The S1 Cafe - Helping Your Espresso Dreams Become Reality

richardcoffee

Eureka! Last summer when I was having trouble with this I finally gave up and reinstalled the old gasket. Then, at Christmas I had to return the machine to Chris' for a new steam boiler. I asked them to put a new gasket in while they had it. Finally, today I addressed the problem I was having with t...

richardcoffee

c'mon man. I went to the Coffee Fest in Seattle back in September and I live in Indiana. What a fun trip.

richardcoffee

This is the issue that caused me to burn up the heating element in my steam boiler. Luckily it was still under warranty. From the time the machine was new I had to pay special attention to getting the water tank in. I tried lubrication. I replaced the o-ring. At least I stopped the leaking. If someo...

richardcoffee

I do it Endo's way. Just yesterday I changed the screens, cleaned the diffuser and backflushed with detergent for the 1st time in a month. I got completely clean soapy discharge the 1st time with the first flush.

richardcoffee

Sorry, I can't tell you about the brew pressure. But as for changing the gasket, you know the screens on this guy are held in place with a hex head screw/bolt. Did you get the hex wrench to remove it? All I do is unscrew the bolt and out come the screens and the dispersion block. Then, it's a pretty...

richardcoffee

I warm up the brew boiler for an hour with good results. I think that's what most folks do. Then I turn on the steam boiler which only takes about 5 minutes to come up to pressure. Of course, if you're not making milk drinks, there's no need for the steam boiler to be on.

richardcoffee

Take the spring out and take the basket out each time - then you could get a thorough drying. If you have 2 baskets it probably wouldn't be too much hassle.

richardcoffee

it's why I use the bottomless.

richardcoffee

But, I reckon you're saying you could steam okay until recently and now you're having trouble with steam pressure falling. And, I guess you're saying nothing else has changed ? No new steam tip? No new pitcher? What then could be the problem. Another question - are you running on 15 or 20 amp? I run...

richardcoffee

I think, consistent with the reviews on H-B, I can't so much discern a taste difference between my K10WBC and my Pietro T-80 as I notice a difference in ease of use. The T-80 is plenty easy to use, but the K10 is so much easier. I almost never need to adjust it. I can go from Metropolis Red Line to ...

richardcoffee

My wife gets up at 5am, and turns the machine on. I get up at 7am and turn the boiler on for steam. The steam is ready in about 5 minutes. I got my machine with the no-burn steam arm. I switched at some point to the hot one and haven't changed back. They're both workable, but I find the hot one seem...

richardcoffee

I've always left my basket in and never noticed a smell. But, I seldom keep the machine on all day. Usually it's on 7 am till 4 pm.

richardcoffee

I wash mine out once a month. But, oh geez, I admit to using dishwashing detergent. And here I thought I was finally developing my tastes to discern that lemony goodness in my shots.

richardcoffee

and if it is a mini, dump out the water and clean the water tank before you refill it upon return.

richardcoffee

I use a q-tip moistened with a little hot water

richardcoffee

I wonder why someone would buy a mini from WLL?

richardcoffee

I use my steam boiler only for steam. I saw a suggestion for the GS/3 that one should pull water from the steam boiler periodically to, in effect replace the water. I wonder if anyone does that on their mini?

richardcoffee

This is the letter I sent to Chris' Coffee along with my Mini when the steam boiler failed a week or 2 before Christmas: "My wife turned it on this morning at 5:30. When I got up at 7 the machine had turned itself off with alarm lights 19, 20 and 21 lit. I turned it back on with the boiler off ...

richardcoffee

Thanks - I'll leave it alone.

richardcoffee

I just stumbled over a reference to an alternate shower screen configuration - with the smaller screen inside the larger screen and the dimple pointing down. This reference suggests that this is a superior configuration.. I'm wondering if any users are doing it this way and why?

richardcoffee

If that were mine, I'd make a slight grind adjustment.

richardcoffee

What's set when programming is the flow. But, as Endo has remarked on other occasions, the flow meter on the mini is not especially reliable. I think you should backflush from time to time, others disagree - the most important thing is to keep the screens clean. The first culprit when seeing a chang...

richardcoffee

So, here's the thing. I tried it first with the machine warm - then with the machine cold. I started with no lubricant, then I tried it with a little soap - then I tried it with a little food grade lubricant. I tried it with the gasket warmed up in a glass of hot water and the machine cold. The insi...

richardcoffee

So here I am again, trying to install a new group gasket with no success. I am literally trembling from exertion and frustration. Last August I tried - and failed. So I just put back the old gasket. Then I ordered 2 new gaskets from Chris'. When I tried today I heated up the new gasket - I lubricate...

richardcoffee

Thanks, I'll try that. I have the pre-infusion chamber too.

richardcoffee

Recently, on occasion my puck sticks to the dispersion screen. It is not overdosed - just 14 grams - a nice looking and tasting shot. Has this happened to you? Any recommendations? I see on HB a suggestion for other machines that it's the 3 way valve sucking the puck up at the end of the shot. That ...

richardcoffee

When I bought my mini from Chris', I got one of his regular 53mm convex tampers to go with it. Then, because this whole coffee journey has turned me into an obsessive compulsive perfectionist and because I had that gap when I tamped I thought I better try another kind of tamper. So, I got a flat tam...

richardcoffee

Ah .......it's done. I got tired of waiting for the young man and, as it's raining today, decided to complete the job myself. Now, I'm thinking, " this was easy." If I had only known, I'd have sprung for the plumbed in version.

richardcoffee

My steam lever suddenly seems a little sticky - reluctant to move from off position. Have any of you experienced this? If so, what did you do to correct it?
Thanks

richardcoffee

My own experience is that I have difficulty with the new 4 hole tip. I just don't quite know where to put it in the milk. The best I've found is to put it right in the middle but it seems to me it was designed to remove operator error. As a result, there seems to be little I can do to make better st...

richardcoffee

well, I have sprung for the under sink softener system with a faucet up above. I've got it 1/2 installed - waiting for a young man with a stronger back to finish the job. These old bones just don't like working under a sink. I think I'm going to like this approach.

richardcoffee

I had some white residue on top of a puck one time - thought it was some left over Joe Glo - but that didn't make sense. Anyhow, I have the under sink system on the way - The faucet is already installed ..... and my back hurts.

richardcoffee

I'm telling you, this gasket would not go in. I tried heating it and that did not work. This gasket seemed like it was just a little too small. Maybe I should have stretched it. It did not occur to me to heat the group and cool the gasket - I understand the theory, but am somewhat skeptical. Anyhow,...

richardcoffee

Boy do I feel stupid. I have changed the group gasket once before. But I cannot get a new one in. What procedure do you follow to install a new gasket? Make it simple if you can because it is apparently too complicated for me. Do you heat the new gasket, or lubricate it in some way? Thanks, Richard

richardcoffee

BTW I contacted Brita about their AquaAroma Crema filter. Not surprisingly, although somewhat inexplicably, they told me they have no plans to sell this product in the U.S. Too bad. Endo, I'll be anxious to hear of the success of your Rancilio plan. It would surely be less of a hassle then the under...

richardcoffee

Endo, We'll be anxious to see if you can make it work in the Mini. It's not clear to me how you would connect it. But I do suffer from a lack of imagination - about some things anyway.

richardcoffee

Aha! The hot water did the trick. Although, I wouldn't say it's no problem. For an old man with bad eyes and shaky hands - it's a hard task. I'm thinking seriously about the under sink solution. How the osmotic scale reduction pack from 1st Line differs from a Brita pitcher is still not clear to me....

richardcoffee

So, this is exactly why I'm interested in the osmotic scale reduction pack from 1st line. I take it you're not impressed Endo? Also, don't you have a hard time getting the tubing of the in-tank softener onto the water intake? How do you do it?

richardcoffee

With all the attention being paid to alternative baskets for other machines on other sites - especially the VST - it's got me wondering if there are alternative baskets for my Mini. I have the ones I got from Chris when I bought the machine - a single a double and a triple with the bottomless portaf...

richardcoffee

I've been using the Best Cup M in-tank water filter and softener that Chris sells (for my mini). It's fairly costly - but the most aggravating thing about it is fitting the tubing onto the water intake. The tubing breaks easily and definitely doesn't slip on easily. I happened on the fact that 1st l...

richardcoffee

So I see the new Vario costs $450. I have $250 in my Fiorenzato Pietro T80 that I got on e-bay and then put new burrs in. Boy am I glad that I did that. This is a thoroughly reliable grinder for espresso. I guess the down side is that it would take a day to readjust for a coarse grind so I use it on...

richardcoffee

Alas, I don't know. The facts are that I sometimes get good performance with no dripping with the double and the triple. Other times I get the dripping. It must be me. Yet I persist. I have tried up dosing and down dosing tighter and looser grinds. There seems to be no consistency - except that I co...

richardcoffee

Yes. Only the bottomless and I'm pretty sure only with the triple basket. Early on, I did observe that I was, perhaps, not tightening the PF enough, but I've corrected that. So I never have this issue with the regular PF.

richardcoffee

Well, shut my mouth. This morning I decided to be a little more of a pharmacist and lo and behold, 19 grams of a dark roasted blend - containing Brazil Safira Bourbon, Paradise Robusta, Costa Rica Terrazu, and Sumatra (I had some leftovers) - this turned out to be a delicious blend by the way - anyh...

richardcoffee

So, it is true, is it not, that 18 grams in the triple will also not fill the basket? What I'm still stuck on is that picture you see so often of filling the basket, sweeping the coffee level and then tamping. I think I even remember a video of Chris demonstrating the Vivaldi this way. My experience...

richardcoffee

Thanks Peter, That's helpful. In fact, I just did a double with 15 grams and it was just as you said. Perfect.

richardcoffee

Endo, That's a mysterious comment. Do you mean 18 is too much? Of course that's what I discovered. Do you mean something more than that? What's a fella to do? I mean, I'm somewhat new at this. I try to follow instructions. So, nowhere, for example on Home-Barista or Coffee Geek do I see anyone sayin...

richardcoffee

I've had my mini since early February - and have never been able to get an alarm. As others here have indicated, even when backflushing with a blind basket - nothing. This morning, suddenly, I dosed as normal in the bottomless portafilter using the triple basket - 20 grams of coffee - not enough to ...

richardcoffee

I think a quick update is in order. I said at the beginning, the gasket was only 3 months old - still, since the greater wisdom seemed to be that it must be the gasket, I changed it. I thought that was the answer, but pretty quickly I started to have the same problem. Interestingly, this problem doe...

richardcoffee

Is that a.m. or p.m.?

richardcoffee

Could it be this simple? This morning I tried 2 things: I put a little less coffee in the triple basket and I tightened the portafilter a little more when I put it in the machine. Voila! No more clear water dripping. I'm thinking the root cause was just that I wasn't putting it in tight enough. Than...

richardcoffee

So, I cleaned it all up, put in the new gasket and still have the problem. Interestingly, it's just a few drops of clear water toward the machine side of the portafilter. My guess is, it's the operator. Despite taking extreme care in dosing and tamping, I must be lacking somehow. Still, the shots ta...

richardcoffee

The notched gasket I removed from my mini was the gasket that came in the machine from Chris'. Likewise, I have 2 replacement gaskets - 1 came with the machine and 1 I ordered from Chris. One of these is notched, the other is not. I don't know which one came with the machine and which one came with ...

richardcoffee

okay - I changed the gasket. There was quite a bit of built-up coffee gunk behind the gasket and it had a slight groove in it. The new gasket makes a big difference in how far the handle turns to the right when I put it in - that is, it doesn't turn nearly as far as it used to. I have tried to be ve...

richardcoffee

So, the gasket is only 3 months old - it seemed unlikely that it was the gasket. And, on homebarista.com and coffeegeek, I have seen folks saying they change the gasket and shortly they have the problem again. But, since you say so, I'll change the gasket. Is it hard to do?

richardcoffee

I've noticed recently I get clear water dripping when I use my bottomless portafilter in my mini. Usually, it seems to drip towards the back. I actually looks like it's coming between the basket and the portafilter, though that seems unlikely. Otherwise, the shots look good - although perhaps a litt...

richardcoffee

We had some kind of nice weather here in Indiana about a week ago and I was able to do some roasting. One of my roasts was Sweet Maria's Espresso Donkey decaf that I took to a light Vienna roast. Normally I drink lattes but I tried a shot today at 94 degrees C. and it was very bitter. I reset to 92 ...

richardcoffee

Interestingly enough, I see now that when I get a good tamp on a triple with the naked portafilter, I get a 9 on the brew pressure gauge - and it corresponds to about a 45 second shot that tastes pretty good.

richardcoffee

I've had my mini for a couple of weeks now and while I've enjoyed it, I've had moments of doubt. Lots of steam pressure but I couldn't get micro foam that suited my tastes. I'm not even talking about latte art. After all, I'm no artist, so what would make me think I could get art with milk drawn on ...

richardcoffee

I'm not dexterous enough; nor am I impatient enough to steam and draw shots at the same time - at least not yet - so I reckon I don't see any reason for the 20 amp.

richardcoffee

I am interested in knowing how you who have switched from 15 amp to 20 amp operation have found the difference to be on the mini. Are you happy you made the switch? Why? Do you have more steam power? It's hard for me to imagine that I'd benefit from more. Or, perhaps, you find greater brew temperatu...

richardcoffee

So, I finally paid attention to the brew pressure gauge during a shot ---- and, I looked at some older threads here and here's what I found. With my backflush disc in, my brew pressure gauge goes up pretty quickly to 9 bars and stays there till I stop the pump. When making a double or triple shot, t...

richardcoffee

Now that I understand.
Thanks

richardcoffee

So, I got my new mini - it's making good shots and in just a few days, after reading the CoffeeGeek review on milk and foaming and getting some positive reinforcement from the folks at Chris', I am getting close to making good foamed milk - there's a lot more steam there than I've been used to on my...

richardcoffee

I've decided it will be cheaper to buy soft water at the store than to replace the in-tank softener cartridges. What do I have to do to remove the in-tank softener? Is there some special connection?
Thanks

richardcoffee

Thanks - the big machine is a little frightening, but I like it. And, by the way, I used a naked portafilter for the first time today and got a pretty nice looking shot and tasty shot with some Black Cat.

richardcoffee

I just got my new mini - delayed somewhat by the storm. Not unexpectedly, I'm a little confused. I thought only the set temperature light stayed lit before. But after I back flushed, using the one cup button, lights 14, 15 and 16 stay on solid. That is, it's set for 93 and the lights for 91 and 92 s...

richardcoffee

I got my new mini today - all is well ....... I think. It's full of water, heated up, cycling. In short, behaving as it should so far. But it's late and the first shots will have to wait till morning. The only hitch so far is that when we opened the box (beautiful packaging for the machine - the oth...

richardcoffee

I'm on it. It's heavy stuff though and I'm and old man. Still, I have a special incentive to get that new machine. An aside issue - of course, something always comes up that causes undue worry - the original notice I got from UPS said 2 boxes had shipped from Chris - total weight 76.9 pounds. Subseq...

richardcoffee

The snow has begun falling here on the windward side of Lake Michigan and my new mini is due to be delivered in the teeth of the storm - tomorrow, Wednesday - all the way from Chris' in New York. I have my doubts about whether it'll make it. But the sun is supposed to shine on Thursday. The point is...

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