Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
"Coffee stains" on the portafilter are just a buildup of coffee oils. You could use regular dishwashing detergent and a sponge to clean the portafilter.
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Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Hey Robusto,
Any of the espresso machine cleaners (ie backflushing chemicals) should do the job quite nicely and only cost a few cents per use.
Java "Keep the chrome clean" phile
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Citric acid is recommended for descaling...but Im not sure about removing ingrained coffee stains from equipment. Vinegar has often been mentioned as a cleaner...which is is...but again, fairly useless on coffee-stained equipment.
But if anyone has a sure-fire non-corrosive cleaner which will turn brown portafilters back to sparkling chrome....and doesnt cost $5 a pop, please let us know.
Robusto
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
McKenzies produce citric acid and coles supermarkets sell it. Look in the spice section. Its packaged in a cardboard cylinder...
Chris
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
The same citric acid thats found in the baking section of supermarkets. McKenzie brand iirc. About a heaped tablespoon in a full reservoir of water should do the trick. Just run it until the reservoirs nearly empty, then flush with another 2-3 reservoirs worth.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
So nunu.. by "citric acid" you mean say lemon juice or similar yeh?
And.. do I dilute it with water or just smash it through full blown?? :-/
Thanks
Paulie
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Citric acid works well as a descaler. The coffee machine detergents dont leave any taste if you flush them out well. If you dont clean your machine, that means more money for them servicing it.
If your machine has a removable reservoir, be sure to clean that out often, as standing water has the tendency to go a bit feral. Sewerage off-tastes are not what youre looking for in that cuppa.
And get yourself a filter jug, it works wonders.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Further to this thread.. I went to my Silvia retailer and asked about which chemical I can use to clean out my machine.. He said whole heartedly "do not put any chemical through the machine, it will effect the taste of the espresso". I suppose he has a good point..
My problem is that I havent been using filtered/distilled water and Id like to give it a good cleaning before I start.
Can anyone give me some advise on whether or not to use chemical to clean out my Silvia and what type??
Thanks
Paulie
:-?
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Hi bloop,
A quarter of that litle scoop is plenty, even in a commercial situation. Disolve most of it by swishing it around in the blind filter with some water before locking it into the group.
Hope that helps.
Luke
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Just a little update... I bought the espresso cleaning kit from coffeeparts, and thanks to all your valuable advice, I did my first backflush. I used a whole scoop of that espresso cleaner in the blind basket, OOPS! :-? too much me thinks. It took a while to clear it of all the cleaner and suds.
The coffees are sure tasting better, thanks to the clean and the LM basket I also picked up from coffeeparts.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Hi bloop,Originally posted by bloop link=1134561592/0#14 date=1134913876Hmm is a blind wiggle, wiggling the basket without any coffee in it?
Thanks for the backflushing link Mal. Can I ask what will happen if I dont backflush the machine?
I have a hexagonal head too, guess Im one of the lucky ones.
As Robusto has pointed out, failing to "back-flush" regularly can lead to the 3-Way Valve malfunctioning due to the build-up of coffee oils and particles. This is really a side-issue though as the main reason for back-flushing is to rid the group assembly of this build-up which starts to go rancid very quickly and will seriously degrade the character and quality of every shot you pull through the machine..... this gets worse the longer you delay back-flushing and is usually noticeable well before the 3-Way Valve starts to act up.
I cant remember just exactly what Randy G. recommends in his Back-flushing Tutorial, but for most home based baristas, it is sufficient to back-flush with plain water every 2-3 days and then every few weeks, back-flush with a proprietary espresso cleaning agent such as Espresso Clean. This is all Ive been doing for ages and after inspecting the Group the first few times to make sure the job was being done, this is the routine Ive stuck to. Just to put this in to perspective, we consume between 20-30 espresso based drinks per week but if your consumption was significantly more than this, you may have to flush out with Espresso Clean slightly more often.... every two weeks say?
In a commercial situation where baristas are pulling several hundred to maybe a thousand shots per day, back-flushing with a proprietary cleaner is an absolute necessity. Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Mal.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Bloop, the "blind wiggle" is..... put a blind basket (a purpose built one without any holes) in the portafilter, but do not lock onto the group. Turn on the brew switch, and sort of wiggle the portafilter about so water will be forced up into the gasket area and flush away grinds. More effective when water is very hot.
If you dont backflush, theres a danger grinds and coffee oils will build up and clog the 3-way-valve.
Congratulations on the hexagonal head.
Robusto
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Hmm is a blind wiggle, wiggling the basket without any coffee in it?Originally posted by LongMatt link=1134561592/0#6 date=1134692651Grinds....
I find the only way to get rid of them (ish) is to do the blind wiggle between each shot or two.. and to clean the screen as often as poss.
Otherwise I just put up with em!
Thanks for the backflushing link Mal. Can I ask what will happen if I dont backflush the machine?
I have a hexagonal head too, guess Im one of the lucky ones.
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Sounds like Silvia owners can be divided into the roundheads and the hex heads.
Apologies to the rounds---your only option is a screwdriver.
Good luck.
Robusto
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Re: Silvia maintenance? Please advise.
Mine too!Originally posted by Robster link=1134561592/0#10 date=1134734507The shower screen bolt on my silvia is round . . .Originally posted by robusto link=1134561592/0#9 date=1134707683The shower screen is held on by a bolt with a hexagonal head and screwdriver slot. Use a socket wrench to remove it. Sockets dont slide off, screwdrivers do.
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