Ice-orrentina

"La Sorrentina" on the rocks

Stella

1987 - Uk

I quote:

"Atomic machine

Alfredo Robbiati and his family in Milan started turning out their Atomic expresso and cappucino machine back in 1947, when you could get away with such product names. The curvy aluminium and bakelite machine is now available here, and is already in demand from collectors and caffeine addicts. Details: 01 439 0091"

When Hobby meets...

Rule n°1: Never mix hobby & passion with business.

Rule n°2: Never let your personal life interfere with your hobby.

Here a clear breach of Rule n°2:

1957 - UK

After this article (here) and this one (here), this one here:

I quote:

" "Martian" Espresso coffee machine smaller in size, and suitable for cafe usage, the "Martian" espresso coffee machine is a neat, portable, electrically heated model, made in Italy by the Milan firm of Brevetti Robbiati and distributed in U.K. by A. and M. G. SASSOON, 54 Victoria St, S.W.1. Price retail is £31. 10s. Capacity is 2 1/2 pint — enough to provide sufficient filtered coffee to make, with milk addition, 40 cups per hour. The "Martian" Espresso machine is ideal for the small snack bar."

Budapest's firework

1955 - Uk

I quote:

"The Italian "Espresso" method of coffee making is now becoming well known in this country. Latest device available in Britain is the cast aluminium "Atomic" Espresso machine, suitable for use on a caravan griller or on a Primus stove. The model shown is the medium size, making six coffee-cups or two teacups of black coffee. On average, the coffee is ready, from cold, in four minutes. Obtainable from most good stores or ironmongers, the medium size machine costs £4 5s and a larger model £4 10s."

1964 - Uk

I quote:

"In these, water is boiled in the coffee maker and is forced by the pressure of the steam once only throughout the ground coffee into a second vessel from which you pour it.

We found and tested eight brands, buying the most popular size - nine Italian cups, about three-quarters of a pint. There were two types.

In the Atomic and Vesuviana, the boiling water was forced downwards through the coffee into the serving vessel (the same system as the machines in Espresso coffee bars).

In the rest, the water was forced upwards through the ground coffee into the top half - as the Diagram shows. We filled the coffee baskets full of ground coffee, except for the Nova which specified three- quarters full. 

Four of the brands specified fine ground coffee and the Nova roughly ground. The other three said vaguely 'not too fine'. We tested all eight with finely ground coffee , and the Nova with medium ground as well. All were fitted with a safety valve. We tested these by blocking the normal outlet. All were satisfactory, except for the Nova whose safety valve worked only after the base had become permanently distorted.

The coffee made

All had a high extraction rate, and so were economical of coffee and gave a rather bitter brew. Using the quantities of ground coffee recommended in the instructions, all except the Atomic made strong or very strong coffee particularly the Jolly which specified much more coffee than the others. For the same strength of coffee as you get by steeping in a jug, you need use only about two-thirds of the amount of ground coffee. With the Nova, we found it more economical to use fine ground coffee, as with the other espressos, than roughly ground as specified.

Convenience

Only someone with the smallest of hands could grasp the Verbanus handle without touching the hot pot. Some people found the handle of the Jolly uncomfortably hot at the top.

The Atomic and the Vesuviana, in which the water flowed down through the ground coffee into an open serving jug, were the easiest to use and to clean, and the most robust. But after 10 minutes the coffee made in them was not nearly as hot as in the others. They were more expensive, particularly the Atomic.

Conclusion
There was little to choose for ease of use and cleaning between the Caffexpress, Luxa, Moka and Nova. But the Caffexpress was the quickest and made the most coffee, followed by the moka, which was a few shillings cheaper. The Luxa was the slowest.

We think the Caffexpress and the Moka the best value for money of the espresso coffee makers."

*****

The 8 espresso makers tested were all made out of aluminium.

Here they are listed alphabetically with their price in 1964, their country of provenience and their capacity.
In the original article, they appeared in a chart, far clearer than my rendering here (sorry!):

Atomic Standard (here Model for espresso coffee only) / 6£ 10s 6d / UK / up to 1 pint

Caffexpress (here) / 3£ 1s 10d / Italy / 9 cup

Jolly Express (here) / 2£ 16s 0d / Italy / 6-12 cup

Luxa Express (here) / 2£ 12s 3d / Italy / 9 cup

Moka Express (here) / 2£ 17s 6d / Italy / 9 cup

Nova Express (here) / 2£ 16s 9d / Italy / 9 cup

Verbanus (here) / 2£ 12s 0d / Italy / 9 cup

Vesuviana (here/here) / 4£ 5s 9d / Italy / 9cup

Thank you Lucio Del Piccolo (here) and Andrea Moretto (here) for sharing your collection.
The above links to the coffee machines of Italian production come from their website, both very impressive!
It gives me the opportunity to see A.&M.G. Sassoon's competitors at that time, which is for me very interesting.

Atomic pile - any reaction?

1975 - Usa

I quote:

"With this kind of unit you can make café au lait or cappuccino by separately boiling the milk and mixing the freshly brewed coffee with it. However, if you want the real thing, the milk must be steamed rather than boiled. Besides being able to make steamed milk for hot chocolate, another advantage of a milk steamer is that you can keep neckties looking new by holding the wrinkled part over the steam. Wrinkles disappear. It works for other spot-pressing, too. And as pointed out earlier, it's great for steaming open someone else's mail. Most stove-top pressure units do not have the milk-steaming valve — but one does.

A new Italian import called the Atomic has all the features — a convenient outside coffee bed, sturdy aluminum construction, and a steam valve. It makes six cups, and sells for $60 at Schapira Coffee Company, $65 at McNulty's Tea & Coffee."

The Great Princesses of the coffee makers

No Ketchup was hurt during the shooting.

1959 - Uk

I quote:

"Espresso machines of the domestic size make good after-dinner coffee, though the much vaunted 'total extraction' yields a brew too bitter for some tastes and is certainly unsuitable for breakfast. The sturdily constructed Atomic Espresso (one of the best of this type) costs £7 10s., including a milk-heating attachment for making cappuccino. A simpler version working on the same principle and known merely as the Nova Espresso costs less than half the price of the Atomic and produces generous supplies of coffee in a few minutes, although the fastidious may find it too bitter."

And the moment i can feel that you feel that way too

A like ...

Torrefazione Guarany, Milano

Puzzling Exciting Challenging

These are the words that described the most my encounter with this particular badge:

Caffè Guarany, Milano

A Model "A" from the Brevetti Robbiati business.
(here)

My first thoughts were:

FANTASTIC

BEAUTIFUL

UNIQUE

My second thought was:

Too unique to be true?

It hasn't got much in common with the badges i know.

(see here)

I could not help but to research... all i found was unfortunately below the shadow of a doubt.

This advert lead me to the name of the founder: Cesare Caremoli.

It was then easier to look through registrations:

1940.

(i like)

Then i looked for the address of the Torrefazione Guarany.

(But is it the original address of the business???
Maybe not. see here)

The one address i found on the internet made me rise my left eyebrow:

Via Cavour 53

20026 Novate Milanese

(here)

I haven't got a clue why "via Cavour" rang a bell (no seriously).

I really had the impression i knew that street (strange).
I have tried to remember why for 2 days now. 

However,

Remember the first address of Brevetti Robbiati?

No?

It was

Cesare Battisti 22

20026 Novate Milanese

(here)

Then, i was frowning my other eyebrow.

(yes, that right one)

1,3km
COINCIDENCE???
- maybe.

The business of Cesare Caremoli was taken over by Pellini Caffè S.P.A.

(here)

Of course, i had to write them an email!!!!!

Guess what!

I received an email the day after!
That's what i call customer service!!!

It could have been a more informative email with leaflets, photos etc.
But one can't be always successful!!!

So, the doubt remains.

I have my point of view on this badge,

But who cares about points of views?

***

This rare coffee machine wants to change owner.
Interested?
(here)

***

This i would really like to read
(here)

One day in Vienna!

30 cms in a few morning hours... or in my world:

My love knows no season

Keep on track

Today, among the thousands and thousands of fan letters i receive from all around the world, day after day after day (etc.), i picked up a very touching one from 5 years old Emily, from Snowy Mountains (Australia).

She writes:

"G'day Banana,

How do you track coffee machines?

Thanks,
Hoo Roo
Emily"

Cute, isn't it?

Well, Emily, the best-preserved tracks are usually found in summer in dried mud, but the true season for track-reading is the winter, when the ground is covered with snow.

Of course, the quality of the tracks always depends on the thickness, freshness and quality of the snow cover.

As a beginner, Emily, what i would advise you is to photograph or sketch the tracks and to note down their basic characteristics.

It is only later that the tracks can be identified by comparing the material gathered with reference books.

With some practice, it is possible to keep the basic types of tracks in your mind and to read them directly on the spot without difficulty.

If you follow the tracks of a given coffee machine, sooner or later you usually arrive to its seasonal shelter.

It is then your decision either to observe these different coffee makers in their natural habitat or grab them & put them on a shelf in your kitchen.

Hope this was of help,
Kind regards,
Mik.

*****

This is what happened as recently as today.

Waking up this morning & looked out the window, 5 centimetres of fresh snow fell overnight!
For me, it is like a signal that the best hunting time has come.
So I grabbed my camera (like advised to Emily).

After a few steps outside, i couldn't believe my binoculars!!!
In front of me: Fresh Tracks!

I followed the tracks for 4 meters (approximately).

This part is for Emily:

A brand new track Emily!!!
Isn't this GREAT!?!?!

Time to make a picture!!!

Well done!!!

Now, take your classic animal track guide and search for a similar footprint.

HERE IT IS!!!

 It is UNDOUBTEDLY a Robbiati Model "B"!!!

But wait!!!!

I hear something moving - just 4,5 meters away from where i stand!!!

RUN! RUN! RUN!

This is the picture i took running the 4,5 meters:

(one of the greatest moment in hunting history)

That's it!
I got it!

It looks like this little stovetop coffee machine couldn't reach a safe place to hide and 

froze.

Look at this!
A beautiful exemplar.

Errrrrrr.
Wait.
What is it?

From afar... all the characteristics of Giordano Robbiati's IT35916 patent (links 1 2 3)!

BUT Can you see its Golden badge?

... and its original water filling knob?
(yes, it is original in the sense that i know another machine with exactly the same characteristics!)

How about the (lower) quality of casting?

This handle is nothing i have ever seen before.

And this naked top of base (like the A.&M.G. Sassoon) is very unusual.

"And the badge?" will you ask.

Well, the badge looks beautiful.

It even reveals the town where it has been made... very far away from Italy.

Namely, Exactly here:

... and exactly here, overlooking this beautiful place:

I LOST THE TRACK!