Owning the Vesuvius Dual Boiler Espresso Machine
UPDATE: The Vesuvius has been updated to now feature all stainless steel tubing, a solenoid valve, and ships with a bottomless portafilter included.
Taking its name from the famous stratovolcano that destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, the M&V Srl. Vesuvius is a pressure profiling, dual boiler espresso machine that redefines that home brewing experience. Pressure profiling is an advanced brewing feature found in commercial grade equipment from companies including La Marzocco, Synesso, and Slayer Espresso. Equipped with dual stainless steel boilers, an FG304 Gear Pump, dot matrix touch screen controls, and multi-phase profiling, this machine offers unparalleled control over espresso extraction to the home user. It's impossible to discuss the internals of this machine without first calling attention to the exterior. Wrapped entirely in mirror finished stainless steel, the Vesuvius is characterized by a clean aesthetic, tastefully complemented by wooden accents on the brew switch, portafilter, steam and hot water levers. The machine stands on 1.0625" tall legs and features 8.5" D x 11.75" W cup grid.
Under the hood, brewing is handled by an FG304 Gear Pump and dual stainless steel boilers. The brew boiler holds 0.8 liters of water with a 1,000 watt heating element, while the steam boiler holds 1.5 liters of water and has a 1,400 watt element. The stainless steel construction helps the boilers to resist corrosion and each boiler can be controlled individually with the PID. Dual boilers help to ensure temperature stability and allow for simultaneous brewing and steaming. Both the steam and hot water wand feature no-burn insulation to prevent accidental burns and the Vesuvius has a commercial style 3-hole steam tip for frothing milk.
The Vesuvius' pressure profiling capability can be attributed by the FG304 Gear Pump. This pump has a speed controllable motor unit that allows you to adjust brew pressure. You can program up to five different profiles that you can use while brewing. The profiles have seven phases each that can be set to a pressure between 2 and 12 bar and adjusted in 0.2 bar increments. If you happen to find a profile that works very well for an espresso you're brewing, you can save it while still having four remaining profiles to program. You can also use the Gicar PID temperature controller to adjust and monitor brew temperature to your liking along with being able to program the temperature offset between the brew group and the brew boiler.
In addition to robust brewing options, the Vesuvius also boasts a wide array of quality of life features to seamlessly integrate it into your kitchen and your schedule. At 16.33" in height, the machine will fit under most standard cabinets. Unique to its design is the fact that the 3 liter water reservoir actually pulls out of the left side of the machine. This side access means that you won't need to move the machine when you need to refill it. Alternatively you can opt to plumb the Vesuvius directly into your water line to avoid refilling it entirely. When plumbed, incoming water is pumped into the water reservoir instead of the brew boiler so your line pressure won't impact your brew pressure. If you choose not to plumb the machine, the Dot Matrix display will provide you with a readout that monitors that amount of water left in the reservoir
Depending on when you get up in the morning, or when you plan on enjoying a coffee in the evening, you can program up to 2 unique on and off times per day. This allows you create a unique schedule for your machine that incorporates both weekdays and weekends so it will always be ready when you are. There are also a number of energy saving options that can be selected to reduce the heat of one or both boilers after a set period of inactivity. You can also have the machine enter a standby mode or shut off entirely.
The Vesuvius ships with the following accessories included:
- Single Spout Portafilter
- Double Spout Portafilter
- Single and Double Portafilter Baskets
- Backflush Disc
- Braided Waterline
- Drain Hose
Dimensions: 14.5" W x 20" D x 16.33" H
Weight: 53 lbs
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING
This machine is loaded into a wooden crate in Italy before it is shipped. Each Vesuvius is bench tested by Chris's Coffee Service Inc. before shipping and then returned to the crate and strapped to a pallet. Photography will be taken of the wrapped pallet before it ships from here and sent to you along with the carrier name and pro number.
When shipping to a residential address you will need to contact the carrier to schedule a delivery appointment if it is a residential address. If you do not want to contact the carrier, the terminal dispatch will contact you to schedule the delivery, but it will add 1 day to the ship time. You can call the destination terminal to schedule while the machine is in transit, if you wish. Chris's Coffee Service Inc. will order a lift gate and the driver will take the machine off the truck, but they will not go inside the home so you must be present for the delivery (this is the trucking company policy due to liability).
