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  • Buying new stuff!

    Hullo!

    So Im new here, so I guess that means therell be hazing and what not. Go easy.

    Anyway I want to upgrade my stuff. In fact, I need to upgrade so much that I dare not say what utter piece of junk Im using at the moment, because Im sure in the religion of coffee there is in fact a special hell for those who use these machines. Suffice to say it was not my choice to buy it

    So Im thinking I want to get a Silvia, (I was considering a 6910, but decided on the silva) but thats as far as I got. I know Ill need a grinder. Initially I thought a Rocky was the way to go, but I read just now a suggestion that conical grinders are better, and as far as I know the rocky is flat, so I was thinking about a Nemox Lux.

    Also, in regards to tampers, Im assuming that the Silvia needs a 58mm? Are those intelligent tampers worth it?

    I suppose I should attempt to give some background, I like my coffee, but Ive always strongly suspected it could be a lot better if I had the right equipment. Fortunately Ive had the right coffee, or at least I think so. Im working off some fair trade coffee from a local (walking distance, actually! Hooray!) shop, which Ive been grinding in my heathen grinder. My general preference is a latte, but I often wonder if maybe Id like a straight expresso more if I had the right equipment. Its unpleasantly bitter with my machine.

    Anyway I cant really think of what else to write (That means about ten things will be remembered at the precise moment I click Post) so Ill leave it here. Any suggestions/comments are definitely appreciated!


    Phill

  • #2
    Re: Buying new stuff!

    Hi Phill and welcome to CoffeeSnobs,

    A silvia is a great choice for a machine. They are very well made and also hold their value very well. The only possible downside is you may have to temperature surf to get the best results (a common requirement with single boiler machines) - but this can be overcome by fitting a PID or buying a machine with a PID pre-installed (and one of the site sponsors sells such machines).

    Re grinders, IMHO it is more about the quality of the burrs than the shape. One of the worst real burr sets is the conical in the KG100 (cheap machine - cheap burr set) and some of the best are in the Kony and the K10WBC.... two of the most expensive grinders - and they are conical....

    The difference between the cheaper conicals and flat grinders (the normal domestic ones) is very little if any..... more variation is caused by the quality of the grinder construction - and that is reflected in its price. A rocky is a quality grinder in the domestic sector and does a very good job.

    The grinder is the most important piece of hardware and the more you can afford to spend on it - the better will be the results.

    Tampers.... well there are a range of great manual tampers available from several site sponsors, and some automatic ones. Yes, the automatic ones can make life easier.... but I believe after you tamp with a manual tamper on a set of bathroom scales.... you will very rapidly get a consistent tamp.... and have a much wider range of quality tampers to choose from going down that path.

    And one last thing.... it might be fair trade coffee.... and not all fair trade is good by the way..... but when was it roasted? If it doesnt have a roasted on date.... or the person selling it cant tell you when it was roasted.... Id be suspicious how fresh it is. Roasted beans only last about 3 weeks.... and many places sell coffee far older than that. Ideally it should be 2-3 days past roasted date when you buy it.... and that way you will get maximum life out of your coffee.

    Good luck with your journey.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Buying new stuff!

      Hi Phill,

      Welcome to CS and a happy new year!

      Just a quick word on the grinder. When I was deciding on a grinder about 5 months ago it came down to either the Iberital Challenge or the Nemox Lux. I settled on the Lux, and it has worked beautifully for me, so I am happy to recommend it. Although a stepped grinder it has a wide range of adjustment, from extremely fine to quite coarse.

      Best wishes

      Trevorbeans

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Buying new stuff!

        Welcome to CS Phil, your choice of the Silvia is a good one, I purchased mine in July 07 and the results have been fantastic. I recently bought the Rocky after using a Sunbeam for 6 months and the difference was very noticeable.
        Silvia is a great machine once you have all the variables under control, grind, tamp, temperature and fresh beans.
        Good luck with your hardware decisions, you will get any advice needed from fellow CSers to aid you on your coffee journey!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Buying new stuff!

          Hi Phil,

          The grinder LaSpaziale Junior, would be one good option go with your Silvia. I think it is a little more that the Rocky. Chris from TalkCoffee says it grinds better that the Rocky and is quieter than the Iberital. Check out the link: http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1163235531/15#19

          All the best with the journey of making and enjoying great coffee. Welcome to coffeesnobs

          Chris

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Buying new stuff!

            Originally posted by JavaB link=1199269958/0#1 date=1199273399
            Hi Phill and welcome to CoffeeSnobs,

            A silvia is a great choice for a machine. They are very well made and also hold their value very well. The only possible downside is you may have to temperature surf to get the best results (a common requirement with single boiler machines) - but this can be overcome by fitting a PID or buying a machine with a PID pre-installed (and one of the site sponsors sells such machines).
            Which brings me to my next question, in regards to PIDs. What would be a good PID for me to get for a Silvia, what kind of improvement should I be expecting, and how difficult are they to install?

            And, grinders, doser, or no doser? I assume this is mostly a question of the quantity of coffee Im expecting to produce.

            Also, does anyone know of a tangible place in or around Melbourne (Preferably to the east) where I can buy all this stuff? Or is online the way to go, in which case where is best, online?

            Edit: Also, in regards to the roasting of the beans, is that a complicated process? Whats a good mid-range roaster?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Buying new stuff!

              Phill.

              PID kits sells several complete kits for the Silvia (which you can fit yourself easily) or you can purchase just a PID from wherever but will need to make or get a box to house it, work out how to install and program it etc.... making it a lot harder (whilst saving a few dollars)....

              However fitting a PID yourself will void the warranty of the Silvia.... but if you go to site sponsor Talk Coffee they sell Sivias with the PID kit already installed..... and with normal machine warranty..... the way to go (and they are located in Melbourne!)

              Doser or doserless.... that is a personal choice which has been discussed many, many times here.... do a Google search using "site : coffeesnobs.com.au" for "doser doserless advantage" or something like that and you will find heaps of info.

              Go to Talk Coffee and they will show you all the gear both machines and grinders, spell out the advantages and disadvantages of each..... and you can do a side by side comparison and choose the best for your needs.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Buying new stuff!

                Originally posted by JavaB link=1199269958/0#6 date=1199345788
                Phill.

                PID kits sells several complete kits for the Silvia (which you can fit yourself easily) or you can purchase just a PID from wherever but will need to make or get a box to house it, work out how to install and program it etc.... making it a lot harder (but saving a few dollars)....

                But fitting a PID yourself will void the warranty of the Silvia.... however if you go to site sponsor Talk Coffee they sell Sivias with the PID kit already installed..... and with normal machine warranty..... the way to go (and they are located in Melbourne!)

                Doser or doserless.... that is a personal choice which has been discussed many, many times here.... do a Google search using "site : coffeesnobs.com.au" for "doser doserless advantage" or something like that and you will find heaps of info.

                Go to Talk Coffee and they will show you all the gear both machines and grinders, spell out the advantages and disadvantages of each..... and you can do a side by side comparison and choose the best for your needs.
                There is no doubt in my mind that Jims PIDs are worth every cent- for ease of fitment and quality of componentry.

                Can I just clarify things somewhat though....

                The way that a PID fitment works is that Talk Coffee will supply a machine and then we charge $100 to fit the PID- which takes around 2 hours.

                PID importation is the responsibility of the the buyer- we do it this way to avoid having to on-charge GST and import duty on the equipment- which we have to do as its considered a company import. The buyer can arrange with Jim to have the PID delivered to us or simply send it to us and well send it back attached to a brand spanking new Silvia.

                One thing though- A Vibiemme Domobar Levetta is achingly close in price to a Silvia and PID and should probably be taken into consideration as well...

                Chris

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Buying new stuff!

                  Originally posted by phillbert link=1199269958/0#5 date=1199336770
                  Which brings me to my next question, in regards to PIDs. What would be a good PID for me to get for a Silvia, what kind of improvement should I be expecting, and how difficult are they to install?
                  Have you seen this deal up on the CS 4-Sale board yet?

                  Mal.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Buying new stuff!

                    Okay, so I finally went out and got some stuff. In the end I went with a VBM Levetta and a ECM KS grinder. Im nowhere near what Id call proficient with them, but even now I can still make coffee better than ever.

                    Many thanks to Chris for those.

                    The big difference I noticed is that now I feel like when Im texturing milk, it seems like a race against time, with my old machine, my small jug took about 90 seconds to heat up milk, but now it feels like its over before it starts Im getting the hang of it now though. Also its a bit of an adventure getting the grind setting just right, but, like the milk, Im getting there.

                    I picked up some coffee from Veneziano, a place which I will no doubt be going back to soon.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Buying new stuff!

                      Hi Phillbert,

                      Congratulations on your purchases!

                      Naturally I think you chose wisely...I bought a new VBM Domobar Levetta last October, and like you, I was a little uncomfortable about the strong steaming capability, and in particular the ease at which I could almost blow the milk and a heap of large bubbles out of the milk jug. And this was after using a large commercial machine in a cafe for three years!

                      I found it best to allow the pressure to reach at least 4 bars with the steaming light ON, feel my way gradually raising the steam pressure, keeping the steaming wand at about 90 degrees to the milk, taking care not to let the tip get too close to the surface of the milk, otherwise bubbles will result. Took me a week to get the hang of it properly.

                      If youd like to know a couple of other things I found by experimenting,
                      please send me a PM.

                      All the best with your new gear, Im sure you will not be disappointed.

                      Warm regards,

                      Trevorbeans

                      Comment

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