Cimbali M30 Bistro 2 and Cimbali Jr. Grinder - for home?

crayfish

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I just picked up a used Cimbala M30 Bistro 2 group machine with a Cimbali Jr. Grinder. The grinder runs off 110 but the machine runs off 220 - 240. Has anyone set this sytem up at home? How was the power consumption? Can you shut off and turn on the machine or should I leave it on. I realize there must be a warm up period if I turn it off.

Thanks for your input.

Pete
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CCafe

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Well that Bistro's going to set your pocket book back a little when you turn it on. Everything you want to do is possible. Your going to have to plumb in your machine with water and drain. I would suggest hooking it up to 20A 220V breaker. Leaving on all the time will provide faster espresso but if your only using it in the morning then I would shut it off.

Yes you are going to wear out gaskets faster. But leaving it on all the time is like leaving a 1800W hair dryer on nonstop 24/7.
 

crayfish

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I've given up on the M30 Bistro2

Okay, I guess I didn't really think this through before I purchased the Cimbali M30 Bistro2 machine. I've run into problems wiring up the 220 outlet, as I live in a townhouse and cannot randomly install outlets. As well, the high cost of operation of the machine was more than I anticipated. So....this machine has to go, BUT, as luck would have it I came across a Cimbali Junior - Automatic. I hope this will work out better for my home use (no wiring required as it is a 110 system machine). I am going to keep the Cimbali Jr. grinder and hope to sell the M30 Bistro2 and not be out of pocket too much.

Pete
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CCafe

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As for the Bistro it only requires 20 amp circuit, I know because I sub-distribute Cimbali products, and I checked the 2 M32 Bistros I have in my shop.

As for the warm up in 15 minutes yes you will have steam, but no the machine is not ready yet. The group heads and the inner heat exchangers will still need another 10 - 20 minutes to come up to optimal temperature. Heck you probably wouldn't get burnt grabbing the group heads 30 minutes out.

As for the Junior it should be right up you ally.
 

crayfish

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Cimbali Bistro2 Now for sale - Junior DT21 Now Set up!

I heeded your suggestions and have decided to sell the (High power consumption) Cimbali M30 Bistro 2 machine. I now have set up a COMPLETELY refurbished Cimbali DT21 Junior with the Cimbali Junior "Alinox" grinder (which I also refurbished with new burrs). I had a plumber come in to hook up the water line, and I am using a "vintage" military "fuel/water" gerry can to catch the waste water.

My question is...should I leave the machine on all the time or should I shut it off at night. Also, should I leave the water line on or shut that off as well. The reason I am asking is this morning (after having turned of the water last night, but having left the machine on) the low water warning light was flashing on the machine). I didn't realize the machine would lose water overnight if the water source was turned off. Fortunately, after turning off the machine and then turning it back on and turning on the water source, the machine filled and heated up properly.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
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CCafe

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There is no point to shutting off the water. The espresso machine will be more of a personal preference. How many times a day will you use it. If only in the morning then shutting it down makes more sense. Leaving it all will allow you to get more life expectancy out of the gaskets, but being a home machine I would shut it off myself.
 

crayfish

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1 Week Review of the Cimabali M21 Junior

The machine has been great. I've wasted almost 1 lb. of coffee trying to find the perfect grind size and tamp pressure. I've actually resorted to tamping on a scale to attain the 30 lb. pressure required. I can't believe how inconsistent I am. I am so bad that I am going to get the Espro tamper (with the 30lb. built in spring). My wife thinks you should be able to get the 30lb. press after practice, but I am way to lazy and don't want to waste anymore coffee.

The Cimbali Jr. is running strong with only one minor problem. I noticed some water on the floor after a few days of the maching being plumbed in. I opened the machine up and found a slow drip from the elbow joint of the pressure release valve. After having removed the two plastic drain hoses and unscrewing the elbow, I discovered the male threads of the elbow to be dented (on two points). I purchased some high pressure, high temperature pipe fitting paste (non toxic - even though it wouldn't matter because it is an outlet valve) and voila the drip was fixed.

Other than that small annoyance the machine has been running flawlessly.

One question regarding the hot water capacity of the machine. I notice when I am filling up a mug for my Americano, there is barely enough hot water for one mug, let alone trying to fill a teapot. What is the capacity of the boiler? How much hot water should I expect to get at any one time.

Thank you all for your assitance in this matter.

Pete
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CCafe

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The boiler is only 2.5 liters. A one group machine wasn't made to pull a lot of water. It's true purpose was really for espresso and steaming, all be that the steaming is very limited.

The thing to remember is 1 liter is about 34 ounces. If your pulling enough water for a 20 ounce mug your emptying a little more then a 1/4 of the tank. On top of adding all that cold water back in to the system. Your going to cool that boiler off fairly quickly.

A couple of hacks you can try at your own risk. One is to take the incoming water line before the fill valve and extend it around the boiler a few times. Not wrapped around it but more like coiled over it. This will allow the convection to preheat the water to a point.

The other is to take ceramic insulation and wrap the boiler completely. I've seen people use fiberglass batting but I don't know how well that will hold up to high heat or how unhealthy it might be. The boiler is already wrapped in some very thin black foam. Taking a 1/2" of ceramic wool and encasing it will help insulate as well as retain infrared heat.
 
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