Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Dj_Jestar said:
You actually want a fairly coarse grind for the aeropress else you won't be able to plunge safely.

Rocky, mignon, Vario will all do superb job.
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Just want to say thanks for this, for some reason I've been using fine grinds in my aeropress as that's what I'd read when I got it, switched to coarse/medium and it's much better :)
 
Scottland said:
Contemplating doing a PID mod to my Silvia, just curious if anyone here has done it and could recommend a kit to look at or avoid?
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Hi - I PID modded my Sylvia a few years ago now - I'm fairly certain it is the Auber Instruments kit that I bought via ebay. I went for the one with steam control as well, but didn't bother with the pre-infusion. Installation was a doddle. The ebay seller is auberinstruments and they also have their own web page if you don't want to use ebay :)
 
haaammit said:
Hi - I PID modded my Sylvia a few years ago now - I'm fairly certain it is the Auber Instruments kit that I bought via ebay. I went for the one with steam control as well, but didn't bother with the pre-infusion. Installation was a doddle. The ebay seller is auberinstruments and they also have their own web page if you don't want to use ebay :)
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Thanks for that, I've got on of their kits in my watchlist on ebay. How do you find it after doing it, were you happy with the results?
 
per discussion at start of year, my money is on Mecoffee ~£100, or discretely buying the SSR/thermocouple/pid for ~£50, versus a £150 ? investment in pre-packaged Aubrey.

Surfing was not so difficult on a non-pid'd machine, and also not sure pid would help much for making mutltiple cups since it will not turn on pre-emptively/pre-shot to compensate for cold water inflow (in Silvia 150ml boiler) as you make a shot or warm cup/pf.

the idea of getting a profiling temperature plot from a mecoffee appeals too (but who know what the temperature offset between brewhead and thrmocouple location is?)
 
Scottland said:
Thanks for that, I've got on of their kits in my watchlist on ebay. How do you find it after doing it, were you happy with the results?
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Yes, very happy. The PID mod means no more temperature surfing which equates to one less variable when pulling a shot. The unit is well made, and shows no signs of moving from where I mounted it, which is in between the grouphead and the steam wand. I must have had it well over 5 years - maybe longer. It basically does exactly what it's meant to do - control and balance the temperature to a much higher degree than the built in thermostat.
 
Scottland said:
Contemplating doing a PID mod to my Silvia, just curious if anyone here has done it and could recommend a kit to look at or avoid?
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Installed mine (Auber) about 10 months ago. Even though I followed the instructions I don't know if I've fitted it right. The temperature readings can be erratic at times, but when it reads right the improvement to the machine is worth the money. I did think about installing the mecoffee PID but reading elsewhere when it does go wrong the seller takes a long time to respond to problems. The mecoffee is more or less a raspberry pi in a plastic case, it doesnt inspire confidence in me when you consider how hot & damp the inside of a Silvia gets once heated up.
 
haaammit said:
Yes, very happy. The PID mod means no more temperature surfing which equates to one less variable when pulling a shot. The unit is well made, and shows no signs of moving from where I mounted it, which is in between the grouphead and the steam wand. I must have had it well over 5 years - maybe longer. It basically does exactly what it's meant to do - control and balance the temperature to a much higher degree than the built in thermostat.
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Grimley said:
Installed mine (Auber) about 10 months ago. Even though I followed the instructions I don't know if I've fitted it right. The temperature readings can be erratic at times, but when it reads right the improvement to the machine is worth the money. I did think about installing the mecoffee PID but reading elsewhere when it does go wrong the seller takes a long time to respond to problems. The mecoffee is more or less a raspberry pi in a plastic case, it doesnt inspire confidence in me when you consider how hot & damp the inside of a Silvia gets once heated up.
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Thanks - Auber seems to be the way to go. I've got a week over near Easter so will give me something to do then :)
 
Scottland said:
Thanks for that, I've got on of their kits in my watchlist on ebay. How do you find it after doing it, were you happy with the results?
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+1 on the Auber kit. I've had mine for years and it has been perfect.

The only problem I had with my Silvia/PID was that there is a known issue with the thread compound that Rancillio used to seal the pipe into the pump. It can dry out over time (years) and then start to leak. Mine did this and the leaking water then killed the relay unit that you screw onto the base at the back of the unit. Auber were able to send me a replacement and provided a very good deal on 48hr shipping from Canada (which I needed with Christmas fast approaching). I cleaned out the old thread compound and replaced it with PTFE tape.

On an unrelated matter (but whilstd fitting the PID), keep an eye out for rust on the Silvia. The black paint on the steel frame on mine was absolutely woeful (in the best Italian tradition) and I had quite a bit of rust after several years of use that was getting quite bad. I cleaned all the original paint off and repainted all the bottom section front and back with black Hammerite.

If I had my time again, I might be tempted to fit the PID internally rather than between the group head and the steam wand just because it will look far neater but it's certainly more work and means cutting a hole in the front of the machine.

[edit] and I owe the fact that I own a Silvia and Rocky grinder (plus lots of other gear!) and my passion for great coffee all to this thread which I started reading many years ago.
 
I did not see any corrosion on mine and had it 15 years, have to take care on drip tray emptying and re-filling, only opened it a couple of times, curiosity + thermostat change.
Did see this pid comment, which is the coldest spot ?
Word of advice regarding installing on the face of the machine: This can lead to overheating of the PID. I did just the same a while ago, and between 25 and 35 minutes the machine starts reading fairly random temperatures. So, if you use your machine like I used to, where you get up in the morning, turn the machine on, go get a shower, and then come back to make a shot, don't be too surprised if the machine is derping hard.
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This is probably already mentioned in the thread, but I'm looking for some recommendations for coffee beans to use in my new bean to cup machine. I've tried some lavazza qualita ones and some Taylor ones (can't recall the exact type). I've not been hugely impressed by either though I'm only just getting to grips with the machine.

I'm looking for something easy to buy that doesn't cost the earth.
 
I was trying to get the price below what I was paying for a cup of Nespresso (2 pods per cup equals about 66p)!

Are these specialist roasters worth paying the extra for? I'm probably in the market for a daily drinking coffee first before moving on to the £7 for 227g types of roasters.

(Cheers for the suggestions though :) )
 
I'm not sure what to suggest that's a bit cheaper, you pays your money etc :)

However, Rave do a taster pack

£12 for 3x250g bags so a bit closer to your target price :)

Waitrose also sell Union beans that have a roast date on them, although it can vary from recent to a bit too far.
 
That taster pack looks ok and I'll check it out :)

I think what I really want to know is if these specialist beans are noticeably better than your £3 pack of big-name beans from a supermarket. I'm quite new to the world of decent coffee and it all tastes miles better than instant at the moment. In other words, I'm not sure I'm in need of connoisseur-level coffee just yet, though I'm open to suggestion.
 
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