Augest 2010
E61 S HUTTLE
R EVIEW
AngerManagement
The Shuttle Review INSIDE THIS ISSUE
By AM The Shuttle Review 1
Overview 1
You will not find too much information about
So where to from here ? 2
The Shuttle on the Internet as yet, perhaps a
List of Observations for further thought 4
little on the CoffeeSnobs forum, but
Conclusion 10
certainly no other formal reviews or pictures
Thanks 10
of the insides of this machine.
My first impressions, are, that the engineers
got round a table and looked at what worked some, while time will be the real critic.
for others and where some savings could be
made without significantly affecting the end “Make no mistake, this is no dinky
product. As a result, the essance of a well toy - it's the real deal for discerning
engineered machine can be found, but the coffee aficionados and prosumers
finish/ quality of some raw materials leaves craving for the capability of
a bit to be desired. controlling the espresso process in
their own home.” E61
Build quality of the essencial and core The E61 Satisfaction Guarantee is very clear
components is good with some quality and a 2 year warranty is offered. As to if the
(commercial quality) components and Shuttle is value for money; then only you can
assembled with care. The quality of the skin be the judge of that, as every one has very
is what will let the unit down in the eyes of different needs and wants VS expectations.
Overview
Now to get the boring stuff out and on the your caffeine.
table....
Power switch and boiler gauge in the usual
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: position ?
The unit carries some weight and adds to the Usual position, I hear you ask ? Well that is
feeling of Quality. On going to fill with water, where it is on the Giotto units and the
the SS water tank became obvious in contrast, Shuttle has many parallels with that other
to the more often seen plastic tanks. well regarded system.
Groups have a good feel and lock in cleanly as However, I still do not think the position is
one would expect. Plenty of space to allow complementary for either system, but is easy
mugs, to be utilised if that’s the way you take to implement.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 2
Overview - Continued
Internals: All components are very
INITIAL LOOK AND FEEL:
accessible. This can make minor servicing
quick and easy once the top is off. Note: In
Bling: Unit is all shiny with a mix of curves and
most cases you do not need to remove the
straight lines.
sides, but if you do need to remove - don’t try
to hold your breath, while you do it or putting
Knobs: Plain black, but they just don’t have a
them back on.
super smooth action.
Neat and compact routing of internal cables
Waste Tray: One of the biggest letdowns for
and pipes, avoiding hot spots and areas of
me…
vibration / scuffing. Protective sleeves used
where necessary on all wiring connectors,
Steam wand: Is a steam wand – Cool touch
neatly done, well protected electronically and
uses boots for the element connectors.
Hot water wand: My second letdown and I have
yet to get inside.
Finish of edges etc: No sharp or jagged edges
were observed or encountered.
Power Cord: No storage or autos retract and
should be at least the new safety type with a
General finish: Buff marks and poor finish to
easy grip or pull hole.
welds let the whole system down.
So where to from here?
It is important that a machine is easy to use,
works quietly and competently, day after day.
I am interested in drinking great coffee, not
playing around with a machine to get my morning
shot or to try and stave off the detox jitters.
With that being said, the Shuttle makes a mean
shot of coffee and has no problem steaming milk.
And interestingly, the biggest issues around all
this will be YOU (the user).
It has little to do with the machine, other than its
ability to be consistent in its performance. As to
this fact, I only had access for a week or two and
was unable to measure / determine any rates of
change or observe any item of real potential
problem other than possible issues re corrosion in
the water tank department.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 3
Continued from previous page:
What I did observe was that the head temp “I am assuming that E61 would be looking
appeared to be somewhat warmer than I
to calibrate and setup - prior to delivery.”
would expect. While I did not have the gear
to measure; I found that unless I was careful
to run a cooling flush or two. Then the result My other big gripe was the Hot water wand. In
in the cup was not ideal. It was not that hot, trying to get a balanced look; someone has
that it would hiss and spit, but the steam was forgotten to take into account the bends and
far more than I would expect. that it does not sit cleanly. That is, that if you
try to tuck it in or to the side it clashes /
The other point here was that the waste tray interferes with the mechanical toggle and
got very full, very quickly and it was easy to switch.
splash / spill when going to empty. The tray
does not sit flush, can also be moved For me this was a potential for a future
sideways, and thus can distract one, if failure; to be introduced by the user if they
looking for a balanced picture from the front. get heavy handed or the item is shipped and
packed incorrectly.
I also used two separate gauges to check the
static group pressure and found the unit was Last but not least my pet hate is access and
running about 11plus bar. the method some / many systems use.
Now neither of the two issues as to temp or In general access not a major concern.
group pressure are show stoppers. And due to
the way the system is constructed, one can However if it is required, then the two sets of
get to the OPV valve and the pressurestat different sized Philips head screws and the
with reasonable ease. clinch nuts in the top would be one of the first
things; I would be looking at.
I did try this and my only word of caution is
that with a tank full of water; take care as After that, the method of interlocking and
the valve in the base of the water tank, did fixing the side panels needs a bit more
have a tendency to leak. planning. Some simple key type slots and inter
locks etc would improve it 100%
“The following pages contain some simple comments and a picture
or two of some of the issues and key points that I observed.
While none are outright show stoppers, some may be more of an
issue to some users, than others.”
E61 Shuttle Review Page 4
List of observations for further thought.
Observations Evidence
1.
So what we have here is the base of
the spill tray and it needs to have a
drain hole or two, to cater for those
moments we would rather forget.
I did forget to snap a pic of the top
of the tray, but a plus with the
wire style, as it is easier to keep
clean and does not show the scuff
marks.
2.
Cup warmer and the two finger
holes to remove the water tank
cover. It is not obvious in this pic,
but the screws in the front are
larger than the ones at the back
3.
Tank cover has been lifted and the
return pipe is visible. The hole
should be larger and have a
grommet to protect the tubing.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 5
4. Here are the insides of the tank, as
I received it.
Note the buildup of crud and what
I can only assume is the remains of
less than ideal water and possible
rust deposits.
With this style, there is no inline
filter and the user must manage
water quality.
5. From underneath you can see the
welding and importantly, there
appears to be some level of mild
corrosion.
As best I can tell, it would appear
that a single grade of Stainless
Steel has been used for the whole
system.
Unfortunately, not all SS is the
same and while 304 and 316 are
the two most common. It is 304L
that should be used when welding
is required, as contains less carbon to
increase weldability and reduce the
negative impacts i.e. Corrosion.
6.
The boiler insulation has had a few
people tugging and pulling at it;
thus not as clean as one might
expect.
Furthermore the addition of a
splash guard/cup on the Anti Vac
valve would reduce any moisture
weeping into the insulation.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 6
7.
While not the best pic, you can see
the front clinch nut and the join of
the side panel.
While this may not be visible when
the system is complete, it is a
weakness in the quality of some of
the panel work.
8. What I noticed here was some level
of surface corrosion, but I could
see no signs of an actual leak. Thus
the cause was not able to be
determined.
Note: The bare terminal on the
blue switch. This was the only
electrical safety issue that I could
identify and easily rectified. Have
seen this lack of attention on any
number of other machines.
Element terminals have good boot
type protection, which should be
standard on all systems.
9.
The only problem with the piping
and positioning that I observed was
the rubbing of the pipe on the OPV
nut. This was quickly fixed, as
long term, would have caused a
problem. An easy thing to fix and
check when tuning the system.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 7
10.
Note: A slight flex of the pipe work
and all is OK.
11.
Opps – A close up of the fold and
panel work as identified in item 7
above
12.
Less than ideal work on the spill
tray.
Have to say that a little more
thought could have increased the
depth and possible reduced the
amount of folding and welding.
13.
Again another corner where teh
quality of the weld is a little less
than ideal.
Note: Welding on SS is always a bit
tricky and when you have to grind
and buff afterwards, anything less
than perfect with show the up and
defects.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 8
14.
A general side view and the clear
access to everything one might
need
15.
My attempt at a macro shot and
some of the crud in the tank seat.
16.
You need to use one of the so
called “leva” type machines to
understand/appreciate this
picture.
In essence, if space is an issue and
you do not want the spout over the
bench.
Then there is only so much
machine space left and you will
fight with the manual toggle.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 9
17.
Again, if one flips the hot water
wand to the side, the bend can
come in contact with the switch.
If packed incorrectly for transport
or the wand is miss handled by a
user.
One could expect some damage to
teh switch at some stage.
18.
The following are NOT the Shuttle – But an example of others doing the same thing and
it appears to be a common practice.
19.
Poor insulation on the elements
with the extra lugs bare.
In addition, this unit has the line to
the gauge, which runs way too
close to 240V.
20. A typical switch configuration with
a terminal left bare.
Now depending on the switch
position; that terminal can be at
240V.
Add to that; this type of mount. It
can become lose or be undone
from the front.
Say no more as to what the
outcome might be.
E61 Shuttle Review Page 10
21. My old special work around for
managing Anti Vac spills and
dribbles.
A tea light and its base metal
container.
Poke a hole in the bottom with a
pen and when next you service the
Anti Vac valve; this goes in under.
Note: Tea lights do come in
different sizes.
Conclusion: Thank you
Some might be surprised, however the As per many other reviewers; my comments are those
fact is, I have seen and played with a of mine alone and were formed form the observations
new release. No real surprises were and experiences I had with the unit I had access to.
found, but nor was I disappointed.
They were also correct as of this time but may have
Having many years of being in the little or no reflection on other Shuttle units that may
medical industry and general be currently in the market place or those released
engineering; I have yet to see version after this time.
1.0 ever meet the expectation of all.
Needless to say; I must thank E61 for their openness
Furthermore, is often even more and the opportunity for me to do this slightly different
frustrating when even those doing the review.
hard yards. Would like more time to
apply the polish and correct those Gra for the digital camera; although I have not really
items that are so in one face today, done it credit.
but were never spotted for whatever
the reason. Luca for his excellent post’s and blog that carries the
real detail and with that in mind, I have quoted him
When some of the cosmetic issues directly.
could be ironed out; a tickle and a
tune up prior to handover, would see
an instrument that many may be happy
“My interest in all of this is the development of the
to own.
market for the consumer. To that end, I think that
it's great to see competition on prices, but only if it is
In addition, the added extras of accompanied by decent information about the relative
extended Warranty, a quality Tamper merits of what's on offer so that consumers can make
and who knows what else E61 may an informed decision.” Luca CS 01. Aug 2010 at 12:19
have in the wings all has to be
considered when looking at Fit 4
Purpose.
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