Elektra (espresso machines)

Elektra srl
srl
Industry Specialty coffee brewing equipment
Founded 1947
Founder Umberto Fregnan
Headquarters Dosson di Casier, Italy
Products Espresso machines
Coffee grinders
Accessories
Website www.elektrasrl.com

Elektra srl is an Italian manufacturer of professional espresso and cappuccino equipment. Besides the high functionality Elektra´s machines distinguish themselves from the market through their design.[1] Coffee grinders and accessories are also produced alongside to the core products lever and automatic machines.

Unlike other manufacturers of espresso machines Elektra is still not producing super-automatic machines, but only machines with manual portafilter. Elektra machines are mainly used in the professional and less in private sector.

History and technology

sand-casted and chromed eagle on top of an Elektra-machine

The company was founded in 1947 by Umberto Fregnan and is still owned by the Fregnan-family.[2] The focus of the machinery of Elektra was from the beginning, the idea of easy operation and maintenance.[3] Elektra was clear from the start a very innovative company, which issued to the large number of patents.[4] Already in 1950 the first machine was presented with an automatic hydraulic unit.[5][6] In addition to the water level control with float, which was developed by the company as a seal-less system, the automatic dispensing with electrically controlled valve (1968) and the electronic delivery of five doses (1978) was developed.

The machines are craft built to this day with a great focus on usability and longevity. Thus only copper is used for the boiler and 80 percent of parts are produced by Elektra itself. All machines are tested before delivery for 48 hours.

Models

decorative plate on the back of a „Mini Verticale“

Electra now produces two types of machines that are either aimed at professional users (Divisione Bar) or to private customers (Divisione Casa). In the Divisione Bar seven different series are made of semi-automatic equipment. For the Divisione Casa the series, Nivola and Family Retro can be ordered which includes semi-automatic equipment and a model as a single-lever machine. The entire product range covers over 40 models. For the respective areas, mills and accessories are available.

Characteristic of the Electra models is a partial lavishly outfit: the eagle - the symbol of the company present at the top of the cover of some machines - for example, is made by sand casting and them covered with chromes. Also studs made from Murano glass are available as a completion. Furthermore, some models have eye-catching decorative panels with a coat of arms or with the company logo attached.

Perception in the media

The design and functionality, and also the high price, of Elektra machines has caused them to feature in some luxury goods and lifestyle publications. This is particularly true for the retro style machines built to the ‘Belle Epoque’ and ‘Family Retrò’ series.[7] [8]

Elektra machines have been used for decades in world famous cafes and bars. Espresso coffee, for example, in the famous Caffè Florian in Venice and in the Harrods department store in London is prepared with machines from Elektra.[9]

On 14 September 2010 the bursting of a boiler of an Elektra machine injured six people in a British Sainsbury's in supermarket in Farnborough (Hampshire).[10] After the accident all the machines at Sainsbury's - using Elektra exclusively - were shut down. According to a study of the supermarket chain the damage was caused by a change by the manufacturer in the safety valve in 2009, so Sainbury's reactivated their old Elektra machines.[11] On 24 February 2012 in an official press release of Elektra they stated that the accident was caused by a faulty electrical connection of the supermarket and not by a fault of the machine. This was confirmed by an independent testing laboratory.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Espressomachine.net on Elektra". espressomachinereview.net. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "Fregnan family on Elektra´s website". elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  3. ↑ "Vergleich der Elektra-Modelle Casa". espressomachinesinfo.com. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Website of Elektra with patents". elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "Elektra´s company history". elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "Elektra´s company history". elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Bericht über Elektra in allwomenstalk.com". allwomenstalk.com. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  8. ↑ "World´s Luxury Guide of a report on the "Mini-Verticale"". worlds-luxury-guide.com. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  9. ↑ "Customer list". elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "BBC-report on the accident". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "BBC-Bericht about the accident". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "Press release by Elektra on the accident (pdf-file)" (PDF). elektrasrl.com. Retrieved 15 March 2012.

External links

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