Hi - I just upgraded my PID Silvia to a new Mini VII from Chris Coffee. From my first 12 hours of use, I must say I'm very happy with my decision. I've lurked on here in the past and have already put some of the tips suggested by all of you to use.
Now to relearn how to steam milk... This was my first attempt at art with the new equipment and it went pretty well. The next several attempts were quite poor.
New Mini VII Owner
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JohnB
Re: New Mini VII Owner
Welcome!! What does the current Mini come with for a steaming wand & tip?
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Dodger1
Re: New Mini VII Owner
Welcome. I've had my Mini II for about 5 months now and I'm still pleased as punch with it.
What tips have you put to use already?
What tips have you put to use already?
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pmRider
Re: New Mini VII Owner
The 'new' mini still uses the original steam wand (not a no-burn) and it appears to be a 4 hole .9mm tip. The lever is basically all or nothing and it is a bit much for the amount of milk I use for a single 5.5oz cap. I'm still getting inconsistent results. I'm not painting myself with foam, but I basically can't stretch the milk without making a mess. Maybe I'll have to go with more milk?
Quick question - I'm have the mechanical pre-infusion and have the double shot set for 3oz. It was set for 2oz when I got the machine and my first shot was less than an ounce - I assume due to the volume that goes into the pre-infusion chamber. What is the best volume for that mode? My double shots are averaging between 1.3 -2oz. Do different beans have that much of an affect on how much ends up in the glass? I'm switching between fresh home roasted decaf and non-decaf blends from Sweet Maria's.
As for some of the tips I've put to use, I completely took the casing off before using to make sure there were no loose connections. Then I removed most of the annoying stickers from the front plate. I also learned to purge the wand for a good 4 sec before steaming to get a consistent pressure of 1.1 bar - which is still much more than I'm used to.
Anyway - I guess my learning is still in infancy.
Quick question - I'm have the mechanical pre-infusion and have the double shot set for 3oz. It was set for 2oz when I got the machine and my first shot was less than an ounce - I assume due to the volume that goes into the pre-infusion chamber. What is the best volume for that mode? My double shots are averaging between 1.3 -2oz. Do different beans have that much of an affect on how much ends up in the glass? I'm switching between fresh home roasted decaf and non-decaf blends from Sweet Maria's.
As for some of the tips I've put to use, I completely took the casing off before using to make sure there were no loose connections. Then I removed most of the annoying stickers from the front plate. I also learned to purge the wand for a good 4 sec before steaming to get a consistent pressure of 1.1 bar - which is still much more than I'm used to.
Anyway - I guess my learning is still in infancy.
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JohnB
Re: New Mini VII Owner
I never use the volumetric buttons to determine the shot length. One is progammed for the 2oz warming flush & the other is set to 4oz so I can cut the shot when I think it is done. Are you changing the grind when you change beans?
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pmRider
Re: New Mini VII Owner
Yes - I change the grind between every different bean. The decaf needs to be at least 3 notches finer than the non-decaf so that I can get a reasonable 25 sec pull. I think I'll probably end up doing the same thing you do with the double shot volume - but I'm just messing around with the machine now. It's way too much fun... 
I suppose I should stick with one type of bean for a while until I learn the in's and out's of this machine. Maybe I should roast more than 200g at a time.
I suppose I should stick with one type of bean for a while until I learn the in's and out's of this machine. Maybe I should roast more than 200g at a time.
Re: New Mini VII Owner
What did you conclude from this pmRider? I just got my VII and I found the same thing...had to increase the volume output to 3oz to get out 1.5-2. Are you still on that setting or have you figured it out.pmRider wrote:Quick question - I'm have the mechanical pre-infusion and have the double shot set for 3oz. It was set for 2oz when I got the machine and my first shot was less than an ounce - I assume due to the volume that goes into the pre-infusion chamber. What is the best volume for that mode? My double shots are averaging between 1.3 -2oz. Do different beans have that much of an affect on how much ends up in the glass? I'm switching between fresh home roasted decaf and non-decaf blends from Sweet Maria's.
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Red Vivaldi II (c2009)
K30 Vario
Red Vivaldi II (c2009)
K30 Vario
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JmanEspresso
Re: New Mini VII Owner
If you want to use the volumetric buttons "as they're intended", you need to program them while you're pulling a shot.
Setting it by the volume of water that comes out when flushing, wont work properly.
Most people see to set up one of the buttons for 4oz, and the other to 2oz. They use the 4oz for shots, and stop them manually, and the 2oz for all the flushes and cleaning.
I personally decided to program my buttons "properly" tonight. Thought Id try it out. The 1Cup is set to bit over 2oz of liquid, for flushes/cleaning. The 2Cup is programmed to pull a shot and stop on time. Now.. if you want to have one, or both of you buttons programmed so they pull shots and stop on time, you will need to re-program them often. Idk if Ill keep it like this, but I thought Id at least try it out. It'd be cool if the Vivaldi had three volumetric buttons. 2 programmable, and 1 continuous. Then, one could be for flushes, the other could be programmed for shots, and the continuous could be to pull shots on "manual" mode. Though, Ill take 1Degree Fahrenheit temp adjustment over that any day of the week. (Chris, if you're reading this, I will pay for the upgrade!)
Setting it by the volume of water that comes out when flushing, wont work properly.
Most people see to set up one of the buttons for 4oz, and the other to 2oz. They use the 4oz for shots, and stop them manually, and the 2oz for all the flushes and cleaning.
I personally decided to program my buttons "properly" tonight. Thought Id try it out. The 1Cup is set to bit over 2oz of liquid, for flushes/cleaning. The 2Cup is programmed to pull a shot and stop on time. Now.. if you want to have one, or both of you buttons programmed so they pull shots and stop on time, you will need to re-program them often. Idk if Ill keep it like this, but I thought Id at least try it out. It'd be cool if the Vivaldi had three volumetric buttons. 2 programmable, and 1 continuous. Then, one could be for flushes, the other could be programmed for shots, and the continuous could be to pull shots on "manual" mode. Though, Ill take 1Degree Fahrenheit temp adjustment over that any day of the week. (Chris, if you're reading this, I will pay for the upgrade!)