A friend made me a shot of espresso with his Olympia espresso maker. It's a swiss model (www.olympia-express.ch), quite expensive ($1750 in NY), lever type machine. I liked it all around and liked its (apparent) sturdyness. Does anyone know anything more about these machines?

Thanks in advance

-- Iancu Sorell (iamiancu@yahoo.com), December 11, 1999

Answers

Olympia has a website with an e-mail link. They currently do not have a regular US distributor but may in the near future. They seem to support their machines (old or new) quite well, and there are people who swear by them. Take a look at their website -- nice diagrams of the machines in the parts section.

-- JR (realdoctor@deja.com), December 28, 2000.

www.1stincoffee.com now carries the swiss made Olympia Cremina. If you looking for a machine built to last 30 years, pick one up today

-- James Smith (info@1stincoffee.com), September 25, 2003.

i bought one old model Cremina Olympia (was never used) in a goodwill store for $12. oh, boy, i could not imagine how much money they ask for the new one in store. it's a good machine. i've got lucky for a day! just me

-- just me (thosewhomatter@aol.com), November 09, 2003.

I have had one for 20 years and my father had one 10 years before i got mine. Any one know who carries parts for older ones? My repair man who has kept our runing for the last 30 years just shook his head when I brought mine in today?

-- jay streets (jstreets@pacbell.net), November 20, 2003.

I have owned one for the past 13 years and I use it daily. I have to get it repaired soon (the seals are leaking, and the strainer has fallen out), but for the past 13 years, I have loved using it. Just keep enough water in it all the time and it should last you. Now where to get it fixed????????????

-- Jamie Silverstein (silverodt@aol.com), December 28, 2003.

Several sources I have gotten parts from Luis at Luis Martinez Rudy's L & R Espresso Machine Co 464 West 51 Street NY, NY 10019 tel. 212-245-4966 fax. 212-262-4815 www.rudys-espresso.com

also direct from Olympia Express

sales.service@olympia-express.ch

or there US representative

1st-line.com in New Jersey.

-- Andrew Gutow (agutow@umich.edu), December 30, 2003.

There's a company who's been repairing my Olympia Coffex machine over the years and they perform repairs on a nationwide basis.

Tom & Dave's Speciality Coffees 3095 Kerner Blvd. San Rafael, CA 94901 415-454-3064

-- Alain Zutter (AZutter@aol.com), February 26, 2004.

For repairs and service on the West Coast, Thomas Cara Ltd., 517 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, (415) 781-0383, has been working on these for years . Excellent people!

-- Bruce Goldenson (bgoldenson@sbcglobal.net), February 09, 2005.

Thomas Cara is no longer the west coast savior. He will no longer work on cremina olympia machines. I saw him today 3-9 -05 and he declined to work on a gaggia and the olympia, whatever he is selling is all he will work on

-- gail lake (gail@yikes.com), March 10, 2005.