Thinking of the plunge into a Rancilio Silvia

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

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.

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.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by floydpink

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.

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.

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

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.

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

[floydpink]

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

[Blueface]

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.

[Blueface]

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