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This takes care of the dosing variable, and the only thing I adjust is the grinder - either courser or finer - depending on the coffee age, coffee type etc. Much cheaper per cup as well.Make sure you descale the boiler and use cafizo or cafetto to clean the brewhead and you will have consistently AWESOME coffee - much better than any other upmarket snobby cafe in your city / state. I bought this espresso machine and the Rancilio Rocky doserless grinder 18 months ago, and I couldn't be happier with the quality of build, espresso / latte it makes. I am now able to dose up to 18grams instead of the 14 or 15grams the standard basket can take. You can make more with this machine, but you will be taking longer to do fill all the orders. You MUST get a good tamper with this, otherwise you will not get good results. go to Sweet Marias' website to learn how and you will NEVER look back or use Boutique roasters again.
Dont get cheap plastic KRUPS, or sunbeam appliances that break down right after the warranty period is up. Yes, it does take practice to become competent with this setup, thats why I bought a digital precision scale which allows me to weigh the exact amount of beans before I put them in the grinder. Trust me, once you have mastered the technique to making consistent espresso and milk frothing, using 3 or 4 day old great quality home roasted coffee, you will know that it is one of life's best kept secrets.So forget starbucks and all others who claim to be cafes, and get yourself a semi professional kit that will challenge you, but with practice you will be rewarded. I also bought a deeper "more forgiving" double basket to replace the standard one it came with - lets me updose and get richer espresso. Makes my shots much more consistent.The fresher the coffee used the better, and if you are up for another hobby, roast your own at home. PS - This machine is not meant for more than 4 coffees with milk at a time, as it is only a single boiler, ie, you can only brew coffee or froth milk at one time.
I used to screw up making espresso on this thing all the time, then I finally listened to my husband. (krups) The Krups would keep residual steam in the grounds compartment, so if I wanted to try making another espresso, I would turn the handle and get burned with hot steamy water.1) turn it on for at least 20min before you want to pull a shot, make sure the water is fresh2) Buy only Lavazza whole beans3) Buy a burr grinder with grind size options4) Grind beans fine5) Press really hard to compress your coffee puck, keep pressing as hard as you can for at least 2 minutes.6) Get a glass ready to catch some water- you will steam it first to get the machine's bowels going.7) Steam some water out, keep it in your glass to warm it up.8) start the espresso pull, pull out 2 oz. The crema is there, the flavor is there, the froth is there- It just requires certain steps. This machine makes it really easy- and there is no risk of severely burning yourself like I did with a cheapy plastic machine. then save or toss this out, don't drink this.9) dump out the grounds and fill it up, compacting like last time.10) Pull the2nd espresso, this should be your keeper, put in pre-warmed glass.11) Check the color and make sure it's opaque and creamy. It should resemble a Guinness.12) Clean it out soon after, do water changes, use the right coffee machine cleaner.For the right froth, you must keep your metal frothing pitcher in the fridge or freezer and have cold milk.It work great and anyone can get it right- you just need to make the right compression on the coffee.
The Rancilio Silvia is a fantastic espresso machine and with a little practice and some high quality beans - you can make better espresso drinks at home than in any espresso shop in your town. Quality is king (in this case Queen) because Miss Silvia is hand made of high quality materials in her home town in Italy. See more about this awesome espresso machine [.]. and then come back here to order one.
We've had a Miss Silvia for over 7 years and it just keeps on working. We use it 3x a day, every day. Great make, built like tank,makes excellent espresso. I couldn't be more satisfied with this well made machine.
Get a few cleaning brushes, 12oz and 20oz pitcher for when making 1 or 2 drinks and cleaning solution for your machine. Has anything in this world tasted better when done automatically.This machine produces very good quality espresso. If you can afford a step up than go with a the Mazzer Mini. The one it comes with the machine is a joke.4. The tip it comes with works perfect for steaming milk that looks like perfect snow.5. Look at youtube and always do your shot of espresso first than steam your milk, not the other way around.1. This machine has only one boiler so you have to wait from the point of making a shot of espresso to heating up the boiler again for the steam process.Also DO NOT follow the instruction dvd that they give you on how to steam milk.
Get a quality grinder. The Rocky is OK to Good. So you want quality espresso without having to dish out $1.50 for a single shot at your favorite coffee shop, then this is the machine for you.It takes some time to get use to if you've never used a manual machine before and believe it or not Manual is BETTER. Ebay has them as well as WholeLatteLove.3. Get a quality tamper (the thing you use to press down on the espresso in the portafilter) Spend about $50-75. Do not buy any special 3 hole tips for the steamer on this machine. Get a timer to time your shots. 7.
You can't go wrong with this machine, but here are some things you'll need to know that haven't been said. Deep clean at least once per month6. I just bought my Rocky about 4 months ago and see the down falls of this grinder but it works.2. It doesn't have a PID controller which will accurately set the temp the perfect degree which will give you a consistent quality shot everytime. Remove the white film on the top of the espresso machine. Should be about 22-25 seconds long.I would give it 5 stars if it had a PID controller and a better knob to turn on the steam wand, but nothing comes close without paying $1500
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