Hot Water Delivery

Post by **Niko** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:27 pm

What is most you dispense from the hot water tap? Just curious if the automatic boiler refill replenishes fast enough to avoid damage to the heat element by exposing it for too long.
I've cranked out water by the pitcher-full (20+oz) out of my older S1 without issue to purge the boiler after it sits idle for periods of time but now I'm starting to worry about it. Not that anything has happened yet, the boiler seems to refill pretty quickly but I'm just cucrious what others think.

ScottW · Post by **ScottW** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:15 am

I've probably never drawn more than about 8oz at once, so I've not thought much about it.

I remember seeing a photo of the element... It was in this thread:
wforum/viewtopic.php?t=372

Most of the heat is going to be in the coil, and it appears it would be positioned at the very bottom of the boiler. Seems like it would be hard to pull enough water to actually get that low.

Post by **Niko** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:06 am

Yeah, I remember that thread...poor Tom.
I hate reading about machines that go bad over a simple thing like that.

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:13 am

I had a problem that I lived with for a very long time on my S1 until it got unbearable. When it first started, if I pulled the equivalent of 2 cups of water from the boiler the pump would run and run and after 1 minute the S1 would shut off with some combination of blinking lights. I'd have to pull the power cord and then reinsert before I could turn the S1 back on. Initially after turning the S1 back on the pump would only run for a second or two and then turn off.

By the end when I couldn't stand it any longer, it would do this after pulling less than a cup and require multiple power down/turn back on cycles to fill the boiler. During all of that, which spanned more than a year, I never fried the heating element.

It turns out that there is a gicleur in the water line to the steam boiler than had gotten clogged with mineral deposits. A quick scrape with the end of an ice pick and I was back in business. After that I could pull 2 cups of water or more and the pump would turn off in less than 5 seconds!

The bottom line is that the S1/VII definitely has some good safety mechanisms built-in to help prevent serious damage when problems occur though I'm sure there are probably some failure modes the designers didn't account for.

Post by **Niko** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:10 pm

I'd say it's pretty safe if it shuts down like that. I've pulled 20oz's at a time out of it before for french press coffee, it's quicker than heating water up in a kettle. I've taken gallons a day out of it before! One 20oz pitcher-full after another, over and over again at during parties without a glitch. I was just worried about stressing it out but it seems to handle this load just fine. Of course I waited some time between each pull so it wouldn't burn up anything.

Post by **Weska** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:13 pm

I concur that there seems to be no limit to how much you can drain from the hot water tap without fear. My mother-in-law had the notion that she could get a head start boiling her hot dogs by filling a saucepan with water from there.

Must have been a quart to a quart and a half, and it never occurred to me to put a stop to it. She got discouraged by how little volume you could get and have it stay really hot. Now she is back to using the stove exclusively.

On the other hand, recovery after one of these episodes was very swift. Hot dogs are for breakfast, and I often enough came right behind one of those Vivaldi drainings to make a cappuccino. Never once had to wait.

Post by **Niko** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:27 pm

My wife steals water also from the Viv to speed up the boiling process for her cooking, she confessed the other day. She likes it when I leave the machine on.
I have changed the program on the VII to stay on most of the day, 6:30 - 9:00am and then 4:15 - 10:00pm, this way it's used for more than just coffee.
I didn't realize how much I actually use the hot water tap on it until now. I use it to clean my PF, fill a small pot with Cafiza for cleanings, tea, press coffee, hot cereal/oatmeal, soup, the list can go on...and on.

Post by **woodchuck** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:46 am

I use the hot water tap quite often but mostly just to pull about 4 ounces of water for an Americano.

Post by **Niko** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 12:04 pm

Ian,
Pardon my ignorance but what do those taste like? I know what an Americano is and I've actually made them for guests on request but I've never physically had one. To me it seemed like a sin to water down my beautiful espresso shots...
but hey, if they taste good

, I might try one soon.

Post by **woodchuck** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:24 pm

Taste great and a bit more volume for travelling. I like to have one when I'm headed out the door. Also for SO's they are great! Espresso some times brings out the worst in a bright bean but the Americanos tame the front end.

Cheers

Ian

Post by **Niko** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:25 pm

Nice.
Now that you mention it, I have just the bean for it.

Post by **coffeeowl** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:23 pm

Niko,
how is your Americano?

Personally I love Americanos.
My first ever encounter with espresso coffee was an Americano. I remember asking three times for the name of the drink to be sure to mention correctly what I want the next time :)

Still it is what I drink most often. Bigger, smaller, stronger...

Post by **Niko** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:32 pm

I have yet to drink my own Americanos

I make them every week for someone and they absolutely love them!
I should be drinking the stuff I create just to see what it's like...the Cappuccinos are excellent and of course it's the straight espresso I'm addicted to :P

Post by **coffeeowl** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:07 pm

espresso - sure, it's my second place (ok, I admit there are times that it's the number one)
I just don't drink milk so I haven't had a cappucino yet.

I'm hoping to get a job in a cafe, so probably I'll have to try one (or several ones)
I love coffee!!!