Edit: you may also consider a Sirai pressure stat to have longer service life but this isn’t necessary yet for a new machine.
First post here, sorry if any mistakes :)
Just spotted this great deal fo those who are after a decent semi-automatic espresso machine. As a heat exchanger machine it is capable of pulling shots and steaming (very strong steam) simultaneously. NS Oscar II is a great choice at this price point as I have never seen a lower price, not to mention it now comes with free standard shipping. Also, they support a wide range of payment options including Afterpay & Zip.
Below are some important specs for this machine. Note that this machine does NOT support volumetric control – many sites indicate this wrongly.
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 30 x 41 x 40 cm
- Shipping weight: ~15kg
- 2.8L water tank
- 2L insulated copper heat exchanger boiler
- Lever operated steam wand with 4-hole tip
- Vibratory pump
- Auto-stop shots programmable by time
- Does NOT come with OPV
A nice review by Gail at Seattle Coffee Gear is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8z7mObdXN4
FYI if you decide to grab this deal Di Pacci does require screenshots of the transaction record to be emailed to them after payment. Common fraud prevention. You'll see the details when you receive their order confirmation email.
PS: an OPV kit is highly recommended for this machine. It costs $130 as an additional option at Di Pacci. They will install it for you. (Edit: or buy from somewhere else if you can do the installation and calibration of OPV, it saves a lot)
Sounds silly not to have a opv. This will have a crappy domestic style pressurestat that will fail soon enough. If it's stuck on, boiler won't be happy. I guess this relies on a temperature sensor on the boiler to cut out the element when it gets too hot.
Oh, and $130 for an opv??? For probably 5 mins work and a cheap part…