What's caffeinating you today?

[T42]

If you don't mind speaking Fahrenheit, these guys are pretty good:

https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2014/11/10/tech-tips-temperature-surfing-rancilio-silvia/

[ElyDave]

I had a Silvia until 2011. It's a great machine, apart from poor temperature stability which causes very very inconsistent results unless you follow a strict protocol with a stopwatch...


....which is a pain in the arse.


I fitted a PID to it, which pulsed the power in so there was no great temperature variation. It produced results consistently on a par with my £1800 machine.

Just fit one. Trust me on this.

Or you could count in your head.

I follow this routine with my machine you'd be surprised how consistently I can count to 27.

[Hot Flatus]

Here is an example of temperature surfing routine on a Silvia:

"
1. Activate the steam switch and wait for the light to go off. While this is happening I am filling my milk pitcher and preheating my cups using my sinks hot water tap (more on this to come)
2. Steam the milk and end by turning off the steam switch
3. Wipe down the steam wand to remove any milk residue
4. Place a cup under the steam wand and either shot glasses or the cup you intend to use for the shot
5. Turn on the extraction switch (wand is in and locked without the portafilter)
6. Open the steam valve until water flows clear out of the wand
7. Time the remaining extraction to stop just prior to the light coming on. I do this by using shot glasses where I stop just as I get one shot. Set aside the shot glasses.
8. Remove the wand, insert the portafilter, and prep the wand for the shot (add coffee grounds and tamp
9. The light should have gone off after reheating and is just about ready for extraction
10. Load the portafilter into the Silvia and if the light has been off for 15 sec or so, begin extraction per all of SCG fine instructionals"

=ballache.

I'm now on my fifth espresso machine, a semi-automatic volumetric La Spaziale.

The idea of temperature surfing to make a coffee makes me want to giggle.

Just fit a PID and be done with the bullshit.

[T42]

Or take the apostate's exit and buy a fully automatic.  As was observed, you'll never have a great cup of coffee but you'll always have a bloody good one.

[Hot Flatus]

I've stuck with my semi for years. You adjust the grind for new beans, set the volume of water, and that is it.

I will never go back to E61, let alone single boiler bullshit

[T42]

When I win the lottery I might buy a Spaz. Got my automatic brand-new at half-price, got it dialled in and as long as I use coffee of roughly the same age since roasting it turns out a good shot.

Just one shot today, though, because I didn't order the next lot sooner. Thought there was more in the freezer.

[ElyDave]

grinder set, occaisionally check the timer vs weight, it's normally pretty OK, adjust one time in 100

Turn on machine, grind coffee, tamp, engage portafilter

Tip eggs into hot pan, flick switch on kettle to 90deg

Turn machine to coffee, check eggs, while counting to 27 (sometimes check vs timer, i'm accurate to 1s)

Turn off coffee machine, back to cooker, turn out omlette

Back to kettle, add equal volume water to espresso

Enjoy breakfast with very good coffee.

I don't need "perfect" one time in 9 million, very good every day is good enough

[Hot Flatus]

When you have 'perfect' every time, 'very good' just won't cut it. 

[ElyDave]

your faff for perfect is diminishing returns.  Coffee is not a mystic holy brew.

[Hot Flatus]

What faff?    I press one button.  You stand there like a plum counting.

Coffee is not a mystic holy brew, you are right. It is pretty simple to make a perfect shot most times IF you know what you are doing. But that never involves counting to 27   

Hillbilly: Trust me, been there done it, just fit a PID. Go to coffeeforums.co.uk and have a search.

[T42]

Yup. I have to press two buttons, one of them twice: ON, Espresso, OFF.  I can do that and drink the shot while the tea's brewing.

[ElyDave]

What faff?    I press one button.  You stand there like a plum counting.

Coffee is not a mystic holy brew, you are right. It is pretty simple to make a perfect shot most times IF you know what you are doing. But that never involves counting to 27   

Hillbilly: Trust me, been there done it, just fit a PID. Go to coffeeforums.co.uk and have a search.

Ten steps of FAFF according to you.

I have two switches, on, and a toggle switch for coffee or steam

[Hot Flatus]

I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.

[mike]

I'm lucky to have Michael's coffee stall on the market in Cambridge - (not my pic, I found it on flickr - he doesnt do mail order, internet or debit cards..)

I worked my way through them all over a year or so and settled on a pretty dark mix of 1 part Sumatra and 2 parts El Salvador,  ground in a pretty average burr machine, made with an aeropress mid-way between an espresso and americano strength, black no sugar.  3 cups a day is plenty or I get a bit twitchy!

He's closed down!!   

An organic food stand has started selling his coffee, but they've cut the range down to about 1/3 of what he used to sell and have stopped the Sumatra / El Salvador blend I used to have..  Dammit.   

Do the Compass Coffee folks send their beans in a letterbox friendly pack, or will I have to catch the postman?  Any suggestions on where to start in their range?

[Ham]

If your letterbox can take a 4" square package, you're in luck. Flatus will be along with more years of experience in a minute, but each time I've ordered from them, the beans turned up quickly. Just a few packs will be Royal Mail, a bigger consignment will be DPD.

I enjoy their Mahogany/extra dark blends, but call them and talk to them, they're very helpful and knowledgeable.

[ElyDave]

I'm lucky to have Michael's coffee stall on the market in Cambridge - (not my pic, I found it on flickr - he doesnt do mail order, internet or debit cards..)

I worked my way through them all over a year or so and settled on a pretty dark mix of 1 part Sumatra and 2 parts El Salvador,  ground in a pretty average burr machine, made with an aeropress mid-way between an espresso and americano strength, black no sugar.  3 cups a day is plenty or I get a bit twitchy!

He's closed down!!   

An organic food stand has started selling his coffee, but they've cut the range down to about 1/3 of what he used to sell and have stopped the Sumatra / El Salvador blend I used to have..  Dammit.   

Do the Compass Coffee folks send their beans in a letterbox friendly pack, or will I have to catch the postman?  Any suggestions on where to start in their range?

Yes, found that out yesterday as well. Eventually bought some tea from the other stall.

[Hot Flatus]

I've never ordered less than 1.5kg from Coffee Compass so I'm afraid I really can't help. You could give them a ring and ask.  They are very much customer service oriented.

The reason why I bulk buy is that it enables me to take advantage of their espresso trial offer, plus a handy 10% discount code from another forum. Also, they charge a flat £3.95 postage rate which would make ordering 250g prohibitively expensive (plus we get through 250g in 4 days)

When I order it always arrives parcel force, and not overly packaged (coffee bags packed into a jiffy bag then into unpadded  plastic bag).

[ElyDave]

I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.

I don't believe the machine I have has been on the market for ten years.

[Hot Flatus]

I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.

I don't believe the machine I have has been on the market for ten years.

It has been around since 1998.

Yours (if it is v5) has added boiler insulation, an eco cut off switch,  and various cosmetic changes, but otherwise is the same single boiler non-heat exchange machine it always was.

It is still, probably,  the best bang for buck machine at that price point because it uses a hefty commercial brass group head that helps with temperature stability compared with the usual light alloy at that price point. You'll never get a heat exchanger machine at that price point, so it remains deeply flawed. It is easy to overcome these flaws however, as it is with the cheaper Gaggia Classic.  If you drink milk based drinks however, it remains an utter pain in the arse.

[ElyDave]

my machine is not by Gaggia.

PID may make it "better", but 1) cost, 2) technical skills to install, 3) VFM?

I find my machine to be pretty consistent (even with the hardship of counting to 27), the real value for me was in buying a decent grinder and regularly checking dosage and extraction.

I rarely drink milk drinks, the bigger variable by far is my skill in the frothing.

[Hot Flatus]

I know your machine is not a Gaggia 

I mention the Gaggia Classic because it is a similar machine, and most knowledgeable users PID them. Auber make a specific kit.

I know exactly what machine you have. I know the model inside out, literally, because I modded it over 10 years use. I know how inconsistent it is, regardless of counting to 27.

Cost of PID? Fuck all. I think I paid £15 on eBay. You can pick them up on aliexpress for bugger all these days.

Skills? I don't know what yours are. I did mine pre Google and YouTube. I bet it is really easy now to Google a walkthrough.

VFM? Absolutely indisputable. It transforms the machine from an idiosyncratic annoyance to something with the output quality of a £1k machine (provided that you discount the truly shit steaming capabilities of the Silvia)

You are right about the grinder, though.

[ElyDave]

I don't have a Silvia either.

[Ham]

You are right about the grinder, though.

Funny you should mention that....  I'm coming to the conclusion I need a comical grinder, just for a laugh.

My Molino is ok for filter grind, but no way can it do a decent expresso.

[Hot Flatus]

I don't have a Silvia either.

Then why the fuck are you entering into a discussion specifically about the Rancilio Silvia???

Jeez.

[Hot Flatus]

You are right about the grinder, though.

Funny you should mention that....  I'm coming to the conclusion I need a comical grinder, just for a laugh.

My Molino is ok for filter grind, but no way can it do a decent expresso.

It's the hard lesson that every coffee drinker has to learn 

It seems counter-intuitive, but unless you are spending ££££ on a machine, you are better off spending more on the grinder.

I got very lucky and found a new (very slightly damaged) Mazzer Major Timer on eBay for £300. I flogged the hopper because it wouldn't fit under my kitchen units (and I wouldn't fill it with coffee beans anyway) For £35.  Then I nodded it with an electronic timer unit and buttons.

This replaced a £600 Eureka Zenith 65E, which I found made the coffee taste flat. It had replaced my Mazzer Mini.

The Major is my 5th grinder, but I'm sticking with it. 18 years ago, I thought all the fuss about grinders was nonsense, but now I know they make an enormous difference.