Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

This machine looks sweet.
Wife and I love expresso, ala Cuban and have always wanted to treat ourselves to a good machine.

I am tempted to get their grinder but that is way too much right now.
Any recommendations for a durable, cheaper grinder that can get the job done but not at over $300?

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Carlos,

I looked long and hard at the Silvia and obsessed over it for a long time as you know I am capable of doing.

The Silvia is a great machine and probably the minimum required to get into great espresso, although I did well tinkering with my Gaggia Baby.

Whatever you do, go big on the grinder or you'll regret it later and be paying again. I know this first hand when I struggled with my old Gaggia grinder before realizing it was true and got my Macap to feed my Brasilia, and the Gaggia grinder wound up in the trash after it broke while I was trying to figure out how to get to the burrs.

The Rocky is a great companion to the Silvia and many times you get a break if you get them together. Wholelattelove would be a great place to start and don't be afraid of the refurbished.

If you take a look next time you're around Calle Ocho, most of the machines are Rancilios and those folks know a thing or two about coffee.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

A quick search revealed a Rocky may be on your counter and you're still a dollar under budget....

http://www.1stincoffee.com/refurbished-rocky.htm

or 60 beans more gets you a new one with a 2 year warranty and I think it's the new model, but could be wrong...

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Rancilio/rockyracilio.cfm

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

+1 :=: hot damn

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I was beginning to think the coffee forums had died here.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Well, wife shot the thought and is asking I wait.
Told her I can wait a week.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I have to agree with previous sentiment on grinder. Just bite the bullet. Because if you get the Silvia and have a crappy grind then you have just wasted 600 dollars.

I have both and they are both worth every penny and then some. Actually, I remember Clampdown had his set up for sale at a very good price. I would contact him because I think you could save several hundred dollars on a used set up. And these machines last and last.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Here is the thread and that is a nice price on that set up.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35601

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Go grinder, Carlos - best possible. Come back to the espresso machine later. You will be amazed what a good grinder can for with press coffee, mokapot brew and (YES!) turkish coffee in the interim.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Finally had to do it.
My machine broke so the Rancilio is on order.
Should arrive in five days or so.
After I pay for it, Rocky is next.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Congrats!!!!

I spent a week waiting for my Macap to arrive after breaking my Gaggia grinder, and wasn't disappointed too badly stopping by the local roaster and having beans ground up for a few days in a pinch.

Not like fresh ground beans, but not horrible either.

I predict a home roaster in your future, but that's another story.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Patiently awaiting my notice of tracking number.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Got my tracking number yesterday.
Set to arrive on 11/23.
Can't wait.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Tuesday can't get here fast enough.

Ordered by backflush insert.
Ordered my brush (got that already today).
Ordered by cleaner (Urnex I think).
Got my tamper ready.

Darn UPS can't get here quick enough!!!!

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Ahh yes...the plunge into the deep abyss of the coffee passion. Honestly, roasting my own was the biggest leap in tasting terrific coffee. Until you have tasted a bean that isn't stale...you just don't know what you are missing. :)

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I see myself going downhill here.:D

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Nice. Make the grinder a priority, you're virtually dead in the water without it. The Silvia runs pretty steadily when it's calibrated, but it needs calibration almost every day or least a few times a week. Having pre-ground coffee can be hit or miss. You can always tamp harder...

Enjoy it. Get a quality tamp. Everyone has their little tips on making espresso as well, but that is a different thread.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

True to all smaller machines. Temp is key, and keeping the portafilter in the grouphead to warm it and even flushing some hot water over the portafilter is never a bad idea. Not sure I agree with the daily calibration part and that would tend to scare me if I was waiting on my first machine to arrive.

The Silvia has a great brass boiler which blows away the aluminum ones in inferior models and down the road, the PID mod is a relatively inexpensive mod that's worth looking at IF you are having temp issues. It's described here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Modifying_Miss_Silvia

I learned these tips on my old Gaggia, which was finicky, and probably pushed me into an E61 heat exchange model which eliminated those problems but put me in the hole a couple grande, which isn't what I ever wanted.

The owner's manual says 15 minute warmup, but I'd go at least 20.

This is a great little video on temp surfing, which can also be a huge help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Bn5...eature=related

Another thing that can not be understated is the importance of tamping. Gail from Seattle Coffee Gear demonstrates it quite well in this video I feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRsEF...eature=channel

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Daily or weekly calibration also has to do with humidity or barometric pressure. Both the coffee and machine are in flux to a degree. How many times have you had to adjust your grind or tamp when you just had extra ground coffee from the day before? Pretty regularly I bet.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

hmmm, I can't remember ever having ground coffee from the day before.

If it is left in the grinder and I'm not using it within 20 minutes, it's going into the sink.

When you say the Silvia needs calibration every day, I am wondering if you mean the Rocky needs calibration every day.

Silvia= espresso machine
Rocky= Grinder


I'm not even sure what calibrating an espresso machine is, but am with a grinder.

My grind and tamp depend more on the particular bean and roast I am using than the humidity.

I use a Macap M4 with the worm drive and can say that since I have dialed in, 1/4 to 1/2 turn is the most my grinder moves.

I do occassionally time my double shots to ensure they fall in the 25-30 second pull time frame and then make minute adjustments based on the results.

Normally, I'm working through a 5 lb bag of beans I am roasting once a week and the adjustments are rare until I switch beans and roast.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Essentially they are a pair (grinder and espresso machine). Since he has pre-ground coffee, all he can do is adjust the tamping or “machine”. So yes, I also mean grinder, but the grinder is in response to how the machine is working since we have a base adjustment we start off grinding from.

I try not to grind more than I need, but I am not tossing anything left over and I never put coffee grinds in the sink.

I don’t time my shots. If it comes out angel hair thick streams, it’s going to be on time. Having two thin even streams and puck that did not crack is what I look for.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Let the games begin.
Now to read up on this pup and go pick up some distilled water.
Rocky should be here in 3 to 5 days.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/84ede44e.jpg

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

The distilled water is not necessary. You can descale the machine quarterly and you'll be fine. You will need the descaler and Cafizza coffee cleaner for the group head and handle. A good group brush is mandatory as well.

You'll be amazed how much water goes through the machine and how futile using bottled water becomes.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Man, I hate to be confrontational, but living in Florida, the tap water will eat up an espresso machine in very little time.

I've replaced just about every faucet and shower head in my house due to the scale buildup from the city water.

I've put a whole house water softener in recently and still wouldn't put tap water anywhere near my machine.

I've noticed a huge difference on my skin, clothes and spots on the shower, but not enough tolet water that comes through a limestone aquifier in Florida into the boiler and plumbing of my investment.

A gallon of drinking water is 75 cents and a very good investment considering the money spent on a good espresso machine.

But hey, that's just me.

There's people who drink the water here from the sink but again, that's there plumbing, not mine.

Congratulations on that shiny new machine Carlos and may it bring you many years of coffee bliss.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Sounds like you are in an extreme water situation, if that is the case, then ok, you need filtered water via inline or just bottled water.

How much water do you think the machine will use in one week? Over a half gallon would be my guess.

Boston (and NYC) have good tap water.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Must take getting use to but not too thrilled right now.

I wait for the light to go off and if I run water through no portafilter, it comes out blazing hot.
I wait for the light to go off again and brew my coffee and the temperature is vastly cooler on the brew.

Also, perhaps being Cuban, use to strong brews, not impressed with the watery consistency of the coffee, without even making it to two thirds of the way of a small expresso cup.

Trying to get tech support to see what it is I am doing wrong.
You would think making espresso now for almost 40 years, I would know how to work this thing.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Just learned how to temperature surf and seems to have helped.
I have such a buzz right now from so much coffee sampling.
My heart is racing.:r

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

LOL, I remember that well after I got my espresso machine! I did not sleep well for 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

:r

I just tried talking to my dog.
He shook his head left and right trying to figure out what the heck I am speed talking about.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Run the machine with the portafilter attached first. You want to heat the portafilter so it is super hot when you pack the coffee into it. There must be some good you tube's to watch and well worth it. You can waste a lot of money on coffee with just trial and error.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Yep, extreme is correct.

Hotels and resorts here leave signs by the sink letting guests know the yellow water is safe and won't hurt you.

I pretty much go through a gallon of purified water every 3 days although Thursday, with company will go through a gallon in the day.

Carlos,

if you are getting watery shots, you are either tamping too lightly or need finer grinds. Your extraction is off.

watery is not something I would attribute to a proper shot, in fact syrupy is better.

this video pretty much shows what a perfect shot should look like in color, consistency and extraction....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6-BP...eature=related

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

and just to prove my point, here is one of your machine doing it..

wrong language, but correct results

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4tMn...eature=related

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Thanks Pete.
Mine definitely not coming out like that.
Need to toy with it but enough espresso for one day.
Will try again in the a.m.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Not sure what I am doing wrong. Need some advice/help before I decide to send this thing back.

I have watched all the videos out there.

My coffee does not come out hot enough and no matter how much I tamper it, still not anywhere close to what I see on videos. Mine is more watery.

Once in a while I can nail down hotter than usual but still not what I would expect out of this unit. I may very well end up with a PID at the rate this is going, before I decide to can this thing and go back to a $100 Krups from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Frankly, that made the very same coffee for a fraction of the cost.

Here is the one I have followed mostly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Bn5IjZht8

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I may have missed it your posts, but what type of coffee/grinder are you using? You could have perfect technique, but without the right grind/fresh coffee, you're not going to get good results.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Yeah,
Thought that might be an issue but that would not affect the temperature in my mind.
I picked up coffee from a local roaster and had it ground fresh the day before by them.
Have tried two of their blends along with my regular espresso that works just dandy on the cheapo Krups.
One would think the fancier and more expensive unit wouldn't need to have its balls rubbed so much.:r
I get my Rocky on Monday and will give that a whirl before giving up on this thing.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

WOW!

What a quirky device.
FINALLY got a right brew, back to back.

Seems A, machine needs to be on for a bit.
B, when temp surfing, rather than how the video does it, I used my two cups to fill with hot water.
C, I waited for the light to go on, then off.
D, don't wait 30 seconds, instead, wait a minute.

Got two back to back great brews with good creme/head and right temperature.
FINALLY!!!
Who would have thought something so expensive needs such stroking.

I am walking around the house as if on skates from so much coffee tasting today.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I never even attempt to use my machine without a minimum warmup of 30 minutes.

There's no harm in leaving your machine on before going to bed to ensure you have a hot machine when you wake up.

I rely very little on the light that says the machine is ready.

One way to tell if your machine is hot enough is to turn on the steam wand.

If it isn't blowing out steam, it is possible you have a boiler problem, which I doubt.

If your machine is hot, you shouldn't be having to do too much temp surfing unless you are pulling multiple shots.

Another possiblity is that whoever is grinding your beans, is grinding them for something other than espresso; perhaps drip?

Once your grinder arrives, you will have all kinds of newfound control over grind consistency and not be relying on someone's grinds.

If the grinds aren't almost powdery in consistency, that's your problem.

If it was easy, good baristas would be a dime a dozen.

One of the joys of home espresso machines is the hands on control you have, once you get past the learning.

My E61 machine is very finicky and pisses out crap unless I give it correct grind, perfect tamp pressure and distribution.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Once you get the grinder- then you are making espresso!

Floydpink is right about keeping the machine on. I have left it on for a few days at time with no issue. One time the "internal thingy" triggered, but it was easy to reset.

The secret is in packing the portafilter. It's worth playing around with a couple of pounds cheapest beans you can get. Work on getting consistent shops in the right time frame, even from both sides. Toss them out and keep trying.

I overfill the portafileter, scrape the excess off like measuring flour (back into ground coffee in grinder). Tap the portafilter lightly, tamp, tap off excess and clean around the portafilter rim. I know many like to hand pack the portfilter before scraping the excess.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Tried leaving it on this morning for a couple of hours before brewing.
Surfed and all.
Did everything I have seen and read.
While noticeably hotter by surfing, I am still not happy with the temperature I am getting.
I like my espresso hotter.
I think once I recover from the Rocky expense, a PID is in my future.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

There must be something missing in this. You shouldn't have such issues. Try heating the espresso cup with a blank shot before making the espresso shot.

I don't really "surf" the machine, but it becomes intuitive once you know how the machine is operating at that moment. Change grind, tamp differently for what is already ground... Does it come out even? Does it take a few seconds, several seconds, before the espresso comes out or does it come out right away?

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I am not going to panic yet. Will wait for grinder to arrive on Monday and grind some fresh beans.
I can already tell there are differences in the brew with three different types of pre-ground that I have.

The funny thing about this temp thing is that my dad has a Breville, my son has a Delonghi Magnifica and I have the Rancilio.
All three of us have the same complaint about temperature.
We must like our coffee way hotter than most.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Get the espresso cup really hot before pulling the shot! Are you pulling directly to the cup or glass then pouring to the espresso cup?

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I was using my old container from my old espresso machine.

I decided to use a metal one, heated it first.
Seems to work much better for getting a hot brew.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

With this fancy device, clearly a quirky process that takes time but I think I have it down already.

Got my first solid as expected brew today, just a short while ago.
Got the temperature I was expecting for my coffee.
Still not getting the creme but that is clearly due to using pre-ground coffee.
I get my Rocky on Monday and can't wait.

Thought I would share this.
Check out my espresso cups.
Do you think they are fake or real Cohibas?:r

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/b0e263d0.jpg

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

This machine has a bit of a learning curve. It took me a bit to understand exactly how it works.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Another great brewing day today.
Brewed twice and both came out to the consistency/strength we like and the temperature was right on the money.

Some things that I have learned:
Unit needs to be on for a while before trying to use it.
Keep the portafilter attached while unit warming as will warm it up nicely for you.
Surfing is cool and works. Temp surf to get it nice and hot and in addition, I turn on the steamer switch to make the pump crank up the temp even more.
I fill the cups with hot water and brew directly into them, which I was not doing initially.

Only thing left that I am truly looking forward to is the creme.
Haven't seen any but clearly due to using store bought can pre ground coffee.
Can't wait until Monday for Mr. Rocky to show up and then we will be cooking with gas for sure.:D

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

Man I have this thing coming out blazing hot now.

Now I need to conquer that creme that eludes me still. Hopefully that will change a bit when Rocky gets here in an hour or two.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

I am officially over that early curve and loving this thing.
Took time but with the Rocky grinder, man I am loving what this is doing.

Thanks to all that have helped get to this point.

Re: Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia
 

The crema is about the beans (and fresh grind I assume, but I know no different than fresh grinding). That being said, I think robusto beans give better crema and has more caffeine. I don’t chase after coffee beans like I use to.