Originally posted by splashalot
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Unico Splendor queries
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If anyone else has this issue with their Unico Splendor, the culprit turned out to be accumulated gunk and perished group seals. Obviously my backflushing regime was insufficient.
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Hi Mal.Originally posted by Dimal View PostHow old is the machine mate and when was it last given a thorough service?
Mal.
Machine is ~2006-ish. It's the one with the ball-jointed steam wand.
Apart from back flushing and group head seals the machine has only had a couple of parts replaced since new - a new water pump and a seal somewhere in the internals (water was dripping constantly from the overflow tap at the back of the drip tray). But no "servicing", per se.
Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Cheers
Edit: Just got an email from Cosmorex's service dept - suggesting it may be a loose screw at the base of the lever where it attaches to the group head.
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How old is the machine mate and when was it last given a thorough service?
Mal.
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My trusty Unico Splendor has developed a strange issue: After pouring a shot, when I push the group head lever to the off position it doesn't stay in that position - after a few seconds it gradually raises itself into the on position and starts pouring through the head again! I'm beginning to wonder if my machine is haunted. Any ideas?
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How delightfully old fashioned of you Mal, suggesting he reward the vendor who went to the trouble of showing the poster how to make coffee all those years ago (two posts above) with a sale. Loyalty does exist in Australia.Originally posted by lucifuge View PostAnyone sell them in Canberra??
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Well, this is sure an oldie but goodie...
Any standard E-61 Naked Group Handle will fit and in Canberra, it'd be hard to go past Cosmorex Coffee I reckon...
Mal.
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reviving an old thread with a quick question:
What size naked portafilter do I need for the Unico Splendor? Anyone sell them in Canberra??
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
Glad to hear it "lucifuge"....
You know what they say about a picture being better than thousand words; well, a demonstration by someone who knows what theyre doing is worth at least a hundred pictures. Onward and upward now.... 8-)
Mal.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
!! STOP PRESS !!
In trying to understand this Unico Splendor coffee machine with the primary aim of producing a decent espresso I must say Ive taken on so much advice that its been overwhelming.
The collective information has revealed subtle changes here, subtle changes there and throughout it all is a fair bit of complexity. After all, its just coffee, there has to be a simpler, more pragmatic approach. Yes, I had marginal successes with recommended approaches and while the weighing coffee approach did work not too badly, I really cringe at having to so each time. The science of these methods is outweighing the art, and for me, it was causing frustration and killing the fun.
I went back to first principles and decided to take advantage of the brains behind the local seller of the machine. After all, he makes sure every machine receives his personal tweaking for optimal performance before released to the public. Surely he would have an answer or two! >
So on my way home, I stopped off at Cosmorex to pick up some coffee and hopefully a few hints. Attilio was busy, but made time for me. He basically said clear your mind of what your recently taken in and let me show you a simple and repeatable way. Well, that was music to my ears for a start.
He initially confirmed one issue I was having; the single pf. That, it is a lot harder to produce a shot with that compared to the double pf. So he basically made a start with the double pf, filled it up so there was a marginal peak above the pf, tamped with approx 15kgs of pressure and the resulting level was effectively on the appropriate ridge. Whacked it in and the resulting coffee was terrific. It looked good, flowed well and time of pour was good. It was fast, simple and most of all it worked. There was no fuss to the minor grinds that climbed the pf walls, no wastage of coffee, no double tapping etc.
So I raced home to test this heretically simple approach! First try, I knew I had the amount of coffee basically right and the tamp to my surprise was also good. Whacked it on and damn! poured too fast, 30mls in 17secs. Ok, fair enough, i did have the grind setting on the higher side having dabbled the day before. I lowered it two notches and repeated. SUCCESS!!! By far the best shot Ive made yet, I was so happy. For good measure, (and to blow my head off goodnproper), I tried again. SAME! Repeatable, simple and then the unthinkable occurred!!!...
...... I ran out of coffee :P
Im about to try a new blend tomorrow, but I know that since the level and tamp are down-pat, its only a question of the grind setting for different coffees.
So thanks a zillion Attilio for enlightening me. From here on in I can fine tune as i go, but at least now Im able to produce some quality shots.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
Makes sense.
Perfecting the main variables, and familiarity with the machine is key, and experience is the teacher. Of course I dont want to be reinforcing bad habits either so expect a visit in short term
. Once more familiar (and successful), I may or may not fine tune with a better fitting tamper.
Again, thanks for your help on this.
Originally posted by Fresh_Coffee link=1227826268/20#21 date=1227991277The manufacturer sells them as a 58 mm tamper, nominally it is a 58 mm tamper.
If you measure it accurately you will probably find it is around 57.5.
If you measure a 57mm (nominal) tamper you will I think find it is smaller than 57.
This all varies according to the origin of any particular tamper.
We keep Greg Pullmans excellent tampers in stock and they are a tighter fit, if you want to upgrade.
Notwithstanding whether your tamper may be 57.5 or an actual 58 or whatever, we need to help build your total level of understanding of the process and all will improve markedly including with use of your current tamper.
Regardz,
Attilio.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
The manufacturer sells them as a 58 mm tamper, nominally it is a 58 mm tamper.
If you measure it accurately you will probably find it is around 57.5.
If you measure a 57mm (nominal) tamper you will I think find it is smaller than 57.
This all varies according to the origin of any particular tamper.
We keep Greg Pullmans excellent tampers in stock and they are a tighter fit, if you want to upgrade.
Notwithstanding whether your tamper may be 57.5 or an actual 58 or whatever, we need to help build your total level of understanding of the process and all will improve markedly including with use of your current tamper.
Regardz,
Attilio.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
Many thanks for your posting and advice Attilio. Agreed; it would be better for me to come in and pick your brain in situ.
Quick question in the meantime; I was given a "Cosmorex" alloy tamper to suit the machine. I notice it is not flush around the inner perimeter of the pf when I tamp. Do you know if this tamper would be 58mm? is it possible it could be 57mm? (I have tried measuring it but its not very scientific; too approximate).Im just trying to understand why the fit isnt as flush as I would expect it would need to be.
Originally posted by Fresh_Coffee link=1227826268/0#16 date=1227919499Thanks to all for their kind comments, they are very much appreciated.
Lucifuge, feel free to come in when you have some spare time and I will be happy to answer your questions time permitting...........if I am not around one of my people will help you.
Splashalot.....there is no such thing as a dumb question.......how else are you going to find out what you need to know......I too ask "dumb questions".......and they are absolutely paramount to me being able to make the right decisions at the right times.....
If you wanna know stuff about our imports please ask away at any time and I do prefer talking to people face to face and over a cup of coffee. We like to build goodwill with clients in the local area who make the effort to visit us.
I have had several Splendors at home as my own private espresso machines (I turn my private use machines over reasonably quickly and take all the models home not just the splendor.) over a period of years and of course am very familiar with them. I honestly dont find them to be fussy at all & my espresso making technique is pretty much consistent and has been worked out by me over a period of years to get the best possible brew for myself and my good wife (& guests) to enjoy.
We also use one of the splendors stable mates at work as our office coffee machine (which all the staff use for their own coffee) and I use the same technique on that one and it is a Diadema Junior (same machine as Splendor internally, externally a different model).
So if I can help I would be glad to but as stated above I prefer face to face, its easier to talk and demonstrate to local people than it is to spend a month of sundays trying to explain something with a keyboard and where no one can see what you are trying to explain.
So.....local people...dont be shy......let us spend some time with you.
Regardz,
Attilio, first / original CS site sponsor.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
Yeah I did digress didnt I
Interesting interpretation of my posts Randy. Its ok to disagree but be careful not too read too far "into" any of my posts as they are usually to be read at straight face value.
As already stated lucifuge and splashalot, please feel free to come and see me and I will be only too pleased to help. The same goes for anyone who reads this list and would like to spend a little time "at my place......".
Please do announce yourselves as being members of this list as it does generally get you some benefits......I always try and make time for CS people even where there may be some other very important deadline happening.
If you two want to organise yourselves together I will be happy to run a "miniature" equipment use / come / espresso class with you at a time that is convenmient for us all. Anyone else on this list who wants to come along can do so, well do a private CS thing in our training room. But please dont leave it up to me to organise...get yourselves together as a CS group, involve me at the end in working out a mutually good time, and lets do it. Someone please bring the liqueur muscat!
Keeping the black art alive....
Regardz,
Attilio.
first / original CS site sponsor.
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Re: Unico Splendor queries
Those sorts of vast generalizations do not help describe this situation. if anything, I would state quite the opposite. In the shops in my area, all the commercial espresso grinders are stepless. The vast majority of the shops around here use Mazzers. If it werent for the fact that you present yourself as a professional here, I would interpret the above as a troll post.Originally posted by Fresh_Coffee link=1227826268/0#17 date=1227920444Ahh yes PS...........
It dawns on me that the level of "fussiness" you speak of is most probably due to the use of these extremely accurate micrometrically adjustable grinders. ..... These things kind of make the barista try to rely on infinite scales of adjustment to achieve a particular result, instead of their own understanding of the "black art" of espresso brewing.
A grinder like the Rancilio Rocky has steps quite a bit too coarse, and that sort of thing forces the barista to go through all sorts of convolutions to get a reasonable pull. One click on the Rocky is about three to four seconds of extraction time, all other things being equal.
If it works for you "personally that is fine, but the one variable should be the grind. There should be no need to adjust technique. general advice all over the internet is to keep all things as constant as possible and adjust the grind to get the proper extraction. This is even more true for beginners or for those starting out with a new machine. The very minor adjustments to technique (mostly dose) comes at the end, after the grind that creates the best extraction (as in "taste of the espresso") is found.I personally like to use ***stepped**** semi commercial and commercial grinders because they are certainly less fussy to get adjusted to where you want them to be. Once you have arrived at the grind adjustment of your choice, you then "adjust" your technique to suit. This IS the "black art" of espresso making.
And as far as fussiness, my Mazzer is far less fussy and more consistent than my Rocky ever was. The Mazzers upper burr mounting, adjustment stability, and adjustment is so far superior to the Rocky that it is hardly worth discussing.
And that tells you nothing?This flies in the face of all the internet based misinformation...
But telling a home barista to adjust their technique is complicating the process, quite the opposite result, no? Telling them that a stepless grinder simplifies the process makes more sense. Is it not easier to tell them that when they can get the same extraction and same taste with a stepless grinder to do everything the same all the time and just make a small change in the grind to change the taste?I guess what Im saying, is I spend all my life trying to simplify stuff while others are trying to make it more complicated........why?
Just because something works for a professional does not mean that a home barista can put it to use. How can you expect a home barista who makes fewer drinks in a month than a professional makes in a day to make the "black art" adjustments to their technique you prefer? And what would that be? a 0.1 gram change in the dose? A .1kg difference in tamping force? That is easier and simplier than moving a lever or turning a knob on a grinder?
To dismiss the one variable that is most important and to create a whole new set of mysterious variables is complicating the process, not simplifying the process.
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