I also understand from ACS that they are still working on this:

I don’t think anyone should decide on the Minima purely on this basis, as it is still a question mark, but it’s an interesting proposition.

    ACS just replied and the current deal on the Minima makes it cheaper than the MaraX once all considered… now that is interesting!!

    I never heard of that brand before coming up here. I’ve seen that there is not much information about it so while it looks like a super deal, I wonder if for example the resale value would be low if I ever want to upgrade.

    What would be its direct competitor? I will compare specs and all but I wonder if it is not similar to the Silvia Pro X.

    I’ll have to read this whole thread to know the machine a bit more.

    Thanks all for your help.

      dutchy101 It is very interesting. As I say, I’ve no idea if it will ever see the light of day for consumers, but at the moment it is still a possibility.

      You do need a more recent Minima I understand. But I don’t know precisely what the cut off is.

        Snooze I can’t recommend enough watch ALL @DavecUK videos on YouTube. They cover the beta and production machines. It’ll give you a really good feel for what the machine is like.

        If you’re importing, make sure you check all import taxes and duty etc.

            PortafilterProcrastinator the specs are amazing and Dave’s videos really help but I just wonder if for my needs the MaraX would be sufficient since I’m not making lots of coffee except once in a while. The water may need to be purged more often with the Minima in my scenario.

            I contacted ACS and they are very nice. It would be very cheap but after taxes and duties it would be similar to the MaraX in the end. My other worry is that not much people seems to know that brand here in Canada so resale value may not be the best.

            • LMSC replied to this.

                Snooze I didn’t realise you haven’t purchased your Bianca yet. What’s your budget?

                Bianca, Minima and Mara V2 - all are great machines. What ever you choose, you will be very happy in the end. If you add a paddle to Minima, there isn’t much that will separate Bianca and Minima except the noise.

                Water sitting on a boiler isn’t an issue. You do make lattes, don’t you? Draw a cup of hot water after steaming. Flush out the water every 5-6 weeks and use that for cleaning. Even if you don’t steam daily, you know it is there should your taste buds change in future.

                Would the noise bother you? Get the Bianca.

                Are you worried you will regret buying Minima what ever may be the reason or do you think you get the upgradeitis sooner than you think because of a wrong choice? Get the Mara X, so that you can sell and move on. Better still, grab Bianca and make it an end game!

                The more you think, the more you will be confused. Please take your time, it’s your money, buy what you think fits your requirements and don’t suffer from buyers’ remorse. GL 😊

                    LMSC Water sitting on a boiler isn’t an issue. You do make lattes, don’t you? Draw a cup of hot water after steaming.

                    A couple of questions on this. Should you draw a cup of hot water after steaming every time? I’m trying to find some information on this but drawing blanks.

                    In my case I tend to make myself 2 coffees a day and steam milk for both. What I’m wondering is whether I should be drawing a cup of hot water after each steam or is doing it once in the day enough?

                    Does it need to be directly after steaming or as long as I do it once a day is it enough? I.e. if I were to make myself a coffee and draw water for a tea for my wife in the morning will that be sufficient for the day / previous day?

                    • LMSC replied to this.

                        dutchy101 I would say, drawing a cup after every steam is an overkill. It is ok to draw after you have done steaming for the day. We steam once a day and I draw a small cup out.

                        Drawing a cup may be twice a week or a big cup once a week should be enough. But, I would flush out every 5-6 weeks.

                        Test the drawn water regularly for hardness. @Rob1 isn’t a great fan of static testing as this won’t tell you when scale has started forming. But, you are feeding with Zero and will be using RO soon. With RO, you should be ok.

                          dutchy101 Agreed. I’ve now tried this a couple of times and whilst it feels a bit awkward at the moment, I think it’s the best compromise.

                          Also think I need to toughen up my fingers! Steaming the milk by touch I’ve been told a couple of times it isn’t hot enough.

                              Good luck with that one mate. Not sure I have any suggestions. Well sensible ones anyway

                              PortafilterProcrastinator Also think I need to toughen up my fingers! Steaming the milk by touch I’ve been told a couple of times it isn’t hot enough.

                              This is what stopped me from ditching the thermometer for so long. Now I hold the jug in such a way that I only gauge the temperature of the pitcher with one maybe two fingers with my right hand (I’m a lefty). As long as you have the steam wand in the spout you can keep the pitcher stable. Eventually you get used to that sharp rise in temp before closing the steam valve.

                              I’m not sure if you preheat your coffee cups but that’s another way to lose a lot of heat quickly, especially if they are thick ceramic ones like the loveramics ones I use.

                                DavecUK I guess you need to train yourself

                                Glaassshopa! 😎 Where the heck do you get all these wonderful gifs ?

                                    Grif I made that one from a bit of downloaded YT video… I use this site. https://ezgif.com/ So if it’s not a gif in the GIF button below, I can make it and drag and drop it from my PC into my post.

                                    I was looking for a video from a martial arts film or series that was someone plunging their hands and scooping hot coals…but I couldn’t find it.

                                    Contact me