Mini VII User's Manual Posted

[chas]

I have posted the Mini VII User's Manual on the S1 VII Website at the link below. I am in the process of more completely converting the S1 VII website to also include the Mini.

Next I will update the VII User's Manual to include new information I discovered while researching for the Mini VII manual.

s1v2/MiniV2Manual/Mini%20V2%20Owner%27s%20Manual.pdf

[Niko]

Nice job!

[Endo]

That's great! I'll be reading it in detail over the next few days.

You seem to have covered everything missing in the original manual I received.

You might want to fix the blinding flash on page 10 on a few photos. I would also add some other units for water hardness (mg/L and ppm) since many people use these with their hardness testers.

Lastly, if you want to fancy, a link to some videos on Chris's website for things that don't read easily (like backflushing), would be real helpful.

[Niko]

I (or someone here) can make a detailed backflushing video if you'd like, Endo.

[chas]

That would be a good idea. I am certainly not aware of any such videos on the CC website.

[Niko]

OK.
A backflushing video will be made.

[zoey]

(I only did a cursory quick reading so this may be covered.) Was there any mention of a suggested starting point for group pressures?

I was thinking that it would be really cool to have some pseudo specific reference points in the manual. What I mean by this is that it always seems like there is information missing in manuals. For instance, "How many grams of coffee should I use in my particular basket?" I know that in this case the amount varies, but when I was a brand spanking new owner, I had no idea. I've had to go to the internet for all of the information 'missing' from the manual.

Just looking for some generalized, ballpark information. A starting point if you will. Answers to all of those questions not addressed in the manual.


Looks like you did a great job and I really appreciate your hard work!

[Endo]

Very true. We often forget to mention the obvious things that frustrate the new user (like dosing quantity). But also for more complicated stuff (like the stuff on the cheat sheet that involves buttons and LEDs....I hate reading that stuff when a simple video demo would be so much easier).

When I bought my Rancilio Silvia, I found the Silvia video by Mark Prince on YouTube to be incredibly helpful. It's just a simple walkthrough showing the basic features and how to pull your first shot, but I must have watched it 20 times and learned a lot of subtle but useful tips.

I also like the "how to" videos at Whole Latte Love. I can't see why Chris doesn't have a few of these for his big sellers (like the S1) and maybe on his FAQ page as well.

[Niko]

CC does link to this website on the S1 page.
It's up to us to do something video-wise
After all, we are a community, right?
What other kinds of stuff would you guys like to see on video?
So far we've got backflushing to work on and I suppose a "how to" change settings on the control pad would be good.
I haven't read the Mini manual in detail yet but I assume there are some slight differences.
Pulling your 1st shot on a Vivaldi should be headache-free but we should point out that two warming flushes are necessary to warm up an idle group, it's little subtle things like this that make a huge difference in the cup. I remember a really old thread on this forum that talks about how the 2nd shot always taste better than the first, that had a lot to do with the group not being warmed up and the grinds that sat in the grinder throat overnight.

[JohnB]

I remember a really old thread on this forum that talks about how the 2nd shot always taste better than the first, that had a lot to do with the group not being warmed up and the grinds that sat in the grinder throat overnight.

Doesn't everyone vacuum out their grinders before they go to bed??

[Niko]

[zoey]

I never have grounds in the grinder/hopper. I grind to order and my beans are stored in an air-tight container.

[chas]

I created a major update to the VII Manual today by cut and pasting new info I discovered while doing the Mini VII manual last week. In the process I discovered some typos in the VII Mini Manual that I corrected. The new version is posted on the S1 VII Website.

[Endo]

I made some corrections to the flow diagram in the manual based on what I saw last time I took it apart (see new green lines).

Basically I have the pump feeding a "X" or 4-way rather than a "T#1" or 3-way. Also, the group gauge is attached to a "T#3" just before the Solenoid A (This T is missing on my Mini mk1). The OPV flow goes back to T#2 in front of the pump.

Flow Diagram Correction

flow.jpg (39.98 KiB) Viewed 16284 times

[JohnB]

I created a major update to the VII Manual today by cut and pasting new info I discovered while doing the Mini VII manual last week.

What page is this on? I skimmed through but didn't see anything new.

[chas]

Relative to the previous version of the manual, there are updates or complete replacements on pages 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26.

[JohnB]

Relative to the previous version of the manual, there are updates or complete replacements on pages 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26.

Are you getting kickbacks from the toner suppliers?

Ok, I looked & couldn't find 90% of the changes so I'll save the toner. What about the newly discovered lower temp mode?

[chas]

What about the newly discovered lower temp mode?

I'll definitely get to it before St Patrick's Day.

[chas]

A new version Rev B, dated 2/7/09, is posted on the VII/VII Mini Site. It documents the Extreme Temperature Setting mode that lets you reprogram the 91C button up to 3C lower in 1C increments and also allows you to program the 97C button up to 3C hotter in 1C increments.

I also updated the water flow diagram per the info provided by Endo.