Coffee Appreciation

Another one for the "advocating against home espresso" camp here. Granted, I have one, but it's a super simple one that's easy to maintain (that was the prime reason for the choice). It's a lot of work for sure, but if you want a hobby, it's not a bad one.

Day-to-day I spend very little time making coffee, but that is admittedly the result of having spent years getting things dialled in!

Having a PID and a machine which can turn itself on then leaving the portafilter in really helps - first thing in the morning I wake up to a machine which is already pre-heated to exactly the right temperature for espresso.

Machine disassembly is heavy maintenance and only needs to be done about every five years or so IME, and my Silvia cost £263 in March 2013 so I'd definitely not call that steep cost-wise.

Wow you really pulled that apart!

Not much choice when replacing a chassis, plus if you're going to take your espresso machine apart you might as well do everything while you're at it!

Here's those links:
How to PID for fifty quid
PID
PID case
Relay
Thermocouple

You'll want some suitable wires/spade connectors/heat shrink too, I took apart a dead PC PSU for the wires, got spade connectors from eBay (they're all the same) and already had heat shrink.

Edit: That was meant to be a reply to your post @Light_EDDed

I've got a very small basket (deliberately) so am only running something like 13g doses. Really suspect that increasing the pressure will just increase my problems, but I'll keep it in the back pocket in case buying a blind shaker, shimming my grinder, getting a levelling tamper, walking into the ocean, etc don't solve it.

I think if you stick to one bean and never fiddle with your grinder, and get a PID, and do the modding yourself, and ask some questions in the discord, and watch these five youtube videos, and use filtered water, and remember to backflush and descale, it's probably not that much work.

If you want to be punished and you have too much money, but not enough to pay for a real dom, you can get into home espresso.

I don't backflush/descale as often as I should (see above photo), have never been in a coffee discord and I only watch James Hoffman videos for the production values :P

Reading all this makes me even happier with my Robot, no maintenance, no descaling, no preheating, just dialing in to play with, which obviously is endless tweaking but very satisfying when you get that "god shot espresso"!

Thanks for that. I’m also looking at the gaggiuino but I’ve no idea where to start. I need a parts list.

I replied to an ad on coffee forum for a free Rancillio Silvia. I did have huge expectations. The guy did mention the pump could do with being replaced so that’s on my to do list too.

Espresso must be a bit like owning an Alfa Romeo. Expensive, gratifying, thrilling, balanced out with pain and suffering.

And then by the time you get a good one you’ve had too many shit ones to even want one anymore

I know that was tongue in cheek, but honestly its not. Once you get dialed and know what kind of coffee you like, its pretty easy to be consistent. After the first week of owning my Robot and subsequently my Flair 58+, I don't think I ever pulled an unacceptable shot.

With that said - I sold my Flair recently because I just don't care for espresso at home.

I'd check that your machine is level. Sometimes it can cause uneven extraction. Also maybe a puck screen might do you a favour and help with consistency. I got one from Shades Of Coffee, was very cheap.

I am firmly in the "no home espresso"

I'm definitely in this camp

That is not to say that the engineer in me does not enjoy all writing about techniques and modding.. I'm just in no place to conduct it myself.

I like to geek out on all the stuff people are doing, but to actually do it is insanity. You've also got to really love espresso based drinks and while I like them, it's not nearly enough to get that involved.

When ever I'm in a coffee shop, a macchiato or flat white feels like a treat, whereas I'd never order a v60.

Edit - sorry, replied to the wrong person. Meant for @MisterMikkel Had too many beers during the football.

Well I like home espresso.

Coffee corner is looking thicc

1 Attachment

It's a lot of work for sure, but if you want a hobby, it's not a bad one.

This is the reality of home espresso, it's maddening at first but very satisfying when dialled in. I so rarely use my Classic that I've been thinking about getting rid.

Totally with you on this.

Can anyone recommend some burrs for the rancillio rocky.

I’ve never bought burrs before. Presumably there are good burrs and bad burrs

Same beans, changed to the Rancillio Rocky

1 Attachment

I wonder if the pump being changed would give the bloom under the basket a bit more volume

Surprised to see a few people being against home espresso - always found it easy and never gave it too much thought. Granted the initial dialling in with a new grinder will take a few goes, but I got a Gaggia Classic 4 years ago and never looked back!

Pourover and drip are just brothy long drinks that do absolutely nothing for me so I wouldn’t really see them as an alternative either, so just as well!

I only have an espresso machine for milk drinks really. I very occasionally drink espresso when I'm out but whenever I fancy one at home I'm always left with my eyeballs buzzing in a really unpleasant way. If I could get a setup that turned out really excellent espresso then it might be worth it but it's also a very short experience for a huge amount of faff.

I don’t think home espresso is a faff. Had a Silvia for 7yrs. Since 2020 have been making c.4 coffees per day and it’s great.
Got a filter machine this year which is nice to whack on every now and then but gets less use

Anyone else tried this yet? I'm struggling to dial in and balance the acidity but wow the raspberry aromas are nuts!

https://kissthehippo.com/collections/coffee-bags/products/fruitopia-blend?variant=41086456561707

Granted the initial dialling in with a new grinder will take a few goes, but I got a Gaggia Classic 4 years ago and never looked back!

So I take it you're using the same beans pretty much all of the time then? If you keep things consistent then it's not a faff but if you're buying new beans every week, especially lighter roasts it's a massive faff.