly be what I use at the moment. The only thing which stops me doing that is the mounds of ground coffee on the bench after - plus I can't do a good Italian accent! I held off answering till I weighed my coffee this morning, I usually don't. About a fortnight ago I aligned my grinder, so adjusted it by taste after for an espresso. I weighed everything this morning and out of 6 espresso they were all within a gram or so of 20g ground (thanks to the Atom) and within 2 g of 40grams out. At 20g you get the slightest impression from the circlip but have dosed higher also with good effect.

I have never touched a Rocket grinder or seen one in the flesh. That said, any scale on any grinder is an arbitrary scale put by the manufacturer as an average of their machines and based on different burrs to yours, they are based on new virgin burrs where your machine has well used burrs, possibly worn. The very first thing I would do is clean your grinder and then I would find out where your true zero is. It may well be at -2 and you are avoiding the lower reaches of your grinder for no reason. Chirp the burrs then put some tape on that spot, then you know where you really live.

It sounds like you are happy with your coffee but would like longer preinfusion. Just try grinding a touch finer and hopefully that works for you. I used to worry about channelling and used the Weiss Distribution Technique. After aligning my grinder I compared WDT and stopping at approx 15g, one tap, then fill and tamp. No channelling and even distribution and pour. Good luck and hope everything works for you

**ivar1967** · 31 January 2021, 05:33 PM

Hi

Thanks for the input much appreciated. WOW, we have totally different experiences. I am using a separate scale to get a consistent volyme so im pretty confident my wheighing is ok. I just did a shot at finest grind the Rocket Fausto can muster with a 20 gram dose and the shot is undrinkable. Goes straight through the machine. When i look at the grinded coffee it looks very, very fine, almost dust like. Temperature is of course dependent on beans used but what have you set your machine at? Having said all this I think you are right in saying I need a finer grind. So ill grind as fine as i can and up the dose to where i was before. Again thanks for helping out

**Caffeinator** · 31 January 2021, 07:41 PM

Hi Ivar,

Something is wrong there, and I am very tempted to point the finger towards the coffee.

I have 2 levas: One is a 9Bar Faema and the other, a 12Bar with the LSM group fitted to your machine. I use a triple and 23g in with the Faema, but in the LSM, either standard or ISM baskets and screens and more like 21g. My grinder is an etzMAX.

With either machine I can literally pull the leva and go for a walk and leave preinfusion to run for an easy 30 seconds before there is any spotting with either setup.

To me it's sounding like stale coffee. Unless it's come from a commercial application rather than purchased new, no Rocket grinder is anywhere near old enough to require burrs, so they can be discounted.

Nevertheless, it may be worth trying your grinder with some known, fresh coffee on another machine in case there's some sort of assembly fault. As 338 has mentioned, grind number is just a a reference for you. Yours may be completely different to another owner with exactly the same grinder.

Good luck!

**>Casa Espresso** · 31 January 2021, 08:57 PM

Process of elimination to see what can be improved.

First question.. What coffee are you using and how old is it?

Antony

**ivar1967** · 1 February 2021, 10:46 AM

Hi
First thx for all the responses. Very much appreciated.

Im dosing 25 grams at the moment which is just what i can squeeze in there, that dose what recommended by Talk Coffee when i bought the machine.
Coffee I use is locally roasted DeGroot bought from one of the very few cafes in Adelaide where I am happy with the product. I get my coffee from their big 10L bucket and not from a bag that has been sitting on a shelf for a while. They dont have a roast date but they get it from DeGroots about 9 to 10 days post roast. After about 4 to 5 days i need to start dial in a bit becuase the coffee is getting older.
I now dialed in my Rocket Fausto to ,5 on a scale from 1 to 9 and get good results with the 25 gram dose. 40 gram coffee about 40 second pour. I have maybe 7,8 seconds before i have the first drips of coffee comig out. But once the coffee gets older I will not be able to adjust, because Im at the finest setting and the pours will get worse.
I really dont think its the grinder. I can tell by looking at the grinded coffee its super fine. Its done 4500 shots regurarly cleaned but never serviced, maybe I have missed something here? I clean the burr chamber and take the upper
All new seals in the Valexia I also asked them to swap anything else that needs to get replaced with time.
I agree I could benefit from testing on another machine, anyone in Adelaide

Time to order some beans online and see what results I get

**chokkidog** · 1 February 2021, 12:56 PM

Any guarantees that the 10L bucket has only fresh (roasted the day of purchase) coffee in it? I bet there's no guarantee it doesn't have stale coffee in it.
Find another roaster that will supply freshly packed, fresh roasted coffee, with a roast date on it and use it from day 7 after the roast date.

**Caffeinator** · 1 February 2021, 04:37 PM

Originally posted by ivar1967 View Post

I get my coffee from their big 10L bucket and not from a bag that has been sitting on a shelf for a while. They dont have a roast date but they get it from DeGroots about 9 to 10 days post roast.

And there's your culprit. Even if the coffee was near fresh when you purchase it (unlikely, as the roaster is hiding behind batch lots rather than disclosing a roast date), there's not a hope in hell that it is when you finish the bucket.

1. Purchase only what you can use in 2 weeks
2. If it ain't got a roast date, it's a dealbreaker

Case closed...

**Dr_Dave** · 3 February 2021, 11:03 PM

Interesting!
My experience is like others above - it is actually hard to pour a bad shot from the Leva
Let us know how you get on with fresh beans
Cheers
Dave

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