I received the PID today. I am glad I did not try to put one together by myself in a project box . . . . This looks way better than anything I could personally produce myself! It also has everything I wanted: PID controller, SSR, heat sink for the SSR, power outlet for the espresso machine, thermocoupler hook-up and a timer. It took me all of 3 minutes to hook-up.
I could not resist the temptation to pull some shots (before auto-tuning it) and see if my girlfriend and I could tell the difference between shots at 198, 200, 202 and 204 . . . . . There was definitely a difference in taste profile between all of the shots pulled, but I have to say the most dramatic difference was between 198 and 204. The 204 brought out a smoky / roasted nut flavor, while the 198 was much more citrus and fruit. I used the same coffee, 14g weighed whole bean before and post grind, tamped just enough for dispersion screen clearance and only 1 full lever stroke after preinfusion.
What a fun toy! I am allowing it to auto-tune at the moment, so it should be even more efficient than it originally was. The thermocoupler cord is about 2.5-3 feet long, so you could either put it right next to the machine or a little ways away. There is a thermometer in the top too. I wanted to see how accurate / inaccurate it was since I had been monitoring water temps with it prior to PIDing . . . . . it was about 5 degrees fahrenheit off. Here is a picture of the PID unit next to the La Peppina as it heats up.
I received the o-rings, seals and gaskets from Orphan today too. Now all I need is time to break it down, clean it and rebuild it . . . .