The Elektra S1C arrived in excellent condition and we are now enjoying it.

I am very happy with my recent purchase of the Elektra S1C Micro Casa Lever. I bought it together with a Rancilio Rocky doserless coffee grinder, and the two make excellent Espressos, Cortados, Cappuccions, and Lattes. The Elektra is a beautiful and incredibly functional machine. The espressos look gorgeous when they pour and taste great. You can influence the group head temperature by either flushing it with hot water before filling in the espresso, or by rinsing it in cold water. I have to adapt the grinding and group head temperature quite a bit as beans age from between a day to 10 days after roasting. Not a big deal, but without adjustments I get sometimes a somewhat burned or bitter taste. The steamer is super-strong. It warms up 8 ounce in a few seconds. I am starting to get better and better microfoam putting the pitcher into the freezer before using it and letting the milk cool down a bit before frothing. With the free shipping included in the purchase, the machine shipped with UPS ground, but it took only a few days to arrive. Overall, I can highly recommend the machine.

We began using our new chrome model Elektra Micro Casa Lever machine about 10 days ago after years of using a La Pavoni Millenium Professional machine. Finally gave up on the Pavoni because of problems with the dip tube plastic plug repeatedly melting. So far the Elektra S1C seems much better designed. While I haven't taken it apart yet the parts schematic don't appear to show any cheap plastic parts and the shots coming from this machine are more consistent because of the spring controlled pressure mechanism. The cost is about the same as the La Pavoni but the overall design quality is clearly better. Only negative about the Elektra is the very hot boiler and other external parts so be careful cleaning it right after use because you can burn yourself.

I absolutely love my new Elektra. It looks like a piece of art sitting in my kitchen.

I've found the machine to deliver a very consistent quality of espresso. It took me about 10 shots to get the grind / tamp right, but since then it has been very consistent.

For reference, I'm using a Rancilio Rocky grinder set to a "6", with fresh beans (I roast at home using a Fresh Roast)

One caution, this isn't the machine for parties / heavy espresso households. Works perfectly for me because I'm the only person in my house that drinks coffee.

It's like a work of art in our dining room and makes amazing espresso. A bit of a learning curve if you've never used a lever machine, but with all the YouTube videos and message boards, I was able to get the grinder dialed in and pulled an amazing shot of espresso.