La spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look v2 - Bella BaristaLa spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look...

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Tel: 01933 273275 e-mail: [email protected] La spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look v2.doc

LA SPAZIALE S1 M IN I V IVALDI – A

CLOSER LOOK H T T P : / / W W W . B E L L A B A R I S T A . C O . U K

This is the cousin of the S1 Vivaldi MKII, it is a

Vibration pump variant that uses an internal

water tank and does not have to be plumbed

into the mains water supply. There is not much

information on the Internet and now I have the

chance to have a detailed look around one.

It is easy for comments on the internet to

influence a review, in this case there was not

much available. Build quality is good with high

quality (commercial quality) components and

assembled with care. Outside, an attractive

combination of plastic and mirror finish

stainless steel. Inside, a heavy gauge black

painted steel frame with quality components.

The quality is noticeable when lifting the

machine, which weighs around 27kg

The S1 Mini Vivaldi is a dual boiler machine and

is more complex than the usual prosumer HX

machines. This complexity refers to the type of

components (and in some cases the cost), but

not the speed and ease with which faults can be

fixed, in part due to the on board electronic

fault diagnosis.

Once set up (which takes a little time to do

properly), it is very easy to operate. It is not as

compact as most prosumer espresso machines,

being wider and a little more bulky, but its

graceful lines hide this well.

The machine is a mix of commercial

components and domestic capability; it does

not require any specialised power supply or

complicated installation.

For people with who don’t want the hassle of

plumbing the machine together with a complex

inline filtration system, the S1 Mini Vivaldi is a good

compromise and gives most of the advantages of

the S1 Vivaldi MKII.

Overview Inside This ReviewInside This ReviewInside This ReviewInside This Review

Overview 1 How it works 3 Inside the S1 4 A detailed Tour 5 Key Features 6 Using the S1 12 Brew Temperature 13 Final Thoughts 14 What do you think 15 Gallery 16

The details were correct at the time of writing, but the manufacturer and Bella Barista reserve the right to change the technical specification of the packaging, machines and any accessories supplied with the machine (including quantity and type of accessories supplied)


Tel: 01933 273275 e-mail: [email protected]

LA SPAZIALE LA SPAZIALE LA SPAZIALE LA SPAZIALE S1S1S1S1 VIVALDI MKIIVIVALDI MKIIVIVALDI MKIIVIVALDI MKII –––– A A A A CLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOKCLOSER LOOK Page Page Page 222 of of of of 16161616

Some coffee enthusiasts buy second hand

commercial machines make quality beverages

at home. These are very large, heavy, plumbed

into the mains and have 3-6kw heating

elements in 5 litre or larger boilers to. The S1

Mini Vivaldi should give the same quality,

without the hassle.

The S1 Mini Vivaldi is not too tall and gives

plenty of room under standard height kitchen

cupboards, giving a useable and good size cup-

warming tray. The S1 is a nice looking machine

that would not look out of place in a modern

kitchen.

The S1 arrived well packed (better than the S1

Vivaldi MKII) the packaging is expanding foam,

shaped specifically for the machine). Bella

Barista double box the machines, so this will be

added protection.

Bella Barista will provide comprehensive

documentation covering all aspects of operation,

routine maintenance and production of espresso

based drinks. A valuable addition to the Italian

manufacturers written user guide which in my case

appeared to be for the previous model S1 Vivaldi

(old model MKI).

Even if you are completely new to coffee making

and this type of machine, you will have no problem

making all those great coffee drinks in a very short

time. The S1 Mini Vivaldi is easy to keep clean, a

quick wipe with a damp cloth on the plastic panels

and a buff with a micro fibre cloth on the steel,

keeps it looking great. More complex tasks,

backflushing, group head cleaning etc. are actually

very easy to do and explained in the supplied Bella

Barista user guide.

Overview – cont.

The The The The S1 S1 S1 S1 Mini VivaldiMini VivaldiMini VivaldiMini Vivaldi, p, p, p, positioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchenositioned in the corner of my kitchen




Placing the S1 Mini Vivaldi in my usual favourite

corner location was not ideal, because the

machine is that little bit wider and not

swallowed up in the same way as a narrower

machine. For the S1 a position in line with the

wall would be far more suitable, especially

when located near the sink.

In the case of the S1 descaling is would usually be done by a service centre as part of any

regular inspection and maintenance regime.

The Bella Barista user guide will explain in

general terms how to descale, but does not

encourage, or provide detailed instructions for

the untrained user to perform this task.

This simplified diagram of the S1shows how the

machine works and put the internal pictures

that follow in context.

It is highly recommended to ensure the water used

in these machines has been suitably filtered, or is

soft, to reduce limescale, without this, you are

likely to require frequent maintenance (including

descaling) and run into problems (not covered by

warranty) fairly quickly.

S1 S1 S1 S1 MiniMiniMiniMini Vivaldi Vivaldi Vivaldi Vivaldi comes well packedcomes well packedcomes well packedcomes well packed

The cold/hot water (steam)

pathways shown in blue/red

respectively

The S1 Mini Vivaldi has

“electro-valves” (see hot

water), to control water flow

and vent pressure from the

group after a shot.

The flow meter controls the

espresso shot volume.

The control board manages all

the advanced functions of the

machine, such as temperature,

fault diagnostics, flow control

and independent control of the

boilers, allowing the machine to

“manage maximum electrical

consumption, or only run the

brew water boiler for

espressos.

The sensitive thermostats are

located in the water of the

boilers

Simple conduction warms the

metal of the group.

How it works




The S1 Mini Vivaldi features quality components and good build quality. The

machine is not overly complex, although

modern electronics replace many of the older

style technologies often seen in other

machines. This should bring increased

reliability and offset any extra costs when

replacing components that may be more

expensive. Internal build quality is good, with

great attention to detail; all cables are well away

from hot spots and comprehensively tied to

avoid movement. I particularly liked:

• solid state switches for heating

elements

• Replacement of pressurestat with

more accurate and reliable

thermocouple

• The use of high temperature/pressure

plastic pipe.

Inside the S1 Mini Vivaldi

The side panel takes The side panel takes The side panel takes The side panel takes

a bit longer to get a bit longer to get a bit longer to get a bit longer to get

off, 2 screws at the off, 2 screws at the off, 2 screws at the off, 2 screws at the

bottom and 2 finger bottom and 2 finger bottom and 2 finger bottom and 2 finger

screws (inset), it’s screws (inset), it’s screws (inset), it’s screws (inset), it’s

also advisaalso advisaalso advisaalso advisable to ble to ble to ble to

remove the back remove the back remove the back remove the back

panel retaining nuts panel retaining nuts panel retaining nuts panel retaining nuts

at the top firstat the top firstat the top firstat the top first

Some internals are accessible from front panel with the removal of 2 screws Some internals are accessible from front panel with the removal of 2 screws Some internals are accessible from front panel with the removal of 2 screws Some internals are accessible from front panel with the removal of 2 screws

(about 30 seconds). (about 30 seconds). (about 30 seconds). (about 30 seconds).

Removal of the Removal of the Removal of the Removal of the cupcupcupcup----warmingwarmingwarmingwarming tray gives access to som tray gives access to som tray gives access to som tray gives access to some e e e

components at the top, 1 screw about 20 secondscomponents at the top, 1 screw about 20 secondscomponents at the top, 1 screw about 20 secondscomponents at the top, 1 screw about 20 seconds

3 way solenoid

valve vent tube

Water inlet from

tank

Pressure relief

valve (safety

feature)

Area for water

tank

Boiler pressure

gauge




The picture above identifies the major

components of the machine and as can be

clearly seen once the panels are off accessibility

for maintenance is good. Removal of the panels

is a moderately quick process, but I personally

found them quite awkward to replace.

Specifically the side panels and back panel were

difficult to line up properly because everything

tries to spring out of place. Once lined up two

finger bolts (with plastic knurled tops) secure

side panels. The two at the front are easy those

at the back are awkward …, which is a shame,

because if you drop one…you have to remove

all the panels again to get it! Fortunately, other

panels such as the front panel and the cup tray

were easy to remove, giving access to quite a

few internal parts of the S1

The steam/hot water boiler has no drain plug,

making it difficult to descale. It appears to be a

sealed unit, so if the heating element (shown by the

arrows) failed, the entire boiler would need

replacement, because the heating elements are set

permanently into the top plate of the boiler, which

is welded onto the lower portion.

Inside the S1 Mini Vivaldi MK II – A detailed tour

Control Box

Brew Boiler

Steam/HW Boiler

(I think steel)

Cold water tank is in

this area

Tube to steam valve

Vibration pump

Triac solid-state switch (s),

just visible

Resettable limit stats Cold-water inlet from

pump/flowmeter Vacuum breaker

Pressure relief valve

(Safety valve)

Temperature probe

(there is also one on

steam/hw boiler) Autofill probe

OPV Valve (used to

regulate brew pressure

Flowmeter

(not visible)

Heating elements




• No cooling flush required • Ability to change brew temperature at

the touch of a button

• Able to shut of the Steam/HW boiler, reducing energy consumption and increasing the life of the internal components

• Not noisy for a vibration pump machine, no rattles from other areas of the machine

• Ball Joint steam arm, fixed water arm

• Good ventilation for internal components

• Interesting Lever control for the steam wand, with (professional quality) no compression valve

• No pressurestat, reducing complexity and increasing reliability. Temperature is controlled by thermostats

• Very powerful steamer with 3 hole (commercial style) tip

• Triac Solid state switches for heating elements, instead of relays

• Good quality heavy portafilters

• On board fault diagnostics

Item/Description Picture & Comments The steel and plastic case is vibration free. Certain panels such as the front panel and the cup warmer panel come of quickly and easily, the side and back panels take a bit longer. To replace the case takes longer and care must be taken when aligning the side and back panels, I found reassembly of the side panels and back panel correctly to be awkward. The rear finger screws if dropped will usually mean removing the side and back panel again!

Neat routing of internal cables and pipes, avoiding hot spots and areas of vibration scuffing. Protective sleeves used where necessary. All wiring connectors neatly done and well protected

Weld/braising quality on tank, nice and neat, reasonably sized 1.2 litre (steel?) Steam/HW tank, nickel plated 0.45 litre brew boiler

High quality internal components

All components are very accessible. This makes servicing quick and easy once the case is off.

Thermostats used for all boilers, eliminating the use of a pressurestat, this should be a lot more reliable and accurate

Thick steel internal frame painted black. The internal partition adds stiffness and partitions sensitive components from the operational user area at the front of the machine.

Key features




Economy mode is a badly named function. It should be called “Low power mode”. This function simply forces the machine to only have one boiler heating element on at any one time. With the brew water boiler always getting priority (as it should). At first glance this mode doesn’t look very useful in the UK (although it is useful in the US).

However, for people in catering trailers, or on site, where power demands could be a problem, this function allows the machine to work, where many other commercial machines would be unable to be used!

On occasion, friends and I have met up and with a number of coffee machines and roasters working on the same mains circuits, functions like this are very useful to prevent overloads.

The ability to turn off the Steam/HW boiler is also far more valuable than you might at first think. This is good for 2 reasons.

• It saves energy

• You do not leave, the machine at high internal temperatures for extended periods in the home environment, this makes your machines internal components last longer.

From cold, it is about 6-8 minutes wait and you can steam or draw hot water again. Marvellous if you do not make milk based drinks all the time. If you want an Americano, simply boil a kettle in 1 minute rather than keep the steam boiler running. I loved this feature!

Brew temperature adjustable at the touch of a button and a simple process to enter the “setup mode”, without it being invoked “accidentally”. The Mini Vivaldi uses the old style temperature management previously used on the Vivaldi, so there is a fine tuning mode, where the temperature can be varied by +/-3C allowing any temperature within the ideal brewing range to be set in 1 degree increments. E.g. the temperature on the display might be 95C, but you have fine tuned that to 96C, it just can’t display it.

The old Vivaldi could react when the temperature dropped 1C, the Vivaldi MKII reacts within 0.5C, for slightly finer response. Although the mini Vivaldi uses the old style temperature control mechanism and touchpad, the thermometry inside the machine looked identical to the Vivaldi MKII. Just a guess, but it would not surprise me if this machine also reacted to a 0.5C temperature change.

Large cup warming tray, you can get plenty of cups on there, definitely no lack of space. Also the machine is pretty much vibration free, you can (carefully) place your cups there with little fear of scratching. Plenty of room under standard height cabinets as well.

The instructions were not for this model of machine, but I believe via one of the switches on the control board inside the machine engages economy mode. Your dealer can advise further

Just a quick press and out goes the boiler light (far left), another press and it is on again.




I said earlier that I liked the plastic tubes for high pressure water, steam and hot water, which might seem strange, but copper can become a little brittle as the pipes age and corrode, also the plastic can be moved out of the way during maintenance and connectors are easy to refit.

It would be interesting to see experimentation with plastic espresso machine tanks for steam/HW boilers (a copper tank is probably unecessary as they only run at a few bar pressure). These could well have advantages, such as reducing heat loss, less corrosion, no boiler taint. For brew boilers and the internal HX units, I think we will still need to stick with good old copper and steel.

The drip tray holds a respectable 1.3 litres (it will hold more, but 1.3 litres is a reasonable amount to prevent spillage when emptying) and slides out for emptying.

The bottom of the drip tray shows some markings and my guess is that this would be to drill a hole for an optional drain kit (after market accessory?). I think this consists of a box that fits under the machine and the water drains through the hole in the drip tray, through the hole in the frame and then into the box, attached below, presumably secured through the 3 holes in the steel frame.

I think the drip tray and cup rack is an area of the machine where I would have expected more. I would have liked to see a stainless steel drip tray.




The S1 Mini Vivalidi is a very powerful steamer indeed (which surprised me given it’s 1.2 litre tank), it’s 3 hole tip foamed large quanitites of milk ease. It took some practice to microfoam smaller quantities of milk, small quantities of milk to the texture I like (aprox 100-120ml), would certainly be easier with a single hole tip or one with smaller holes.

Professional quality no compression steam valve with a lever type steam control, rather than a knob. The knob springs closed unless it’s moved to the fully open position. I suppose you can close the steam off quickly, but on small volumes you have to hold it open, unless you want the milk almost blasted out of the jug. (I was fairly happy with a knob that twisted, but would probably get used to it)

Ball joint steam wand.

Steam tips have a few types of fitting. The one on the left is the La Spaziale 3 hole steam tip fitting and on the right the Expobar steam tip, which fits many machines including the Izzo machines.

The vacuum breaker fitted to the S1 Mini Vivalidi looks to be identical to the Andreja and now Vivi and Alex machines. This is a nice vacuum breaker, however, the extra space between the boiler water and the Vaccum breaker on the S1 may give better and more reliable long term operation of this valve.

The equipment supplied with the S1 was comprehensive, it included a spare set of shower screens (tool for removing them and a spare group gasket. I was surprised to see the wire brush at the top , and La Spaziale suggest it is used to clean the shower screens and dispersion disk. Personally I would not use this tool for that job (use a nylon group head brush) and would quickly find a place for it in the bin, along with the plastic tamper.

The rubber disk is placed in the double portafilter for backflushing.

Note: La Spaziale UK said these machines may soon come supplied with a “proper” tamper as standard




The portafilters were great, nice and heavy, and the portafilter baskets were much easier to remove than those in the S1 Vivaldi MKII.

I found minor changes; the rim has a slightly deeper rebate allowing you to get a tool in there to remove the filter basket easily. Does each respective machine (Vivaldi/Mini Vivaldi) have a different portafilter, or is one old stock and La Spaziale are moving to a different design for both machines in future?

The handles of each are different as are the castings, one has a rubber surround at the end, and the inside of the holder of the top one has 4 “pips” cast into it.

A minor niggle was the group itself being 53mm also had a design where the gaps were quite small, a bit hard to get into and clean and seemed to hold coffee grounds more than an E61. Also my group head brush didn’t fit in easily either

It was easy though to remove the shower screens (there are 2) and brass dispersion screen for cleaning, but it does need to be done regularily

2 shower screens, possibly to help prevent coffee grounds getting back into the group and solenoid valve? Certainly, it is a little more “needy” than an E61 group to keep clean.

The hot water wand tip was a nice design and you could draw hot water smoothly out of the wand

Air holes at the side allow steam to escape and give a smoother flow

Unlike many machines, the cold water tank was a joy to refill on the Mini Vivaldi. Simply remove the drip tray and slide it out, part way then refil, or all the way if you want.

It Also hold a good 3litres and is probably one of the largest internal tanks I cave seen. Many claim they hold 3 litres, but only hold about 80% of that. This machine holds at least 3 litres!....It’s nicely made too

I would have loved to see an area with a red ball o r water level indicator as used on a Kettle. This could only show levels down to the edge of the drip tray and the tank is a good 1 inch deeper than that, but it would be a handy indication that you need to top up the tank….rather than it stopping mid shot.




This picture shows how close to the side of the machine the boiler is. This meant that one of the sidepanels had only 3 knurled finger nuts to hold it in place. This did result in more play on the top left hand rear corner of the side panel.

The arrow shows where the nut holding the sidepanel in would normally be.

The machine comes equipped with a 2 pin and not a 3 pin plug as standard from La Spaziale. Should you not want (or not feel confident) to cut off and replace the 2 pin plug), Bella Barista currently supply the adaptor free with the machine shown on the right this simply clips over it and when 2 screws are tightened converts the 2 pin to a UK 3pin with earth plug.

The all important rating plate, visible once the drip tray is removed.

On the test units (both the S1 Vivaldi MKII and S1 Mini Vivaldi), I did experience occasional tripping of my RCD, whether the machines were switched on, or on standby, this tended to happen around 6-7pm when we often experience momentary mains fluctuations.

There was no detectable electrical fault and it seems that an identical protective/filter circuit in both machines, by design allows some earth leakage (quite a common practise). I am not aware of this being a widespread problem, but it is worth considering if you have a particularly sensitive RCD (especially if you are already prone to nuisance tripping!).

In my case, I could have a defective RCD, or more likely, I already have sufficient earth leakage from other appliances in the circuit already, so that I am quite near the trip point and a stray voltage spike or transient is enough to make the difference.

This was actually avoidable and there was enough room to have had the boiler more to one side.




The S1 Mini Vivaldi is a twin boiler machine, so

the usual adjustments and cooling flushes

required with an HX machine are unnecessary.

The S1 maintains the brew boiler at the optimum

temperature (whatever you decide to set) for

espresso extraction. I did not find any kind of

flushing to be necessary although the physicist

in me wants to extract 20ml just in case the

water in the ducts leading up to the coffee was a

bit cool.

So really it is a matter of setting up the shot

volume (dose) for singles and doubles (which is

easy), filling the portafilter, tamping and

pressing the correct button…..the machine does

the rest. The S1 makes consistently good

espressos and easily maintains the temperature

during the pour. I was surprised not to always

see the heating lights come on straight after a

shot, but when examining the machine

internally, it was clear that the brew boiler,

although small at 0.45l has a fairly large thermal

mass. Domestic or light commercial volumes of

espresso one after another will be absolutely no

problem with this machine.

Some commercial users set up normal shot

volumes, but to save time grind coarsely,

resulting in a shot that takes 10 seconds instead

of 25 or more seconds. I would advise against

doing this for a couple of reasons:

• The coffee will taste bad

• You will overcome the machines

designed ability to maintain stable brew

temperatures (one of its main strengths)

This also applies also to the sometimes seen

practice of making an Americano by simply

passing 6 oz of water or more through the

coffee in the portafilter basket!

The steam boiler is running at a temperature and

pressure that cannot be altered, this is not a

problem, because it is at the right temperature

and pressure (another thing you do not need to

worry about).

The S1Mini has powerful steam performance and

you will not run out of steam, to steam that

500ml of milk will not take long! In fact, it takes

a little while to get used to steaming, especially

with smaller quantities of milk. What worked for

me was to be careful not to open the steam valve

too far with these smaller quantities.

It is nice to have really hot water on tap, recovery

time after drawing hot water for an Americano is

quite fast. Although I always say for regular hot

water production at home, a kettle is a sensible

option to consider and saves having to have the

main steam and hot water boiler on all the time.

Most machines I review have an E61 group or

E61 style bottom and 58mm portafilter. La

Spaziale use a 53mm group and portafilter. The

portafilter baskets are deeper than 58mm ones

and I have seen claims that there is less

possibility of channelling and possibly a better

extraction. I certainly did not experience any

problems in this area and adapted to the

changed group size quite quickly. However, I

cannot say for sure, which is better? I did need to

borrow a 53mm base for my Reg Barber though!

Pressure Settings

..filling the portafilter, tamping and pressing the

correct button…..the machine does the rest

Espresso

Steam Production

Hot Water

53mm vs. 58mm

Using the S1 Mini Vivaldi




On the internet, there are discussions about

ideal brew temperatures for espresso and

varying them for different coffees. Some

machines costing many thousands of pounds

can (apparently) control absolute brew

temperatures down to fractions of a degree. I am

sure they must be very good, but of course,

there is usually the law of diminishing returns to

consider and the cost of parts for very specialist

machines made in very small quantities.

I do not know what difference fractions of a

degree make in the cup…when there are so

other many variables, roast, grind, extraction

speed, water quality, etc. The S1The S1The S1The S1 Mini VivaldiMini VivaldiMini VivaldiMini Vivaldi

has the capability has the capability has the capability has the capability totototo control brew temperature in control brew temperature in control brew temperature in control brew temperature in

1 degree increments1 degree increments1 degree increments1 degree increments (it just can’t display it like (it just can’t display it like (it just can’t display it like (it just can’t display it like

that)that)that)that), , , , and up to now I have not really made very

much of this. I have also not talked about

specific brew temperatures. This is because for

me the actual, specific brew temperature vs. the

display value is not that important, as long as

that difference is consistent, It is just a number

I do care about some specific things with regard

to brew temperature though:

• Can I adjust the machine to work in the

entire range of; slightly too hot, or too

cold for any coffee

• Will the machine maintain a stable brew

temperature during the shot

• Is the recovery time OK

• Is it repeatable (assuming grind tamp

and dose are the same)

The test S1Mini Vivaldi had no problem fulfilling

these requirements and it seemed stable during

the shot (with my measuring equipment). The

true test though is in the cup, if the taste is good

then it is OK, too bitter or too sour, reduce or

raise the temperature by 1 degree and try it

again. The next time you roast a batch of the

same coffee, or buy it ready roasted, the same

temperature may not give the same results. I

think that focussing too much its capabilities in

the area of absolute temperatures and worrying

about 10ths of a degree to fine tune brew

temperature is doing the machine a disservice

and missing the point. To make great coffee you

need a good machine, but you also need, good

quality (correctly roasted) fresh beans, a clean

machine, decent water and a good grinder.

You will probably not adjust the temperature

very much, but you can when you need to. The

adjustment is within the range considered

acceptable for making espresso and in fact able

to be adjusted over a larger range than its cousin

the S1 Vivaldi MKII. Temperature stability is good

during the shot and there is sufficient thermal

mass to ensure this happens.

With the S1 Mini Vivaldi , your concerns should

not be getting the right brew temperature or

stability during the shot. Do not worry about

repeatability, if you grind and tamp the same

way each time, it produces consistent results.

The La Spaziale designers have taken care of all

this for you, far better to worry about important

things, like the coffee and the grinder.

For me, it is important that a machine is easy to

use, works quietly and competently, day after

day. I’m interested in drinking great coffee, not

playing around with a machine ….it sounds odd,

but I think the S1 Mini Vivaldi is great….because

I don’t have to think about it!

Brew Temperature – some thoughts!




I had heard very little about this machine, before

and after its launch date. There was very little

information on the Internet. I did find

information that in the US they have a S1 Mini

Vivaldi MKII (ours is the Mini Vivaldi). The main

differences I could see was the adoption of a

twin gauge showing brew and boiler pressure,

plus the same touchpad and temperature

management system of the S1 Vivaldi MKII.

I asked La Spaziale about this model and

whether we would be getting it in the UK and

they said that they did not know at the time of

writing this review when/if they will manufacture

the Mini Vivaldi MKII for the UK /Europe market.

It is heavy, and bulkier than the usual prosumer

machines such as the Vivi or Andreja and a little

larger than my Izzo Alex. However, its design is

attractive, does a lot to minimise the impact of

its size and makes it look smaller than it is

It actually looks good in a modern kitchen and

my wife certainly liked the look of it. I think size

and location are important considerations when

choosing a “plumbed” machine. It is not too tall

and I do prefer machines that are a little more

balanced in this way. Many commercial 1 group

machines with the features of the S1 would often

be significantly bigger, heavier and a lot uglier.

In addition, their boiler size and power

requirements would be overkill for the home

user.

People who know me know I personally like

rotary pumps. If however that ever changed, the

Mini Vivaldi is a competent performer and very

convenient to use. It is not very noisy for a vibe

pump machine, well built, with high quality

components and produces great coffee.

The price differential over the S1 Vivaldi MKII is

not that great (at time of writing). I think this

reflects some of the extra work to produce two

models, but if you want something that’s not

plumbed in, it’s an alternative that still allows

you to have an S1

So are you selling your Alex

for the S1 Mini Vivaldi?

Final Thoughts – so what is the bottom line!

I keep seeing “commercial” mentioned, is it ok for home use?

AAAAn excellent questionn excellent questionn excellent questionn excellent question,,,, I have tried to put together a picture that I have tried to put together a picture that I have tried to put together a picture that I have tried to put together a picture that

reflects my own personal viereflects my own personal viereflects my own personal viereflects my own personal view of thisw of thisw of thisw of this and and and and help help help helpssss a a a answer thnswer thnswer thnswer theeee question. question. question. question.

Demand is relates mainly to usage, longevity and quality in the home Demand is relates mainly to usage, longevity and quality in the home Demand is relates mainly to usage, longevity and quality in the home Demand is relates mainly to usage, longevity and quality in the home

environment.environment.environment.environment. In the commercial In the commercial In the commercial In the commercial environment,environment,environment,environment, demand reflects the demand reflects the demand reflects the demand reflects the

stress the machine will stress the machine will stress the machine will stress the machine will encounter encounter encounter encounter in the commercial environment and in the commercial environment and in the commercial environment and in the commercial environment and

itsitsitsits ability ability ability ability to cope (whilst being easy to operate). to cope (whilst being easy to operate). to cope (whilst being easy to operate). to cope (whilst being easy to operate).

Although expensive, twin boiler machines of this

calibre have superb engineering and make great

coffee!




After looking at the inside of both machines, I

think they could have made the S1 Vivaldi MKII

with an internal tank by using the smaller boiler

of the Mini Vivaldi. It would have had the

advantage of a much cheaper production line as

the machines would be so similar, in the end the

cost would have come down. The consumer

would have then simple had the choice internal

tank or mains plumbed. The steaming

performance is so good even with the smaller

boiler, it’s not a critical factor for the domestic

user.

The S1 Vivaldi MKII is on the left, the S1 Mini

Vivaldi on the right. ….I think it could have been

done?

What do you think – Possible to make an S1 Vivaldi MKII with internal water tank?

S1 Vivaldi MKIIS1 Vivaldi MKIIS1 Vivaldi MKIIS1 Vivaldi MKII S1 Mini VivaldiS1 Mini VivaldiS1 Mini VivaldiS1 Mini Vivaldi




At the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machineAt the sharp end of the machine Easy to fillEasy to fillEasy to fillEasy to fill

Undo Undo Undo Undo oneoneoneone screw and the cup warmer tray comes off f screw and the cup warmer tray comes off f screw and the cup warmer tray comes off f screw and the cup warmer tray comes off for or or or quick easy access, for any spot inspection or minor fixquick easy access, for any spot inspection or minor fixquick easy access, for any spot inspection or minor fixquick easy access, for any spot inspection or minor fix

Gallery – A few more pictures of S1 Mini Vivaldi

Easy to operate, tactile rubber pushbuttonsEasy to operate, tactile rubber pushbuttonsEasy to operate, tactile rubber pushbuttonsEasy to operate, tactile rubber pushbuttons

Control and stability with Control and stability with Control and stability with Control and stability with integratedintegratedintegratedintegrated fault fault fault fault

diagnosticsdiagnosticsdiagnosticsdiagnostics

Showerscreens and group gasketShowerscreens and group gasketShowerscreens and group gasketShowerscreens and group gasket

La spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look v2 - Bella BaristaLa spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look...

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Transcript of La spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look v2 - Bella BaristaLa spaziale s1 Mini Vivaldi closer look...