Hey All,

So I want to buy some cleaning supplies for my equipment--some Grindz for my grinders, cleancaf for my Gaggia and french presses, a new group brush etc. The prices between suppliers are a lot different. WLL has cleancaf for $11 per box while Urnex's website has them for 5.95 per box and they have a version of Grindz for home grinders that's cheaper too.

No one place has everything I want it seems so I was wondering where all of you buy your cleaning supplies.

Thanks.

Kevin

orangecat wrote:Hey All,

So I want to buy some cleaning supplies for my equipment--some Grindz for my grinders, cleancaf for my Gaggia and french presses, a new group brush etc. The prices between suppliers are a lot different. WLL has cleancaf for $11 per box while Urnex's website has them for 5.95 per box and they have a version of Grindz for home grinders that's cheaper too.

No one place has everything I want it seems so I was wondering where all of you buy your cleaning supplies.

Thanks.

Kevin

Puly Caf is the best in my own experience. I like the tablets (there are two sizes; I mean the tablets for backflushing in a blind PF, not the ones sized for a superauto).

The only source for them I know of in the USA is our friends Michael Teahan and Angelo Minicozzi at espressoresource.com

It is best to call them as I've never been smart enough to figure out their website.

818-786-7179

They also have the best bottomless PFs I've ever seen, which have displaced all others in my (unbelievably large) collection. These are designed to be bottomless PFs from the git-go and are plated all over including what is usually a cut (bare brass) surface at the bottom.

ken

Ken Fox wrote:They also have the best bottomless PFs I've ever seen, which have displaced all others in my (unbelievably large) collection. These are designed to be bottomless PFs from the git-go and are plated all over including what is usually a cut (bare brass) surface at the bottom.

ken

Nice looking PF ! Tnx for the link Ken !

k7qz wrote:Nice looking PF ! Tnx for the link Ken !

There's a cafe embedded in our local grocery store, which has an older 3 group Cimbali machine. I've gotten to know the guy who runs the operation and he's been over to my house a couple of times to see the mods I've done to my machines. As soon as he saw my new bottomless PFs from espressoresource, he ordered 3 or 4 of them the same day. Almost everytime I walk into the store when he is there, he mentions how much he likes them.

ken

Ken-

Which PF fits the La Cimbali machines? I perused the site last night and did not see a bottomless that said it was specifically for a Cimbali.

Also, on another unrelated matter, are you friendly with any Cimbali technicians?... I have an interesting conundrum with my M32 Bistro... you can PM me to avoid going OT if you like.

-Jeff Sawdy

jesawdy wrote:Ken-

Which PF fits the La Cimbali machines? I perused the site last night and did not see a bottomless that said it was specifically for a Cimbali.

Also, on another unrelated matter, are you friendly with any Cimbali technicians?... I have an interesting conundrum with my M32 Bistro... you can PM me to avoid going OT if you like.

-Jeff Sawdy

Jeff,

I don't think that the bottomless PF that Michael and Angelo sell is listed on the website; you have to call them about it. When I got mine I was told they had 75 or more of them in stock.

Michael and Angelo are both experienced former technicians and if you are going to call them anyway they might well be able to point you in the right direction as far as fixing your problem goes. If so, they may also be able to supply whatever parts you may need assuming they are not proprietary Cimbali parts.

As far as technicians are concerned, I'm not exactly "friendly" with Al Critzer, who has considerable experience but since we don't seem to get along I wouldn't call him. He appears to be much more knowledgeable about the superautos and the multigroup machines than he is about the Juniors, judging by his posts. He does post on a.c. so you might try to reach him there.

The Cimbali techs I have found the most helpful over time are James and Wayne at the Vancouver Canada Cimbali distributor, which is called "Bravo Coffee." They can supply proprietary Cimbali parts as well and shipping from Canada doesn't seem to take too much longer than it does from US dealers. Even with currency conversion costs, I have found their prices to be cheaper than those I've been offered from Pasquini in LA. They would ship via the Canadian Postal system and whatever they sent would come in the mail. Unless you ordered some very expensive stuff, I would not expect to be charged any duty as customs doesn't seem to care about packages worth less than a couple hundred dollars.

Their number in Vancouver, Pacific Coast Time, is 604-232-9272. You may have to call more than once as they are often out in the community on service calls. These guys are the most genuinely helpful and knowledgeable Cimbali techs I have dealt with.

In general, the US dealers I have dealt with have been less than helpful. If you call Pasquini you will talk with parts guys who really have no experience in actually working on machines, even if they know parts numbers blindfolded. If you call Chris Coffee try to speak with Craig, who is actually a technician but he can be hard to get a hold of on the phone.

ken