Is this an Atomic? well no. It's a newly designed stove top - inspired by the Atomic. For those who are not coffee and design addicts, the Atomic machine was a a design icon of the 1950's designed by Giordano Robbiati and produced in Italy from the 1940's through until 1984, when a fire reportedly closed the factory. The photo above is not one of the original, but a newly designed stovetop Otto coffee maker inspired by the Atomic. But wait there's more.
While I have known about this for a month or two, today, I find a report that a collaboration of two companies are producing La Sorrentina a 'premium reproduction' of the original. Which would you buy - the reproduction in original aluminium, or the new one in stainless steel? Would a price of AU$450 for the reproduction versus a rumoured AU$600 for the stainless steel Otto affect your choice?
I think one must go with the aluminium ahead of the stainless steel if you want a true'reproduction'. No doubt though, the stainless steel is encticing.
ReplyDeleteI suggest buying the reproduction to admire and use when friends visit and the 'premium' reproduction to use on a daily basis! It's only a fraction over a $1,000 for the two and heh, what price a good cup of coffee??
I own, or am owned by over thirty Atomics. I also have the new La Sorrentina and the new ATOMIC. Same thing, an angry stone-age mentality owner of a certain shop put sands in the well greased works of the new manufacturer. The La Sorrentina is everyway as good as the original Atomic. It is even better with high food grade silicon seals and a stainless filter basket. Robbiati, the original designer would have been proud.
ReplyDeleteThe OTTO is a very carefully designed espresso maker. A real one in stainless. The spatial placement of the different componants does remind one of the ATOMIC, but the ATOMIC never made espresso. This one does. A fantastic tribute to the original design. With more than two friends, I fire up the La Sorrentina. A fine coffee topped with frothed milk.
A business conversation calls for the OTTO to be put in service.
You need BOTH.
Frederick (aka The Atomic Guru).
could anyone kindly tell me whether OTTO coffee maker supports induction cooker plz?
ReplyDeleteThe Otto has been coming for ages, but still no Otto! It looks great, but at $800 is very pricey for two cups of coffee! Also stainless steel is not a good conductor of heat, so I'd like to try it first.
ReplyDeleteLa Sorrentina is not a true reproduction of the Atomic, but an attempted copy. I own an Atomic for some years now, and know the differences.
Anyway, who would want to pay $450 for a fake out of Taiwan when you can get the real Atomic (new) for $495 from the distributor "Bon Trading Co."?
The Otto has been coming for ages, but still no Otto! It looks great, but at $800 is very pricey for two cups of coffee! Also stainless steel is not a good conductor of heat, so I'd like to try it first.
ReplyDeleteLa Sorrentina is not a true reproduction of the Atomic, but an attempted copy. I own an Atomic for some years now, and know the differences.
Anyway, who would want to pay $450 for a fake out of Taiwan when you can get the real Atomic (new) for $495 from the distributor "Bon Trading Co."?
I have both Sorrentina Atomic reproduction and the Otto which arrived yesterday. My conclusion after using the Otto for a couple of times is that I much prefer the look of the Otto, but the Atomic is more functional in many ways, particularly when it comes to steaming milk.
ReplyDeleteI just cannot get seem to get the steam pressure to go high enough with the Otto, but on the other hand you do get an espresso out of the Otto which the Atomic cannot. Is Otto worth paying almost twice as much as the Atomic repro? (The Otto is now A$800 instead of the earlier advertised A$595!) So far, I don't think so, but I will continue to give Otto a go and report back later. After all, there maybe something wrong with what I am doing.
By the way, the Otto cannot be used on an induction cooktop.
Otto Looks good, but it is way to expensive. On top of that, it sounds like that it makes an OK coffee, but nothing like the Atomic.
ReplyDeleteLa Sorrentina's copy of the Atomic is just the latest and yet another very unfortunate attempt of copying one of the most famous coffee machines in the world.
As far as I know, this latest Sorrentina’s copy of the Atomic is cheaply made in Taiwan, and being manufactured with the well-known Chinese low health standards!
One of my friends made the mistake of buying one of these “La Sorentina’s” copies in the beginning of this year (2009), and he is extremely disappointed with some defects or imperfections it already started to show up.
Anyway, my best advice is trustworthy Bon Trading ( www.bontradingco.com.au ) is the place to purchase a real Atomic Coffee machine.
"La Sorrentina is not a true reproduction of the Atomic, but an attempted copy. I own an Atomic for some years now, and know the differences.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, who would want to pay $450 for a fake out of Taiwan when you can get the real Atomic (new) for $495 from the distributor "Bon Trading Co."?"
What does that mean?
Not a true reproduction? The differences are obvious and start with the label- you don't need to own an atomic for years to read what is right in front of you- the Sorrentina machines are permanently stamped 'made in taiwan' on the base. So lets forget this owner of an atomic expertise rubbish. The patents have lapsed and any one is free to use them. It is not a 'copy' or a 'fake'- and as a collector and user I can assure you the Sorrentina machine is very well made and better than the few machines Bon periodically has avialable.
I purchased machine from Bon and was very dissapointed with it. The screws in the head were held in with blue tack!!!- and fell out when touched- there was sand inside the boiler.... and the bayonet mount was very rough. Not as good as vintage machines.
As to your claim that these new Bon machines are 'original' I wonder what that is based on? Bon Tradings web site? The original Italian manufacturer stopped making machines in the mid eighties. The new Bon machines are different- and who knows where they are made? and in addition atomics have been made in the UK, Italy, Hungary, Austria- then in India, now in Taiwan- and the Otto in China. Which is an 'original'? You tell me.
Bon trading sold NO atomics for many, many years (20 years?)and constantly lied to customers about their availability, I know because I experienced it. There are falsehoods published on their website right now. I suggest you check the actual facts before you make uninformed comments.
I can't understand why there is a comment that they cannot make expresso on the Atomic! They obviously don't know how to use the Atomic! I can make it perfectly, with no problem. I have tried the la sorrentina, which is an attempted copy of the Atomic, and the otto and neither works as efficiently as the genuine Atomic from italy.
ReplyDeletethe Sorrentina is not a 'copy' and nor are machines from Bon Trading 'original'. They are both based on the expired Robbiati patents and can best be described as reproductions. 'Original' atomics were made in Italy, the UK, Austria and Hungary. At what point they all became reproductions and no originals is one for the historians... The assertion that a Taiwanese product is inferior to one supposedly made in Italy belies a common racist tendency to assume that Asian products are inferior to other products. The Irony and Hypocrisy of these type of statement is that most of the items we own today are made in Asia and we have no complaints. The Poster of the above statement about Taiwan was probably typing on a Chinese manufactured computer listening to his Chinese made Ipod. I could be wrong: perhaps they used an Italian made computer? In point of fact I have heard the new bon atomics have a lot of manufacturing defects and the screws in the head of the machine are held in with Blue tack. That's if Bon actually have any stock at all...which generally they don't. Give them a call and find out for yourself.
ReplyDeleteFinally all these machines are 'atomic' as that is the name of the original design, which included the well known 'atomic' form. The Otto has very different internals, but is still essentially 'in the family'
Different horses for different course. The Otto and the Sorrentina both have their place, and it is great to see atomics available again at all.
I'm trying to decide which atomic-ish coffee maker to buy. Can y'all help? I usually drink a single breve cappuccino with extra foam before a day of work. On weekends however, I make cappuccinos for 5 adults, all frothed milk lovers. I have no qualms about brand loyalty. Rather, I want the right machine for my needs, as I can only afford one; I need the style of the atomic/otto/sorrentina. I need the convenience and rusticity of a machine with which I can camp. I need a lovely, frothy breve cappuccino each day, and perhaps a second one, an hour later. On weekends, I would like to make cappuccinos for five adults, in 12 oz cups. 2 of these will have 2 shots of espresso, 2 will have 1. All of us like very foamy, milky cappuccinos. Then, we all have at least one more round, maybe 20-30 minutes later. I am wondering how the vintage atomic on ebay/otto/sorrentina do with this type of use. I am willing to practice daily until I get the hang of whichever machine y'all suggest. It seems as though most of these machines are between 350 and 500 dollars. I will spend anywhere in that range if the machine comes close to my needs. I think the most problematic need may be the weekend milk-steaming needs. 5 cappuccinos is a lot of pressure for such a small machine. How long does it take to build up pressure for steam after you've used it all up. Too, how many 12 ounce, 2-shot cappuccinos could I make in one go? And what is the wait time in between the time I run out of steam pressure and build it back up again? Oh please, all you coffee folk, give me some advice. My money is hard earned and a fine cappuccino is one of my favorite things in life.
ReplyDeleteI see that OTTO have made their own induction cooktop to work with the OTTO.
ReplyDeletemy mother bought a coffee machine early eighties red nob atomic used it once.she put it back in the box 2001.hmmm. i rememberd that funny lookin thing.found it.best find 4 a long time.read the instructions and i am on my way. easy. great 4 two people.i am a coffee drinker now.i have had a lot of different ways of brewing and it still comes back 2 the atomic.yum might have one now.
ReplyDeleteThis controversy over what constitutes a "genuine" Atomic Coffee Machine reminds me of the situation in the States over the production of the model 1911 .45 automatic pistol. Originally designed by John Browning, it was produced initially by Colt, then Remington-Rand and several others, all from the original blueprints. Jump to the current day with all the myriad companies which now produce the 1911 in an almost infinite variety of additional features and finishes, all based on Browning's original design. Nobody in America looks at these pistols as "copies" or "reproductions" to be disparaged as such, since they are not "Colt's originals". As long as they are faithfully based on the original prints, with interchangeability, they are good-to-go.
ReplyDeleteSame with the La Sorrentina "Atomic-type" Coffee Maker (which I'll be taking delivery of in a few days). As long as it is based on the original prints, and produced faithfully to those prints, it is an Atomic, as far as I'm concerned, regardless of what the lawyers say. Besides, I'll trust Taiwanese Bellman/Ikon Exports over Bon Trading any day, from what I've read about Bon Trading.