Hi All,

Ms Olympia Cremina has won the battle. It's been a contentious relationship. Let's just say I don't have the patience or enough lever love to deal with her wild heat flash / mood swings.

What choices do I have for a double boiler, rotary pump, plumb-in, fully PID controlled machine with rock solid brew head temp? I've only had E61 groups before the Cremina but I'm not excluding others.

A few years ago when I did my last buying research there was not a lot to choose from in prosumer double boilers let alone PID. I'm just starting my research and only finding Alex Duetto II, Brewtus IV-R and the Vibiemme DD V3. Am I missing any? Direct plumb only is fine.

Use: 6 Capas in morning / 3 at a time / 20 oz. pitcher / 6-10 Saturday dinner espressos

Thanks in advance!

- Tim

The new VBM DD rotary PID (V.3) has just arrived. Check EspressoCare and 1st-line for details.

Yes, that's one of the three on my list. So no others then?

+1 for the VBM DD. The price just went up with the newest version, unfortunately.

Then there would be La Spaz Vivaldi II, LM GS3.....

The Vivaldi II is PID?
I know the LM is considered Prosumer by some, but not in my house.

http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espresso/vivaldi_2

Vivaldi is plumbed, mini is a tank version.

There is the domobar jr, but you have to have a PID added to it.

Randy

I'll go back and take another look at the S1V2 as I thought it was not true PID.

I know the Domobar JR is vibe pump. Are you saying they convert it to rotary when PID is added?

randytsuch wrote:Vivaldi is plumbed, mini is a tank version.

I'd have to play with the S1V2's Programmable Off Set Differential to see how it worked. It makes sense to me to simply set a temp on a PID but I haven't used the S1V2 system. On paper it looks like the S1V2 has less control.

randytsuch wrote:There is the domobar jr, but you have to have a PID added to it.

Just talked with 1st-Line and there are no plans for a PID option. Strictly external DIY. I think I'd rather spend a bit more for the rotary pump and built-in PID in the DD v3.

Any others?

Just replaced my B2 w/ the new VBM DB. I haven't had time to put the scace on it yet so can't speak from hands on experience about the brew temp consistency. I will say this about the machine vs the expobar - they may both be considered E61s, but the VBM group is considerably thicker/heavier: same goes for the PFs. In my eyes, the VBM machine is in a different class.