Rancilio Silvia

[BoldJava]

Espresso ? Miss Silvia Arrives

CCFore sold me a wonderfully clean, bright, obedient Siliva.  Czarinita lugged that bad girl home for me from the Twin Cities over Labor Day.  I had no idea how heavy it was (30 lbs).  She rode the light rail to get the plane and said, ?Dad, the flight left from the very last gate.?  I hung my head in the best pseudo-posed shame, but not for long.  I mean, why overdo great acting?

Miss Silvia stayed in the box while the Czarinita was home.  Priorities.  She left last evening so this morning, I heard Silvia crowing (hens do crow) and bright and early, she got dusted off and displayed in a prominent place, right next to Miguel Macap.  I can see the relationship ?blooming.?

I have been saving remnants of roasts to learn the grind/tamp drill.  I had at least two Brazilians in there, some Harar, and heavens knows what else.  After about 9 oz of practice grinds and 40 minutes of head scratching, adjusting the grind, and fiddling with the tamping, voila.  Todd had sent along a wonderful rosewood 58mm tamper.

23-second, 2-oz shot, with a delightful crema sitting there saying, ?sip me.?  I did.  Wow.  This is not a Melitta steam toy.  Rancilio reigns.  How did a conglomeration of remnant roasts get so nice?  OK, so far, so good.  Now for the frothing.

Good grief, Charley Brown.  I am going to be here awhile with the frothing.  No thermometer (I will pick one up at the restaurant supply store this week).  Need one desperately.  I just ended up with steamed milk but served it up to the Koffee Czarina.

?Spectacular,? she said.  And that is as good a beginning as I had hoped for.

B|Java, happy in Toyland

[Ron_L]

Congrats!  i can't believe that she lugged that thing for you!  You owe here a nice present.

As far as the thermometer, it may help with consistency, but they usually respond so slow that they lag behind the real temp.  Try this...  Stretch the milk (by keeping the tip at the surface so you hear tch tch sounds as the steam hole is right at the surface.  You will have to slowly move the pitcher down as the milk expands).  Stretch until the pitch is just starting to get warm.  Then submerge the tip and try to get a good swirl going.  Swirl the milk until the pitcher is too hot to hold and you are done. (at least close enough).

[Chris]

Not to rain on your parade, but ultimately steam power (and plumb-in), is what lead me to the La Spaziale S1.

And the under-powered steam problem just doesn't go away, regardless of "workarounds".

You see where I am going with this?  Sell it quick while it still has value, and don't torture yourself with upgrade fever. 

Did I mention I have an S1 for sale? 

Actually, I am hanging on to the S1 for awhile.  And the fact that I have owned it for almost 9 months now, tells you something.  That is some sort of record for me.  My normal turnaround time for coffee, photography, or audio paraphernalia is about 3-6 months.

[Joe]

Not to rain on your parade, but ultimately steam power (and plumb-in), is what lead me to the La Spaziale S1.

And the under-powered steam problem just doesn't go away, regardless of "workarounds".

You see where I am going with this?  Sell it quick while it still has value, and don't torture yourself with upgrade fever. 

Did I mention I have an S1 for sale? 

Actually, I am hanging on to the S1 for awhile.  And the fact that I have owned it for almost 9 months now, tells you something.  That is some sort of record for me.  My normal turnaround time for coffee, photography, or audio paraphernalia is about 3-6 months.

I think there is a joke going around the forums about your "problem". It's something like: "at somepoint someone is going to own what was once Chris' " I probably screwed it up, but thats what I've heard.

[BoldJava]

Not to rain on your parade, but ultimately steam power (and plumb-in), is what lead me to the La Spaziale S1.

And the under-powered steam problem just doesn't go away, regardless of "workarounds".

You see where I am going with this?  Sell it quick while it still has value, and don't torture yourself with upgrade fever. 

Did I mention I have an S1 for sale?  ...

Not to worry.  I have the biggest umbrella in the world.  I could not be more pleased with this delightful self-gift.  Upgraditis?  I don't think so.  Newer, bigger, more unique, maybe an antique moka pot?  Now there you might have me.

B|Java, ducking the rain

[Jeffo]

Not to rain on your parade, but ultimately steam power (and plumb-in), is what lead me to the La Spaziale S1.

And the under-powered steam problem just doesn't go away, regardless of "workarounds".

You see where I am going with this?  Sell it quick while it still has value, and don't torture yourself with upgrade fever. 

Did I mention I have an S1 for sale?  ...

Not to worry.  I have the biggest umbrella in the world.  I could not be more pleased with this delightful self-gift.  Upgraditis?  I don't think so.  Newer, bigger, more unique, maybe an antique moka pot?  Now there you might have me.

B|Java, ducking the rain

You aren't allowed a self assessment until three months from now.

[BoldJava]

JeffO's

You aren't allowed a self assessment until three months from now.

Fair enough.  Point taken.  I was just factoring in my own sensed value to what 37+ years of marriage are worth and thought up-graditis might not tip the scale.

I will re-post on 12/3/07 with an update.  Just keep me away from Chris's home.  I might get bid-itis on some of the equipment.

B|Java

[Jeffo]

JeffO's

You aren't allowed a self assessment until three months from now.

Fair enough.  Point taken.  I was just factoring in my own sensed value to what 37+ years of marriage are worth and thought up-graditis might not tip the scale.

I will re-post on 12/3/07 with an update.  Just keep me away from Chris's home.  I might get bid-itis on some of the equipment.

B|Java

Chris sells used items at good prices so that may be tough.

I was able to get decent capp and latte milk from my bottom of the line Krups Novo but it's real tricky. I found that partially covering up the tiny hole (not easy) on the steam wand outlet thing worked best. Not super tight micro foam but still a  very good cappucino (sp?).

[BoldJava]

I stopped at Roast Cafe                  http://www.roastcoffeecompany.com/

over on Locust and Maryland yesterday.  He makes a very nice, tight cappuccino.  He laughed at the Silvia story and suggested that I had saved the Czarina thousands by never buying a convertible and suggested I was $28,000 ahead and offered to advise the Czarina if I should bring her in.  Then he grinned.

He pulled me behind the counter and gave me tips on his La Marzocco.  Oh sweet -- not the foaming, my reaction.  (The foaming was great).  What was most satisfying is that I walked out without coveting his Marzocco.

I asked him if he learned that in one afternoon; he grinned again, "no, a little longer."  Gorgeous foam; I learn by seeing and then doing.  Whirlpool.  Got it.

Shhh...UPS just dropped off a package from Chris's Coffee, brushes, cleaners, etc.  I was so pleased with their customer service when I bought the Macap grinder, they caught my repeat business.

http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espressoaccs

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Cheating Ms Silvia, by Mark Prince

http://www.coffeekid.com/archived/rancilio/cheatsilvia

All the putzing and futzing one ever needs to know.  Strikes as a bit overdone but that is a condition I am quite familiar with at this stage of the slope.

B|Java

[Jeffo]

Cheating Ms Silvia, by Mark Prince

http://www.coffeekid.com/archived/rancilio/cheatsilvia

All the putzing and futzing one ever needs to know.  Strikes as a bit overdone but that is a condition I am quite familiar with at this stage of the slope.

B|Java

I did similar with my Krups Novo (a real machine). I think as you progress you'll find you will need to do this to get the best tasting shot. And it's different with different beans. I developed two blends of my own plus Liquid Amber from SM and got familiar with grinding and shooting them and knowing their differences. But then I wasn't willing to do "sink shots" and waste beans to get a good one with an unfamiliar bean/blend.

[ButtWhiskers]

suggested that I had saved the Czarina thousands by never buying a convertible and suggested I was $28,000 ahead and offered to advise the Czarina if I should bring her in.  Then he grinned.

Score one for the goatmeister!  What a grand idea!!

Mrs.BW was heading off to a weekend retreat and begged me to send her off with espresso.  I filled three 16oz water bottles with 6 double ristrettos each and the remainder with sugar-free chocolate syrup so that she could dilute 3:1 with milk and pour it over ice, giving her a gallon and a half of instant mocha to pour over ice for the weekend.  Not to mention the 32oz iced drink that I made her before she left.  That alone should buy me a considerable amount of coffee-purchasing slack, but I haven't ever bought a convertible, either!  This gives me free rein for the weekend - I just might have to buy some serious beanage - off to call the broker!

[BoldJava]

Week 1, no upgrad-itis, often characterized by a mental wanderlust to Chris's Coffee and other sites, looking at more expensive units.

Or title this post, "Last week was beginner's luck."

I fished around a bit today, finding that weather does indeed mess with the bean.  The setting from last week was too tight, even with the identical remnant bean.  Once I got that straighted out (45 grams later), I took a run on frothing.  Talk about failures...

Read some more about surfing the temp with the Silvia, had a couple of dim lights go on, and turned a very nice latte for the Czarina on the second and third attempts.  For myself, well the 2/3 Yemen and 1/3 Harar was dyno-mite.  Heh, heh, I have about 4 pounds of that Matari squirreled away from when Left Coast Bean Boy inadvertently sent me 10 pounds instead of 5 and we agreed that 20% off on the lot was a sufficient price point.

Yemen rocks, <in this case, not literally>

B|Matariman

[BoldJava]

Week 4 Update, No Up-graditis.

Oh, I get the whirlpool, finally.  I was going too deep and today, when I was 'surfing the temp' to get the unit warmed up, lines hot, etc., I inadvertently created the whirlpool in steaming the water line in the hot water. Ah.  Insert lightbulb here.  Lots to learn on making the foam tighter, but now I get it.

I have the grind, tamp, bit closer.  {Writes down Macap setting).  Getting a 2 oz 'spresso in 23 seconds.  Gorgeous creama.  Today's blend?

Campesinos' Regalo:

Brazil #16 Cach CoE/Guat #2 Ocan~a CoE, 60/40.  Oh my, what a heavenly cup.  The best latte I have ever had.

CCFore, thanks for the hand-me-down.  It is a hit in Cheezeland.

B|Silvia

[BoldJava]

Week 5:  Superb espresso, no up-grad-i-tis <insert face of contentment>

Today, I blended some mystery Brazil (Paul's distribution)/Yemen Matarri/Java KB, 60/20/20, FC/FC/Vienna.  Oh my, was it good.

The shots are coming well, but my tamping is a bit sporadic as I learn.  The frothing has come a long way but I need some work on getting it tighter.  I have the temp surfing pretty well down.

Oh the flavor of the beans thru the Ms Silvia?  Fantastic.  It is a finely designed piece of equipment, even in the hands of this novice.

B|Java