Coffee machine

[CAAD4]

Thing that surprised me in the article is Sydney produces 3000 tons of grind that goes into landfill - seems silly when mixed with your compost it add vital nutrients - we compost it and the worms love it

It seems to have done wonders for our poinsettias.

[PygaSchmyga]

It seems to have done wonders for our poinsettias.

my great danes don't much care for coffee grounds - should I try mixing in some wet food?

[Rocket-Boy]

 

I've asked my wife to remind me that my Italian coffee machine is held together with duct tape whoever I mention Alfa Romeo again.

Having grown up with Alfa's exclusively I can relate

Still love them, still dont want one!

[Rocket-Boy]

Fully disagree. 

 

You will never be able to get the same or even similar shots out of a full auto as you would from a top of the line manual espresso machine.

 

It is just not currently possible! 

The difference in price and time for the top of the line manual would hurt that flavour difference for me!

Maybe my taste isnt as refined as others, Im equally as happy with my coffee as I have been in the fanciest of coffee shops.

[Long Wheel Base]

Thing that surprised me in the article is Sydney produces 3000 tons of grind that goes into landfill - seems silly when mixed with your compost it add vital nutrients - we compost it and the worms love it

I also add it to my compost.

I am not sure if a lot of coffee shops do this but when starbucks opened in rosebank we all(well a lot of us) flocked there to try it and we decided to go passed there on one of our Saturday rides. They had re packed used grind into their coffee bags and had it free with a note saying good for the garden. I took a 1kg bag(although that is 1kg of beans and it weights a lot more when they pack it full of grind) and stored it in my bib like I was on bottle duty at a grand tour. I have never been back so only ever got the one bag and also haven't seen other shops doing it.

[PhilipV]

Having grown up with Alfa's exclusively I can relate

Still love them, still dont want one!

I think it must by like having a rooikop skelmpie. Sounds awesome in theory, but life will most likely blow up in spectacular fashion when (not if) things go wrong. Edited June 3, 2020 by PhilipV

[PhilipV]

Maybe my taste isnt as refined as others, Im equally as happy with my coffee as I have been in the fanciest of coffee shops.

At the end of the day your satisfaction is what matters to you.

You've obviously reached the point where your machine and and coffee is dialed in. And that is a beautiful place to be in life.

 

A pro who is used to using the manual machine and the nuances thereof can pull amazing shots, and probably has the pallet to distinguish the differences.

 

But tbh a lot of coffee shop baristas slaughter coffee or the milk, so much so that I take an aeropress and gas stove with me rather than stop at some coffee shops in some towns. So it goes.

[PhilipV]

A silvia or an oscar would be a great machine, you will not outgrow them very quickly.

 

I am more of a Silvia person, but the oscar is its equal!

As an Oscar owner I reckon I'll take a Silvia with a PID over the Oscar.

The Silvia is prettier, has a smaller footprint and with a PID takes most of the temp surfing guesswork out.

The Oscar is not pretty, but has a bigger boiler, so I bang out shot after shot while steaming milk on the side, this is lekker when I have a bunch of people over.

But taking my machine to Montague Gardens for a service while I can have a Silvia serviced at my local in Somerset West is also a las.

[Long Wheel Base]

As an Oscar owner I reckon I'll take a Silvia with a PID over the Oscar.

The Silvia is prettier, has a smaller footprint and with a PID takes most of the temp surfing guesswork out.

The Oscar is not pretty, but has a bigger boiler, so I bang out shot after shot while steaming milk on the side, this is lekker when I have a bunch of people over.

But taking my machine to Montague Gardens for a service while I can have a Silvia serviced at my local in Somerset West is also a las.

Sorry if this is obvious to some , what does PID stand for?

[splat]

Sorry if this is obvious to some , what does PID stand for?

 

Pelvic inflammatory disease

 

PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative.

On a basic level, a PID controller uses the PID algorithm to determine the best way to control whatever process it's used for. PID controllers are used in a wide range of industrial applications, in our case, it controls the temperature in your espresso machine!

 

https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2018/10/01/whats-a-pid/

 

  What is a PID controller?

https://capecoffeebeans.co.za/products/pid-temperature-control-retrofit-kit-for-rancilio-silvia

PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative and PID controllers are basically more sophisticated versions of thermostats. Rather than simply switching the heating element on and off when certain thresholds are reached, PID controllers can understand the trajectory of the temperature, and apply finer control to when the heating element goes on.

The upshot is simple - the temperature can be maintained in a much narrower range, and more precise temperature control means better, more consistent espresso!

Edited June 3, 2020 by splat

[Wayne pudding Mol]

my great danes don't much care for coffee grounds - should I try mixing in some wet food?

only if they are fat apparently

[Alouette3]

Sorry if this is obvious to some , what does PID stand for?

Basically a digital temperature controller, replaces the bimetallic thermo switch. So increase accuracy

 

(Proportional-Integral-Derivative and all the rest Splat said)

Edited June 3, 2020 by Alouette3

[mazambaan]

It seems to have done wonders for our poinsettias.

 

It is interesting about Sydney chucking their grounds to landfill.  I always threw mine out of the machine onto the lawn and all was well.  But then I took a batch that had been left in for quite a time for some reason (on holiday or whatever); it had white mould growing on it, and threw it on some ground cover - killed it stone dead.

 

Any references for the composting etc?

[CAAD4]

It is interesting about Sydney chucking their grounds to landfill. I always threw mine out of the machine onto the lawn and all was well. But then I took a batch that had been left in for quite a time for some reason (on holiday or whatever); it had white mould growing on it, and threw it on some ground cover - killed it stone dead.

 

Any references for the composting etc?

I'm not Keith Kirsten, but some say, used grounds are less acidic than unbrewed ones, so more acid loving plants will apparently handle them better than others. Some it will simply inhibit. I also dilute the grounds in a jug of water before applying. My missus once freaked out about an ant infestation on a patch of grass, but it turned out to be a batch of discarded Ugandan...

[stefmeister]

Fully disagree. 

 

You will never be able to get the same or even similar shots out of a full auto as you would from a top of the line manual espresso machine.

 

It is just not currently possible! 

 

We have a higher end Jura and a cheap Breville at the office. At one tenth the price, and even with pre-ground, the Breville makes better coffee.

[Wayne Potgieter]

We have a higher end Jura and a cheap Breville at the office. At one tenth the price, and even with pre-ground, the Breville makes better coffee.

we use a high end breville at home. The breville oracle. It is amazing.

 

I have been through plenty coffee machines. This one wins every time.