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Among the espresso machines featured in Quello che non c’è, the GS3 OFB could not be missed: the first model created under the Officine Fratelli Bambi name.

The machine grew out of the early experiments of Lorenzo Carcasci, a longtime La Marzocco welder with extensive factory-floor experience, and Lorenzo Santoni, who at the time was part of the Research & Development team. The two Lorenzos were brought together by Stefano Della Pietra, Head Designer at La Marzocco, as the idea that would eventually become Officine Fratelli Bambi began to take shape in 2019: a workshop dedicated to working by hand, creating espresso machines together with clients, limited editions, and one-of-a-kind pieces.

Accademia del Caffè Espresso was not yet ready, and the two Lorenzos had neither an official role nor a workshop of their own. So they began working together during breaks at the Scarperia factory: a few welding experiments, plenty of exchanged ideas, and eventually an attempt to work on a new model. They chose the GS3, believing that its simple forms would allow them to arrive at a result that could be replicated quickly.

What they had not considered was that the GS3 body is not mounted on a frame but on a bracket attached to the boilers. This meant that the positioning of the boilers during production became crucial: even a variation of just one millimeter in tolerance could prevent a body made according to the technical drawings from fitting correctly.

Their original process had encountered a variable they could not control, forcing them to rethink the project entirely. A new assembly method had to be developed. While seemingly simpler, it still relies heavily on the human touch: every element must be assembled with great care to ensure that all the components fit together perfectly.

The result is a clean, essential aesthetic. Through careful study, holes and welds were avoided and the number of fixing screws reduced to a minimum, with those that remained hidden from view. The panels of the GS3 OFB can also be made from virtually any material and in any color, making it one of the most versatile machines created to date.

A machine born from experimentation, experience and hands-on craftsmanship, before Officine Fratelli Bambi even had a name or a place of its own.