Luca Senior Member Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 2,658 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Espresso: H: Maver W: FB-80 Grinder: H: Super Jolly W: Brasilia... Vac Pot: Hario TCA-2 Roaster: Sample Roaster at Work
Posted Thu Jun 10, 2004, 8:40am Subject: Re: Need of a good expresso machine!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I definitely need a machine with a 3-way solenoid. A lot of the time I make several shots one after another, and it is pretty frustrating to have all your friends stop that poker game, sit and dumb-look at your for some 30 minutes while you try to make one coffee after another without having coffee grinds exploding all over you.
I also need a mashine with good steaming power. With my Barista it take me a minute and a half to steam 8oz of milk. It is quite annoying, to be honest.
I looking into a solid machine that will be a workhorse for the next 6 years... when I am hoping to gather enough money to get one of them "big boys". Thus Silvia (although a big price jump) seems to be quite a worthwile investment. Any thoughts? Any of you who have experience with Silvia have any comments? Am I on the right track?
Ahh ... uhh ... umm ... yeah ...
I've had Silv since the beginning of this year and I've gotta say that if I were ever trying to make more than two coffees at once I would KILL for a heat exchanger machine. Silvia's big(ish) boiler is not always a blessing. If you want to make more than one double shot, and you're temperature surfing (if you're not familiar with this term, go and have a search for it), it takes for ever to cool down the boiler, then you've got to get it to heat up again ... then heat it again for milk. When you go to steam, you've got to be familiar with the fact that Silvia produces either (a) useless steam or (b) abundant steam, and know how to get either. You've got to have the grind and tamp spot on every time. Compare this to a heat-exchanger machine, where you just walk up to it and make your coffees. It takes about 1/3 of the time. If you entertain at all, or just can't be bothered with all the ritual, it seems to me that the Expobar Office is worth the extra $200US. Buy the mazzer mini with it (you usually get a discount if you buy an expensive machine + grinder) and you'll never need to upgrade.
Anyhoo, that's just my $0.02. If you take that from $AUD to $US, it's probably only worth $0.015 ;P
da_russky_007 Senior Member Joined: 8 Jun 2004 Posts: 31 Location: USA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia; Starbucks... Grinder: Rancilio Rocky, Black &... Drip: Black and Decker
Posted Thu Jun 10, 2004, 12:38pm Subject: Re: Need of a good expresso machine!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luca Said:
if I were ever trying to make more than two coffees at once I would KILL for a heat exchanger machine... where you just walk up to it and make your coffees. It takes about 1/3 of the time.
Anyhoo, that's just my $0.02. If you take that from $AUD to $US, it's probably only worth $0.015 ;P
I appreciate your input. I would definetely love to get the heat exchanger machine. Unfortunately, I am already blowing a ton of money of a machine. I can't really afford spending anymore, although I wish I could. I am just trying to tell myself that in several years i will be able to afford one of them big boy, and I will proudly place my Silvia in an honorable spot in my office at work. Ahhhhh.... Dreams :)))))))))))
da_russky_007 Senior Member Joined: 8 Jun 2004 Posts: 31 Location: USA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia; Starbucks... Grinder: Rancilio Rocky, Black &... Drip: Black and Decker
Posted Wed Jun 16, 2004, 11:43am Subject: Re: Need of a good expresso machine!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hello everyone :)
i have just received my Silvia with Rocky today. as i am typing, by me faithfully stands that first good shot i have pulled from it.... if i were to sum up my experience with this machine and the grinder, i'd have to say... DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahah (very expressive isn't it? man, i love english language)
at the same time, i'd like to say "shame on you" to all those who suggested that with a good grinder you could pull good shots on a Starbucks machine. I have the two machines sitting on the counter side by side, and Silvia beats the Barista in every category. (after this post I am going to go ahead and write a BAD review for the Barsita.... cuz that's what it is - a BAD machine)
I have brewed shots from the same beans on both machines. The Barista's espresso tastes... well.... bitter and nasty (even with the short brewing time and a replacement portafilter that starbucks sent me after supposedly testing it). You know I have to flush my mouth with water after that shot. yucky %P Afer about 10 minutes messing with Silvia and Rocky, I pulled a shot that was smooth, sweet and tasty (no bitterness) - something Barista has never done in 6 months, i have been using it!
Somebody said that, provided with a good grinder one could get a decent shot from Barista. Well, with my old blade grinder (which doesn't grind near as fine as Rocky) I would choke the pump, I am not even talking about the grind that works with Silvia - that would definetely choke it. Actually even the Starbucks support people told me about that.
I have read somewhere that Silvia appears too demanding to some people. It think it's kinda silly. How can you be a true expresso lover and think that Silvia is too demanding. I'd think if you love the drink, you'd want as much control as possible over the extraction so that you'd get exactly what you want.
Anyways, I am just ecstatic about my Silvia/Rocky combo. It's just like a love at first sight ;) All you reading this, if you think you are serious about expresso, get Silvia :)))))) it a beuaty, eh? :D I like it so much, I have even included the picture of it.
-Yegor (Prooud(!) Silvia owner)
Here... do you like it? Now go get one of these :D (Just kidding)
Posted Wed Jun 16, 2004, 2:49pm Subject: Re: Need of a good expresso machine!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yegor,
Good luck, man. It's a beauty. I hope it continues to bring you a lot of joy.
(BTW, you might consider leaving the portafilter attached to the brew group if possible. It takes a fair amount of time to get to thermal equalibrium. At least it does on my non-Silvia)
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