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LaSpaziale S1 Vivaldi Espresso Machine Product Technical DetailsS1 Vivaldi Key FeaturesTypeEspresso MachineOperation Sour...

A great machine for serious espresso lovers Isomac Zaffiro Stainless Steel Espresso Machine This is perhaps the ultimate affordable machine for espresso purists. That means infrequent cappuccinos, lattes, m...

The La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi espresso machine is a single group prosumer espresso machine that makes a great addition to any espresso lovers home.

When looking for my first espresso machine I started by looking at the obvious starting point; the Krups department store special. It didn’t take very much research to realize that this is not a serious machine but more of a pretend espresso machine (The Easy Bake Oven of espresso machines!)

That said, I do have Krups to thank because it was seeing those affordable machines initially that made me consider home brewing espresso from a machine instead of the stove top pot method.

My research took me to the next obvious choice; the Rancilio Silvia. A decent starter machine with legions of devoted owners and many experienced home Baristas that fondly refer to Silvia when talking about their first “real” espresso machine. I seriously considered buying this machine until I looked a little deeper and realized it may not be the best choice for entertaining or small parties where you might have to make a dozen espressos at times, many of which will end up as lattes or cappuccinos. You see because of the machines limited pressure capacity It will do 1 or 2 cups quickly, anymore and you must wait for the boiler to recycle. A dozen cups could take an hour.

That lead me to choice three the Nuovo Simonelli Oscar. This seemed like a perfect fit for my needs. It got great reviews from owners who said it is a well built machine with a good size boiler that wasn’t too fussy to use and gave pretty consistent performance and could handle a small party. It wasn’t a stainless steel beauty which I don’t think my wife would have liked anyway, but would blend in well with our kitchen.

I kept researching all that I could on the internet and looked at many other espresso machines including those made by Expobar, Pasquini and Quickmill but thought that the Oscar was really going to be the one.

Then I came across the La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi (Also called ‘Spaz’ by it’s owners!) and like the Silvia found many loyal people that only seemed to have praise and good things to say about it. The more that I read the more satisfied owners I came across. I really can’t recall a single unhappy user of this machine! The only consistent criticism that I came across is the need for a ‘built in’ drain, included with the spaz.

Judging from the specs of this baby, it is easy to see why it stands out from the rest of the other prosumer home units (under $2000US). 1. It has two boilers; a .45 liter grouphead boiler for brewing and a second 2 1/2 liter boiler for steam production. 2. A quiet rotary pump. These beat vibrating pumps hands down for quietness and was something that I did not like about the Oscar. It was very loud when brewing. 3.The power of the steam wand is amazing and can handle frothing double cappuccinos easily and very quickly. 4.The hot water spout that is absent from the Oscar is now something that I think no decent espresso machine should be without. This is my first machine and in only the first month of use that hot water spout has handled dozens of requests for other hot water based drinks (tea for one) not to mention it’s use for rinsing out portafilters, dial thermometer probes and frothing pitchers and of course cups.

I discovered when using the frothing wand on milk (That very quickly sticks and dries on the hot wand.) that the easiest way to clean the wand is to turn it inward so that frothing end is directly under the hot water spout. Flush with hot water for a few seconds, then wipe clean. (*Careful it’s very hot!) Anyway I now would seriously think twice about getting a machine without the hot water spout!

Anyway you know how it is when you look at making a new purchase, (It really doesn’t matter what it is that you are interested in purchasing.) the price that you end up paying is usually much more than what you started out budgeting for. Well I figured a few hundred dollars in the begining (Krups stage) then when I reached the Nuovo Simonelli Oscar stage, I figured a couple (two) thousand dollars with grinder and accessories. Now the idea of buying the La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi with a grinder (and accessories) moved that up to around $3800.

I began to think maybe I’m getting in a little too deep and thought about that Rancilio Silvia which with grinder (…and those accessories again! Ok, I will tell you what I mean by accessories. A tamper, a dial thermometer and a couple of frothing pitchers, small and large.) could most likely be purchased for around $1200 or so. Only problem was I wanted the S1 now. So I began to cruise the local internet ads hoping for a deal.

After a few days I found a used, 1 1/2 year old La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi. After talking to the seller and seeing the machine I purchased it along with a La Spaziale Junior grinder, two stainless steel frothing pitchers (Large and small), a stainless tea pot, dial thermometer and a water filter with back flow preventing valve for $1250. This is about a third of the new price for these items. (Maybe my next machine will be new but this is plenty for a beginner!)

After removing all exterior covers and inspecting the inside of the S1 (It was very clean inside, just a few drips here and there.) and quick cleaning along with a new group head gasket replacement (Only $3 & should be changed at least once a year, more often in high usage.) I hooked it up, wiring in a new dedicated 20 amp circuit with it’s own circuit breaker and 20 amp commercial

recepticle. Then 1/2″ copper plumbing with ball water shut off and brass pressure reducing valves with the pressure gauge set at 25psi, which I did myself. I also replaced the water filter cartridge to start fresh ($80).

After using it for a couple of days I noticed the pressure gauge on the S1 would go into the red zone sometimes (Red on most gauges means impending trouble!), so back to the internet I went and with the help of much more experienced owners (Thanks good people!) the problem was diagnosed. I bought a new (and improved design) steam boiler temp sensor ($57) and easily replaced it myself.

The S1 performs very well now and I the novice Barista am that weak link that works hard to keep up to this powerful impressive espresso machine.

The only real criticism that I have about the Spaz is the lack of a included drain hook up. (There is a kit now available.) This machine has a one liter drip tray that is very easy to remove and empty if you do it regularly, but I have found that espresso making is messy and it could be easy to forget to empty while busy (At a party) and it could over flow or could spill when trying to remove it, if it is passed 3/4 full.

I guess the thing that I really like about the S1 is that it was pretty easy to learn to use for a novice and it really didn’t take very long before I was making better espressos and cappuccinos than I was used to paying for. With practice, more education and experience hopefully my espresso skills will only get better.

The very stable adjustable temperature controls, the auto dosing of espresso (single or double shots). The shear quality (Which becomes very evident when you take the covers off and look at the guts of this well built machine.) and feature set of this machine make it really stand out for the money.

Don’t get me wrong $2000US (or less, which in Canada is more like $2500 to $3000) is a lot for a machine and will buy a lot of $3 to $5 cappuccinos, but the satisfaction one gets from doing something them selves (like cooking) and then sharing that with others is as they say, priceless. If you take a bit of time to learn the important basics of espresso brewing (coffee quality, grind quality, tamping pressure, brew temperature and milk frothing) and continually hone your Barista skills then you will make outstanding coffee drinks in your home for yourself, your family, your friends and neighbors.

The aroma of fresh ground, fresh brewed espresso (Forget those sprays that you buy this is my kind of air freshener!) that emulates from your kitchen as some of your guests watch in anticipation as you perform your well choreographed dance with your espresso machine. (Ok I know it sounds a bit dramatic and corny!) Followed by the wide eyed look and smiles when you present a beautiful frothy latte or cappuccino for someone to enjoy. That is the golden moment that makes it all worth the effort.

You just can’t get that from Starbucks!

Features;

- Dual boiler

- Steam boiler: 2.5 liters - 1250 watt element

- Group boiler: .45 liter - 800 watt element

- Swivel steam arm with manual steam valve

- Hot water spout

- Direct plumbed water supply

- Quiet rotary pump

- Volumetric dosing (Volume adjustable by key pad)

- Group temp LED display (Temp adjustable by key pad)

- Auto boiler refill

- Safety thermostat

- Boiler pressure gauge

- Electronic fault diagnosis alarms

- 110 volt: 15 or 20 amp operation

- Standby and economy modes

- Two professional portafilters: one single and one double

- Easy empty 1 liter drip tray

- Easy clean plastic sides with chrome steel trim

- Available in black, red or grey

Other details to note:

*This machine must be plumbed in to a water line. It sounds like a bother but pays off when never having to add water to the machine.

While you are at it, to get the most out of it’s capabilities then a 20 amp breaker with a commercial receptacle is required. (Some newer homes are already equipped with 20 amp service for todays higher draw kitchen gadgets, all that is required is that the recepticle be changed to a 20 amp commercial type.) It can run on 15 amps but will not heat both boilers at once in this mode. If you must use 15 amp service then there is an internal switch that is under the cup warming cover (one screw removes it) But if you can; do it once and do it right!

Two very helpful websites for S1 research are;

S1Cafe.com - This is a web sight devoted solely to the La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi and the new improved Vivaldi II. There are almost 200 owner / members from around the world!

Coffeegeek.com - This sight is dedicated to all things coffee and has an enormous body of information for the beginner or pro Barista including almost 40 consumer reviews on the S1.

All this typing has made me thirsty. I think that I need

a nice cappuccino about now. “Cheers!”

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