Quickmill Vetrano 2B vs. La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi II

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
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gregdreg
Posts: 8
Joined: 10 years ago

#1: Post by gregdreg »

Hi,
I am buying a new machine after having my Lelit pl041qe for 4 years, I have done my research and pre-ordered a quick mill vetrano 2b but after reading Scott Rao's latest book I am taking another hard look at the S1 vivaldi II because of the volumetric feature. The one thing I really don't like is the portafilter size on the S1. Do you think volumetric dosing is enough of a reason to choose the S1 instead of the V2B? any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you- Greg

Beezer
Posts: 1355
Joined: 17 years ago

#2: Post by Beezer »

I personally don't see much point to the volumetric dosing feature in the home setting. Unless you like to multi-task while pulling shots, it's not hard to keep an eye on the extraction and stop the shot manually, even if you're steaming milk or whatever at the same time. In fact, it's preferable to watch the extraction closely and cut it off manually when it goes blonde, as opposed to letting the machine decide when to stop the shot. I guess the auto dosing could be nice if you get distracted by the phone or ringing doorbell, just to keep the pump from running indefinitely, but that's never been much of an issue in my experience.

Both of those machines are excellent, so you aren't going to go wrong with either. It mostly comes down to aesthetics, and whether you like an e61 58mm group or the Vivaldi's 53mm group. There's a lot to be said for the forgiving nature of the e61, and the 58mm size is easier to get baskets and tampers for, so that was what I chose when I made the same decision you're making. I went with the Alex Duetto II, which is another e61 double boiler, but if the Vetrano 2B had been available at the time I might well have gone with that. I almost went with the Vivaldi based on its excellent reputation as a workhorse machine. The main decider was that my wife far preferred the look of the Duetto. Aesthetics matter with a large appliance that's prominently displayed in your kitchen, so by all means go with the one that you and your spouse/significant other can enjoy looking at day after day.
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gregdreg (original poster)
Posts: 8
Joined: 10 years ago

#3: Post by gregdreg (original poster) »

Hi beezer,
Thank you for the reply, blonding is how I stop shots on my current SBDU machine, I am always in the range of 22-30 seconds and 1.5-2 oz .I have no issues with distractions when I make espresso, I put myself in the zone and give all my focus to the task at hand. I definitely want a VST basket and cafelat "all in one" PF too.

Aesthetically my wife likes the red S1, I think both machines look great so I am more concerned with which one I can make the most consistent best tasting drinks from.