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| Comment by jim_schulman, Feb 27, 2003, 10:34pm |
Terrific Review, thanks
Jim Schulman |
| Excellent Review; some suggestions |
| Comment by champignon, Feb 28, 2003, 6:34pm |
Hi Rick,
Here are two things you can do now at very minimal expense that may enhance your espresso/cappucino making experience:
(1) There are generic 58mm baskets that are slightly wider and a bit deeper than the genuine La Cimbali ones; I'm using those exclusively now in my Jr. The Cimbali stock double PF baskets, as you note, will only hold 15g of coffee; the type I'm referring to will hold 17g, and I think they produce better shots. These generic baskets make a tight fit into the Cimbali PFs, but once you get the knack of them they go in fairly easily. If you get these, you may end up wanting to use generic group gaskets from the same place you get the baskets from. I got mine from EPNW in Washington State. The reason for using the non-Cimbali gaskets with the non-Cimbali baskets is that there is a slightly different shape of the generic baskets (they are more rounded at top where they meet the gasket) and you can get leaks if you don't have gaskets that match your baskets, so to say!
(2) A couple of years ago Cimbali came up with new steam arm assemblies that have new steam tips; the new tips are backwards compatible with the old arms, so there is no need to replace the whole arm if you change the tip. I never could do a decent job of steaming milk with the old tips, of which there are 2 types, both of which spray the milk all over your kitchen in my experience. The new tip, which is larger, and screws in where the old one screws off, is a dream in comparison. I paid about $20 US for mine, and ever since I replaced the tip I started getting Microfoam. If you do a search on this site for articles written by Aaron DeLazzer of your own fair city, you will find he makes the same observation: the older Cimbali tips can't foam, but the new SS ones are champs.
Good luck!
ken |
| A great leap |
| Comment by MarkPrince, May 26, 2003, 10:49am |
Great review Rick, and wow, quite the leap up in machines. Have you looked into if this machine can be "upgraded" with a rotary pump?
Also, what's the score on the eBay fraud thing? I'm hearing more and more about these kinds of espresso commercial machine deals where the products definitely are not "as advertised". |
| Ugrade? Fraud? |
| Comment by Rick, May 26, 2003, 11:53am |
I have looked into the potential for upgrading by adding a rotary pump. There's definitely enough room inside, and it looks as though it would work. However, I want to get to know the machine better before trying it. I also have some questions about whether a straight swap from a vibe pump to a rotary would also require other changes--gicleur, pressure reduction valve, or ?
On the fraud front, I did follow up with eBay, PayPal and Square Trade, and got nowhere. The seller just denied everything, in spite of my providing photographic evidence of condition. I suspect that these services don't do anything unless the seller agrees to participate in arbitration or one party defaults totally on the deal. Partial defaults, like sending a machine which is not as described, seems to be beyond their willingness to get involved.
I would be much more careful if I were to buy another machine off eBay. I would go with an escrow service or not at all. I had a chance to bid on a Junior that the seller claimed had just been reconditioned, and he was willing to go escrow. That would have given me the option to refuse payment if, upon inspection, the machine was not as advertised. I'll be wiser next time. |
| Volumetric Pump |
| Comment by spes, Aug 14, 2003, 7:53am |
I bought reciently a Junior D and I am enjoying the experience fully.
In addition of having bought it in an auction for U$S 400 (third world has it's advantages (I live in Montevideo-Uruguay)), the quality of the machine is all one can ask for.
After having tested it and asked some other Uruguayan espresso enthusiasts y decided to change the pump to a volumetric one.
The only change that is important to mention is that you will need to add a retention valve in the output pipe of the pump (right at the pumps output). The original vibratory pump acts because of its constrution as a retainer valve, which is not the case of the volumetric pump.
If you dont put this valve, the group will get empty as the heat build up increases inside the heat exchanger.
I even mantained the original output pipe of the vibratory pump.
Is overall an easy job.
If you really are considering the change I can give you more details about it.
You can really see the difference, in addition of being able of regulating the pressure of the pump with presition and the delightfull sound of it.
Good luck |
| Response to Spes |
| Comment by Rick, Aug 14, 2003, 8:17am |
Hi J,
Thanks for your suggestion. Wow! This is great information! Yes, I would love to hear more about your replacement of the vibe pump with the volumetric. I can't find your email address anywhere, so I hope you read this.
Rick |
| modification of the Cimbali Junior D: |
| Comment by spes, Oct 15, 2003, 12:53pm |
Regarding my modification of the Cimbali Junior D:
I found an inquiery made by Christian Holm from Denmark and he was asking about the same modification as you did. I am copying the ansewer, hope it is usefull to you too.
Best Regards
Juan Enrique
Montevideo, Uruguay
First of all, I needed to find the smallest pump/motor assembly available, due to the limited space inside the machine. As our machine is a 1 group, the smallest rotary pump assembly available for espresso machines was enought regarding power and volume displaced. It is important that you measure carefully the space available to place the new pump/motor. Also take good measures of the pump/motor itself PRIOR of buying it. I placed the new motor where the Ulka pump was, so take good care in measuring the space available and taking in account that the pipe that conects to the bottom of the boiler might get in the way. I also didnīt want to get rid of the volumetric programmer that the machine includes, as one technician advised me.
In my case I was very lucky, because this kind of pumps are not very common in the local market.
What I did, and taking into consideration that I didnīt wanted to end up with a useless machine, was to take good care in making each step of the modification reversible, so that there was no permanent change made to the machine itself.
The other thing needed to start the job was a retention valve. Having a vibratiory pump, this valve is not needed, because the Ulka is itself a retention valve (that is, that the water can only go one way (forward) through the pump)
In the case of the volumetric pump, this is not so, and the problem is that, as the water inside of the interchanger heats up and presure starts to build up, the group empties.
Finally, verify that the electrical tension that the machine provides to the Ulka is adecuate for the volumetric pump motor.
The work I did was:
1)Remove the vibratory pump.I kept in place the metalic, output pipe of the pump, because there is no need to change it (it can handle the pressure of the volumetric the same way it handles the vibratory).I removed the suction pipe (that is silicone) and replaced it by a metal mailed pipe (I mean the same type as the output pipe).Maybe it was not necessary but it looked more solid.
2)I assembled the retention valve to the output fitting of the volumetric pump, so that the water goes out but not back in the pump in its way to the group.
3)I placed the pump/motor inside the machine (it was needed to make some holes to the machine chassis in order to fix tha motor to the machine)
4)The pipes were fixed to the pump (providing the adecuate reductions and right angle conectors(again-take care with the space available)).
5)The conections were made so that following the water circuit it looks so:
The water is sucked from the plastic programmer by means of the new suction pipe (steel mailed pipe). Make sure you secure this with a screw type clasp to the output conection of the plastic programmer.
This pipe is conected to the inlet (suction) of the volumetric pump (here I used an elbow (90°)conector and a reduction because of the different sizes of the pipe and pump fitting)
In the output conection of the pump, I used another adapter and an elbow 90° conection, and there I fixed the retention valve. Make sure you place it correctly, so that the water leaves the pump and cannot come back.
Following the retention valve, I conected the pipe that was originally conected to the output of the Ulka pump. (This pipe is conected on the other side to the tree-way valve of the machine).
I hope this helps, I donīt have any photos of my work, but if you come to any part that is not clear, please write. (Hope my english is good enought)
Good luck
Juan Enrique |
| Reply to Juan |
| Comment by Rick, Oct 15, 2003, 6:45pm |
Thanks for a very detailed report, Juan. I won't be able to make the modification for some time (my machine is in storage during a major rebuilding project, but I'm saving this for the day when I can convert my machine.
Regards,
Rick |
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