Hello, I’m upgrading my home espresso machine and grinder and I’m looking at buying a Victoria Arduino Prima One Espresso Machine and a Ceado E37SD Single Dose Grinder, about $8,500 to $9,500 depending on the steam wand option on the Prima One combined total cost. Just curious if anyone is using these, or any other high-end Italian manufactured espresso machines or grinders. If so, any comments on usage or complaints on pulling your shots or dialling in your espresso grinds with these units? Thanks in advance and… Cheers!
Here are photos of the units for reference… Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Cheers!
Update: After much thought, I’ve decided to go with the Della Corte Mina Espresso machine ($8,500) and the Monolith Flat Single Dose Grinder ($2,650) or $11,150 total. I’m switching from the AV Prima 1 to the Della Corte Mina because I want to explore digital pressure profiling of the shots. The grinder switch was due to possible “workflow” niggles with the Ceado grinder that I envisioned. Here are photos of my new setup: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login If you have either of these units, it would be great to get your comments on usage and workflow. Cheers!
Well, supply chain issues nixed the Monolith espresso bean grinder I wanted (too long a wait to get), so I found the German manufactured Mahlkonig E65GBH which has a built in load cell to grind by weight. It cost $2,950 and it allows movement of the 65mm burrs in one tenth of a mm! So, after all of the faff back and forth, everything is on a truck and I should have it in hand in a few days. It’s going to be awesome pulling shots on the Dalla Corte Mina with the Mahlkonig grinder… Of course, I will be pulling the shots into official Ferrari espresso cups, in the same colour as my 458, Rosso Corsa. Image Unavailable, Please Login
My Dalla Corte Mina arrived and most of the accessories and accoutrements. Unfortunately, the Mahlkonig E65S GBH grinder is back ordered for 1 - 2 months. Ugh… Image Unavailable, Please Login Anyone else into espresso? Cheers!
Fire that baby up; even with improperly ground beans! Congrats. Beautiful machine. Love espresso. Two doppio every AM for the missus and I. We use a baby DeLonghi. Not fancy but does a respectable job and has been crazy reliable. T
Wow! You have a legit setup. I can definitely help you with any advice on coffee related items. I also have plenty of MAHLKONIG e65 GBW in stock. I personally use a Slayer Espresso 1 group at my house for the pressure profiling qualities. My company is Coffee Machine Depot USA. Regards Aaron May the Horse be with you
What is your verdict on the slayer? I am considering one to replace my Alex duetto. I went down the rabbit hole to learn about it but beyond the looks I can’t tell if the brew makes it worth the spend. Enjoy the new set-up, Rex. Looks good.
Very good question. I sell them both and they are both make espresso, just in a different manner. The Slayer has mechanical pressure profiling with a needle valve. I always extract at 18 sec pre-infusion, 22 sec extraction and 4 sec post infusion. This is all very technical stuff and too be honest 9.9 out of 10 people won't know the difference.....I agree they look super cool too. I suppose it is a bit like a Range Rover fully loaded Vs a Rolls Royce Cullinan...... Do you need the RR? Probably not, I say.... But they sell the crap out of them.
I hear ya on firing it up straightaway! Unfortunately, I will have to wait a wee bit as our kitchen is in the middle of a major full-gut remodel now and the countertops are not finished as yet. I actually thought about setting it up in the car park temporarily, but I nixed that idea. My wife does not enjoy any form of coffee, so all of the new equipment is for my needs only. I’m an old pour over bloke (Technivorm Moccamaster) from way back. I got into espresso when I had my art studio and I was travelling all over the U.S. every week doing demos. My favourite cup was a quad-shot of espresso, whilst sitting in the President’s Club awaiting boarding. It was grand and it made doing the 60 - 80k air miles every year more bearable. At times, it seemed like I spent more time at 37,000 feet than I did on the ground. I’m eager to pull my first shot and to fall down the rabbit hole of flow profiling. I’m also getting geared up for roasting my own beans, as it is the next logical step vis-à-vis my coffee “hobby.” Take care and best wishes to you and yours this holiday season! P.S. Down a double shot of your favourite espresso for me until I can get my Mina up and running… Cheers!
Thanks! I looked long and hard before deciding on the DCM… I think it will serve me well and the flow profiling feature will keep me interested in the “process” and playing with a virtually unlimited number of extractive recipes. I’ll keep you in mind going forward, as I’m still buying equipment to get everything sorted. Thanks again and best wishes to you and yours this holiday season! Cheers!
Thanks for the kind words! I’m thrilled to be getting into espresso. Its going to be a stack of fun! Best wishes to you on your next espresso machine upgrade… The Slayer looks awesome! Pull a shot or two for me, as I eagerly await the end of our kitchen remodel… Cheers and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Our marriage and my sanity survived a full house remodel about 5 years ago! Hoping you are soon in your house and no longer being pestered to compare near identical color swatches. If you like coffee, and are a pour over aficionado from back in the day, maybe look into making Turkish coffee. It's a wonderfully analog experience with tons of variations you can experiment with. T
Hello, I will be happy to report back after I get everything setup and running. Take care and best wishes to you and yours! Cheers!!
Ugh… The Mahlkonig E65S GBW grinder is still on back order with no specific shipping date. Latest word is mid-January now, maybe, possibly, perhaps, might be… Cheers! “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Maranello’s Prancing Horses dance in my head”
Thanks for the offer, latest news is they are on the way to the US… Christmas is coming early it seems! Woo hoo!!! Cheers! “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”
Well, it’s Christmas Eve and no grinder has shown up. Who knows when it will arrive now. There is zero communication unless I call and run it down. Then, the information is not accurate. Ugh! “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”
Well, the Mahlkonig grinder has not shown up as of today, so I had to cancel the order and I’m looking for another espresso grinder! Cheers! “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”
After lots of looking , I decided to go with a 83mm flat burr Mazzer ZM grinder ($4,500 with the additional TitN but set for espresso). It is in stock in the U.S. and can ship in a few days. With all of the supply chain issues, it was not easy finding a grinder that was ready to ship. This baby is a heavyweight, weighing in at 77 pounds! Image Unavailable, Please Login “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”
Well, the Mazzer ZM was finally delivered… Viva Italia!!! I can’t wait to get everything setup and start pulling shots. Since the Dalla Corte Mina is also from Italy, my espresso bar will be a celebration of all things Italia. Image Unavailable, Please Login “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”
Thanks for your reply… I have a Hiroia scale (the one with a detachable magnetic screen) that is awesome. I do not have a WDT tool as yet. Do you have any recommendations? Seems like the 0.3 mm acupuncture needle equipped ones have a following. Cheers! “I see a line of Supercars and they’re all painted red… Visions of Prancing Horses dance in my head. I hear the screaming thunder of the four-point-five… A 9,000 redline makes you feel alive.”