VBM (Vibiemme) Domobar Junior

VBM (Vibiemme) Domobar Junior

Vibiemme have introduced the new Domobar Junior heat exchange to complement a now full domestic range of home espresso machines. Placed as the middle sibling between Domobar Super and Domobar Piccolo, the Junior HX is a heat exchange unit with all the super features down sized to fit the smaller home bench top. The machine layout still allows for the 1.4 L HX boiler and mandatory hefty E61 group head to nearly fit within the boundaries of an A4 size paper sheet (actual size 22.5 W x 35 D x 40 H cm).

La Vibiemme is based in Milan, and have an extensive history and credibility in the international market of manufacturing traditional espresso machines spanning over the past 40 years. The founder of Vibiemme was Mr Carlo Valente, also the founder of renowned Faema. The Faema espresso coffee machine's heritage began in 1945 by Mr. Valente. By 1961 he had introduced the E61 model. The design and patent of the E61 group head was overseen by Mr Valente and is still the most commonly used system even after 40 years producing superior espresso coffee results. With the wonderful espresso machine history behind Vibiemme, it is no wonder that Vibiemme machines are not only beautifully designed but also mechanically and technically refined to deliver superior cup results. Vibiemme still holds the design patent for the E61 group head which is used in conjunction with the E64 group head on their models.

Features

• True Faema E61 grouphead In the early 1970's Vibiemme became the offspring of Faema and they co-owned the patent to the Faema E61 grouphead.
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  1.45 Litre Boiler Good sized boiler to help maintain temperature stability of the grouphead, it is equipped with a heat exchanger so you can steam at the same time as extracting a coffee.on like other machines. The boiler pressure is regulated by a commercial pressure stat with system pressure gauge.
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  Microswitch under water reservoir Vibiemme has installed a microswitch under the reservoir to stop damage to the heating element when the water reservoir is close to empty. The machine will automatically cut off until the reservior is topped up with water.
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  Pump Position Adjustable pump with by-pass valve and system pressure gauge. All vibiemmes are equiped with a thermal protector which, if necessary, will cut off power to prevent the pump from burning. Also, the ULKA Vibrating pump has been repositioned to minimize the vibrating noise.
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  Two pressure gauges Most machines only have one boiler pressure gauge. The Vibiemme Domobar Junior has a second gauge which provides the brew pressure reading while pulling a shot. This can be helpful when fine-tuning your shot.
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  Large tray The VBM Domobar Junior, although small in footprint offers a large drip tray, which makes for practical user operation, esprecially when purging the group head before and after each shot.

Specifications

What's in the box

• 1 x VBM Domobar Junior
• 1 x Complete Single Portafilter (Group Handle)
• 1 x Complete Double Portafilter (Group Handle)
• 1 x Blind Filter Basket for back-flushing
• 1 x Group Head Brush
• 1 x Plastic Coffee Scoop - useless in our opinion
• 1 x Plastic Tamper - also useless in our opinion

Downloads

Manufacturers Website

Coffee Parts Thoughts

The VBM Domobar Junior is one of our favourite machines, as it offers all the functionality of a heat exchange machine in a small physical package, making is perfect for any small apartment kitchen, yet has the finish quality and espresso extraction ability of its physically bigger rivals. This machine is definely worth a look at if space is an issue, or if you are looking for a neat heat exchange coffee machine.