Revisions of high-end espresso machines

Revisions of espresso machines

I enjoy buying and repairing old coffeemakers. Most of the time, machines break down due to poor maintenance and I truly believe in repairing machines to give them a second life. It's always a guess what the inside looks like of the broken espresso machine you've bought. By visually inspection, measuring and cleaning, most of the time problems can be located easily. I usually tear down the machine completely to renew any rubber seals and clean out every last piece of lime scale. At the same time, it gives me valuable insights as industrial design engineer in how these products are manufactured and assembled. After all it has been a enjoyable hobby for years now; I have repaired and sold over 20 machines right now, ranging from a fully-automatic one -my least favorite- to high-end consumer level ones.

Izzo Vivi

The machine I have at home right now, is serving me good coffee for more than 4 years now. I bought it in bad condition and it was not working anymore, as the previous owners didn't take care of the internal components obviously. The machine is more than 20 years old right now, but it looked brand new when I finished it.

Vibiemme Replica 2B

The biggest project so far was the Vibiemme Replica 2B, a 2-group industrial machine from a restaurant in Leiden. The machine didn't heat up anymore when I bought it; The problem seemed to be a defect on the high-voltage switching poles of the pressostat; They were worn down. I found a replacement and the machine functioned again. On top of that, I serviced the machine completely with new gaskets, cleaned out every part and polished the components to get rid of the stains the machine gained.