I do believe the Peppina does have a 58mm basket, so your cup would not get the same notes that could be produced by a smaller MCaL, PVL, MicroCimbali, etc. They are darn cool looking though. (edit > their PFs are actualy 45mm, so they should be able to achieve similar results.)
Peter could sell his machine for a decent amount of money, but if you find a classic lever for a fair price you could stand to actually make money on your purchase. I bought the MCaL new for $1050 and had it for about 2 years. In that 2 years the retail for the machine went from $1,050 to $1,350, so when I went to sell it I got all of what I paid for it back. I can not say that about any of the HX machines I have owned. The HXs are always being modified and upgraded by the retailers to make new and improved models, while the many of the levers are the same as they have been since the 60s.
Is an HX easier to learn on than a Lever machine? Absolutely. Is learning how to use a spin rod easier than learning how to fly fish? Yes. Is it easier to buy handmade cheese than to make your own? Yes. Some things are just more appealing to some people versus others. Not that one is absolutely wrong and one is absolutely right, but people have preferences. I prefer spending more time on / with simpler things, regardless of whether the process is more or less difficult.
You are absolutely right in saying people will achieve better results more quickly with an HX. I just like the chase of pursuing the perfect shot with very simple and classic machines.
As for all of this SBDU versus HX stuff. . . I say we end the conversation by saying everyone should just buy a single group commercial lever machine and most of the argued points will be answered. Temperature stability? Yes all of the metal in my 85lb levers make them very temp stable. I can steam for hours on end and pull shots at the same time. They go up in value because they are very rare. They look like mechanical art.
I am just joking around everyone should, just buy what makes them happy or what they think will make them happy now and for the near future. The nice part about things like craigslist is that you can find lever machines, HX machines, commercial machines, SBDUs, etc. all for under $500 dollars. If you really look hard and are patient you can find all of them for around $200. So look for deals, buy different types of machines and try them out to see what You personally prefer. That is why I have had so many machines over the past few years, Levers, HXs, Semi-Autos, I am just curious about what every type of machine has to offer. They all offer different things that make them as machines fun to use and learn about espresso on.
