pcof Junior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2013 Posts: 25 Location: NJ
Espresso: on the hunt Grinder: Lelit pl53 Drip: Chemex Roaster: Behmor 1600
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 8:12am Subject: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
Hey I currently have a racilio silvia V3. Just wanted to get some thoughts on what would be the better choice, getting a PID put on the silvia or upgrading to nuova simonelli oscar?
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,613 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 8:19am Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
What is it that you expect from an upgrade?
A PID will relieve you from the need to do temperature surfing. The Oscar, being an entry level HX machine, will offer you among other things the possibility to brew and steam silultaneously, for example.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,613 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 8:33am Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
Well, as far as I know the Oscar is even licenced for light commercial use. As with any HX machine you can pull consecutive shots with more or less consistent brewing temperature, unless you take the plumb-in version only limited by size of the water tank.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 10:15am Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
I've really enjoyed both, but I'd completely base my recommendation on how many drinks you expect to make in a day, how close together, and how much milk will you be steaming?
Both can be found similarly priced used, and both are great options. I've more recently owned and enjoyed a PID V2 Silvia, which had the OPV modified to produce the ideal 9 bar of extraction pressure. So as a roaster, I found it to be an impressive tool given the price. It got up to ample steam power within 10-20 seconds, and I really enjoyed how the temperature control translated into the cup.
The Oscar is less adjustable, but the design is more temperature stable and solidly built (more of a commercial feel, despite the plastic case). I also really like the steam performance.
I'd have a hard time choosing between these machines, because they both have great strengths. If you aren't steaming much milk or making back to back drinks, a PID Silvia will make you very happy. An Oscar will also make you very happy as long as you learn the basics about using a heat exchanger.
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 1:08pm Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
I also own a Silvia V3. I would stick with the Silvia for the usability. 1. Hot water tap 2. Can pull consecutive shots better with the PID. 3. Pressure profiling with the steam arm during espresso pull. 4. Temp control with the PID 5. Great steam considering its a single boiler. Better with the PID because it maintains temp. I looked into the Oscar but decided not to because it was more of a brew, steam and that's it machine. benpiff has a point the Oscar would put you in a whole new class of machines. I simply wouldn't get it unless I was going to be brewing and frothing over and over at the same time.
pcof Junior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2013 Posts: 25 Location: NJ
Espresso: on the hunt Grinder: Lelit pl53 Drip: Chemex Roaster: Behmor 1600
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 1:26pm Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
thanks for all the advice. looks like i won't be getting the pid. I make multiple milk drinks a night and sometimes 5-6 if there are guests. but now that have been looking into similar price ranges of the oscar is seems like a couple of other machines are within the range, such as the quick mill silvano. Anyone have thoughts about what would be the best machine in same price point as the oscar and has the ability to steam and brew at the same time?
Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 1:39pm Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
The Quickmill Silvano is a thermoblock machine that has some pretty fancy features, but it still doesn't have the steam power of the Oscar. The Oscar has the largest boiler of any home machine and, from what I'm told, the most steaming power. You also might want to consider the La Nuova Era Cuadra, which is also an HX machine. It's shinier than the Oscar and features an E61 grouphead, but has a smaller boiler and isn't light commercial machine.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,684 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 2:24pm Subject: Re: ADVICE please . upgrade to a rancilio with pid or nuova simonelli oscar?
What Kelvan said, I have a Sylvia for travel use on vacation and it used to be with me at work. I rebuilt it and installed a PID and I would switch it in an instant for an Oscar or the La Nuova if someone offered to trade, I could not switch fast enough!
For your use, a HX machine much better fits the service you do. I have used an Oscar to keep a party of 30 people happy and the same machine sat on my counter and served only me too. Keep an eye out on the BST board too, good deals happen every now and then when someone moves up to a new "dream" machine.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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