The S1 Cafe - Helping Your Espresso Dreams Become Reality

Maybe this isn't really a 'day one issue' but more so a design flaw in my opinion. The steam arm really doesn't have too much clearance to move around on the Dream before it hits the top front cover. Also the stem arm/knob assembly feels pretty flimsy compared to the Vivaldi steam knob/arm. I really liked the the steam assembly on the Vivaldi...maybe it can be retrofitted?

The whole steam knob/valve and wand ball/socket mechanism is new, so it is bound to feel a bit different.

My guess is they moved it up a bit so that the requested "longer steam wand" can now clear the drip tray. By doing so, it seems the right angle bend at the top now clashed with the front panel. Not so nice indeed!

It also looks like the ball/socket mechanism is smaller than before. The old one was very robustand probably came from one of their bigger commercial machines. They likely found something cheaper (that is used in the home espresso market) to save a few bucks and pay for the LCD panel. I notice the new ball/socket is plated and smaller than my old brass version. This likely explains the easier twisting (since it doesn't need to stand up to repeated commercial use).

I can't see how you would retrofit the old one, since this is all one unit.

Endo wrote:The whole steam knob/valve and wand ball/socket mechanism is new, so it is bound to feel a bit different.

My guess is they moved it up a bit so that the requested "longer steam wand" can now clear the drip tray. By doing so, it seems the right angle bend at the top now clashed with the front panel. Not so nice indeed!

It also looks like the ball/socket mechanism is smaller than before. The old one was very robustand probably came from one of their bigger commercial machines. They likely found something cheaper (that is used in the home espresso market) to save a few bucks and pay for the LCD panel. I notice the new ball/socket is plated and smaller than my old brass version. This likely explains the easier twisting (since it doesn't need to stand up to repeated commercial use).

I can't see how you would retrofit the old one, since this is all one unit.

I had CCS swap out my steam wand/ball/socket before I picked it up with the same one that is installed on the 2012 Vivaldi II machines; the longer S5 steam arm. So the one I have on my machine is the same robust one that the newest Vivaldi and S5's come with. The actual wand itself is nice and heavy duty...its just the mounting bracket that its attached to that does not feel secure/robust. The longer steam arm does tuck nicely without any issue since the Dream's connection point is located further up inside the back of the front cover as you mentioned. The issue with clearance now is the s-curve of the steam wand hitting the lower front cover.....same issue for my longer steam arm and the shorter ones that come stock.

I think the mounting plate could have been secured better so that the whole assembly doesn't wiggle....might ask CCS to take a look into this. The mounting plate could be made of a thicker guage steel to firm it up, easy solution. Small mounting issue which really makes the steam arm feel cheaper than it should. Its got a nice robust feel otherwise. I do like the actual rubber textured steam knob much, much better on the Vivaldi though.