So there's a lot of people buying Minimas on here at the moment and a few experienced users so I thought a thread dedicated to the Minima with questions / information on the machine would be useful to myself and the others who have recently purchased and are about to take the plunge (and to prevent myself from hijacking other people's threads). One question I have to kick us off is about the brew boiler and PID. For some reason my Minima does not seem to like bring set at 93 degrees. Despite me having it set at 93, the display shows it settling at 94. I'm not sure if this is indicative of an issue or standard behaviour. It occasionally will drop to 93 but then goes up to 94 again

Edit…I've just found the PID Values Explained section at the back of the manual where it explains this is normal.

Mine does the same and I confirmed with other Minima users when I bought the machine.

> @"dutchy101"#p6482 Edit…I’ve just found the PID Values Explained section atvthe back of the manual where it explains this is normal. Very good manual that one…, online version available as well. https://sway.office.com/xofz72xFBgYyiWqi?ref=Link

@"dutchy101"#56 @"HVL87"#57 How have you found the stock filter baskets? I'm already thinking of upgrading, but won't do unecessarily quickly - although that is also partly tamper dependent.

@"PortafilterProcrastinator"#p6679 they are fine. Easier to pull a nice looking bottomless shot - in my opinion that doesn’t mean much. I moved on to a 18g VST to optimise my shots as much as possible.

It's been a bit of a transition for me this week as I've changed from Sage 54mm baskets and didn't have a 58mm tamper until a few days after the machine arrived. I got a new distributor yesterday which has also helped so still finding my feet a bit with the stock baskets, but pretty happy with them so far

Thanks both, if they're a similar ID then I can get a tamper (thinking bravo ATM) first and upgrade the basket later when looking for refinement, rather than just trying to make something palatable!

Yeah - I've got a Nomcore 58.5mm tamper on order and coming this week so will get a better handle on things once that has arrived

@"dutchy101"#p6686 I'd be really interested and grateful to hear how you get on. How are you finding the Minima overall?

Absolutely loving it - so glad I went with it I'm really enjoying using it. How about you? Made my wife a tea using water from the service boiler to drain some water this morning and she commented how much better it looked and tasted (using the zero and remineralised water I've been making up).

The General ACS Minima Thread

DavecUK

simonc It looks from Dave’s videos that the handle extends past the left hand edge when putting it in?

It’s an interesting point, I went and checked, and I think the machine would have to be 10 cm from the left wall to have clearance to lock the portafilter in.

Of course portafilters and groups are standard, so the real estate taken up by any machine will be almost the same… if the portafilter is to miss the wall.

Welcome to the forum.

simonc

DavecUK cheers. Very good point that I hadn’t considered, coming from a Rok where it locks in the other way. I might then need to consider the Mara and have it against the right wall which will take some more negotiation!

Wow, I hadn’t realised how deep it is vs the MaraX. The wall is only 33cm deep, so I guessing the group might be far enough forward for the handle to clear the wall.

Interestingly in the Show us your setup thread there are some which do appear to be agains the wall, maybe there is a little gap.

PortafilterProcrastinator

simonc I was considering exactly the same machines as you and I make fewer milk drinks - ¾ a week if no guests.

Ultimately I went for ‘no fuss’ and keeping it simple.

Solenoid operated group = no lever maintenance. Physical switches for boilers - I only turn the service boiler on when I want it, no menus. And the big one for me - no firmware, no ‘mode selection’ and other things to worry about. Yes, there is still a lot going on in the GICAR, but I wanted the simplest machine I could get.

I can add a flow profile paddle at a later date if I want to.

simonc

PortafilterProcrastinator Yes, I definitely want simple.. need to be able to have it come on on a timer / smart switch and be ready to go when I need. The idea of not lubricating a lever is good.

I understand the heat up is long, is that just the brew boiler and group head or the service boiler too? ie if I had it on for an hour on brew only, and decided I wanted to steam, how long do I have to wait.

Just spotted your footer.. my Clever Dripper, Moka and Aeropress all went last week on ebay. Clearing room for the big machine!

PortafilterProcrastinator

simonc I have my machine set to come on (brew boiler only) at 0530 - it is then ready for my first coffee at 0615-0630. Days in the office I’ll switch on the service boiler at about 0700 if I need to and will make me another to go and a latte to go for my wife. All done by 0725/ 0730.

Ready to brew I think you really want to give it 45mins. Service boiler, under 10mins easy - I think closer to 5, but I’ve not timed it (which itself says a lot I think).

simonc

PortafilterProcrastinator Thank you. Move to consider dual boiler is new, so wasn’t even sure which boiler drove the heating of the group. I guess heating a tank of water to hot to steam is quick.. its the settling the temp of the block of metal in the group that takes the time.

dutchy101

simonc One problem I have is I am likely to have to put it in a corner against a left hand wall. Steaming with the MaraX would be difficult, so the Minima looks much better there, but would I have an issue with the portafilter? It looks from Dave’s videos that the handle extends past the left hand edge when putting it in?

Yes I have mine up against a cupboard and have had to move it out a little fir this reason. If you have the felt pads o the feet you can easily slide the machine so you can move it when you need to use it and push it back flush when not in use. Depends on whether this is something you are happy to do or not.

From my perspective it’s a pretty minor inconvenience to live with to have the machine I wanted. Not sure I’d have been able to fit any other dual boiler machine in the space anyway

simonc

dutchy101 Thanks.. yes I had considered felt and sliding it. The other option is I put it in the walk in pantry which would have room, but just worried about steam in a small room 1.5m x 1.5m with little ventilation.

Could I check what the measurement is from the handle when just inserted, and sticks out beyond the left hand side, to the wall?

At least this bit I can understand… I am baffled by water solution to my very hard water.

dutchy101

So if you can get a spare 5cm and keep the machine this far from the wall that’s just about enough clearance to get the portafilter in. Not sure if that answers your question, but it does slide very easily making it very easy to do this when in use.

I don’t think using the steam wand in the room you have as an option is an issue. When I open the wand before steaming I have a slightly wet microfiber cloth wrapped around the wand

dutchy101

I’m using a Zero water jug to filter my very hard tap water (circa 335 TDS). I make up 5 litre batches and remineralise with 320mg of sodium bicarbonate to bring up alkakinity. It’s a temporary measure until my Skuma reverse osmosis unit is delivered, which will hopefully be in June

simonc

dutchy101 I’m thinking I’ll do the same. The zero jug that is. Not sure I’m going to be allowed to buy anything else coffee related for a long while after this!!

simonc

dutchy101 out of interest how long does that 5l last you?

Alexvs

simonc Just to add, I have mine on timer via a smart plug and have mine come on at 06:45 and it’s ready by the time I’m ready half hour later. I always make milk drinks and it takes somewhere between 5 and 10 mins for the steam to get up to heat. The brew boiler retains heat well so is quicker later in the day when I turn it back on for the 2nd drink.

You won’t go wrong with the Minima if that’s the way you go.

dutchy101

About ⅔ weeks I’d say. That’s making ⅔ milk based drinks and backflushing every day. I also draw water for a cup of tea most days / every 2nd day

simonc

dutchy101 great. That’s not too much effort then. I’d make less probably. Although then if I’m only making 10-15l in the 2 months you are supposed to replace the filter it gets expensive per litre.

Cuprajake

Would be fun to see a quiet x pump in one of these.

The solenoid group is fantastic

PortafilterProcrastinator

Cuprajake An experiment for when it’s out of warranty!

I’m also interested in the membrane regulator mentioned in @hornbyben Ito thread and @DavecUK comments.

The pump nose doesn’t bother me at all, but my curiosity gets the better of me given it is the one thing that gets raised about the machine most often.

dutchy101

I got about 30 litres from my first filter before the TDS increased to 1

DavecUK

PortafilterProcrastinator A membrane regulator might be a way, or simply pop in the Lelit pump.

hornbyben

PortafilterProcrastinator given it didn’t work for me (very low flow and pressure issues), I wouldn’t recommend it.

I have heard that they have quite a high faulty rate, so I might have just been unlucky. I would have sent it back, but as it came from Germany it didn’t seem worth the hassle.

PortafilterProcrastinator

hornbyben Thanks for the experience/ advice.

I’ll continue to enjoy my machine as is, one for the future.

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