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  • #16
    Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

    Thanks to everyone for the valuable information, there certainly is a wealth of knowledge and experience for the beginner to learn from. That is a good thing because this morning I visited Renzo at Di Bartoli and purchased a Silvia/Rocky combo. He made me a coffee on the Silvia after grinding the beans on the Rocky and it was great. My first attempt at the machine was passable but no great drink.

    Renzo was very helpful and really great to talk to especially for a beginner; I would happily recommend Di Bartoli to anyone. He also made me a beautiful espresso which washed away the horrid memory of the short black I received at a restaurant last Thursday.

    Once again thanks for all the advice it certainly made me feel more certain I was doing the correct thing. I hope I have a good time learning how to use my new machines.

    Thanks,
    Paul

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    • #17
      Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

      Great news Paul!

      Yet another happy CSer and sponsor....Everybody wins! 8-)

      Enjoy your new kit!

      2mcm

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

        Congrats on your new Silvia Paul, you will get great pleasure out of the wonderful nectar that flows from her portafilter.
        Even your bad efforts will outshine the cr.......p that some cafes serve up as coffee.
        Enjoy............................................. ....

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

          Congratulations Paul.

          I like to visit Renzo regularly for a short black to make sure mine are still OK.

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

            Congrats Paul! All the best with Silvia and Rocky!

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

              Hi there,

              I am also a newbie and was wondering, can I ride on the coat tails of Paul? I too am in the market for a new coffee machine and have become interested in the Sylvia/Rocky combination.
              We have had our Saeco Cappuccino Magic (with inbuilt grinder) for nearly 9 years now and while it has been very good to us, we have had a few issues with the steam function and I am now looking to replace the machine rather than repair the steam function AGAIN (we have been frothing milk by heating it in the microwave and using the plunger for far too long now).
              I have been dreaming about buying a Delonghi Magnifica for a while, but have since read that having the espresso machine with built in grinder is not so good to the life span of the coffee beans - it has just hit me how much sense this makes!
              Then, somehow, I have stumbled across Sylvia and Rocky. Our purchase would not exactly be from an "entry point/starter" point of view as we have been enjoying our coffee for a while now, but I do want something that resembles a good cafe coffee. Something I have come to realise can not be simulated from a fully automatic machine.

              I have read some great praise for The Rancilio Sylvia, but I have a few queries: Would Sylvia be a suitable "upgrade" for me considering I am not starting out? If I was to get the Rocky grinder, I am best off with the doseable or non doseable? and; I have found some online sites to purchase the machine, but whereabouts could I go in Sydney NSW to see the machine in action? (we purchased our Saeco all those years ago from Complete Kitchenware in Leichardt)

              Your guidance would be appreciated.

              Sharon

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                Hi Sharon,

                Welcome to Coffee Snobs.

                Making coffee yourself instead of pressing a button will be a step up.
                Youll have control over the final product and thats where the improvement in taste will be.

                I recommend a doser model as that gives you more flexibility.

                A doserless limits you to grinding one basket at a time.
                While you can still grind for one with a doser model, you can also grind for a few at a time when you have people over and this can help you sit down with your guests to drink coffee all together.

                I recommend seeing Renzo and Ofra at Di Bartoli in Bondi Junction.
                http://www.dibartoli.com.au/

                They are site sponsors and highly recommended by many Coffee Snobs.

                They are also lovely people and I sometimes travel to Bondi Junction just to visit them.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                  Hi Sparkls.
                  Its good to hear you are ready to upgrade to a real espresso machine in the Sylvia/Rocky combo.
                  I have had mine since July upgrading from a Saeco and the improvement in my coffee was staggering.
                  It takes a little while to get grind, dosing, tamp etc right but then the results are well worth the effort.
                  Get a good tamper that fits your basket properly, when I purchased mine the store sold me a tamper that was a few mils smaller than basket and it just didnt to the job well. I have since purchased a Pullman tamper and a Synesso ridgeless double basket and that made a huge difference.
                  Good luck with your decision and purchase, I think you are upgrading to a Sylvia because the auto machines make ok coffee but Sylvia makes espresso perfecto!!!!!!!!!!

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                    Hi Sharon,

                    Welcome to Coffeesnobs!

                    Rocky/Silvia are a great combo and dont just exist as "starter" machines; they give you the potential to make awesome coffee (often better than some cafes ive tried!). What kind of price range are you looking at for a coffee machine? Have you considered Heat Exchange (Hx) machines? Id really recommend popping into DiBartoli at Bondi Jn; I got my Silvia and Rocky from them and they have been ever so helpful. Youll also be able to see (...taste...) what Silvia is capable of and what other machines are out there in the domestic market. They can also take you through the pros and cons of doser/doserless. For what its worth, ive got the doserless model and am really happy with it; i grind directly into the basket, level off, tamp, lock and load. That being said ive never used a doser type. It might come down to personal preference and how/when/what youll be using the grinder for. (I dont want to contradict thundergod...got a lot more experience than me!)

                    All the best with your research and decision making!

                    -S

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                      Hi Sharon
                      I am still new to coffee making.  I have had my Rocky/Sylvia combination for just 12 months.  I have been very happy with it.  It makes better tasting coffee than many of our coffee shops.  Sylvia does require learning a few basic steps to follow and she does require a little effort to learn your process, but this is simply a normal learning curve as with anything worth having/doing.  I usually only make two cups at a time but I can make 6 without much worry (remembering to recharge the boiler - one of the above steps).  
                      On the the bench top they have a manageable foot print, mine stands on a small granite slab as I like to have them up a bit especially Sylvia for steaming.  I use an italian 750ml SS jug  - expensive (Coffee Parts I think).
                      They are very basic, solid, sip electricity and with few parts to go wrong.  Knowledge base is huge and parts and advice readily available.  Rancillio got it right with Sylvia and has fortunately only made minor changes over the years.
                      I confess that 3 months ago I added a Jims PID.  With this added, to give more precise temperature control, I really cant think of any other units better or more use - not even among the $3000 models.  The PID suited my desire for perfection but is not necessary for great coffee.
                      Hope this helps.
                      Dumiya

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                        Id second the PID which I have with my Botticelli- reliable easy to dial in and make superlative coffee (correction, allows a user who learns the stuff to make superlative coffee- the nut at the end of the handle is the biggest factor).
                        Brett

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                          and i "third" that PID comment.... it lifts my Botts performance well above what this nut-on-the-PF could produce without it: richer, sweeter, more consistently great coffee...

                          L

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                            Thank you all for your tips and helpful advice. Now I am in a quandary though over Botticelli vs. Sylvia (I notice the store at Bondi do not stock the Botticelli though).

                            The Heat exchangers sound great, but unfortunately I have to remain a little conservative with cost.

                            I worked and supervised in a couple of cafes years ago, long before the humble coffee maker was known as a “Barista”, so I have some experience in coffee making. I note that a few of you have said that the Sylvia can be a little difficult to use so am hoping (assuming?) this experience will come in handy when trying to get to know my new toy. The Saeco Cappuccino magic that I currently have is also a fully manual machine.

                            My budget would be around the $1k mark, but keeping in mind a good grinder will bump me up to more the $1500 mark.

                            It has been suggested that one draw of the Rancilio aluminium base tray can be used as a “knock box” or “bang bang”. Is this so, or am a better off with a stand alone “bang bang”?

                            I have also been given some pro’s and con’s over doser and non doser grinders as follows:
                            “For low volume environments, like occasional home use, the doser may not be optimal. For the dosing to work correctly, the chambers must be full. If you are only making one or two espressos, then the unused coffee will remain in the doser already ground. The bad news is ground coffee goes stale quickly which defeats the purpose of grinding fresh to begin with. The obvious conclusion is that in order to use freshly ground coffee, you would need to dispose of any coffee remaining from the last use which can be quite wasteful. With this rationale, the doser would seem doomed for home use, but it shouldn’t be written off too quickly. There is a trick used by many baristas that can help eliminate the waste during periods of low volume use. Baristas will grind only enough espresso coffee into the doser chamber for the shots they are ready to make. They will then use several successive pulls of the lever to clear the chamber into the portafilter, creating a mound of coffee grinds in the filter basket. The mound will then be levelled with a quick swipe of a finger or a flat blade. For high volume use, such as home entertaining, you could then switch back to normal doser operation.”
                            Is this “trick” used by any of you? Is it as simple and effective as suggested? I am still not sure which way to go as far as doser and non doser. The machine would generally be used for 2 coffees a day with the occasional dinner party and I am thinking if it is a simple as doing as above, then the doser would be convenient for the times when more coffees are being made???

                            Your thoughts?

                            I definitely look forward to meeting with Renzo and Ofra at Di Bartoli though.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                              Originally posted by sparkls link=1196385767/15#27 date=1196996587
                              I worked and supervised in a couple of cafes years ago, long before the humble coffee maker was known as a “Barista”, so I have some experience in coffee making. I note that a few of you have said that the Sylvia can be a little difficult to use so am hoping (assuming?) this experience will come in handy when trying to get to know my new toy. The Saeco Cappuccino magic that I currently have is also a fully manual machine.
                              Sounds like you will be fine with either machine. As recently discussed, the Silvia is probably not quite as difficult as some make it out to be. I had one for over 2 years and enjoyed it. Its new owner also seems pretty happy with the unit, so dont fret about that part too much.

                              Originally posted by sparkls link=1196385767/15#27 date=1196996587
                              My budget would be around the $1k mark, but keeping in mind a good grinder will bump me up to more the $1500 mark.
                              Many a sponsor will be happy to work with you in that range Im sure.

                              Originally posted by sparkls link=1196385767/15#27 date=1196996587
                              It has been suggested that one draw of the Rancilio aluminium base tray can be used as a “knock box” or “bang bang”. Is this so, or am a better off with a stand alone “bang bang”?
                              I have the Stainless Steel base tray (I dont think it is aluminium) and use one draw as my knockbox. It works great for my purposes. The other draw holds an assortment of tools, clean cloths, thermometers etc.
                              It is designed for a Silvia/Rocky combo, but if you went a different grinder, Im sure it would still work OK.
                              I now have an Expobar and it is deeper than the Silvia, so I do not have the machine on the draw any more. I have the grinder and a stand with cups sitting on them now. Still like it!
                              Originally posted by sparkls link=1196385767/15#27 date=1196996587
                              I have also been given some pro’s and con’s over doser and non doser grinders as follows:
                              “For low volume environments, like occasional home use, the doser may not be optimal. For the dosing to work correctly, the chambers must be full. If you are only making one or two espressos, then the unused coffee will remain in the doser already ground. The bad news is ground coffee goes stale quickly which defeats the purpose of grinding fresh to begin with. The obvious conclusion is that in order to use freshly ground coffee, you would need to dispose of any coffee remaining from the last use which can be quite wasteful. With this rationale, the doser would seem doomed for home use, but it shouldn’t be written off too quickly. There is a trick used by many baristas that can help eliminate the waste during periods of low volume use. Baristas will grind only enough espresso coffee into the doser chamber for the shots they are ready to make. They will then use several successive pulls of the lever to clear the chamber into the portafilter, creating a mound of coffee grinds in the filter basket. The mound will then be levelled with a quick swipe of a finger or a flat blade. For high volume use, such as home entertaining, you could then switch back to normal doser operation.”
                              Is this “trick” used by any of you? Is it as simple and effective as suggested? I am still not sure which way to go as far as doser and non doser. The machine would generally be used for 2 coffees a day with the occasional dinner party and I am thinking if it is a simple as doing as above, then the doser would be convenient for the times when more coffees are being made???
                              Your thoughts?
                              Theres been quite a bit of discussion on this point too.
                              Personally, I like using a doser. Even when I had the Rocky which is not a true doser, I find it good to be able to start grinding and walk away. I just load the hopper with what I need for this grind and employ the dosing method you mention above.
                              Certainly there are pros and cons for each, but unless the grinder/doser retains a LOT of ground coffee after you finish, then most dosers are a question of how you use them. I think it really just comes down to preference in the end.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Newcomer & Silvia - am I silly

                                I have a Macap grinder, much bigger than a Rocky.
                                I only grind enough beans for each shot and have no problem with it being a doser model.

                                I find it less messy than a doserless grinder and it also gives me the option to grind a lot more at once and dose as designed when I have a large gatherimg wanting coffees.

                                With a doserless you are restricted to griding for each shot.
                                That could be a pain for multiple coffee making.

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