I second woodchuck's comments.

I love that it's plumbed in (trivial to do) and the rotary pump is very pleasing to the ears. The double boiler and resulting temp control and steaming ability allow me to concentrate on the barista side of things and assume the machine is taking care of its side. This really has helped me to improve my technique and therefore the consistency of my pours.

However, if you need to move it about I would caution you that it is very heavy.

This brings me to the next point. The S1 is very, very well-built. I had the opportunity to visit the LaSpaziale factory in Bologna last fall. The gracious folks there gave us a personal 2-3 hour tour! And I can attest that they stress quality over all else. For example, they test every single machine before shipping, not just a sampling like most other manufacturers do apparently. They are also very responsive to customer requests/suggestions; hence the S1V2 that they produced according to Chris' specs. They are justifiably very proud of what they produce.

After 6 months of use I still appreciate the build quality every day. At the risk of sounding too poetic, I feel like I am "one with the machine". This is a very personal thing; I don't think I could feel that way about a less well-built machine.

As for local service, I was equally impressed with Chris' Coffee and all the folks I interacted with there: Mary, Chris, Jason and the head of the service department, whose name escapes me at the moment. They are very committed to satisfying the customer and show this in their actions and attitude. I think it would be foolish to buy an espresso machine and think that you won't need support of one sort or another from your supplier. These are sophisticated and complicated mechanical and electronic devices and will need repair and maintenance. It's one thing to know that you can perform the repairs yourself (as I know I can), but quite another to do it without easy and quick access to the necessary parts and, equally as important, diagnosis and repair advice.

I personally believe in small businesses (having been an entrepreneur) and like to support them when I can. In this case, it was a no brainer. Now I not only get to drink great coffee, but also get that good feeling of having put my money where my mouth is.

If you want more info or opinion, feel free to post or PM me.

Martin

This is a question for Dan -

the review you wrote for the La Spaz Viv was based on the Vivaldi 1 correct? If so how would the scores change with the new version from CC? Does it now clearly outscore the Brewtus II?

Brett P

podo98 wrote:Does it now clearly outscore the Brewtus II?

I evaluated the original La Spaziale S1 over three years ago and haven't seen the new Vivaldi II in person. Sorry, I cannot extrapolate old scores onto follow-on versions sight unseen any better than you.

Well, I bought the Brewtus and have used it now for a day or two.. One issue is immediately apparent. I took the "challenge" mentioned earlier in this post. I tasted the boiler water. Despite other posts about the water not registering levels of copper -- I clearly taste copper. It's nasty. I have flushed every time I've used it but I won't do that forever. It's an annoying ritual. Does anyone have a clue whether this will go away? Does the boiler need to build up a scale layer or something? If it continues I will probably end up returning it under their 30 days buyers remorse.

Otherwise its a pretty nice machine and I've enjoyed using it. I moved up from a Silvia and I like knowing the temp is locked in without irritating surfing rituals. I've burned through quite a bit of coffee and the machine does consistently what it's supposed to. All pulls are very consistent in taste and vary only when setting the temperature up/down. The only sink shots I had were technique-based as evidenced by the bottomless PF. I still have a way to go on technique - I only got the Silvia 6 weeks ago and sold it 3 weeks ago to upgrade. I found it hard to control the upgrade fever once I made my first latte that was better than starbucks. It's been a fast progression. Six months ago I was drinking maxwell house from a percolator.

Great!, I finally decide to pull the trigger on the S1 and come to find that they are sold out and will not get back to the States for a month. I am lost......so lost. I am coming Elizabeth!

I must have gotten one of the last ones... I visited Chris Coffee and picked up my La Spaziale Vivaldi II last Monday. I got mine setup and running just yesterday, and although I have a lot to learn, I am loving it. (sorry)

- Steve

That's just plain mean....mean I say. Ok, now you have to recommend an alternative.

If I were really decided on a particular espresso machine and had to wait a month, I'd wait rather than relaunch the evaluation process anew. In the meantime order the grinder (shipping included) and enjoy a month of fantastic French press (or Eva Solo CafeSolo).

podo98 wrote:Great!, I finally decide to pull the trigger on the S1 and come to find that they are sold out and will not get back to the States for a month. I am lost......so lost. I am coming Elizabeth!

WOW! This is the 3rd time since Nov they have sold out. I can see why though, I have had my VII since December and have had excellent espresso since

The first few days learning how to use the La Spaziale S1 VII have been interesting. My old machine is a Saeco Classico, and I have been using a KitchenAid Proline grinder. I have never used a bottomless portafilter before, and was eager to see how my technique looked.
I should have put on rain gear, because coffee sprayed all over the place! I had channeling like crazy. So, I gave up on the Kitchenaid, and went to my Mazzer Super Jolly. Still no luck. I tried to find the right grind, but was still getting coffee spraying out (granted, this could be my tamp technique). Now, to break in my Macap MXKR... I had wanted to introduce only one variable at a time, but I was wasting coffee and making a mess of my basement setup. I had followed the Macap instructions on setting up for espresso - and got the finest powder - talc like in fineness. I knew it would be a waste. but just for the heck of it, I tried to pull a shot, but no dice... the machine choked. I opened up the grind three quarters of a turn of the adjusting ring (this takes a bit of time with the worm gear) and voila... almost perfect, and the pour looked like some of the pictures I have been drooling over for a year. The MXKR does a great job grinding, and I have had delicious, repeatable shots these past two days, but I hate that the chute clogs up so much. I have taken off the finger guard and have a dental probe that I use to scoop out the clumps of coffee sitting there. I also end up throwing away quite a bit of coffee (I vacuum out the doser after each shot).

I will try to take some photos and get them posted here.

- Steve