About the Maximatic

The Maximatic is Olympia Express’s compact semi-automatic espresso machine. Unlike the hand-operated Cremina levers, it uses an electric vibration-damped pump to generate brew pressure and a heat-exchanger boiler, so it can brew espresso and steam milk at the same time. The draw is that it does this in a body only 19.5 cm wide, roughly the footprint of an A4 sheet, which makes it one of the smallest dual-circuit machines available and a practical fit for a home kitchen, office, studio, or practice where counter space is tight.

Build quality and history

Olympia Express was founded in Switzerland in 1928 and has built espresso machines for over 95 years. The Maximatic itself dates to 1974 and follows the layout of a classic bar machine in miniature. Its compact size is possible because the components, from the vibration-damped pump to the boiler, are custom-made rather than off-the-shelf. The front panel is polished stainless steel, the frame and casing carry a durable powder coating, and both the water tank and boiler are flavor-neutral stainless steel. At about 18.5 kg in a small body, it is dense and solidly built, and it is designed to be serviced and kept running for decades rather than replaced.

How it works and who it suits

Fresh water is drawn from the 1.5 L tank and circulated through a heat exchanger inside the 0.75 L boiler, where it reaches the brewing temperature of around 92 °C, while the boiler itself runs hotter to produce steam. Because brewing water and steam come from separate circuits, you do not have to wait between pulling a shot and frothing milk. Compared with the Cremina levers, the Maximatic trades the manual, tactile control of a lever for the convenience, speed, and milk-drink throughput of a pump machine. Choose it if you make milk-based drinks regularly or want quicker, more repeatable shots without learning lever technique; choose a Cremina if hands-on lever extraction is the appeal.

Specifications

What’s in the box

• Maximatic machine
• 54 mm portafilter with single and double spout
• Single (1-cup) filter basket
• Double (2-cup) filter basket
• Tamper

Good to know

• The water tank refills during use, so you do not have to stop mid-session to top up.
• As a pump machine, it supports backflushing for cleaning the brew group, which the lever machines do not.
• Current models use a 54 mm portafilter, so confirm the size before ordering baskets or aftermarket portafilters, since older units were 49 mm.
• Olympia describes it as a dual-circuit machine; technically it is a heat-exchanger design (one boiler with a heat exchanger) rather than two separate boilers.