Hello,

new here from switzerland, I am just a amateur coffee maker for home use and my equipment of AMA Milano espresso machine will turn most of you away

But then I love Italy and its coffee and so I was looking for some used machines.

Now there is some hotel offering a rancilio z11 2 system machine for 50 bucks and this looks like a very good offer. It is in working condition, that is all that i know...
I am sure that my wife would not allow it in the kitchen (in the beginning at least ) but in the basement that would be enough for me to make the best coffee...

But despite its low price, is this a machine complicated to run? I think I will need a water connection (is a bucket solution possible here), but what about power usage? A normal household connection is enough?

Thank you very much,

Hubertus

Wow, a great deal...but I would only buy it if I was willing to dig in and take it apart, learn how it works, and fix it up, or be willing to spend some money to have it professionally serviced.

Not sure about the normal household power in Switzerland; most commercial machines are 240V; in the states, residential power is 120V, with 240V for ovens, A/C and other high demand appliances.

I understand the spousal approval issue...and can say first hand that the basement is just fine for espresso

As for water, you can run off of a tank with a supplemental pump, but in the basement, who cares - run a small line to your machine. Ugly, but effective. I have a plastic tubing run from the water filter manifold that feeds our drinking water upstairs.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes if you DO get the machine!

Sounds like a great deal!

Rancilio Z11 basic operating methods?

http://www.mrcappuccino.com/z112.htm states, apparently for the Canadian market (also 110 V nominal household electrics).

220 volts / 3900 watts

For installation purposes we require access to the following amenities:
- 1/2" cold water line
- 1-1/2" drain line with trap (indirect / gravity)
- 110 volt outlet
- 220 volt, 20 amp dedicated circuit (double / twin)

A Flojet pump (or similar) in a fresh-water bottle (~20 liter is a common water-delivery-service size in the US) and a bucket for waste water will generally work fine.

The supply and drain lines sound sized for commercial use; for home use I would guess that a more typical 10 mm line (such as for feeding an ice maker or dishwasher) would be sufficient. Depending on your supply pressure, you might want to consider a pressure regulator to cut it down a bit before it gets to the machine.

Here is one US-market Flojet http://www.amazon.com/BW1000A-Flojet-Bo...000LDQ9VK/
Other models or similar devices are often available through RV (camper/trailer) dealers.

Yes, I would be willing to invest in a servicing, if it is not too expensive. I just called the guy and the machine is still available, probably too heavy and too big for most people

Normal electrical power is sufficient.

But the portafilters are missing unfortunately, so this is something I would need to buy. As I am a real beginner, I am not sure, but the portafilter should be able to find for not too much? Even on this older model?

Thank you again for your help in this adventure.

PS: I announced to my wife there could be a reason for a 1.5hours ride into the alpes...

Do you really need an excuse to drive into the beauty of the Alps?

Portafilters for Rancilio are relatively common and not terribly expensive. In the US, a "stock" portafilter handle runs ~US$60 and a "bottomless" one about the same (which I would recommend as at least one of yours). Baskets (which pop into the handle) run in the US$5-10 for most, with some of the "advanced, high-tech" ones pushing US$30. In my opinion, a "Faema-style" double and perhaps a "La Marzocco-style" double are plenty to start with.

Enjoy the trip

ok, the trip to the alpes was very beautiful, near the vanoise national park. we stayed in the hotel who sold the z11 and next day in the morning the rancilio changed hands. it took all the space in my golf

looks very beautiful, it has a 220 and 380v power supplies and an optional gas connection. it is still in the car as it is very heavy. now I have to find the portafilters and coffee can come...

one question: for the z11, which portafilters can be used? the e61 ones do work?

thank you for the help

I have a 2-group Z-11 sitting in the garage waiting for a rebuild. If you can find a good espresso tech and can afford it, let him do it. There are a lot of parts in there! If you like hours of detail work, of course you can do it yourself.

If you google around you can find all of the parts digrams and operating instructions in pdf form on the web. If you can't find them send me a private message and I can email them to you.

PC

fortunately, I dont need a technician at the beginning, as the machine is in a good working condition. but as no portafilters were included, I now need those to start with.

I got finally the service guy on the phone and he hase some used ones for 20 bucks each, which looks good for me. but then I could not find an answer if those for other models like e61, faema or even the silvia are compatible with my z11!

all depends on the seals and lug width/design. pretty much any standard p/f from the ones you list will cause it to work, but I'd be avoiding vibiemme ones. fortunately the older portafilters are mostly cheap and easily available, and you can use a seal spacer if you need to. in other words, it's the least of your worries.