New BOS (balance of system) component: Richard Penney 49mm NEWD portafilter
I purchased my first Richard Penney bottomless portafilter from Orphan Espresso in February 2012, shortly after rebuilding a vintage 54mm group Pasquini Livietta, a heat exchanger espresso machine built in Switzerland by Olympia Express. Not only did it look great, but it also allowed me to diagnose extraction problems and accelerate my progress along the home espresso learning curve. I have used this custom stainless steel portafilter almost every day since, and find it superior to the OEM portafilter in every way. It offers better aesthetics, enhanced hand feel, optimal ergonomics and improved diagnostic capabilities. When I purchased a ’74 Olympia Cremina in October 2012, I immediately ordered a 49mm Richard Penney bottomless portafilter for it as well. However, in the years since, Orphan Espresso has stopped carrying Richard Penney portafilters in all sizes, in part to focus on its successful line of high-end manual coffee grinders.
Since a 49mm bottomless portafilter is a valuable addition to the vintage home espresso ecosystem, CoffeeBOS and Richard Penney have teamed up to keep this naked portafilter in production and available for sale. This product has a 7 year history in the field and is used by hundreds of home baristas. It will fit the Olympia Cremina, as well as the Elektra Micro Casa a Leva. It will also fit heat exchanger machines manufacturer by Olympia Express, provided these have the smaller 49mm group; it will not fit 54mm group models. While the handles in the lead photo are only shown for reference purposes, I do have two lightly used handles—the second handle from the left and another one just like it—available for resale. We will roll out custom CoffeeBOS hardwood handles in the fall.