What could be more charming than a domestic espresso machine where 150 components are mostly produced and assembled "locally"!? We're talking about Olympia Express – a company that has been a pioneer in espresso machine production in Switzerland for over 80 years.
The company and brand are cult classics. Their longevity is legendary. In fact, machines are still available that have been running espresso for 30 years. The espresso machine manufacturer, taken over by Schätti Metallwarenfabrik AG in Schwanden in 2011, communicates strongly through tradition, materiality, coffee quality, and expertise.
We want to focus particularly on these factors in this review. Price positioning is difficult because all other tested dual boiler espresso machines are produced "differently" and are in a different price range (1200 – 2500 CHF). The Olympia Express Maximatic is available for around 4000 Swiss francs and is listed in the Euro area at 3690 euros e.g. at Manufactum. This makes the machine the most expensive dual boiler espresso machine we know of.
Beyond cult status, longevity, and coffee quality, we have some expectations.
Materiality par excellence
How much we've cursed over the last weeks and months during our dual boiler tests about undebarred metal edges and thin "semi-metal". Not so the Olympia Express Maximatic! The small dual boiler is also one of the heaviest, most robust, and above all, best-crafted espresso machines. The roughly 18 kilogram dead weight is a statement. Nothing wobbles when you lock in the portafilter.
The polished stainless steel of the front and upper section feels twice as thick as the exterior skin of the BZ10 by Bezzera. The Lelit Mara X, by comparison, feels as soft as a pillow. And the edges are buttery smooth, even on the drip tray, whose punched-out holes on almost every machine we know would also function as a cheese grater. The powder-coated side walls also make a good impression. This is a pleasure!
The stainless steel water tank with a capacity of 1.5 liters is also a pleasure. This is usually plastic, and the cheap kind at that. With the Olympia's water tank, you could probably hammer in carpenter's nails.
The Olympia Express Maximatic
The machine is very compact and at 19.5 cm wide, narrower than a DIN A4 sheet. A depth of 34 cm and height of 37 cm ensure the machine fits well into any nook, but also looks impressive standing alone.
What we really like: the brew boiler can also be opened from above. This theoretically allows direct access and also easier descaling. With classic dual boilers, we advise against doing this yourself because residue can remain in the boiler and clog the valves. With the Olympia Express Maximatic, this is less of a problem (but be warned, never open while hot).
Function of the Olympia Express Maximatic – reduced to the essentials
In terms of function, the Olympia Express Maximatic is completely reduced to what's essential. Making espresso and frothing milk.
The machine heats to operating temperature in about 20 minutes. The machine's own brew group warms well through a heat bridge to the boiler. This is important so that the brew temperature in the portafilter doesn't drop due to a cool ambient temperature. The machine's brew temperature is constant across individual shots. We measured an average brew temperature of 93 degrees, with only variations of half a degree up and down. That's exemplary!
The drip tray of the Olympia Express Maximatic is very small.
The small boiler of the machine (0.75 l) is, however, not designed for continuous use. By the fifth shot in a row at the latest, the machine temperature drops. Since the Olympia Express Maximatic cannot be connected to mains water, it's not designed for continuous use anyway.
Milk frothing with the Maximatic also works well. Initially, the small boiler built up quite strong pressure, but this dropped noticeably during the rolling phase. We therefore recommend only frothing pitchers of 0.35l size.
Water dispensing is triggered and stopped with a button. Frothing is started via a plastic dial. Unlike most other espresso machines, hot water cannot be dispensed with the Maximatic. We didn't really miss this, as we don't sensorially recommend water from the boilers anyway. For quickly preparing an Americano (long espresso), a dispensing option is certainly convenient.
Missed opportunities and what we don't like
Unfortunately, the precision in terms of material selection and craftsmanship doesn't carry through all aspects of the machine. How small the drip tray is doesn't weigh as heavily. But it is impractical – it feels like the tray needs emptying after every 5 espressos. This is because when extraction ends, excess water from the lines drains into the tray.
Too small supplied tamper for the Olympia Express Maximatic
Olympia itself describes the milk wand as "extra long". We find it "quite short" and especially fixed at an awkward angle. This makes frothing and proper positioning difficult. The plastic dial for starting the frothing process also falls short compared to the rest of the materials.
We were really surprised that Olympia Express doesn't put a rubber coating over the milk wand. While not aesthetically pleasing, it does allow you to touch the wand. All other machines on the market either have a rubber coating, a plastic handle, or a "cold touch" tube that doesn't get hot on the outside.
An absolute no-go is the size of the tamper relative to the basket diameter. A good tamper should flush with the edge of the basket and "tamp" the entire coffee puck accordingly. The supplied tamper leaves a gap of about 2 mm. This causes channeling, and indeed we struggled with channeling in the extractions.
Conclusion and thoughts on the Olympia Express Maximatic
First: we made very good espresso and decent cappuccino with the Olympia Express Maximatic. The material language and choice are truly excellent. The fact that the machine is built in Switzerland, components aren't haphazardly sourced, and the machine is designed to last forever – this puts the 4000 CHF price in a proportionate light.
Put differently: if an espresso machine for 500 CHF lasts 3 years and the Olympia Express lasts 30 years, then the Olympia is cheaper and easily amortized. And especially in a throw-away production society, we find this long-term perspective very, very valuable, and "local" production as well. And we also find tradition invaluably valuable, but also binding.
Experience and tradition can be used to further develop an already high-quality machine and respond to market impulses. A good example is steam wands. Cold touch wands are now standard across all price ranges in espresso machines. You save yourself the ugly rubber sleeve and can still touch the wand. Olympia Express needs to get on this!
That a machine that emphasizes precision supplies a tamper that doesn't even fit the portafilter is incomprehensible. Tamper development has continued to evolve in recent years, and with 58mm baskets, tampers of 58.4 or 58.5mm are now used that flush perfectly with the edge. This makes it especially easier for inexperienced users to prepare a good espresso.
The Olympia Express Maximatic hasn't seen further development in a long time, yet you could simply make the product better and upgrade it. Since the machine is button-controlled, a programmable water dispensing amount would be a great relief for all inexperienced home baristas to safely achieve good brewing ratios.
We think it's right that the machine forgoes digital gimmicks. But a shot timer would be an enormous gain for the machine. This could also have a dial – how brilliant would that be!
The portafilter itself also doesn't feel as high-quality in terms of materials as the rest of the machine. Another simple upgrade would be replacing the plastic dial on the milk wand.
Difficult, this review. Difficult for us to say who this machine is right for. In a pure price-to-performance test, we have to say: you get more for less elsewhere. In terms of value retention, the Olympia Express Maximatic sets standards, but also leaves something on the table that would be possible.
The machine is a collector's item. And learning to love its rough edges is part of any love affair.
Update: We received a tip from a user of the machine that the value retention of the machine may not be as good. We have repair invoices totaling over 1400 euros, resulting from three repairs in less than four years.
Have others had similar experiences? Please write to us in the comments.
