ACS Minima

Verion

I’ve gotten in contact with ACS about the Minima cost since I can’t find a UK retailer and Maria got back to me with a standard stainless steel Minima for €1200,00 (approx. £1050) including shipping to UK with 24 months of warranty where they will support for any issue/s or replacements (free of charge for the warranty period) by emails, pictures and video calls.

Am I right in thinking this is a fantastic price right?

LMSC

Verion It used to retail £1179 to £1379. Please note, unless they have advised you otherwise, you will be charged VAT and import duties by DHL for customs clearance in the UK.

Verion

LMSC Good point about the VAT and import duties by DHL for customs clearance in the UK.

I’ll ask Maria about that.

CoyoteOldMan

Verion One point to note - there should be no duties, only VAT, as the machine is made in the EU. I was charged (incorrectly) a fairly minimal amount of duty on my ACS machine, and I didn’t challenge it.

I was charged a much higher % amount on a recent import of a sweater (from Italy, as it happens)… and DHL backpedalled very quickly when I challenged them. Just make sure that ACS adds a declaration of origin to the paperwork if you go the ‘direct from manufacturer’ route.

dfk41

Still a good price though. Is there another dual boiler in or around that price available from a UK retailer?

Verion

dfk41 The only dual boiler that comes close is the Lelit Elizabeth v3 at Bella Barista for £1,149 in price. But I’m not into the design. Maybe it looks too much like my current Sage DTP which I’m ready to move on from after a number of years.

If Black Cat Coffee had the stainless steel Minima in stock it would have been £1,279, so the prices direct assuming I am liable for VAT and Import duties makes it around £1,260(ish). If not, then it makes it better value at £1,050 with everything included than the Lelit Elizabeth v3 or if I wanted an HX machine, then the Lelit Mara X v2.

The next jump is closer to £1,800 with the Lelit Bianca v3 or something from Profitec or ECM. It’s a lot of money when a Minima is a lot, lot less.

Cuprajake

id buy now before it goes 2 euro to a pound haha

there a good machine tbf

Gagaryn

Cuprajake Would be good if it did go 2 euro to the pound - Minima would only cost £600! Sadly parity is more likely.

Verion

CoyoteOldMan Can I assume you bought your Minima direct?

CoyoteOldMan

Verion It was a Vesuvius Evo Leva, but yes - direct from ACS, so dealing with exactly the same people and carrier that you’d be!

Cuprajake

haha you know what i mean lol

the bianca is a different kettle of fish, alot more for your money than the minima - but its £600 more

Verion

So after some back and forth with Maria, I think I’m ready to pull the trigger.

Around £1,270 after I’ve paid VAT and with a declaration of origin on the paperwork still comes in slightly less than Black Cat Coffee if they had stock.

CoyoteOldMan

Verion Just one thing to consider: warranty and returns… If you don’t mind a ‘parts only’ warranty, then it’s all good. If you are concerned about changing your mind and/or any warranty servicing, see how long Black Cat would take to get you a machine (and at what price).

Just for comparison - Caffé Italia seem to have stock (though I’d be careful with that claim - and in general; their rep isn’t unsullied), at £1427 for the stainless version.

Cuprajake

Brilliant,

You going metal or powder coated?

Verion

Cuprajake Stainless steel. Trying not to add more to the cost. My wife has waived the initial cost as an early birthday present.

CoyoteOldMan Maria at ACS wrote “We offer 24 months of warranty, in the price we follow you for any issue or replacements (free of charge for the warranty period) by emails, pictures and video calls.” I would hope they honour this as a return to base for issues free of charge during the warranty period.

CoyoteOldMan

Verion ACS are very good with customer service and technical assistance, as several forum members can attest. Forum users can also help.

I don’t know if ACS would honour a ‘return to base’ warranty. The ‘return to base’ is a bit of a logistical nightmare (both ways) because of Brexit, and it’s not cheap in any case, just because of the nature of the shipment. It’s very likely that you’d spend less (and be less frustrated by the process) by finding a local technician and having them do any work that you don’t feel comfortable in doing, with any necessary spare parts provided by ACS under warranty.

EDIT: I’m not trying to discourage you. It’s a nice machine, it’s very reliable as long as some basic maintenance is done, and ACS are way more supportive than the average manufacturer. It’s not a ‘normal’ warranty - and the price reflects that (also considering the £ gyrations in the last couple of weeks, those definitely don’t help).

CoyoteOldMan

DavecUK Verion What cilor are you going for?

Verion Stainless steel. Trying not to add more to the cost.

Verion

CoyoteOldMan thank you for your honest opinion.

I may try to find out again from Black Cat Coffee (if they respond) if they can get a UK version, so at least I get a UK warranty and local UK fixes.

If one can’t be bought here, maybe I need to go back to the drawing board.

dfk41

i bought a black one for my son. It ought to be dispatched this week with luck, so no doubt I will pop down to his for a play at some point!

DavecUK

Verion ACS are very good on the support for their machines in terms of sending out parts and giving advice. Plus the Minima uses many industry standard parts for the things that commonly go wrong to espresso machines. e.g. vacuum breakers, safety valves, solenoids etc.. The main advantage is the solenoid E61 group which is not maintenance needs at all, can be backflushed weekly and has almost nothing to go wrong….just 1 solenoid valve, and those can last a very long time indeed.

The Minima has a huge amount of performance for the price…steaming better than many machines around, espresso shots are great as it has a nice smooth and gradual ramp to pressure.

If you are not willing to do any fault work yourself though, then buy a machine from a UK supplier, but be aware shipping a machine back and forth for fixes, is a non trivial risk.

Verion

@DavecUK Your review on the Minima helped put it into the mix of what my next machine was going to be. The fact they are using standard parts, etc is also helpful if I need to DIY or at least get a local technician to fix something should the occasion arise.

I’ll have a think overnight, but I think my mind is made up on getting it direct.

Did you ever ask ACS to set the brew pressure at 9 bar, or is that a job for me (and your YouTube vid whilst I do it)?

DavecUK

Verion I’ll have a think overnight, but I think my mind is made up on getting it direct.

Did you ever ask ACS to set the brew pressure at 9 bar, or is that a job for me (and your YouTube vid whilst I do it)?

I did ask them to set it to 9 - 9.5 bar….even if they didn’t it’s an easy job taking 10 minutes including getting the top plate off, and replacing it. Hex screwdriver bit and a spanner or adjustable spanner required.