Bruce,
Thanks for the posts. We see so little about Salvatore and I think the little shop deserves more coverage and consideration but I'm definitely biased in favor. I've had my Salvatore Famosa (pre-E61) machine for more than ten years. I still love it.

Mine is a simple stainless box with conventional copper and brass plumbing, big ol' brass heat exchanger, p-stat, pump and logic controller, and an E61 system is available. There's nothing odd or revolutionary about his machines until you get up into the custom cases. Handmade in America by skilled craftsmen from off-the-shelf parts. Hard to beat the price and service.

I've replaced the brew head gasket about every two years. I replaced the pour-over Nalgene bottle with an outboard Brita fridge tank. About eight years ago I burned out the heater by failing to reconnect a hose clamp. My own stupid fault but a low water shutoff would have saved me $120.

david boise ID

FWIW, I got an unsolicited follow up call from Wendy @ Salvatore's a week or so ago - just to see how I was doing w/the new machine. I said fine - then I mentioned the cylinder steam tip, and that I was still having more trouble with it than I would have liked. She said, "Oh, you should have been shipped two tips". I got the second tip Friday. Smaller, conventional tip, as pictured on the Salvatore site. Brilliant, abundant microfoam every time now. The other one was just too much for me, and I do try pretty hard to learn to use what's put in front of me.

The larger tip is really fit for bigger batches of foam than is needed for personal use IMHO.

One nit down.

-bruce

Bruce,

I'm in the process of ordering a "One Black" (or at least trying to get on the waiting list). I was just curious what the exact cup height is below the PF. Have you measured it?

I asked if they can do a custom design that is 1" taller. I'm not sure if it is possible or how much extra it will cost. We'll see.

I am not at home currently to be able to measure my One Black, so I will let Bruce respond to that. I will offer another alternative though...I opted for the naked portafilter and with that the cup room is absolutely perfect! On some other machines with a lot more cup room when people go to a naked portafilter you can make a real mess if you don't stack the cup on top of something to raise it up.

The shorter height, in my opinion, is a positive if you get a naked portafilter.

Hi Endo,

3" to the end of the threaded nib on the salvatore pf
3 9/16" to a naked rancilio pf
1 7/8" to the botttom of the salvatore spouts.

I have 12 oz latte cups that go under the regular pf nib just fine.

the shipped spout will not work with anything I have except 2.5 oz 2" tall shot glasses I pilfered from a swiss flight several years ago. i have yet to use the spout.

At first I sacrificed an extra PF by cutting the nib off for the extra clearance. i now realize that was unnecessary. the shipped pf is fine for all my cups.

-bruce

Endo wrote:Bruce,

I'm in the process of ordering a "One Black" (or at least trying to get on the waiting list). I was just curious what the exact cup height is below the PF. Have you measured it?

I asked if they can do a custom design that is 1" taller. I'm not sure if it is possible or how much extra it will cost. We'll see.

Great. Thanks for the info Bruce.

I talked to Wendy and they are still building a waiting list before they launch a new production round for the One Black in January. It seems there is lots of interest at the $1000 price point so I may have to wait a while.

I asked about the regular semi-auto at $1775. This is available now. I prefer the vertical boiler and full E-61. The problem is the falling Canadian dollar and the 28% they add at customs. I think my boss may kill this idea based on cost

I may have to wait until oil prices (and the Canadian dollar) climb back up.

Endo why don't you check with some canadian vendors for a quickmill anita. Given shipping and customs and exchange rate it might be worth to look there first.

I can send you a link by PM if you want.

Yes, it seems like buying Canadian is my only choice right now. These are my thoughts:

Quickmill Anita: $1699 at Caffe Tech
Rocket Cellini Premium Plus: $1759 at Espressotec

Then I make the big price jump:

LaSpaziale Mini Vivaldi S1 V2: $2199 at Caffe Tech (V1 at same price at Cafe-Union).

I like the Salvatore best but since I can only buy it from the US, it means paying the same price as the La Spaziale. Too bad, I love the build quality.

What would you buy?

Endo wrote:What would you buy?

They're all good choices. Two are HXs, one a double boiler, so there's an obvious differentiating factor. Some really love the no-fuss brew temperatures they offer, others don't mind the extra steps HX espresso machines require. The Cellini is a fine looking piece of kit, though it looks like it favors the Lilliputian capacity driptray of its cousin the Giotto Premium.

Then again, if you really like the One Black, why not schedule a US roadtrip? Salvatore lives in California and it's got to be warmer than your current locale.

Are Salvatores HX? or cycling between steaming and brewing?