barikman Senior Member Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 101 Location: Swindon (U.K.) Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia TD 2 Group Commercial Grinder: La Spaziale Lusso, Fracino... Vac Pot: Cona, Santos Drip: Swissgold individual cup Roaster: Hottop (with variac!!) since...
Posted Tue Feb 25, 2003, 3:13pm Subject: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
Hi
Following up on another_jim's excellent advice recently I've been shortlisting dealers that I felt comfortable with as part of the selection process for the E61 machine I want to replace my La Pavoni Professional.
Then I made an interesting discovery. The Wega Mini Nova is no longer listed by some sites in the U.S. (although the Google listing of the relevant pages is still present). Those sites in the U.S. and the U.K. (where I am) that do list it seem to be discounting it heavily. I could get a plumbed rotary pump semi-auto version for GBP 821 whilst I'm being quoted GBP 1051 for the ECM Giotto and pretty much exactly the same for the Isomac Tea. All prices are on the same basis i.e. include U.K. VAT.
Does anyone know whether this machine is being discontinued, if Wega is going down the tubes or what? Sorry, but the above triggered my suspicious b*stard reflex. If neither of the above is true then this seems like one hell of a deal.
jim_schulman Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 3,772 Location: Chicago Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Tue Feb 25, 2003, 5:48pm Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
The Wega is considered a truely excellent machine, and the one with the rotary pump has always been though to be a cut above the Giotto/Tea/Livia style machines.
The recent deep discounting of these machines has been surprising, and I don't know the reason for it. It may simply be unpopularity and the rather steep price it had originally.
I'd be very curious to hear anything you find out.
Posted Wed Feb 26, 2003, 9:03am Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
I recently noticed that espressoparts.com is selling a rotarty version of the Wega Lyra. My guess is this machine is going to be replacing the rotary mini nova. It's much better looking, all stainless, and I think it's listed at $1,599, which isn't much more than what the mini nova rotary was selling for.
milnerb1 Senior Member Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 390 Location: Lake Tapps, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Vivaldi II, Isomac Tea,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini, Solis Mulino Roaster: Behmor 1600, BBQ drum,...
Posted Wed Feb 26, 2003, 1:12pm Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
coffeejunkie Said:
I recently noticed that espressoparts.com is selling a rotarty version of the Wega Lyra. My guess is this machine is going to be replacing the rotary mini nova. It's much better looking, all stainless, and I think it's listed at $1,599, which isn't much more than what the mini nova rotary was selling for.
I can confirm this, having recently been to espressoparts.com and talked with Terry. The Lyra is really the replacement for the Mininova. In fact, I believe he was sending his last Mininova out the day I chatted with him.
Having seen the Lyra internals, I must say I was impressed with it. It had some unique design characteristics as I recall (they may only be unique to the prosumer machine market though).
As I recall, the most unique feature was that it had a 'split' boiler design and it was made of stainless steel. I believe this is similar to a dual boiler. The only other machine that I'm aware of with a Stainless Steel boiler is the American-made Astra.
It also had a rotary pump that was adjutable. The inner components were top quality (all copper lines, clean quality construction).
I'd be really interested to hear how this machine performs.
barikman Senior Member Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 101 Location: Swindon (U.K.) Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia TD 2 Group Commercial Grinder: La Spaziale Lusso, Fracino... Vac Pot: Cona, Santos Drip: Swissgold individual cup Roaster: Hottop (with variac!!) since...
Posted Thu Feb 27, 2003, 3:25am Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
milnerb1 Said:
I can confirm this, having recently been to espressoparts.com and talked with Terry. The Lyra is really the replacement for the Mininova. In fact, I believe he was sending his last Mininova out the day I chatted with him.
That's interesting. If you look on the Wega web site there is no reference to a Lyra, but there is a machine called "Mininova inox 2002 " link which looks exactly like the pictures of the Lyra on the U.S. sites I've visited. To some extent then, this may be a re-branding exercise as well as a model update or replacement.
I have sent an email enquiry to the U.K. importer / reseller (Pennine Tea & Coffee) asking about the machine they're selling. While I wait for their reply, what's the general view on buying last year's model at a discount? Jim says that it's a great machine anyway, for me it's (relatively) cheap as well so I guess the issues would have to be long term parts availability and whether the newer machine is enough of a step forward to have a discernable and worthwhile effect on my shots. The aesthetics aren't that big an issue for me.
milnerb1 Senior Member Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 390 Location: Lake Tapps, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Vivaldi II, Isomac Tea,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini, Solis Mulino Roaster: Behmor 1600, BBQ drum,...
Posted Thu Feb 27, 2003, 7:23am Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
barikman Said:
That's interesting. If you look on the Wega web site there is no reference to a Lyra, but there is a machine called "Mininova inox 2002 " link which looks exactly like the pictures of the Lyra on the U.S. sites I've visited. To some extent then, this may be a re-branding exercise as well as a model update or replacement.
...what's the general view on buying last year's model at a discount? ...I guess the issues would have to be long term parts availability and whether the newer machine is enough of a step forward to have a discernable and worthwhile effect on my shots. The aesthetics aren't that big an issue for me.
I would suspect that the machine on the WEGA web site is essentially the same as the Lrya. It probably is a re-branding.
My understanding (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) is that most of the parts in these prosumer machines are commercial parts. In other words, the parts are readily available because they are interchangeable with other prosumer machines and the larger commercial market.
So, if asthetics are not a big issue and you have the opportunity to get a great deal on last year's model, I'd go for it, epecially if the key parts are the same (i.e. grouphead, pump, boiler size, etc.). It sounds like the boiler design might have changed on the Lyra, but hopefully the manufacturer will know.
jim_schulman Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 3,772 Location: Chicago Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Thu Feb 27, 2003, 9:41am Subject: Re: What's with the Wega Mini Nova?
milnerb1 Said:
So, if asthetics are not a big issue and you have the opportunity to get a great deal on last year's model, I'd go for it, epecially if the key parts are the same (i.e. grouphead, pump, boiler size, etc.). It sounds like the boiler design might have changed on the Lyra, but hopefully the manufacturer will know.
I have no idea what role boiler design, apart from the volume for steaming, and the heat-exchanger design for the coffee, and the heater size for recovery, plays in the final product.
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