The S1 Cafe - Helping Your Espresso Dreams Become Reality

So has anyone found a timer they'd recommend that won't scratch the chrome or fall off when you push the buttons? Niko & Chas are you still using this one?
http://www.amazon.com/CDN-TM14-S-Digita ... 37&sr=1-13

This one seems popular but I could live without the red:
http://www.amazon.com/CDN-TM10L-Digital ... pd_sim_k_1

The screen on my West Bend is fading away so I need to find something soon.

JohnB wrote:The screen on my West Bend is fading away so I need to find something soon.

Could this just be the battery(ies) going dead; or are the timers as cheap or cheaper than replacement batteries?

I think you are correct about the batteries. That's what LCD panels do when the voltage starts to get low. There is not enough electric field to fully rotate the liquid crystals in order to polarize the light and appear black.

Batteries that are weakening anyway are especially suspectible to low temperature and I think John keep shis house about 50F in the winter

As to the other timers in John's list. I have one of each. I still use the first one on the S1. The rubber magnet keeps the surface scratch free and if you hit the button dead on it doesn't fly off the machine.

To use the vernacular, the other one blows. It has a metal magnet - as least the one I have does. It scratches AND falls off.

Fresh battery a couple weeks ago & it seems to be intermittent. I checked it an hour ago & all was normal. As to my house temp we are the envy of all my friends that live in modern houses & heat with oil or gas. I go to their house in the winter & I leave my coat on. Since I heat with a big Jotul woodstove its 75*-80* all the time in the living area. No heat in the bedroom so it should be nice and cool this weekend when it gets down below 0*F outside. Good for sleeping with a cap on!

I just use the stopwatch function of a digital watch, which I found in a car park (sans the wrist strap).

80degF would bake me like a toaster oven! 62F is what our thermostat is set at (of course, this is until the wife comes home and cranks the heat up).

zoey wrote:I just use the stopwatch function of a digital watch, which I found in a car park (sans the wrist strap).

80degF would bake me like a toaster oven! 62F is what our thermostat is set at (of course, this is until the wife comes home and cranks the heat up).

It's only 75*F in here right now (10*F outside) but I'm wearing a sweatshirt to tough it out. 62*F!! You must be heating with oil or gas. Heating oil went down around here but propane is still high.

The timer seems fine today but I'm wondering about the Rayovac Batteries we bought recently. Put new ones in my scale about the same time & its not holding a fixed reading half the time. It either keeps going up or down a 10th of a gram at a time.

Are you kidding me? I'm not sticking things on the front of my new machine like it was a cheap fridge and scratching it all up !

I just have a nice little standup timer (see white object on shelf in picture on right). I move it around for timing roasts, etc.

I'll use any timer to cover up the "S1" logo, it's not ugly anymore - it's just plain HUGE
I still use that first timer that John posted a link to, it's small but I still manage to launch it off the machine whenever I'm in a hurry.

Niko wrote:I'll use any timer to cover up the "S1" logo, it's not ugly anymore - it's just plain HUGE
I still use that first timer that John posted a link to, it's small but I still manage to launch it off the machine whenever I'm in a hurry.

I wish the crappy baskets got as much attention as the S1 logo. I'm way more interested in getting taste improvements.

I use the silver one posted at the beginning of the thread. Attached over the SI logo also. Easy to reach and see. However it is indeed easily dislodged until you learn to be a little careful.

I think I found a good candidate. It is made by Thermor under the Bios Exactly brand: Bios Profesionnal Mini Kitchen Timer 138HC.
It is about 2 1/2 x 1 3/4, counts up and down, has a small magnet on the back and is wrapped in a silicon layer (scratch free). Its dark gray / chrome-like colors match the machine perfectly. I bought it for 5$ at a local specialized profesionnal kitchen store.

Louis wrote:I think I found a good candidate. It is made by Thermor under the Bios Exactly brand: Bios Profesionnal Mini Kitchen Timer 138HC.

It is about 2 1/2 x 1 3/4, counts up and down, has a small magnet on the back and is wrapped in a silicon layer (scratch free). Its dark gray / chrome-like colors match the machine perfectly. I bought it for 5$ at a local specialized profesionnal kitchen store.

That's something I wished would've entered my mind when I started using my timer. I had no idea that those rubberized magnets could scratch. Now I have several hairline scratches next to the S1 on the front panel. Boo-hoo!

I just used some clear packaging tape and put a small square section over my S! emblem. Then, I did the same to my bare magnet. I have zero scratches due to my timer.

Similar here I just taped over the magnet. Good old scotch tape.

But Louis candidate looks good. The only problem is the start button is fairly small and will require attention. I often start and stop without looking at the unit, so I like a big start/stop button. I use the larger brother from Bios for my roasting setup and it has worked flawlessly for a few years. I would expect similar performance from the smaller unit.

peter wrote:That's something I wished would've entered my mind when I started using my timer. I had no idea that those rubberized magnets could scratch. Now I have several hairline scratches next to the S1 on the front panel. Boo-hoo!

The magnet is slightly recessed and shouldn't scratch anything. A patch of Scotch tape would add another layer of safety.

I got this magnetic one. Just the right size and one big button. Counts up by default. Just press the sec or min button to use as a countdown timer (for the roasting, cooking, etc).

$8 I think. Not scratches yet.

Just got new shot timer from Amazon for my S1. Excellent. Gotta love the magnets!
Polder 561-90 Round Digital Kitchen Timer. $13.97.

I got a cheap shot timer off Ebay - it works a treat and fits very neatly into the space over the S1 sticker on the Vivaldi (like it was made for this purpose). It also has a magnet in the back of it and sticks reasonably well to the Vivaldi facia panel.

No cheap ones on Ebay at the moment but the timer is available cheap here (is probably available at a lot of places): http://www.ebest24.co.uk/digital-timer- ... -4021.html

Very simple operation, counts up or down (I use it as my main kitchen timer given it's always there). I put some clear packaging tape on the back of the timer and it has not scratched the Vivaldi at all.

I use the same one as Endo's.

It works great but... notice the back of that timer is curved so when first using it, it's easy to knock it off the machine when
pushing the buttons. Fortunately it hasn't break yet and it's no longer falling off, unless friends come
over and insist on pushing the buttons. I also use some tape on the back of the magnet and so far no scratches.

Also, there's no way to power it off, the lcd is always on displaying whatever it was left at last. So far 6 months
and battery still going...

Bah, I have an embossed logo in that spot. I might have to use double sided sticky tape.

I'm sure many would trade machines to help you out :-)

how about a flexible fridge magnet on first then timer on top? Gotta try that myself...

I was at the fancy kitchen store called Ayres yesterday and found the Bios timer Louis uses. Look pretty nice I think with my "black and chrome" theme I have going. (Ikea LEDs still going strong too....love those).

Endo wrote:I was at the fancy kitchen store called Ayres yesterday and found the Bios timer Louis uses. Look pretty nice I think with my "black and chrome" theme I have going. (Ikea LEDs still going strong too....love those).

Looks as good as mine, but you should certainly reduce your shot timing, as is seems a bit off the traditional espresso times... (a bit on the lungo side...)

Louis wrote: Looks as good as mine, but you should certainly reduce your shot timing, as is seems a bit off the traditional espresso times... (a bit on the lungo side...)

Doubles as a 15 minute Cremina warmup timer.

Louis wrote:I think I found a good candidate. It is made by Thermor under the Bios Exactly brand: Bios Profesionnal Mini Kitchen Timer 138HC.
It is about 2 1/2 x 1 3/4, counts up and down, has a small magnet on the back and is wrapped in a silicon layer (scratch free). Its dark gray / chrome-like colors match the machine perfectly. I bought it for 5$ at a local specialized profesionnal kitchen store.

Does anyone know where I can purchase the BIO Mini 138HC timer? I did a search on Google and it didn't give me anything solid. Also tried to contact the manufacturer through their website but they haven't responded when I inquired a week ago. TIA!