Hi All,
I found this site while searching for answers to the reliability issues with our EM6910. It is less than 3 years old, and has had the steam pump replaced twice, the collar replaced once, and has now gone back in because its leaking water from underneath. It started this when i came back from the last steam pump replacement, but Im not expecting the repairers to accept responsibility for it.
Im sick of it breaking down, Im sick of having to pay a fee up-front for warranty repairs (then having them come up with a reason not to refund it), and Im sick of being without coffee for up to 4 weeks when it does need repair. Ive done a fair bit of reading on CS, and it seems the general concensus is that the Silvia / Rocky combo is a good option.
Since we purchased the M6910 in 2007, we have been very happy with the quality of coffe it makes. We use supermarket coffee - usually 250gm pre-ground bricks from Woolies, and when used with the dual floor filter basket the result is (usually) a very nice coffee - better than many weve had from cafes, but not as good as the very good ones. We only drink lattes, so are making the same thing every time. The EM6910 guage sits at about the 1 oclock mark with the dual floor filter, and if the machine was reliable wed be happy to keep using it.
I have tried to use the single floor filter basket in the past, but havent been able to make a decent coffee - if I remember correctly it comes out with no creme and tastes like crap. I have no idea if the problem is related to the coffee we are using, the machine itself, or my technique. I suspect its a combination of all three. Im a bit worried that if I buy the Rancilio combo I may not be able to make a decent brew, and will be disappointed with the purchase. Hence this post, and a few questions:
A lot of people bag the supermarket coffee, but why? Is the grind wrong, or is it just the freshness of it that makes it sub-standard? Would I be able to make a half-decent esspresso with the Silvia using supermarket coffee, or is there a huge difference using fresh beans & grinding it myself as needed? Would anyone suggst we just buy a Silvia, and continue to use supermarket coffee?
Following on from this, how fresh should the beans be for optimum coffee? Do people realy buy fresh beans every few days? How quickly does the flavour start to degrade, and how much does it change? We are not (at this stage) looking for perfection, just a nice tasting coffee. Having said that we have paid for many coffees that we just didnt like at all, so we are a bit fussy.
Given my inability to make a decent esspresso using the single floor basket on the EM6910, how much of a learning curve will I have to make a decent shot on the Silvia? What will I have to do differently? Will I need a barista degree to drive it?
What is my EM6910 worth as a used machine - assuming its fixed this time?
Any help is appreciated.
Cheers,
Geoff
I found this site while searching for answers to the reliability issues with our EM6910. It is less than 3 years old, and has had the steam pump replaced twice, the collar replaced once, and has now gone back in because its leaking water from underneath. It started this when i came back from the last steam pump replacement, but Im not expecting the repairers to accept responsibility for it.
Im sick of it breaking down, Im sick of having to pay a fee up-front for warranty repairs (then having them come up with a reason not to refund it), and Im sick of being without coffee for up to 4 weeks when it does need repair. Ive done a fair bit of reading on CS, and it seems the general concensus is that the Silvia / Rocky combo is a good option.
Since we purchased the M6910 in 2007, we have been very happy with the quality of coffe it makes. We use supermarket coffee - usually 250gm pre-ground bricks from Woolies, and when used with the dual floor filter basket the result is (usually) a very nice coffee - better than many weve had from cafes, but not as good as the very good ones. We only drink lattes, so are making the same thing every time. The EM6910 guage sits at about the 1 oclock mark with the dual floor filter, and if the machine was reliable wed be happy to keep using it.
I have tried to use the single floor filter basket in the past, but havent been able to make a decent coffee - if I remember correctly it comes out with no creme and tastes like crap. I have no idea if the problem is related to the coffee we are using, the machine itself, or my technique. I suspect its a combination of all three. Im a bit worried that if I buy the Rancilio combo I may not be able to make a decent brew, and will be disappointed with the purchase. Hence this post, and a few questions:
A lot of people bag the supermarket coffee, but why? Is the grind wrong, or is it just the freshness of it that makes it sub-standard? Would I be able to make a half-decent esspresso with the Silvia using supermarket coffee, or is there a huge difference using fresh beans & grinding it myself as needed? Would anyone suggst we just buy a Silvia, and continue to use supermarket coffee?
Following on from this, how fresh should the beans be for optimum coffee? Do people realy buy fresh beans every few days? How quickly does the flavour start to degrade, and how much does it change? We are not (at this stage) looking for perfection, just a nice tasting coffee. Having said that we have paid for many coffees that we just didnt like at all, so we are a bit fussy.
Given my inability to make a decent esspresso using the single floor basket on the EM6910, how much of a learning curve will I have to make a decent shot on the Silvia? What will I have to do differently? Will I need a barista degree to drive it?
What is my EM6910 worth as a used machine - assuming its fixed this time?
Any help is appreciated.
Cheers,
Geoff




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