Right. It's not that the Speedster is badly insulated compared to your average machine. But energy efficiency is becoming more and more important. Especially in the summertime, I notice the heat coming off the top.
MarkPrince Said:
Wow, that's pretty detailed - did you tell Kees this?
No. What I said is just standard industrial steam pipe technique, nothing special. But given the Speedster's components and proportions, it wouldn't be that easy to make the necessary change.
It's not a big deal; on my machine there's 1/3 to 1/2 of an ounce of condensate to flush out each time I steam. But it would be a touch nicer if there were virtually no condensate..
You probably will every once in a while, unless Kees has managed to get the logic fixed. There's a geeked-out mod that I could do on my machine to prevent it from happening, but I haven't yet got myself psyched up to start hacking the Speedster! :)
I do have to reiterate one critique about this machine that was so astutely observed in this review. It is a small point of contention but because everything else is so thoughtfully wrestled over, this blemish stands out like a cancer. I agree with the reviewer that the digital read-out does not fit this machine. Keeping with the retro feel, all dials need to be analog, end of argument.
Thanks again Mark, we all know you love the machine, perhaps you can comment on how well you like the espresso and how it compares to your other machines? What (besides BC) are you brewing and how are the shots? Body, flavor, crema lets hear it!
I'll never see a Speedster on my counter, but damn if it isn't a fine looking machine. Craftsmanship takes everything to the next level, Speedster is no exception. Excellent photos and article. What a lovely machine!
- lust / desirability / rarity factor - only six of them, there'll probably never be any more with the GS paddle group - the gs paddle group
There's actually several things knocking the 2001 version if you look at it objectively
- small boilers, esp. the steam boiler (the original GS machine had small brew and steam boilers in the 1gp) - old boilers - they are at least 20-25 years old; not stainless either - old parts - mechanical thermostats, aged lines, etc. - no temperature stability - quite difficult to get serviced - no spare parts
The new machine is absolutely state of the art inside; it features many things that the top tier machines have (Synesso, FB80, GB5, GS/3 etc) and also a few tricks that are entirely unique to the speedster. Parts are state of the art too - from steel boilers with double welding (inside and out), to the SSR relays for more reliability and longevity. Its preinfusion system is amongst the best in the industry currently, and in a way it is a poor man's pressure profiler machine (3-9-3bar).
New machine, no doubt.
BTW, there may be some confusion here? The analog stopwatch dials wouldn't replace the PID digital readout - the PID is that readout on front - that is the actual PID controller. I suppose Kees could put it inside and retrofit something more retro on the front. Maybe some of those oldschool nixie tube readouts!
Thanks Mark for the reply and for weighing the strengths and weaknesses between the 2001 and 2008 model. Rarity is great for investment purposes but the reason why I fell in love with this piece of machinery is because of its stunning retro look, artisinal precision, stealthy engineering, uumm, and because I like cappuccino. So it is the later model for me then too. Yes, it was the PID digital read-out that we have been talking about on the front so there was no confusion. The only confusion I have is how in the h*ll am I going to afford this masterpiece!
Do what I did - double your line of credit... works better if you have a long, good history with a credit union than an actual bank :)
BTW, it's now 2/5ths mine, 3/5th's still the bank's. I did save up about $150-$200 a month for it over a year and a half, but that wouldn't cover half the purchase price, much less the addl' shipping, setup costs.
could it have anymore smell of "mistral" or "49th parallel" on it, hmmmmm. BUT its a beautiful piece of espresso machine art that most every cafe owner would love to have!
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