Jason -I am actually in the process of weaning myself off all wines over $100. There are too many that I find as good for less, but when you really like something.... This will be my last year buying Vineyard 29 juice and I'll probably just buy the P-M chards from now on. I just spent two weeks tasting in Washington state from Walla Walls to Woodinville and found dozens of great wines at great prices. My favorite bottle is a tough call as I love so many, but I do have a particular fondness for Lewelling and Lamborn cabs. Without getting too for off topic, I'm always interested in trying different wines.

I do not "like" Starbucks; I tolerate it when there is no other option. I do not tolerate drip coffee. I'll drink tea to get an AM fix before drip.

I have $3000 to spend, total. Thanks for the links and suggestions. I'll check them out.

Jeff - thanks for the comments. I may just end up going with the regular Vivaldi. The only way I can get water to it though is to come off the same line that feeds my refrigerator. This is hard to explain, but I built the house and it is a log home. The only counter space I can put the machine is right next to where the fridge is. I'll need to fish the line in-between the logs and a pluming wall, poke it back in behind the fridge and then tie into the ¼" line that feeds the fridge. I would have to completely remove some cabinets, plywood and a lot of custom trim to do anything different.

Nicolas - Well it looks like I'll be playing around with different beans, the grinder and an Aero press for a while as you suggested I do. The mini is on back order, not to arrive in the states till mid or late March. They have a floor model I can buy, but it's red and red would look like crap with black granite and stainless counter tops. It's either that or buy the regular Vivaldi or some other machine. So at any rate, I'm on hold if the mini is the machine for me.

Mike, do you know what your tap water is like, hardness-wise? Someone else might be able to say specifically for the Vivaldi [Mini], but home DB machines are often a bit of a PITA to descale because of their lack of dedicated drains. All that to say, you should check your water's hardness and alkalinity before plumbing in, as hard water will shorten your machine's life and/or make it much higher-maintenance than it would be with reasonably soft water. It's a lot more fun to measure and prevent than find out the hard way down the road... The Water FAQ ought to be required reading for [prospective] plumb-in owners, and you can spring from there and do a forum search with any specific water questions and find a lot of threads with some great help on finding specific solutions.

Thanks for that info. One of the best things about where I live is the water. It's all glacier feed with excellent natural filtration. Not sure what the actual readings are (and I will check), but it is not hard at all. I've often pondered the idea of bottling water from here and distributing it. One fella beat me to this somewhat. He sells bottled water, right off his garden hose for pets. He's got some pretty famous celebs who buy it (I wont mention their names, cause it's just too funny).

FWIW, tasty water doesn't imply boiler-safe water, so definitely don't hesitate to get a hardness test kit. You can get the strips from ChrisCoffee if you want, but IMO the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals GH/KH test kit that Jim recommends is better.

Yes, the strips from Chris will be sufficient for them to suggest a setup for you, but I do suggest going with the kit Nicholas suggested for a bit more information.

If you're plumbing in, and dont need a softener, I think it wise to still put a carbon filter for particulates.


Also.. Keep in mind that you dont HAVE to connect the Vivaldi II to a water line.. You can run it off of a 5Gallon Water Bottle and Flo-Jet setup. Thats what I currently have set up. ITs like having a REALLLLLLY big water reservoir. Even with the amount of water I draw out of the hot-water tap, I still only fill up once a week. The Flo-Jet is about $100, and if you just buy one 5gallon bottle, it can be filled up from your tap(instead of subscribing too a water delivery service). Then you add an Accumulator to smooth out the pressure from the Flo-Jet($50), and you have yourself a plumbed machine, "on your own terms".

Im going to be moving soon, so I thought it silly to run the lines and whatnot, just to take them back out in a few months. So, when I move, I will be plumbed in.. but to be honest.. this setup is nice. I would definitely take this setup over a pourover/vibe pump machine, but like I said earlier, if vibe/pourover is the only realistic option, then thats what I would own.

Thanks. Will check water chemistry.

The plumbed in machine is starting sound like the way to go. I've been scratching my head thinking up creative ways to hide the tubing. I think I can do this. The bucket configuration will not work at all. I have no place to put the bucket. It's either plumb it, or buy one with a tank.

So I called First Line and talked to the owner, nice fella. He had some interesting comments on the Vario grinder. He thought it was a fine grinder but he's had them apart and wasn't too impressed with all the plastic components. He felt that from a longevity perspective, there are better machines at a similar price point. He recommended I go with either the Macap M4 (same price as the Vario) or a Super Jolly for $50 more.

I was sold on the Vario, now I'm not. The two he recommended do not appear to have automatic features. I liked that option the Vario has. (I realize that grind settings need to change with the beans, but still....) What do you guys think?

I own a Macap M4, and it is a very nice grinder. However, if you can get a Super Jolly for only $50 more, I'd get that instead. I haven't used an SJ myself, but everyone who has used one seems to agree that it's a noticeable improvement over the Mazzer Mini/Macap M4 class of grinders. It's got bigger burrs, a bigger motor, and grinds faster. Plus, the grind quality and resulting flavor in the cup is said to be markedly better than the smaller flat burr grinders.

Just keep in mind that the SJ and Macap are best suited for espresso grinding, and aren't all that practical to use for other brew methods. So if you want one grinder for french press, drip, and espresso, these aren't the grinders for you. The Vario still seems to be the best all around grinder for the money.

Thank Eli.

To end this purchasing saga of mine, I ended up placing an order on-line through Seattle Coffee Gear. Shipping costs were a bit less.

My order:
Vivaldi II, plumbed version, 20 amp.
Vario Grinder
7-day timer
A S/S knock out box
A S/S tray with tamping pad

I did not see an option on the SCG web site for any sort of plumbing kit, filters or regulators. I also do not know if the machine comes with a tamping tool or not.

Any suggestions for a place to order some nice looking braided stainless water line, regulator, gauge and filter?

Strange how you failed to connect with Chris' Coffee. He's well known for rapid replies, frequently on weekends and even holidays. In the past, I've joked that if Chris Nachtrieb fails to return your e-mail in two hours anytime from 8am to midnight, call the morgue, because he must be dead.

Back to your closing question... the best answer is simple: Pick up the phone. If miscellaneous bits and pieces you need are not on their website, whether it be Chris' Coffee, 1st-line, Seattle Coffee Gear, or Joe's Espresso Emporium, it's nonetheless very likely an in-stock item they can add to your order.

I agree with Dan. I needed a simple part for a LaSpaziale I'm fixing up and within 2 hours of sending them a note from their site I had a response from Chris. The part was shipped that day and I received it the following day. Also, from all the anecdotal information I have read, this seems to be how Chris runs his business.