jim_schulman Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 3,772 Location: Chicago Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Fri Jul 5, 2002, 3:49pm Subject: Great review
I've owned the SL70 for about a year now, and your review caught all the tricks it took me six months to learn - especially the longer shot, shorter espresso bit.
I hope the review steers people considering an upper end Saeco towards this machine. They'll be a lot happier.
As a recent purchaser of the Solis SL-70, I found this review to be incredibly helpful. All the detail that Mark provides is sure to assist any new owner in getting the most from this machine.
alanfrew Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 596 Location: Melbourne Expertise: Professional
Posted Sat Jul 6, 2002, 4:26am Subject: Non-pressurized PF baskets
I was struck by your statement "The Via Veneto scored poorly, thanks to the pressurized portafilter and my lack of a non-pressurized version to try and test." Try the Solis non- pressurized basket in the Saeco PF. It'll fit perfectly, I'll guarantee it. At present these baskets are available in Oz for A$5.00 each, they seem to be standard Italian "domestic machine" items.
Madeleine Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 2 Location: Philadelphia Expertise: Intermediate
Espresso: Rebranded Via Veneto Grinder: Santos (commercial behemoth) Vac Pot: Cona Drip: Ceramic one cup filter...
Posted Sat Jul 6, 2002, 8:07am Subject: Poor Old Via Veneto...
... really didn't get a fair shake, when there wasn't a non-pressurized PF basket to test it with. Although it's sadly down-market looking, it's not *that* bad.
That said, this was a grand review and my thanks go to Mark and his trusty team of testers for a whole raft of really useful information.
Madeleine "can you tell I own a Via Veneto, perchance?" Page
Franklin Senior Member Joined: 24 Feb 2002 Posts: 2 Location: Seattle! Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: SL70 Grinder: Maestro
Posted Sat Jul 6, 2002, 9:22am Subject: Great Review
As another proud SL70 owner, your review was right on. Thanks! I use the built in tamper, but noticed that if you want the PF to sit flat for tamping, you can cut off the lower part of the plastic filter holder so it can sit flat. You then have to use your thumb to hold the filter in, rather than your index finger.
On the Saeco comment, I think Saeco's have the enhancer in the PF, whereas Solis has it in the filter basket. I have read about people clipping the pin that holds the little disk to remove the enhancer from the Saeco PF.
jroche Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 24 Location: Piermont, New York Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Silvia, Solis SL90 Grinder: Rocky, Solis 166 Drip: Cone, press pot Roaster: dead dead dead
Posted Thu Jul 18, 2002, 4:41am Subject: Only if *ALL* consumer reviews could be like this!
Outstanding job. I own the SL90 & a Silvia and several things on the Solis design are very smart. The drip tray for one is, imho, a much better design to reduce puddling/roll-off/splashback/etc than Silvia's. It loses some points, perhaps, for being plastic. I had to slightly *tweak* (read: bend) my steam wand initially so that when opened the water stream fell between the vertical slats rather than directly on top of one, causing water to spray around. A slight bend of the arm corrected that fault.
The clear tank, as you have mentioned, is great. Easily removable, keeps the water temp much cooler (much more than Silvia-- an as an aside i've always wondered if the higher temps in some espresso machine water tanks might not be more prone to bacteria issues???) and the lavel can be checked w/ a quick glance even in low light.
The only real down sides I've found to my SL90 are: lack of 3-way, smaller PF and grouphead and some minor issues with the auto features (which i don't use anyway).
Forgot to mention one VERY key item. This machine is backed up by one of the best support teams out there. No one like to have a machine break, but even the best of them occasionally have problems. I can state for the record that I have never rec'd better service, advice and support on any product than i have w/ my DL90 thru Kyle and Josie of Baratza. In or out of warranty, I was still treated with top notch customer service. You can beat that at any price. When it comes time for a hot top roaster, i know where i'm going.
dew Senior Member Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 1 Location: Colorado Springs Expertise: Intermediate
Posted Thu Dec 12, 2002, 2:20pm Subject: Wimpy switches
I have owned my SL-70 for almost 3 years now. Great machine except for the cheap plastic switches (Power, Pump and Steam). The main power switch fried itself after 13 months of light use. I replaced it with a heavy-duty steel one.
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