Jump to content

Coffee machine


Recommended Posts

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

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 :D

Still love them, still dont want one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having grown up with Alfa's exclusively I can relate :D

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 by PhilipV
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 :blush: , what does PID stand for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is obvious to some :blush: , 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 by splat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is obvious to some :blush: , 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 by Alouette3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout