I'm about to pull the trigger on the Salvatore One Black. I'm new to this whole thing, and this will be my first espresso machine. I've already ordered a Vario from Chris, and that should be on it's way soon.

Anyone think I'm making the wrong decision?

Some of my reasons that tipped me towards the Salvatore.

1) They are relatively local, so I can go pick it up in person, meet the craftsman, etc. The local hand-made nature makes it feel more like an art piece and less like an appliance.

2) The 6 year warranty gives me a lot of confidence.

3) Wanted an HX machine for the simultaneous steaming/brewing.

4) I like the small footprint. Counter space is always at a premium.

5) The internal components seem top-notch.

6) The hot water spout will allow me to get the electric carafe off the counter.

7) It's the max I want to spend for the machine $1100 including shipping, and there aren't many HX machines at that price point.

Anyone want to talk me out of it, or am I on the right track?

Here would be some nice competition:

http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_m...7_semi.htm

It would benefit you to do a search on this site (and perhaps others such as CoffeeGeek) on the machine(s) you are interested in. All machines have their pros and cons and usually it will be beneficial to take your time on a + 1K decision. Its almost like buying a house - you really don't know what you want until about the third purchase.

I am at the same point as you are and have been looking at the Salvatore as well. Certainly no one else comes anywhere near a 6 year warranty. The guts of the machine and the workmanship seem to compare favorably. I was also looking at an Isomac Tea, and note that it has a good price and a stainless steel boiler. The only machines I see with a stainless boiler are the GS/3, the Olympia Maximatic and the Tea. I've been at this research for months, and frankly, I'm exhausted, but if it wasn't for such a good site like this we'd really be flying blind. I too am interested in any replies you receive. Good luck

Here is something that would be interesting - obtain a copy of the warranty. Personally I am a little cautious when I see/hear six-year warranties.

Salvatore is a class act, fabricating the frames and boilers of the machines in his plant, rather than rebadging and recasing existing machines. But none of the machines in this price range are lemons, and you'll be in good shape whatever you pick.

Your main decision is less about quality and more about features and service. Most people on HB do their own routine machine maintenance and repair (replacing pstats, seals, gaskets, pumps etc); if this is your situation, you can be confident buying from any web reputable vendor, since they have good phone and email support. On the other hand, if you want to bring the machine in for service, you are better off buying locally.

Here is an HB link regarding the Salvatore......

Salvatore One Black after a couple of weeks.

I've read all those threads in the past, and just re-read to familiarize myself.

I also looked at the BZ07, and I identified these major differences.

Salvatore:
Black powder coated color (or $100 extra for different colors)
Uses Sirai pressure stat, which is reputed to be the best.
Thermosyphon grouphead
Has Pre-infusion
Lacks adjustable OPV
No vacuum release valve, so you need to bleed the steam when you start it up.
Can't leave it on, have to shut it down if you aren't using it for an hour.
6 year warranty
Uses turning knobs to steam and hot water
Lacks an automatic low-water shut-off
64 oz reservoir
1550 watt heating element
Little shorter, little wider, little less deep (all within 2 inches)

BZ07:
Stainless steel color
Unknown Pressure Stat
Thermostat heated grouphead
No pre-infusion
Has Adjustable OPV
I assume it has a vacuum release valve, so no babysitting.
Not sure how long it can be safely left on.
1 year warranty
Using locking levers to turn on steam (does this mean it's all or nothing in terms of steam output?)
Has automatic low water shut-off
3 liter (100 oz) reservoir
1200 watt heating element.

With those differences in mind, does anyone have any comment? Should I be strongly weighting any of those differences?

I recognize that I won't really go wrong either way, but still...

Just to offer some corrections(?) to your list:

Salvatore:

Does not have pre-infusion

Bezzera:

Stainless steel casing over black powder-coated "frame"
MA-TER pstat which activates an attached electro-mechanical relay
Fitted with vacuum release valve
Can be left on 24/7 if so desired

Are you sure about the Salvatore pre-infusion?

From Salvatore's Website:

"Commercial 58mm Brew Group with Thermal Siphon This group is made of chrome plated brass with maximum heat stability with thermo siphon and pre-infusion."

Although, from what I read, pre-infusion has only a debatable benefit.

Eric is correct, the Salvatore One has no E61 expansion chamber, just like La Valentina vs. the Levetta:



Many vendors [implicitly] argue that a gicleur (restriction) valve and vibratory pump comprise progressive preinfusion versus the patented E61 preinfusion mechanism.