mross Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 My Nespresso machine refuses to work when fed by my non-sinewave inverter or by my generator. Is there a smoothing gadget available that might improve the waveform of my A.C.? I don't want to spend hundreds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Probably the cheapest way is to buy a new coffee machine. Apparently Aldi (or maybe Lidl) have one in their 'specials' this week. Its just a 'suck it and see' if it will work, but if it doesn't, take it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Probably not. The realistic option is to try it on a big pure sine wave inverter then buy one of that model. SOME appliances are simply fussy about the quality of the sine wave and the frequency and frequency stability of the source. There is also the possibility that the switch on surge of your Nespresso exceeds the current that your inverter can provide. When you consider ratings remember that the surge rating of an inverter may be for 25ms or 50ms which is useless to most appliances. Given a ferroresonant Constant Voltage Transformer you will be able to smooth out a lot of the problems of a dirty sine wave BUT they are heavy, specially made devices so will weigh a trim altering amount and not be budget. They are common in the USA but they are 120v output and designed for 60HZ and cost hundreds to ship here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Probably the cheapest way is to buy a new coffee machine. Apparently Aldi (or maybe Lidl) have one in their 'specials' this week. Its just a 'suck it and see' if it will work, but if it doesn't, take it back. Just bought one, its totally manual so unless it has a fancy pump motor and thermostat it shouldn't be bothered about wave shape. The down side its lotts of faffing about to use. Put the powdered coffee in, flush some hot water through to pre heat, fit the coffee holder and pump it through, no timer, empty the coffee holder, wash it through. A bit different to putting a cup under, putting a capsule in and just press the button, The reason we bought one was its only 1100watts Given a ferroresonant Constant Voltage Transformer you will be able to smooth out a lot of the problems of a dirty sine wave BUT they are heavy, specially made devices so will weigh a trim altering amount and not be budget. They are common in the USA but they are 120v output and designed for 60HZ and cost hundreds to ship here. I doubt even that would give a good sine wave if fed with a square one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 (edited) How about a jar of Maxwell House, currently 99p at B&M? The simple solutions (pun semi-intended) are often the best. Edited June 18, 2016 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 ditchcrawler, on 18 Jun 2016 - 11:03 AM, said: Just bought one, its totally manual so unless it has a fancy pump motor and thermostat it shouldn't be bothered about wave shape. The down side its lotts of faffing about to use. Put the powdered coffee in, flush some hot water through to pre heat, fit the coffee holder and pump it through, no timer, empty the coffee holder, wash it through. A bit different to putting a cup under, putting a capsule in and just press the button, The reason we bought one was its only 1100watts I doubt even that would give a good sine wave if fed with a square one I wonder whether it's a matter of power required rather than waveform. If the cheapy inexpensive one consumes "only 1100 watts" how much does a "proper" machine consume? The OP doesn't mention the power output of his inverter or the genny. Maybe the problem lies with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mross Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 It's a shame, because we love the taste and crema that the Nespresso provides. It seems that most domestic appliances now have a microprocessor and the power supply is not capable of using a 'dirty' supply. It's ironic that the electronics run on low voltage DC but we need to supply the damn machine with AC for the heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 (edited) The Nespresso Pixie is 1260 watts, but the larger model is 1710 watts. No idea on 'start-up' demand - the above are 'running' figures. Edited June 18, 2016 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 It's a shame, because we love the taste and crema that the Nespresso provides. If I knew what that was, I might love it too. Cream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Taylor Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 nespresso; marketing jargon for a way of conning the gullible into paying £60 the kilo for coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Nespresso machines are great but on a canal boat other than one permanently moored with a shore supply just seems plain bonkers to me. I solve the problem with a cafetiere and Mrs P solves the problem by staying at home where the Nespresso machine is. JP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Ultimately some things don't work on the cheap. If you want your machine then you will have to supply it with good quality sine wave mains equivalent. Also accept that it probably draws 3 - 4 KW for the first second which will cause many inverters to trip out even if they can support the running current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceinSanity Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Our Inissia runs on the output from the Mastervolt 2.5kw Omni, though a bit lumpier than from a conventional domestic supply, regardless of whether the beast is being fed from a shoreline or the output of the domestic alternator. There are plenty of volts at the socket but don't have a way of checking the quality of the sine wave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Ambrose Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Having read the thread it would seem that the problem lies with the waveform, as with many gadgets today this bit of kit is fussy about the waveform of the A/C you are supplying it with.. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Just wait til you try to get an automatic washing machine running. SO FAR they seem to be the kitchen item that is most particular about power quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJT Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Our Nespresso machine works perfectly using our Victron multi-plus 3000 pure sine wave invertor so I guess your problem stems from the modified wave form not being compatible with your machine. Nesspresso models are produced by several different manufacturers. Ours is a basic model by Magimix. I used it on another boat using its 2kw Sterling modified sine wave invertor and it works fine on that too. Not sure what model it is but a pic of it is here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadefoot Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Stove top espresso? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Stove top espresso? You are making the mistake of thinking like a boater rather than about how to make your house float. JP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadefoot Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 You are making the mistake of thinking like a boater rather than about how to make your house float. JP What am I like....silly me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Payne Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 If I knew what that was, I might love it too. Cream? Crema is the stuff that sits on top of the coffee, usually thicker and a white creamy colour, its a natural process of putting water through ground coffee at pressure, some coffees like Indian malibar create a very large crema, others not so much, it has no real contribution to taste. If the op prefers a thicker coffee then as already mentioned a stove top is the best way when on battery power. Or maybe a handpresso or rok https://www.handpresso.com/ http://www.rokkitchentools.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceinSanity Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Our Nespresso machine works perfectly using our Victron multi-plus 3000 pure sine wave invertor so I guess your problem stems from the modified wave form not being compatible with your machine. Nesspresso models are produced by several different manufacturers. Ours is a basic model by Magimix. I used it on another boat using its 2kw Sterling modified sine wave invertor and it works fine on that too. Not sure what model it is but a pic of it is here image.jpeg AIUI, all Nespressos use the same engine inside a variety of external casings and operating controls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mross Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Mine is a Magimix Inissia and is rated at 1260W so it may exceed the rating of the inverter. I'm far from the boat so I can't check. I'll look at manual alternatives but I doubt if my manager will like them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stilllearning Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Off topic perhaps, but neither I nor Mrs Stilllearning will have such a machine in the house, for various reasons not the least of which is cost. Personal choice and all that, and no doubt they make lovely coffee. Re the "crema" I am sure that somewhere I saw that robusta coffee makes more foam than arabica. It tastes better too, IMO. Our local Intermarché sells robusta coffee in its top budget range for about 4€ a kilo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard10002 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 You are making the mistake of thinking like a boater rather than about how to make your house float. JP That's a ridiculous thing to suggest. Time moves on, things improve, new things are created, and we are all entitled to use them, wherever we like, assuming we can make them work. Some things that we use in our houses improve life aboard, for some of us, so why not. I have a Nespresso machine, and it works fine from my Sterling 2500W Pure Sine Wave inverter charger. Given that I rarely use more than a few cups from a typical packet of coffee before it goes off and is wasted, the cost of Nespresso capsules is actually extremely efficient and cost effective, for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mross Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 nespresso; marketing jargon for a way of conning the gullible into paying £60 the kilo for coffee. Actually, Nespresso coffee is about 30p a cup - a lot cheaper than any coffee shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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