Hello,

I am looking to find a used or refurbished La Spaziale S1 Mini-Vivaldi. Any advice on where to find one? What price would be fair?

Also, advice on a grinder to pair this machine with? I was considering the Baratza Vario.

Budget: $2,000 total.

Any additional suggestions would be appreciated! My goal is to own a reliable and consistent combination that will produce lattes at the same or better quality as the local coffee shop.

Thanks!

Zack

For espresso we usually recommend a super jolly over a vario because over time vario grind settings can slip, leading to inconsistencies. That said I'm trying to get rid of a super jolly to buy a vario because its a great brewing grinder.

If I remember correctly there's a Spaziale on coffeegeek right now for 1200, they had a vario you could add on for a fee as well.

Generally ebay has a little when it comes to non-consumer espresso machines, usually some levers. Anything Spaziale-sized or larger doesn't often ship on eBay, however. Sometimes they come up on craigslist. With this kind of machine buying used is a matter of waiting till someone in the community wants to upgrade, or waiting till a major vendor sells a refurb or demo model.

Just checked and Chris' Coffee currently has an open box Mini Spaz' with full 2yr warranty for $1845...only $150 off full retail but still it's $150 off full retail with 2yr warranty.

I'd pay extra for the warranty. Unlike levers, theres a lot more to service, and it can get expensive and take serious tools. If you can go slightly over budget, then you can find a good grinder at $350 or so. Don't skimp on a grinder. Even if you only drink lattes, it's worth it.

I noticed that on ebay germany there is often an unusual concentration of used pro and semi-pro coffee machines for sale.
I just find there my BZ10, for example.
No chance to find it in italy.
I imagine that shipping costs would be high, though.
Alberto

algue wrote:I noticed that on ebay germany there is often an insolit concentration of used pro and semi-pro coffee machines for sale.
I just find there my BZ10, for example.
No chance to find it in italy.
I imagine that shipping costs would be high, though.
Alberto

These catering and prosumer machines would also be wired for 110v. I would imagine if the OP is looking at this class they're not intending to run a 240v line for their espresso machine. With levers it doesn't matter much cause you're only powering the element, so you can change it for 110 or run it on a transformer. With a pump machine you're looking at rewiring the whole machine, so any savings is probably gone.

Damn it.
I often forgot voltage difference between europe and US.
Definitely not convenient.

Where did I read that in some houses there are both 110V and 240V?

algue wrote:
Where did I read that in some houses there are both 110V and 240V?

Every house over here has a 240v (+ or - 2-3v) feed to the main box. There is no 110v it's 120v. Most modern homes have one or two 240v outlets to run either an electric stove or clothes dryer or both.

algue wrote:Where did I read that in some houses there are both 110V and 240V?

Residential services in the US are single-phase 120/240 Vac. You have 240 V line-to-line and 120 V line-to-neutral. Most branch circuits and wall receptacles are wired for 120 V from a single-pole circuit breaker. A few large loads-ovens, dryers, furnaces, EV chargers, etc.-are wired for 240 V from 2-pole breakers.

So US homeowners can get 240 V to an espresso machine if need be, but it almost certainly means putting a dedicated circuit. It is pretty unusual to have a 240 receptacle in a kitchen that isn't being used for something already. Putting in a new 240 V circuit has the potential to get expensive. These are high ampacity circuits, so the conductor and receptacle costs are pretty high for residential gear. Also, it may be labor intensive to get from point A to point B and clean up the route afterwards.

Thanks for the replies!

Speaking of warranty issues, how does that process typically work? I live in Iowa City, Iowa so I am sure there are no warranty centers nearby. Would I have to ship it back to the place I bought it from? Sounds expensive..

How long will a machine typically last before it needs a major repair?

And yes, it will be a home machine using 110V.