If there’s a model that enjoys “cult” standing (and I imply that in the absolute best approach) throughout the world of espresso, fairly presumably few corporations can high Olympia Categorical.
This Swiss firm has been making espresso machines for over eight many years now, and has a storied historical past within the industrial espresso world. That stated a lot of the upper-geek tier of dwelling baristas know the model for one very particular machine: the Cremina.
Olympia Categorical has been making the Cremina for 50+ years now, with the latest replace being designed in 2008. I personal a Cremina 67 mannequin (manufactured in 1982) that was refurbished solely (together with the elimination of an asbestos wrap across the boiler for insulation) in 2007. This machine is 42 years outdated, however nonetheless works nice, solely needing the occasional gasket replacements. Even the portafilter itself is authentic (although I did get an aftermarket chopped portafilter made for it).
The Cremina can also be a really fingers on espresso expertise. 49mm portafilters, direct lever, rudimentary temperature management on the machine, no seen stress gauge for the lever stress, and completely no ensures apart from your barista instinct that you simply’ll get a great shot.
For this reason a really area of interest section of the espresso making public adores the machine and model: only a few machines provide you with this sort of intimate connection to producing an important shot of espresso. La Pavoni is there too with the Europiccola and Skilled lever machines, however La Pavoni’s large; Olympia Categorical is “boutique” small and really hand crafted (and likewise 4x the worth of a La Pavoni Europiccola). Take a look on the elements breakdown of a Cremina machine (photograph from Olympia Categorical).
Due to Olympia Categorical’ stature and place available in the market, they don’t typically come out with new merchandise, however the previous two years have seen some new and thrilling issues from the corporate. Final 12 months, they launched the Moca SD single dose grinder. This 12 months, they’re introducing a machine that lots of the firm’s most ardent followers and insiders have been trying ahead to. It’s the Olympia Mina, and we have now one on mortgage to do our full First Look and Snapshot Assessment course of on. Many due to each Olympia Categorical and Canada’s High quality Espresso Techniques for facilitating this.
The Olympia Mina
Take the core bits of the Olympia Cremina and distill it all the way down to a 2.5kg package deal that may very well be carried in a small carry case. That’s basically what the Olympia Mina is. It’s primarily based across the Cremina’s lever system design, utilizing the identical portafilter measurement and lever arm, all becoming into an aluminum housed reservoir and plunger system.
Unpacked and its case, the Mina is made up of the central anodized aluminum wrapped metal reservoir, plunger, and stress gauge meeting, two metallic legs with rubberized toes, the unscrewed lever arm, 4 thumbscrew bolts, a chopped 49mm portafilter, a double wall filter basket, a customized (and really tiny, but in addition very heavy) tamper, and a mirror end metal drip tray.
Meeting may be very fast: the very first time I put it collectively, it took me beneath 2 minutes, and it is vitally intuitive. Seize a leg, mate it to 1 facet of the reservoir, and screw on the 2 thumbscrews. Repeat for the opposite facet. Screw on the lever arm. Insert the portafilter. Carried out.
The gasket and dispersion display on the Olympia Mina
The 2 thumbscrews used to connect the legs to the physique of the lever machine.
The outer anodized aluminum jacket of the Olympia Mina
Relying in your working angle, the mirror-finish drip tray can be utilized as a shot mirror as properly.
Trying over the machine, the whole lot is completely high tier within the match, end and look. The machine is available in just one color: hunter-green anodized aluminum and metal, with black accents. A lot of the metallic elements are chrome steel, although the portafilter is chromed brass, and the dispersion plate and display inside is perhaps brass: I must verify in a while. Olympia did jacket the primary reservoir in an outer clad of anodized aluminum, which provides the machine an additional distinctive look.
The Mina has one thing the Cremina doesn’t: a stress gauge designed into the lever meeting.
Trying into the reservoir space. This plunger, when raised, permits water to movement down in the direction of the dispersion display, beneath the piston.
The portafilter is a chopped mannequin, additionally a primary for Olympia.
The mirror end of the round drip tray for the Mina
The match of the legs into the edges of the reservoir is… excellent. The portafilter slots completely into the machine, and when new, the gasket connection as you tighten it is vitally tight (however ought to grow to be simpler with use). Nothing creaks on this machine. Every little thing feels tight, safe and purposeful. Olympia, so far as construct high quality goes, hit an absolute dwelling run of “Swiss engineering” with the Mina.
Workflow on the Olympia Mina
Make no bones about it, the Mina is a machine that wants a good quantity of heat up time. The central reservoir and plunger space is thick metal, almost definitely with a brass dispersion plate inside (will verify that), and an outer jacket of aluminum. It additionally holds solely about 50-60ml of water. Even 50ml of flash boiling water gained’t warmth up all that metallic.
So to essentially coax an important shot out of the Mina, prepare to essentially preheat that grouphead and reservoir. Determine on a minimum of 3 or 4 full fills and flushes earlier than it begins to rise up to temperature. The excellent news is, when you do get it totally preheated, it ought to retain warmth very properly.
The method I’ve used to date in pulling photographs on the machine is that this (conserving in thoughts, I’ve solely made about 20 photographs on the Mina as of this writing):
- warmth up your kettle to boiling
- put the portafilter in place within the grouphead
- With the lever lowered, fill the reservoir. Let sit for 10 seconds
- slowly raise the lever to have interaction the inlet valve and V-ring which permits water to movement previous the plunger piston to the chamber above the machine’s dispersion display
- press down on the lever to flush the recent water via
- repeat 3 extra instances
- decrease the lever, fill the reservoir, and take away the portafilter
- grind, dose, tamp your espresso (I’ve settled on 15g within the 49mm basket)
- earlier than inserting the portafilter, elevate the lever to permit the water within the reservoir to flush out
- decrease the lever, insert the portafilter loaded with espresso
- fill the reservoir to about 1cm from the highest
- elevate the lever, to permit the recent water to maneuver down into the plunger / dispersion display space of the reservoir
- press down on the lever in your “preinfusion” session. Let relaxation for five seconds
- elevate the lever, and press down, watching the gauge and movement, aiming for 7-8bar of preliminary stress
- brew roughly 30ml of espresso
- as soon as brewed, elevate the lever, put a distinct cup beneath the portafilter, and press down once more to push out any remaining liquid and dry the puck
- raise the lever, and take away the portafilter, dump the puck and clear the portafilter with some water out of your kettle
- take pleasure in your espresso.
Consider, that is all primarily based on very early use, with no precise temperature testing completed. Simply tasting the outcomes, and modifying the routine to get higher outcomes.
Who’s the Mina For?
Let’s get one thing out of the way in which, immediately. This isn’t the machine to purchase if you need an distinctive espresso expertise with little or no fuss and muss. That’s not the Mina’s goal market, in any respect. In truth, this isn’t the machine to purchase if you need a comparatively simple guide lever espresso expertise that may ship distinctive photographs repeatedly. For that, it is best to take into account the Aptitude 58 or the Superkop.
The Mina is for 2 varieties of individuals in espresso world: the one who already owns an Olympia Cremina and needs a sister machine that may pack up for journey, and the one who desires to get very shut and intimate with the espresso making course of. The kind of one that realises the journey is way more satisfying than the vacation spot.
There’s already a number of hypothesis and dialogue about this machine in some normal channels (by people who haven’t seen the Mina in individual but, or used it). It’s often in comparison with Cafelat’s Robotic, to the Aptitude 58, and the Strietman CT2 machine.
Most likely essentially the most “truthful” comparability by way of use and skill is to the Cafelat Robotic. A machine that prices about ⅓ the worth of the Olympia Mina. I personal one, and if I’m sincere, the higher shot expertise goes to come back from the Robotic. It’s simpler to make use of, can maintain extra espresso, is simpler to warmth up, and can also be constructed exceptionally properly. Just like the Mina, the Robotic is a little bit of a murals in your counter.
However there’s something very particular concerning the Mina. It too is a murals, and has much more elements to it than the Robotic does, which considerably justifies the price. Additionally take into account, the Cafelat Robotic is manufactured in China, with ultimate meeting within the UK (Paul Pratt, the proprietor of Cafelat, nonetheless does a number of the meeting himself!). The Olympia Mina is manufactured and assembled in Switzerland, utilizing some elements sourced from Italy.
I wouldn’t spend an excessive amount of time evaluating this machine to the Aptitude 58 (half the worth of the Mina) or the Strietman CT2 (2.5x the worth of the Mina) as a result of these two machines are electric-assist for water temperatures. I’ve a number of expertise with the Aptitude 58 (and like it), and none with the Strietman.
There may be one other machine I’d evaluate the Mina to, that for some motive, the net discussion board people aren’t mentioning a lot: the Superkop. They’re equally priced and are each full guide machines, however the Superkop’s ratchet system and 58mm portafilter system for full 3:1 ratio photographs if you need put it in a distinct league, each in shot output potential and in precise use. I’ll say, reaching a improbable shot on the Superkop will all the time be simpler than it’s with the Mina, primarily due to how a lot preheating the Mina requires, and the decrease water volumes it might use.
Wrapup, for Now
We’re going to do a correct First Look article for the Mina, with preliminary unboxing, first use, and preliminary comparative use, placing it up towards the Cafelat Robotic and the Superkop. It will are available in a couple of month. We’ll proceed the method for our full evaluation, which is able to almost definitely be our Snapshot Assessment course of. That may embody long run testing, suggestions and methods we’ve realized alongside the way in which, and a few suggestions from our focus teams.
You should purchase an Olympia Categorical Mina at this time in the event you like: in Canada, it’s obtainable from High quality Espresso Techniques (unlisted on their website, however contact them, they’ve inventory as of July 30, 2024), or you possibly can attempt to pre-order (unlisted at the moment) from Olympia Categorical’ US distributor, Cerini Espresso. In the event you dwell outdoors of North America, go to Olympia’s vendor web page to discover a vendor in your nation. The machine retails for $995USD, or round $1,450 CAD.
NB: not one of the hyperlinks above are fee or affiliate hyperlinks for the Mina.
