Hi! Im new here. Go easy on me!

[EZCFlair]

Welcome Martin. Good to have a Canadian on here, eh?
-10 in Montreal and +30 here. Wanna swap?

There are are others more qualified than I am to answer your questions. Might be along later after they all get home from work and are relaxing with a coffee.

[Yelta]

Hi my name is Martin,
I have a Faema Family (the aluminum boiler version...yes I know , not the best one to have). Had it for 15yrs. Looks like it will need an in-depth cleaning and some fixing. Looking through the web I found CoffeeSnobs and started reading, and reading, and reading...... Wow, there is gazillion lines of information. Was never able to get consistency with the Faema Family. Now I think that PID could be a solution, and grinding (which I am totally ignorant on it) and tapping.
I feel like I'm starting from far far away and even tough I had an OK machine all those years, I think it is like if i had been drinking just very ordinary coffee. I have a lot to learn (and read).

So lets start with some questions:
1- Even tough I have the alu version of the Family, should I go ahead, dismantle and clean it completely and then practice myself and make a scratch built PID of off it??
2- I have read that the Rancilio Silvia seem to be the reference machine to build our know-how on becoming a good coffee maker. Is the latest Silvia M Pro V5 still a good machine to go with?? What I mean by that is that we have seen that the Faema family older model had brass boilers and then engineering went with a aluminum one on the latest ones. Has Silvia been keep a top of the line component machine across the multiple version?
3- Where should I start reading to educate myself on grinders and grinding??

Kind regards!
Martin from Montreal, Canada

Welcome to Coffee Snobs Martin.

Probably better options than the Silvia now, great little machine in its day, however pretty outdated now.

Don't know what's available on the Canadian market, I'm sure someone will be able to help.

[martint]

Welcome to Coffee Snobs Martin.

Probably better options than the Silvia now, great little machine in its day, however pretty outdated now.

Don't know what's available on the Canadian market, I'm sure someone will be able to help.

Hi Yelta,
Can you explain why outdated?? It is true that when you look inside, there is no hightech sophisticated electronics, simply switches, boiler, pump.
Ok looking forward for comments.

EZCFlair: Been a saw tooth temperature this winter. -20C to +2C in 24 hours, back down to -10C and up with rain. Not the type on winters we like, eh!!!

Martin
===

[LeroyC]

Hi Yelta,
Can you explain why outdated?? It is true that when you look inside, there is no hightech sophisticated electronics, simply switches, boiler, pump.
Ok looking forward for comments.

EZCFlair: Been a saw tooth temperature this winter. -20C to +2C in 24 hours, back down to -10C and up with rain. Not the type on winters we like, eh!!!

Martin
===

I guess what Yelta is trying to say is that there are better alternatives to the Silvia in the same price range, or you can get something equal or better for less money. Things like the NS Oscar II or Lelit range come to mind.

[martint]

you can get something equal or better for less money. Things like the NS Oscar II or Lelit range come to mind.

Thank you LeroyC, I'll go read about those 2 models and see if they are available in my region.

[leilaguan]

hello
everybody!
I am leila ,from China , coffee is very famous around the world and I like coffee so much .and because I am a beginner ,then just choose the coffee machine :french press .
you know it is easy to handle ,which you clean the bottle ,and put your hot water in it ,then add your coffee,
stay 3 minutes , put down your plunger ,pour out your beautiful and tasty coffee,perfect !


good day

[Yelta]

Hi Leilaguan, welcome to Coffee Snobs.

Not sure I can recall seeing another member from China.

Tell us a little about the coffee you are using.

[Mick73647]

Hi all.. just bought myself a preloved Sunbeam em6910. Any hints or tips will always be appreciated as I'm very new to this

[cafelazio]

Hi all.. just bought myself a preloved Sunbeam em6910. Any hints or tips will always be appreciated as I'm very new to this

Welcome Mick73647 ...#1. Get good fresh beans you like ; check roast date and be sure they were roasted within the last 1 to 14 days if not go somewhere else...or beanbay #2.toss the single and get your double basket fill with beans so it's level #3. tip beans in the grinder -set the grind fairly fine, so that if you pinch the grinds between your fingers it sticks- is a good start point #4.make an even distribution of grinds in the portafilter and level then tamp gently vertical ten kg or about. #5. at this point check that it loads on to the group with out disrupting the puck- so lock in portafilter then remove, has the puck been disturbed? if not commence #6. if yes remove a pinch and repeat #4. ideally you want a grain of rice or five cent piece to fit between shower screen and puck...when that's ready... #6. start your double shot pour. Get 40-60 mls in 20-30 seconds. I count 20 secs from first drops appearing or 30 secs from switch on pump. These are general guide lines and fundamentals to good espresso once you have good understanding you will be able to adjust from there.
Note: If your pour is choking ie. coming out to slow; make your grinds slightly courser and make sure first it's not #5. causing the issue, because as the grinds swell it chokes the pour. You need the little space (1-2 mm) between puck and shower screen. Good luck.
cafelazio.

[Mick73647]

Thanks so much! ... so much to learn ��

[Yelta]

Hi all.. just bought myself a preloved Sunbeam em6910. Any hints or tips will always be appreciated as I'm very new to this

Morning Mick, welcome to Coffee Snobs.

What type of grinder are you using with the Sunbeam? a decent grinder is pretty important for the production of good espresso.

[heycam]

Hi everyone, long time non-snob coffee drinker here, looking to learn. This summer I've been keeping casks of Seven Seeds cold brew in the fridge, and slowly this has become my regular twice a day drink! But it's kind of expensive so I'm looking to start making cold brew at home. I have a large french press that I plan to use. What I don't have is a grinder. I was originally thinking to get a manual hand grinder but it's probably a bit of a pain to grind a whole bag of beans in one go, so I figure electric is better. Many grinders seem oriented towards espresso, with a place to put the filter thing, but really I just want something that will dump my ground coffee into a container. Maybe some day I will get an espresso machine at home but not right away. If people have suggestions on the kind of grinders I should be looking at I would greatly appreciate it!

[SanderP]

Hi Leilaguan, welcome to Coffee Snobs.

Not sure I can recall seeing another member from China.

Tell us a little about the coffee you are using.

Quick google search -- China is among the top 20 coffee producers in the world.

I didn't know that but it makes sense geographically they have some areas with the right conditions.

Cheers.

[CoffeeHack]

Hi everyone, long time non-snob coffee drinker here, looking to learn. This summer I've been keeping casks of Seven Seeds cold brew in the fridge, and slowly this has become my regular twice a day drink! But it's kind of expensive so I'm looking to start making cold brew at home. I have a large french press that I plan to use. What I don't have is a grinder. I was originally thinking to get a manual hand grinder but it's probably a bit of a pain to grind a whole bag of beans in one go, so I figure electric is better. Many grinders seem oriented towards espresso, with a place to put the filter thing, but really I just want something that will dump my ground coffee into a container. Maybe some day I will get an espresso machine at home but not right away. If people have suggestions on the kind of grinders I should be looking at I would greatly appreciate it!

Welcome heycam. Your first port of call could be to drop into one of the site sponsors in the following section: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/sponsors/ They will be able to recommend options that will suit your needs within your budget both now & into the future.

You could also check the Coffee Hardware for Sale section for a second-hand deal: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/coffee-hardware-sale/

Another option would be to pick up a Breville Smart Grinder Pro which I've seen for about $170 in recent times. Probably not the best grinder for espresso however when grinding coarser such as for cold brew it should be more than sufficient for your needs.

You could also read up the discussion in the grinders section, and post your own question if you don't think any recent posts cover your specific situation: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/grinders/

Enjoy the journey!

[Dimal]

Another option would be to pick up a Breville Smart Grinder Pro which I've seen for about $170 in recent times. Probably not the best grinder for espresso however when grinding coarser such as for cold brew it should be more than sufficient for your needs.

Would need to check on the Duty Cycle of these first, as grinding 250g in one go will probably exceed it...

Mal.