Tecnosystem Magic Coffee - The Boiler

As I mentioned before, the boiler on this machine is an all brass boiler, similar in appearance to once found in a Francis! espresso machine.

The inside of the boiler is typical.  I did soak it in citric acid to get the grunge and minerals off.  Overall, it looked like it had not seen heavy use but was still in need of a refresh.  So after a little saok time and cleanup, it looks pretty nice!

Something different with this boiler is the strange gasket and brass fitting on the bottom of the boiler, something which I had not quite seen before.  In doing a little research on the web, there was very little I could find on this setup, but I did happen across a post by Kris at

http://coffee-stuff.blogspot.com/2009/12/tecnosystem-magic-coffee.html

So!  Finally some answers!  Thank You Kris!  This setup is for pods use.  Intead of a funky portafilter for pods, this machine uses a regular portafilter with a single filter basket and when the portafilter is inserted, the gasket presses down on the pod.  I dont like pod espresso so I dont have any to test with, but even so, for my use, I want to use ground coffee with double filter basket.

Hummmm....there must be a way to convert this machine.  Let the search begin!

Tecnosystem Magic Coffee - First Looks

Now for some details on this machine. Starting with the exterior housing, it is all steel and appears to be powder coated. Only a couple of chips, which I will treat to prevent any rusting. The styling of the case is very simliar to the Gaggia Classic with it's square shape and tapered front which makes sense given the date of manufacture, 01/1999.

Looking inside, I was very pleased with the components used to build this machine. First to note is the all brass boiler, a feature found in mostly high end machines. Brass retains heat much better than stainless steel or aluminum and it wont corrode the way the Gaggia aluminum boiler will over time (and yes, I still have my original Gaggia Classic and have repaired others too, and pitting/corrosion is always a problem).

The brass steam value is nice as well, since the inner stem can be remove by taking out a white plasic retainer and unscrewing the stem. This will make maintenance nice if the value ever begins to leak and needs new o-rings. This is far superior to the Gaggia Classic, as you can not remove the stem and they always suffer from eventual leaky steam values...the only recourse is to replace the whole value. Who wants to spend $45 for a steam valve because of a faulty $0.30 o-ring! The steam wand has 3 holes, not just one which should make steaming milk go very fast.

There is no solenoid valve on this unit, which to some, might be a negative, but I have never found a few drips at the end of a pull to be a big deal. Plus you dont need to backflush this machine. With or without the solenoid valve, liquids will end up in the drip tray so not a big minus to me.

Overall, this should be a solid performer. No circuit board, no "timed" pulls, just a simple, high quality setup which is why it has lasted 13 years so far, and should last another 13 years.

Next up? The boiler....

Tecnosystem Magic Coffee Espresso Machine

Picked up this espresso machine for pretty cheap.  The brand is Tecnosystem which is a small espresso maker in Italy with little market share in the U.S..  I searched the web for any specifics and very litte information is out there on these machines which was disappointing, but I decided to pull the trigger.  The machine is made with very high quality components which was a real plus but the downside...it is made for pods!  Pfffffftttttt!

But, there might be good news....stay tuned.

Look Ma,,,I'm blogging...

For 12+ years, I have been passionate about all things coffee, especially the roasting of green coffee beans and home espresso machines.  I finally decided to share my experiences.  Who knows, someone might just find something of value!