Sent back my Mini

[RobertK]

So, I after tons of research I settled on a Vivaldi but had to get the Mini as there was no way I'd drill through granite countertops to get the water there. I did have a 20 amp outlet installed. Well when the machine arrived it was not nearly as "mini" as I thought it would be - I had to rearrange my whole kitchen and find a different place for it. But guess what, in the process I discovered a narrow gap behind the built-in cook top that I had never seen before (after living here 3.5 years) - just wide enough for a 1/4" water line! I was able to drill holes to run a flexible line from the water filter under the sink, behind the dishwasher, under the cabinets, up behind the stove, and out to the counter for the Vivaldi. There will be just a skinny black hose on the back of the countertop running over to the machine. So I'm pretty psyched, just waiting for the new one to get here next week. Had to install another 20A outlet in the new place, but who cares? I get the rotary pump and no water changes - I was actually a little worried about running the Mini on a timer - if I forgot to add enough water the night before it could run dry. Plus, I can finally stop drinking the swill coming from my 10 year old Starbucks machine. :D Anyway, I'm getting tired of waiting for my new toy to arrive so I just thought I'd share that with y'all. I figured you don't want to see pictures of my empty countertop, though. I appreciate the feedback I've already gotten here so far, and I imagine there will soon be requests for more!
Robert

[JohnB]

After seeing the title of your thread I expected to read about serious problems with the Mini that made you return it. Glad to see it's just an exchange for the S1 V2. It won't be any smaller then the Mini but the S1 is a great machine & much quieter. Friends seem quite impressed when they see it sitting on the counter & ask me if I'm opening a Cafe. I guess I've just gotten used to the size but I figure if I'm going to spend $2000+ on a coffee maker I want it to stand out in the kitchen. I even added taller legs to mine to bring it up off the counter more.

P.S. Nice dog, we just got an English Springer 3 weeks ago today.

[RobertK]

And I figure if I'm going to spend $2K+ on a coffee machine I'd better get it right when choosing which version of the machine to install! I was actually thrilled to notice what I would normally consider a sloppy installation of my stove and countertop and delighted to crawl under my kitchen counter with a drill in my hand and a kink in my neck. Plus, I will now have a corner of the kitchen dedicated to espresso without worrying about other things impinging in on the space - I think it will work out much better this way!

[JohnB]

And I figure if I'm going to spend $2K+ on a coffee machine I'd better get it right when choosing which version of the machine to install!

I originally bought a Vetrano but returned it after 10 days of use & got the S1 V2. When you are spending that much you want something you will be happy with for years with no excuses. I was lucky in that our counter is old so cutting a hole was no big deal. The entire kitchen will be moving to a different part of the house in the next year or two so I'll be building a dedicated coffee bar (Espresso Shrine) at that time.

[RobertK]

I ordered a Coffeelab tamper, too (black anodized). Will stick with my Rocky doserless grinder, for now at least.

P.S. Congrats on the new puppy! :)

[JohnB]

You won't be disappointed with the Tasmanian Tamper! Since getting mine I haven't touched either of the other two tampers I have.