beadaholic wrote:Can you tell me some of the ups and downs of having a commercial machine vs a home machine? I am really interested in your insight.

A few off the cuff.......

Cons
They're big, usually really big, so they can dominate, overpower or not even fit in many kitchens.
They usually are more restrictive in electrical and water requirements, needing higher amperage circuits, and plumbed in.
They can take a long time to come up to operating temperature (depending on the design).
They can be harder to optimize for the occasional use they get at home, since they are designed to bang out 60 shots per hour, not 3 or 4 per day. You can expect to do more and longer cooling flushes etc.
They can put out lots of heat.
They can use lots of water in said flushing.
They can be expensive to maintain if a unique or proprietary component were to fail.

Pros
They can be nice for entertaining because it can bang out rapid shots.
They can steam like no ones business, in no time flat.
Often times thay have bullet proof construction, and you can expect to last a very long time.

I do not recognize the grinder. Perhaps someone else will.

I'll be curious to hear what you find out the cost of the Capri is, I expect pretty high.

beadaholic wrote:<image>

This is the grinder they are offering me with the Treviso - Does anyone know which one this is? What is its retail price approx? Is it a good Grinder? or Not?

Thanks again
Laura

Better known as the Nemox Lux:

http://www.espresso-deluxe.com/11...rcial-grinder.html
http://www.zaccardis.com/nemox-lux-coffee-grinder.html

It's a nice little grinder. Espresso-worthy, but slow, loud, with overly coarse grind adjustments.

If you're looking at $2000 espresso machines, I'd recommend something better in the grinder dept.
____
John

I agree John, it doesn't look like this grinder is good enough. Basically it is a freebie, but I don't mind paying for a better grinder....

I will ask and see what else they have in that dept.

Thanks
Laura

beadaholic wrote:I agree John, it doesn't look like this grinder is good enough. Basically it is a freebie, but I don't mind paying for a better grinder....

I will ask and see what else they have in that dept.

Thanks
Laura

If it is thrown in as a freebie with the machine that you want, take it! It is a fantastic grinder for french press, but as John said, the adjustment is a bit of a let-down for espresso.

Cheers,

Luca

Ok, if it is a freebie I will take it, but I don't think it is really free....probably I can get an upgrade like a Mazzer Mini or something like that, do you think a Mazzer Mini is a good grinder?

Thanks!

LA CAPRI DE UN GRUPO EN VERSION SEMIAUTOMATICA TE CUESTA 2,225.43 USD MAS IVA Y LA AUTOMATICA 2,489.66. TENEMOS QUE ENCARGARLA A ITALIA CON UN 50% DE ANTICIPO Y UN TIEMPO DE ENTREGA DE 4 A 6 SEMANAS.

Here is the info on the Capri, what do you think of these prices jesawdy? Does this sound reasonable? I was also looking at Faema's too here locally but they are priced in Euros and much higher, more than I can spend now. So I think I will be sticking to the San Remos...So the 1 group Capri Semi Auto is 2,225 and the Auto is 2,489.

Which unit do you have? The Semi or the Auto? Do you think one is better than the other? Since you own one I am very interested in your personal opinion.

Thanks so much!

Sorry for the another post. And the Treviso is the 1500w version she says it is the Treviso LX model, or the top of the line one. $2,100

Oh, and also she says she has a SanRemo Grinder that is much better than the Lux, any opinions there? I really do appreciate everyones help, just wish I was in the states, so many more choices there and there is a "used" market that doesn't exist here.

beadaholic wrote:Ok, if it is a freebie I will take it, but I don't think it is really free....probably I can get an upgrade like a Mazzer Mini or something like that, do you think a Mazzer Mini is a good grinder?

Thanks!

http://www.home-barista.com/espre...inder-reviews.html

All three prices you have been quoted for the SanRemo machines sound fair to me for new equipment. That is not to say they are inexpensive, you are paying for commercial duty here.

The SanRemo grinder easily beats the Nemo Lux with 63mm burrs, 35+ lb., but it is 20" inches tall... I hope it is stepless, cannot tell from pics or description that I could find. I would see if they can supply Mazzer or Macap grinders.

I would also recommend that you see if you can go play with any of these machines or grinders at their shop and see what you think.

I don't want to push you towards SanRemo in any way, I would like for you to make your own call on what will work best for you. I took a chance on mine, and I am happy with it. I bought mine used and sight unseen at a very substantial savings.

For those prices, if you can get them, super-refined machines like the La Spaziale Vivaldi S1 or the Expobar Brewtus II, or the elegant but less technical Elektra and Quickmill (or the SanRemo Treviso) machines may be better suited for home use.

I have a full auto 1-group SanRemo Capri, and I've only used for a very short while in a crippled mode (it has a pod adapter dispersion block and showscreen at the moment.) To play, I have been using a triple baket that allows me sufficient headspace to attempt extractions. It's pretty big, ~20" deep, 16" wide, and 16" tall with the cup holder removed or 19" tall with the cup holder rails in place.

This machine has some nice features,

boiler is 4.5 liter copper, with a a myriad of connections on it and even includes the nice feature of a boiler drain valve that empties to the drain cup.
it has well articulated and positioned hot water and steam taps,
it has a well designed drip tray (everything seems to stay in the tray because it is very deep, from front of machine depth, not actual top down depth of tray,
it has nice big steam and hot water knobs like on an most commercial machines,
it steams very well and very fast,
it is made up of industry standard parts, fluid-o-tech pump, RPM motor, Sirai pstat Gicar dosing pad and level controls, E61 type portafilter, Parker solenoids,
the pump is very quiet,
the full auto features electronic preinfusion,
dual manometer gauge for pump and boiler pressure,
well built case, roomy and easy to work on,
warming tray is double layered offset design (like Elektra Sixties A3)
unique styling of case, not just all shiny chrome.

It's downsides are,

it is a big box,
the boiler is uninsulated (I insulated it, easy to do but not for the faint of heart),
even though the machine is quite tall, it does not allow for tall cups (like the Elektra Sixties A3)
it has a simplified thermosyphon loop heated grouphead, maybe not as eloquent as the E61
it is expensive

EDIT - I wanted to add that my particular SanRemo is 110-120V, 2300W heater.... 20 amp service is a must. Your vendor may be selling 220-240V,