Re: I give up, Rancilio Silvia and Rocky for sale.
Hmm...I feel like Ive been down this road before...
Yes, I feel your frustration, Greg...Silvia does at best, require a deft hand. Sure, Ive had mine for a few years now and shes second hand too...bought well loved from a fellow CSr...
I put it through hell and back one day when our commerical two group machine decided to blow its heater element. Mostly pouring shots for coffees and doing the milk in a microwave but also occasionally steaming when able. She stood up to that test well...of course, all I can say to this is that my experience as a professional helped me to nurse the machine through the day.
Yet, I too still get the odd sour shot from it. Mainly because I havent been consistent with it or done the usual process.
Look, it can be easier to get it right on a big HX machine. In my job, when I get to work, its been on since about 3am when the bakers get to work and switch the machine on for their own coffee. So, its well and truly warmed up. But it also requires of me to go through the correct process to get it right. Otherwise, the result is a bad shot of coffee.
Its like we all know that all we really need is a mobile phone that takes phone calls...but really we end up with phones that can send text messages, surf the web, take photos and play music. Kind of the same thing here, IMO.
Yes...you could take the wow factor out and buy an auto machine. Theyll produce consistent milk based coffees for you but not those coffees that make you go..."Wow! Gotta do that again!"
If your wife is really that frustrated with it...go and get a bigger machine...but like others have counselled you here, get some sort of training. Go and watch your fave barista behind their machine and see what they do to get consistently good coffee. Even if you just go to another CSr who is happy to lend a helping hand...in person...that can do you the world of good too. Sometimes, we are visual learners and even after reading everything you can here...you might still need to see it done in real life. Then the penny might drop for you!
I dont know anything about Genovese coffee...but Id recommend grabbing 500 grams of Espresso Wow from Andy here and giving it a go to...just to make sure that it is your process and not your coffee...
Good luck...
Hmm...I feel like Ive been down this road before...

Yes, I feel your frustration, Greg...Silvia does at best, require a deft hand. Sure, Ive had mine for a few years now and shes second hand too...bought well loved from a fellow CSr...
I put it through hell and back one day when our commerical two group machine decided to blow its heater element. Mostly pouring shots for coffees and doing the milk in a microwave but also occasionally steaming when able. She stood up to that test well...of course, all I can say to this is that my experience as a professional helped me to nurse the machine through the day.
Yet, I too still get the odd sour shot from it. Mainly because I havent been consistent with it or done the usual process.
Look, it can be easier to get it right on a big HX machine. In my job, when I get to work, its been on since about 3am when the bakers get to work and switch the machine on for their own coffee. So, its well and truly warmed up. But it also requires of me to go through the correct process to get it right. Otherwise, the result is a bad shot of coffee.
Its like we all know that all we really need is a mobile phone that takes phone calls...but really we end up with phones that can send text messages, surf the web, take photos and play music. Kind of the same thing here, IMO.
Yes...you could take the wow factor out and buy an auto machine. Theyll produce consistent milk based coffees for you but not those coffees that make you go..."Wow! Gotta do that again!"
If your wife is really that frustrated with it...go and get a bigger machine...but like others have counselled you here, get some sort of training. Go and watch your fave barista behind their machine and see what they do to get consistently good coffee. Even if you just go to another CSr who is happy to lend a helping hand...in person...that can do you the world of good too. Sometimes, we are visual learners and even after reading everything you can here...you might still need to see it done in real life. Then the penny might drop for you!

I dont know anything about Genovese coffee...but Id recommend grabbing 500 grams of Espresso Wow from Andy here and giving it a go to...just to make sure that it is your process and not your coffee...
Good luck...

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