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  • Recommendations on Portafilter

    Does anyone have any ideas?

    I have a Rancilio Silvia. The portafilter is not as nice and heavy as the one on the Gaggia Classic I just sold. Evidently the Gaggia one weighs about a pound. I liked the deeper baskets on the classic as well.

    I thought about a naked portafilter but then Im a clean living sort of person and my wife hates it even when Im naked.



    Grant

  • #2
    Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

    Get a commercial rancilio portafilter from mocopan or another rancilio dealer. These are much heavier than the one that you may have got with Silvia, although I had heard all Silvias for the last year or so came standard with the commercial pf. Cost should be less than $50

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

      A)

      Its probable that any extra weight in the group handle supplied with the Gaggia is actually due to the thick, extra long metal shank that the black plastic handle fits over, rather than any extra thickness or weight in the "group cup" itself, which is the area that the coffee filter sits in.

      You would be wasting your time and money if you were to be chasing an increase in quality of brew by using a heavier group handle assembly, particularly as there are other more important variables to worry about from a technical point of view;


      B)

      you would not of course be wasting your time and money if it is simply a personal desire of yours to have a heavier group handle than the standard supplied with the machine. In which case why not have 2 of them, one each for the single and double filters, as supplied with commercial machines, a great convenience for serious use of the machine.

      C)

      Anyone that sells a brand new group handle for $50.00 (particularly rancilio brand ) is selling it at below cost. Good used condition group handles sell for more than that, plus GST.

      D)

      I dont consider it important but am interested from a purely academic point of view to check the difference in weight between a silvia VS rancilio regular commecial group handle ***with a scale*** and report back, because a couple of weeks ago when I did in fact have one of each in my hands they did not feel significantly different...should have put them on the scale then! Certainly there is a real difference between the coffee outlets screwed to the bottom of the group cup, with the outlets on the silvia being smaller...but...the overall size of the commercial group handle is actually significantly smaller than the that of the Silvia... and this could just be due to the shorter length of the black plastic handle and the shank that it fits over....?????!

      The question is I guess, is any weight difference between the silvia VS the regular commercial jobbie, going to be **significant** and if so what does this mean...realistically.

      Anyone that has to have one (a group handle assembly off a commercial rancilio machine)...my company has atleast 4 used ones in spares that the boss might sell off but please...dont use the private message service in this site as I dont check it much...send a regular email where we get to keep copies of what we wrote to eachother for future reference!

      And also for academic reference, think I will weigh the regular commercial Gaggia group handle as well.

      Regardz,
      FC.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

        Hi

        The portafilter on my Silvia weighs 600grams so my impression that it is lighter than the Classic is probably wrong.

        What I would like are the La Cimbali portafilter design (they wont fit the Silvia though) where there is a 15 degree angle in the handle so when you put them flat on the bench the top of the portafilter lies perfectly horizontal. Yes, it would be good too to have a single and a double portafilter complete with the one outlet for the single and the double outlet for the double. It all makes sense doesnt it.

        If you have an idea where I can order one let me know.

        Thanks,
        Grant

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

          Here ya go Wattgn, if none of our sponsers has what youre looking for heres a site I ran accross in my waunderings:

          http://www.coffeeparts.com.au/cim/cim1.html

          Java "Loves his Cimbali" phile
          Toys! I must have new toys!!!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

            Thanks Java but though I like the design of the La Cimbali, they dont fit the Silvia. I tried one from the Cimbali while at the shop on the Silvia.

            There are a number on the market that probably do fit though. The Cimbali ones are 58mm but the lugs dont fit.

            Thanks anyway,
            Grant

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

              Originally posted by Fresh_Coffee link=1117709628/0#2 date=1117851054
              Anyone that sells a brand new group handle for $50.00 (particularly rancilio brand ) is selling it at below cost. Good used condition group handles sell for more than that, plus GST.
              It seemed a good price to me thats why I bought one, cost from mocopan was $34 plus gst. Im not the only one, theres a thread about it here
              http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/worldregional/australasia/57189 maybe it was a mistake, I know Coffeeparts were selling a non genuine one for nearly twice as much.

              The same thread also mentions the Silvia PF weighs 400grams vs 630grams for the commercial version. I sold my Silvia so cant confirm but this sounds about right from memory.

              I recall the Silvia pfs handle could actually bend quite a bit when locking it into place if I had the basket too full or when the group gasket was on the way out and thius needed to be overtightened to stop leaks. The commercial version was much more solid

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                Originally posted by wattgn link=1117709628/0#5 date=1117870011
                Thanks Java but though I like the design of the La Cimbali, they dont fit the Silvia. I tried one from the Cimbali while at the shop on the Silvia.

                There are a number on the market that probably do fit though. The Cimbali ones are 58mm but the lugs dont fit.

                Thanks anyway,
                Grant
                Oops, thats what I get for staying up for 2 days straight! LOL I misread your post and thought you were looking for a source for the Cimbali portafilter. :-[

                Java "Oops!" phile
                Toys! I must have new toys!!!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                  Grant,

                  very few group handle assemblies have an angled group cup and these are the ones that will be least likely to fit silvia OR, are the ones that are most likely to be prohibitive due to cost.

                  The one that comes most easily to mind as a type that might fit OK is the angled assembly as used on the more "up market" Elektra models, but check cost.

                  Otherwise, your best bet for a "regular" shaped assembly is to go with rancilios own commercial type because you know even before ordering that it will fit, whilst to order anything else is a gamble.

                  In your first post you mentioned you liked the deeper filters in the Classic, well you can fit / use generic commercial deep filters with your Silvia!

                  Regardz,
                  FC.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                    Its OK I have thought about it.

                    The portafilter that comes with my Silivia is obviously the commercial one and is very sold.

                    The 15 degree angle is a good design but really doesnt make much difference at the end of the day.

                    Thanks,
                    Grant

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                      Isnt it the La Marzocco (58mm) handles that are angled?

                      http://www.coffeeparts.com.au/mar/mar1.html

                      FC
                      while were talking about portafilters (Diadema), are the spouts held on with something like loctite?
                      They seem really hard to unscrew.


                      -Stephen-

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                        I have heard someone else mention the marzocco handles as being compatible with the Silvia. It isnt just the diameter but the lugs in the side that determine fit. I might just check with them about that. It costs $75 + $12 for the tip plus GST and freight on top of that so it aint cheap (I checked on the website).

                        Thanks for that.

                        Grant

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                          Ive read that the angled handle on the portafilter is there for ergonomic reasons, to help avoid repetitive motion injuries, with many other companies now following Cimbalis lead.

                          Java "Locks another portafilter into place for a refill" phile
                          Toys! I must have new toys!!!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                            Stephen,

                            yes they are loctited, otherwise the spouts go around and end up in a position (at the end of the thread) that does not line up with the position of cups on the drip tray. This is not just for your machine but for almost all on the market.

                            The spouts generally are never removed except in extenuating circumstances, because the build up of rubbish inside is cleaned out as with the rest of the assembly when it is submerged in espresso machine cleaner from time to time. When you submerge, the cleaning solution must not be deep enough to soak into the interface between the group cup and the plastic handle or the connecting internal thread will corrode and "weld" itself into the group cup, rendering the plastic handle unable to be removed if replacement becomes necessary...in which case you then buy a compete new assembly, or spend an hour in the workshop with angle grinder, drill & thread tap!

                            Regardz,
                            FC.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Recommendations on Portafilter

                              Thanks FC.

                              Comment

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