Question..anybody use espresso screens for stoves?

[realityguy]

In Seattle we get a lot of the espresso machine portafilter screens like below at thrift stores,most never even used:


Anyway..I'm just curious if anyone has tried to incorporate one of these into their stoves..whatever type.To me they are just screaming "stove material!"

Any success?..any attempts?..little tiny holes!maybe a jet?

[zelph]

Yes, I think bmike or todheyn may have used it as part of a stove or stove related somthing or other.

Yours looks course and heavy guage.

[realityguy]

Yes, I think bmike or todheyn may have used it as part of a stove or stove related somthing or other.

Yours looks course and heavy guage.

Standard thicker gauge around here for the espresso portafilters..I'll do something with them and get back if/when I do.....I occasionally rebuild Starbuck/Saeco espresso machines for a selling friend so get a lot fo them floating around here.

[seudo_411]

What diameter are those screens, As they could be used for a pretty cool pressurized stove. The other option is to find a can or bottle in which it fits, a heavy-ish gauge of bottle (think cobalt) then cut it to the correct size, add a ring of high temp silicone, and roll the edge over, fit a threaded rivet to the side and you have a pressurized stove, or add a short piece of metal tubing to said threaded rivet and voila you have the makings of a remote feed stove, provided you add some wicking material. I'll assume the holes are made by the punching method, in that case you can reverse some of the punching and create either a spot, ring, or spread of spots, flame pattern. oh and one last thought, if you can seal the bottom of that screen by just adding a piece of flat metal, to it, be it by welding or JB weld, you can go with the threaded rivet and some copper tubing, bend it across the top, think MSR XGK, add remote fuel setup I would suggest a IV admin set (see picture at the end) it has an inline check valve. then connect it to a spray bottle with a trigger. so as you squeeze the trigger the fuel pressure builds up inline, and there you are a liquid fuel stove.

Please not the above is a caffeine induced bit of babble, use with caution but if you're a true stovie you'll understand that, that is how most great ideas are born.

[realityguy]

The fit in a fancy feast can is one of the main reasons I brought the subject up in the first place.These things are virtually indestructable and fit just inside the fancy feasts outer support ring on the top as shown below:


..In either an inner burner or outer facing burner plate..either JB welding them in place or rolling/peening the edge over the edge of the screen..or some other lockdown method to make them removable easily.The screens should last forever..compared to aluminum parts.
The jet holes are small,probably better for a jetted pressurized type of stove.I'm going to cut one up for a replacement screen for my Micron that probably fell off the stove and was lost during a hike.Primus DOESN'T sell replacement screens for their $60+ Microns(what the heck,they are removable??!!?? ..BUY MSRs instead!..serves them right!).
Other fits and dimensions:The weight factor of the two shown are 16 and 18 grams.They also fit snug(bulge up) over the top lip of a jetted pepsi can stove or a trangia stove..possibly to cut down the air supply and used as a simmer-ring(haven't tested)???The screened portion(holes area) in the two I have shown are different,one at 1-3/16" circle verses a 1" circle.Outside vertical rim dimension is 2-3/16" with the outside ring at 2-1/2".The overall depth of 1 is 7/8" and the other is 11/16".These might be from a Gaggia machine .Starbuck's and Saeco's are probably 1/16"-1/8" smaller in the vertical area..Krups are quite a bit larger..usually found in with the silverware area in thrift stores.
I occasionally fix the machines for friends so come across quite a few different sizes.The starbuck's 2 cup one is deep and a wider screen across the entire bottom.Krup's and other cheaper models can be quite a lot wider across,so there are a lot of variable to fit most stove sizes out there.

[realityguy]

A couple dimensions I forgot is the inside vertical one is 2-1/8" across..to fit down over something like a cap would(female-type cap).One vertical section is 1/4" high and the other is 3/8" high.As I said,they do come in all sizes and it's better to get one and design something around it.
My biggest problem with a lot of the stoves being made is that they are more fragile than I would want one to be..easily dented,smashed,or ruined unless they aren't/weren't very well protected.I'd much rather see some that are slightly heavier(cobalt?) and more towards the Indestructible end of the scale..these might make a perfect top for that!

[zelph]

The fit in a fancy feast can is one of the main reasons I brought the subject up in the first place.These things are virtually indestructable and fit just inside the fancy feasts outer support ring on the top as shown below:
.They also fit snug(bulge up) over the top lip of a jetted pepsi can stove or a trangia stove..possibly to cut down the air supply and used as a simmer-ring(haven't tested)???The screened portion(holes area) in the two I have shown are different,one at 1-3/16" circle verses a 1" circle.Outside vertical rim dimension is 2-3/16" with the outside ring at 2-1/2".The overall depth of 1 is 7/8" and the other is 11/16".These might be from a Gaggia machine .Starbuck's and Saeco's are probably 1/16"-1/8" smaller in the vertical area..Krups are quite a bit larger..usually found in with the silverware area in thrift stores.
I occasionally fix the machines for friends so come across quite a few different sizes.The starbuck's 2 cup one is deep and a wider screen across the entire bottom.Krup's and other cheaper models can be quite a lot wider across,so there are a lot of variable to fit most stove sizes out there.

I see quite a few of these machines in thrift stores and they seem to just hang around for a long time. What is the resale movement on them if any on the internet?

[realityguy]

Resale on espresso machines..the only older ones that seem to sell well on ebay are the Starbucks Barristas or Saeco clones of the same machines,about all I work on.Figure one in good shape can go $75-150 msotly depending on color.The lastone I sold on craigs I bought for $10 and sold for $100.(sell cheaper locally,easy $150 on ebay).Stainless,copper,red,and black seem to go the best.Some of the Gaggias do okay also on ebay $75-125.I'm talking the older machines...Automatic machines do well also considering the new ones are over $1000. I've been keeping an automatic machine(Saeco Rio Automatica) alive at home here since about 1995..but had to break down this winter and hunt up another one for parts..and it had the same part burned out,the boiler element.Only one guy was selling that part on the net for $130 but I found one locally for $65..WOOHOO!..so it's up and running again.I've had to disassemble the thing a couple times for brushes to the coffee grinder,once for the boiler,and another time with a frozen up "brew group"..which was destroyed getting it out of there(sits in front of the bolts holding everything together,froze mid stoke!).
The automatic machine..push the button after the light comes on,it grinds the beans,puts them in a brew pot,tamps them down,brews your espresso,then disposes of the grounds as a pellet in a convenient bin..all by itself.You have to steam your own milk though.I've actually reused the pellets for coffee..might be handy on the trail..freeze them up and reuse them!
Picture of the machine:

These sold new about $750 and still supposedly go for about $700 today,if you can find them.I got mine at goodill for $12 and the second broken one for $30 from a lady that sells a lot of machines on ebay.I did see one on ebay a few months ago for that $700.
There is another machine that looks like it but not quite called a Rio Profi that has a built in grinder.I have one at my other house. That's a manual job where you have to hold the portafilter(the thing that twists on the bottom that holds the grounds) under the grounds dispenser..and it starts grinding again filling it.Then its manual tamping ,brewing,etc.Hey!I ruff it up there!

[zelph]

I got mine at goodwill for $12 and the second broken one for $30 from a lady that sells a lot of machines on ebay.

I'm going to start looking for them tomorrow. I've got to get in on some of this easy money

You must be self employed on ebay!!!!!!! if not you should quit your job, send me your money and do ebays sales from all the thrift stores in your area

[realityguy]

I got mine at goodwill for $12 and the second broken one for $30 from a lady that sells a lot of machines on ebay.

I'm going to start looking for them tomorrow. I've got to get in on some of this easy money

You must be self employed on ebay!!!!!!! if not you should quit your job, send me your money and do ebays sales from all the thrift stores in your area

I've pretty much lived off ebay and just side jobs(remodeling and rental repair) for the last ten years..but since ebay recently changed their formats..that will never happen again!
If you think you can make money off them..do a bit of research at ebay's "completed" auctions.Never mind the krups,maxims,delonghi,and all the other crap out there,not worth a plugged nickel!

Do a search on ebay for Saeco,Starbuck's Barrista,and Gaggia,espresso machine..check the completed ones..then you'll know exactly what to look for and what to pass up.