New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

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nakedian

New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by nakedian »

I just "inherited" an S1 Vivaldi ii Mini, and I'm having trouble loving it.. My previous machine was a Crossland CC1. What am I not liking you ask... Three things mainly, volumetric dosing, 53 mm portafilter and, no shot timer. I've read tons of forum posts about volumetric dosing and it's not clear to me what this actually is or why it's helpful. Is it truly volume? Some have said it's not accurate..are these people wrong? We're they going by actual volume and not weight? Any more info on this would be very helpful.
My next issue is with dosing the 53mm portafilter. Many third wave roasters recommend 20g of coffee to 30g out in 30 seconds. Suppose I could even fit that much coffee in the basket..
It's deeper, should I allow the same amount of time? Will volumetric dosing (VD) throw the whole thing off? Can I turn VD off?
These are just some of my many questions.
What do I love about the machine...Quality build, two boilers, strong steam (almost too strong, may need to buy the tip with smaller holes), looks and wood panels, it's just solid. Thanks so much ahead of time.
MDL
Barista
Posts: 329
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am
Location: San Diego

Re: New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by MDL »

Don't over think, but experiment with it and see how you do.

I have used a Vivaldi II since April 2007 and very much enjoy it. If you don't want to use the volumetric dosing just set the volume to be very large and control the shot manually with the switch. In my experience the volumetric dosing is pretty consistent unless your flowmeter has an issue/problem (I can't comment on possible differences with the mini since I have the original VII).

The 53 mm portafilter is just different; there are machines with 49 mm portafilters and many other variants. You just need to play with the variables to dial in your shots for your tastes.

Most machines lack a shot timer; put a digital timer onto the top with a magnet and you have a shot timer. Personally, I timed shots when I first got the machine to dial things in. After I got comfortable with what I liked/wanted I never returned to a timer. Different folks feel differentely about this, but the reality is that the machine lacks a shot timer so you have to work around/with it.

If you give the machine a chance and get used to it I am confident that you will grown to enjoy it.
nakedian

Re: New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by nakedian »

Hmmm, thanks MDL, I think you are right about getting the shot dialed in, time wise, and then not worrying about it. I'm not very confident yet and I think that alone is causing problems. Magnetic timer... brilliant, I will get one today. I figured out how the volumetric dosing works.. it really does seem to dose the exact same every time. Variation then occurs in how much water the grounds themselves absorb, and some people seem to be judging by oz. where crema would cause huge variations. I think I'll do as you suggested and run a large amount of water through one of the buttons so I can do an on/off dosing. Once I get my grind dialed in I can program that dose in the other button.
As far as the 53mm portafilter goes, what I'm trying to do is keep the same ratios suggested by the roaster, but decrease the dose, keeping the same amount of time. i.e.: Roaster says 20g in 30g out at 30 seconds... I'm doing 16g in 24g out in 30 seconds.. this seems like it should be good, and taste is actually pretty good, but I'm not getting good crema, any suggestions here please?

Thanks Again -Ian
rhinoevans
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:32 pm
Location: Las Vegas

Re: New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by rhinoevans »

Recommend a triple basket from Chris Coffee. It will hold 21g. That is all I have use for years. And yes the auto dose is just a measures volume of water.
BTW, you will need a bottomless portafilter for the triple basket.
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Lav
Macchiato
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 6:35 am
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by Lav »

The crema in it self is not that desirable I think.... however, more freshly roasted beans increase crema. I roast my own beans and typically leave them degassing/developing for one to two weeks before use


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Cheers,
Steffen

| La Spaziale Vivaldi II + myTimer mod |​ Mahlkönig PEAK and EK43Short | Aillio Bullet R1 roaster| Acaia Lunar scale | ​AeroPress, Bialetti Venus |
richardcoffee
God Shot
Posts: 172
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:59 pm
Location: Michigan City, Indiana

Re: New Mini V ii - Need help loving it...

Post by richardcoffee »

I've had a Mini now for about 5 years I think. All the things that were different disturbed me at first. But now I love the lever for steam. I love the fact that I can turn off the steam boiler. I always dose 14 to 15 grams and I get beautiful shots with plenty of crema. I got into the habit of thinking I always needed an upgrade. But for the last several years I have come to think that no other espresso machine would satisfy my needs better. I really do like volumetric control. While pulling one drink I go back to the grinder to prepare a basket for the next drink. Rather than programming one for a very long time, I program one for just a few seconds and I use that for flushing after a shot.
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