FEATURES

Adjustable Spring Pressure: Extraction pressure is adjustable by turning a disc on top of the spring. A small tool to turn this disc without effort comes with the machine.

Easy Flush & Stop Extraction: The Spiritello offers the possibility to stop extraction and flush the group without pulling the big lever. There’s a small button next to the lever for this function. Pushed during extraction, it will stop the shot immediately and the lever will quietly return to its resting position. Right next to it, there’s another button to easily purge and clean the group screen.

Locking Mechanism: Our distinctive Idrocompresso group is designed with a newly developed effective and reliable locking mechanism, which virtually eliminates the danger of a bouncing lever. This system does away with the old danger of fast moving heavy metal colliding with fragile human parts.

Adjustable Pre-Infusion Pressure: The pre-infusion pressure is adjustable from 1.5 to 4.0 bar, by a large knob within easy reach underneath the machine. This infusion, as well as the subsequent extraction, pressure, is shown at the pressure gauge.

Pressure Gauge: The pressure gauge shows the actual pressure, right at the puck.

Hot Water Temperature: The temperature of the hot water is precisely adjustable by turning a jet, to be reached with a screw driver through a hole at top of left hand body panel.

DOUBLE BOILER SYSTEM

Spiritello offers a dual boiler system. Both boilers are made in stainless steel 316L, which is more resistant against aggressive water than stainless steel 304 and has a long life expectancy in an espresso machine. Each can be switched on or off separately. Filter holders are in stainless too.
Both boilers can be easily drained through a ball valve. The coffee boiler`s drain is connected to the drain tray. A fitting with hose is supplied to drain the steam boiler.

Large steam boiler with total volume of 3.5ltr. Together with two 900Watt heating spirals controlled by a PID system, this ensures powerful and long lasting steam. Hot water is mixed with some cold, to deliver a non-spattering flow from the spout, at the touch of a button. The final temperature can be easily adjusted with a screw driver, reaching a jet through a hole in the body work. The hot water quantity can be adjusted through the display.
The steam valve has a turning knob, but can be ordered with a small toggle type lever as well. The wand is in double walled stainless, finished by a PEEK tip. No milk will burn on.

The coffee boiler, complete with the group, is one large piece, holding 0.8ltr. with a 450Watt heating element, controlled by a PID system. This saturated set-up ensures a highly precise temperature. Cold water first runs through a heat-exchanger with hot-cold cross-flow system, to be pre-heated to near coffee boiler temperature, before entering the coffee boiler.
All welding is done inside and outside, no crevices to start corrosion.

TEMPERATURE STABILITY

Our approach is to create an exact water temperature and then make sure it does not lose any heat on its way to the coffee puck. Coffee boiler and group are one large piece, temperature is PID controlled. The Idrocompresso’s cylinder with piston sits inside the group and is fully surrounded by a generous amount of the very same water that will flow into the chamber when pulling the lever. The bottom of the piston is made in PEEK. This is fully heat neutral, so the water does not lose any of its heat and the piston does not become dirty.

The coffee boiler is fed with preheated water from the heat-exchanger in the steam boiler. All parts are stainless steel (316L where in contact with water). Stainless has a roughly ten times less heat transferring capability, compared to brass, so heat is not lost to surrounding metal.

PUMP

The pump is a stainless steel rotation pump, powered by a 180 Watt motor, fit for continuous use. This pushes water first through an manually adjustable pressure reducer, then to the heat-exchanger in the steam boiler, followed by the coffee boiler and lastly into the brew chamber underneath the piston. The heat-exchanger pre-heating the water enables the use of a small coffee boiler, yet ensures the machine keeps its coffee target temperature easily and precisely, also when working hard and fast.
With the machine connected to the mains, water will flow directly to the pump. Pre-infusion pressure is still fully adjustable. When the water mains pressure is sufficient (a minimum of 3 bar) one may decide to dis-engage the pump. This results in a truly silent machine, but may limit the range of pre-infusion pressure.

The pump is also used to top up the steam boiler and to add some cold water when hot water is taken from the spout.

LEVER GROUP

When the lever is pulled into its lock, the group solenoid valve and pump are activated and water immediately flows up into the brewing chamber under the piston and down onto the coffee puck. As long as the lever sits in its locked position, the pump runs. This pump pressure can be adjusted by the large knob of the pre-infusion adjuster, from 1.5 to 4 bar. When the lever is un-locked the pump stops and the spring with piston starts to push the water through the coffee. The piston has 3 discs made in PEEK to hold the V-rings. The PEEK discs make it easy to replace the V-rings, do not absorb any heat and remain clean very long. At any time the extraction process can be stopped by pushing a button next to the group.

The solenoid valve will be de-activated and the lever will then quietly move to its original rest position and the remaining water in the cylinder will flow to the drain box. Flushing the group can also be done by pushing a button. The quantity of water for flushing can be adjusted by the display.

SPECIFICATIONS