La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi II in Red

Owning the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi II

The Vivaldi II from La Spaziale is an industrious dual boiler machine boasting several innovative features and commercial certifications, including NSF. It features a near-silent rotary pump and requires direct plumbing into a water line, as there is no reservoir like there is on the Mini version. Because it’s plumbed, the Vivaldi II has latent pre-infusion capabilities, which can be programmed to occur from 1-8 seconds just prior to the pump kicking on. The Vivaldi II has a 0.45 liter brew boiler just like on the Mini, though the steam boiler is increased from 1.2 to 2.5 liters on the standard Vivaldi II for added steam power. A standard steam knob replaces the lever on the Mini. La Spaziale has packed a lot of innovation into both versions of the Vivaldi II. Both machines feature programmable timed brewing for both a single and double shot; both dispense water from a dedicated wand at the press of a button; both feature a 4-hole steam wand perfect for microfoam; and both utilize La Spaziale’s patented coffee delivery system, drawing dry steam from the highest point in the boiler to heat the group head.

The Vivaldi II’s crowning feature is easily the temperature regulation control pad integrated into both the standard and Mini versions. A temperature selector enables you to choose a brew temperature in 1°C increments ranging from 91°C (195.8°F) to 97°C (206.6°F). Plus, you can even make adjustments to group temperature. It’s basically espresso mission control. To soup it up even more, each Vivaldi II can be optionally equipped with a 7-day on/off timer, a longer steam wand, and there’s an ESE pod adaptor kit available (though, we don’t recommend you spring for a Vivaldi II just to use pods). La Spaziale includes a comprehensive, full color manual with each of their machines to make it easy for users to learn the ropes and begin experimenting. The Vivaldi II is protected from overheating by a built-in safety thermostat, and features fault diagnosis alerts for simple troubleshooting, which, we love, because there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to brew an espresso on demand. One difference about the Vivaldi II’s in comparison to other commercial machines, they use 53 mm portafilters in place of the standard 58mm. There’s no difference in the quality of the coffee, the 53mm basket is just slightly deeper, and, of course, will require a 53mm tamper. If you like the sound of the Vivaldi II, but don’t have a place to plumb it in, the Mini version is a great alternative.