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  • #16
    Re: Upgrade time?

    Would something like one of these do the job Greg? Theyre not too exposed??

    Also- spill the beans about your roaster  


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    • #17
      Re: Upgrade time?

      The Diadema would be marginal, the others would be OK. But price would be out on all of them. The Expobar Office you sent me info on about this time last year is probably the best HX bet thus far, and has some kind of E61 group. Realistically, if I had $2-3k to spend Im sure Id be able to work around the aesthetics, but since thats not going to happen for a while yet its purely a theoretical argument so I dont bother making a case for it.

      Roaster? A cement mixer and a PIDd gas-powered Spitfire shed heater - what else? ;D Nah, still got the coretto for my occasional home roasts, which are very few and far between these days.

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      • #18
        Re: Upgrade time?

        Done a lot more thinking on this. The stability and adjustability of the PID does sound like a useful idea, and it sounds like itll bring it to on par (above, below?) with a HX machine. But Im a bit concerned there may be other non-temp related factors here that may let the Silvia down, e.g. pre-infusion, dispersion etc, and the HX may be a better option if linked to a decent group. Plus if a PID Silvia and a HX are much the same in terms of espresso performance, the slow but steady stream of HX machines on the market may make it a similar proposition cost-wise, in which case the bonus of plenty of steam would be well worth it. Yet a PID I guess doesnt need a cooling flush whereas a HX does?

        Does anyone have any thoughts on other espresso performance-related factors of the two paths under consideration?

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        • #19
          Re: Upgrade time?

          Greg, sounds like in the circumstances you need to PID your Silvia. Its the most cost effective way to achieve your goal.

          Furthermore, there is the added advantage that you get to keep the familiarity of your machine. No need to go back to basics, to learn how to steam milk all over again as you would have to do with another machine.

          My recommendation is to buy the same cheap but very good and effective PID I put on my old Silvia. The all up cost will be around $AU100.

          I would not get hung up on pre-infusion -- Ive tried brewing with and without that on my Grimac and I dont see any difference.

          The Rancilio group does not have a thermosyphon. But it doesnt need it to maintain stability. It is a very thermostable apparatus in its own right.

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          • #20
            Re: Upgrade time?

            $100?! I was looking at one of Jims excellent kits, but they cost considerably more than $100. Pray tell! Are we talking the real deal or a bush mechanics PID (bent coathanger linked to a 9V battery and a bit of headphone wire wrapped around a fridge magnet or something?? ;D)

            Thanks for the advice Robusto, I must say the views of people who have used both are invaluable!

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            • #21
              Re: Upgrade time?

              Nine volts! What do you want to do, fry it? Standard AA battery is all you need.

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              • #22
                Re: Upgrade time?

                So what was the $100 PID then?

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                • #23
                  Re: Upgrade time?

                  Originally posted by Greg Pullman link=1196122872/15#19 date=1197267043
                  $100?! I was looking at one of Jims excellent kits, but they cost considerably more than $100. Pray tell! Are we talking the real deal or a bush mechanics PID (bent coathanger linked to a 9V battery and a bit of headphone wire wrapped around a fridge magnet or something?? ;D)

                  Thanks for the advice Robusto, I must say the views of people who have used both are invaluable!
                  Having used and fitted Jims kits Greg, they are worth EVERY CENT. I reckon a 12 year old could fit one....

                  Everything is plug and play, every wire is perfect and the PID is pre-programmed and ready to roll.

                  Spend the extra few dollars and save yourself costly and precious time sourcing and then fabricating.

                  Chris

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                  • #24
                    Re: Upgrade time?

                    Yep,

                    I agree with Chris..... Jims kits are thoroughly complete and professionally assembled ready for fitting to your machine, with full and easily understood instructions. This is what you are paying for, thought you would realise that Greg :-?.

                    Re: the option of doing it all yourself from scratch.... well, you could be lucky and source all the hardware for less than $100 as Robusto did but even then, you still need to fit everything and set it up so that it works properly. Im sure that this is well within your capability to do but at the end of the day its a toss-up, fit one of Jims Kits and know that all the hard work has already been done or take it on as a project/experiment and learn as you go. In the end, either option could end up costing you the same amount of money.

                    Cheers,
                    Mal.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Upgrade time?

                      hmmm, the fact the Chris thinks that a 12 year old could do it makes me feel a bit ho-hum :-[, but in reality, Greg, if I can fit a PID to my Bott it, by definition, IS easy!
                      Jims kits are complete both in hardware as well as accompanying instructions... the man himself is on-line just about 24/7 and has no trouble with dumbo-questions...

                      naturally, if you are so inclined, the "search -and-rescue-the -part" option Robusto so masterfully installed could be an enjoyable exercise... but this little duck went with Jims gear and has no regrets, not for the purchase, nor the fitting, nor the results-comparison pre-and post PID!

                      for my money, a PIDed Bott does the job... brilliantly!
                      Rob and i would only be looking for an upgrade from the current set-up if and when we have a house with a big kitchen-bench... and cash we dont really need for anything else!! ;D ;D

                      cheers,

                      L

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                      • #26
                        Re: Upgrade time?

                        Hi Greg
                        I put a PID on both your old Quaha and the Botticelli. Main difference probably was the controller. On the Quaha it was a reject from Jim- a calcontrols 3200 one. Ok stability (very good actually) but no matter what I did it always took a while to get back to temp after steaming.
                        The Bott got the Watlow kit- wow, wow, wow! It really is that good. It gets back to temp after the most minor flush after steaming in a matter of seconds.
                        Theres also the fact that the Bott is a fantastic machine anyway!
                        All the best
                        Brett

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                        • #27
                          Re: Upgrade time?

                          Thanks guys. Mal, Ive never looked at any PID options apart from a Jims Kit, so I didnt know what could potentially be different with other options. Robustos since explained this to me, and I now see the cheaper options are just the controller, the quality of which can vary significantly. While I have no problems with tinkering, the overwhelming satisfaction with Jims kits are a good enough reason for me to see that as the path should PID be the solution - and based on the comments here it really seems to be the way forward.

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                          • #28
                            Re: Upgrade time?

                            Hi guys,

                            Just letting you know I settled on one of Jims SD3C kits, a 1/32 DIN with steam control. Very happy with the quality of the whole kit, easy installation instructions and the controller makes brewing a breeze! Plenty of experimenting coming up Im sure. Thanks Jim!

                            Greg

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