Nuova Simonelli Program VIP (power question)

[GiveGrowGo]

So I got a Nuova Simonelli Program VIP, its a 2 group heads. I will be taking in to China to have in a not for profit coffee house for students to pratice english and learn western culture...

The Questions:
1) what has to be done with the power, i'm guessing the machine is 220v right? so can I just plug it in because Power everywhere in China is 220v.

2) Also sometimes in the area water quality is so-so, can this Machine use a 5 gal water jug (like a water cooler jug) does it have to be above the machine is that what the pump inside it is for?

3) Last one my boss emailed me " can it make other types of coffee besides expresso?" (boss quoted) I don't really understand the question, are there machines that make other things? (yeah coffee machines) But I thought that the bresta is the one who makes all the drinks using espressos as a starting point, right? How should I respond to his question?

[Coffee Forum]

[shadow745]

1. Not all 220v power sources are created equally. Circuits can range from 20-60 amps with all sorts of prong configurations. I highly recommend having an electrician look into this if you know nothing about electricity.

2. You will need a pump such as those made by Flojet or Shurflo to pressurize the supply line that feeds the internal pump of the machine. That machine has a rotary pump and probably needs at least 30psi feeding it. Here in the US those pumps are available in 12v-115v applications. I have no idea if they are available for the voltage requirements in China.

3. You're correct in that the barista uses the machine to produce espresso and any drink using it as a base... such as lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, macchiatos, cortados, etc... You can also use the hot water feature and/or steam to prepare various teas (black, green, chai, etc). The sky is the limit with a proper setup, fresh coffee and good quality ingredients.

[GiveGrowGo]

Very Helpful!! Thank you!!

[CCafe]

As for question 2 you can just drop a hose into a jug and run it that way. Almost all the espresso machine pumps out there are self priming up to about 6 feet. I would suggest if you can plumb it into a water line you would be better off but I've seen more then one espresso machine in my day running off a 5 gallon jug with the hose laying on the bottom!

[GiveGrowGo]

@CCafe cool ... yeah the water source is sometimes not the cleanest (only in our area, some citys are super clean) so atlest right know we feel better about using a 5g jug that we can controll/ etc. I know that the water/steam is boiled so its safe in that sense but in our context theres a big taste difference and for the life of the machine its better.

Thanks