That IS the Rancilio commercial portafilter handle, from the Rancilio S24 here; WLL.
The standard Silvia filter handle is 408 grams or 14.39oz vs 624 grams or 22.01oz, for the commercial handle. The commercial handle is 53% heavier, & both are of solid press forged marine grade machined & chromed brass. Also, the handle is 7 inches long vs the standard 6 3/16 inch length, allowing for greater leverage to lock the handle into the grouphead. The greater thermal mass (weight), results in better temperature stability of the shot & retains more heat when out of the grouphead.
There's a different spout on there, similar to the stock spout, as compared to the spout which what came with my 1st life commercial PF, which has an elbow, and a cover over a similar folded double spout. Any problems with steam spraying around when there's no cover over the spout, that is, the spout of the spout? Any sputtering spray? :)?
Another mod of note: attaching a temp gauge to the boiler. I tried a cheap one with a slow reacting display, then a multimeter. It didn't help much, but I could surf differently from different points in the temp cycle. I halfway developed a '40 second surf from this point, 30 seconds from that point' method until I settled on the 'double surf' thing in my other post. I had originally wanted to 'quick surf' up or down to temp using the display, but that got nowhere.. enjoy, tom
That IS the Rancilio commercial portafilter handle, from the Rancilio S24 here; WLL.
The standard Silvia filter handle is 408 grams or 14.39oz vs 624 grams or 22.01oz, for the commercial handle. The commercial handle is 53% heavier, & both are of solid press forged marine grade machined & chromed brass. Also, the handle is 7 inches long vs the standard 6 3/16 inch length, allowing for greater leverage to lock the handle into the grouphead. The greater thermal mass (weight), results in better temperature stability of the shot & retains more heat when out of the grouphead.
Amen to that! I think the commercial PF is a huge improvement over the standard PF (as is the LM 15° PF handle, I'm sure). This handle rocks, and the leverage/stability when locking/unlocking are a significant improvement over the stubby stock PF with which Silvia used to ship.
There's a different spout on there, similar to the stock spout, as compared to the spout which what came with my 1st life commercial PF, which has an elbow, and a cover over a similar folded double spout. Any problems with steam spraying around when there's no cover over the spout, that is, the spout of the spout? Any sputtering spray? :)?
To prevent the sputtering steam, open the steam valve first and turn on the hot water switch. When the steam subsides and it's just hot water coming out, turn off the hot water switch and close the steam valve. I then run a blank shot to warm up the PF and the cup. No worries with a loaded PF but you could repeat the process before pulling a shot so steam and really hot water doesn't hit the puck. Nick
I drink espresso so I can work longer, so I can make more money, so I can drink more espresso, so I can work longer, so I can make more money, so I can drink more espresso...
I picked up my Silvia last week in Canada. It also came with the new PF which I understand is the same as the commercial PF others were buying. As far as the steam tip goes, I can't imagine much better than the single hole tip that came with the machine. I've only been using it one week and am steaming enough silky, smooth microfoam for a cappa in about 20 seconds.
I have been using my new Silvia & Rocky for about a month and I am really enjoying this thread. I considered a number of choices when considering my first single boiler machine and grinder, but in my opinion it is hard to beat the Silvia and Rocky combo. Obviously Rocky and Silvia are excellent machines, but I feel that the support of current and past users is what puts them over the top.
I have been slowly working my way through the simpler modifications.
For Rocky I have installed Teflon tape on my upper burr carrier threads to remove some play and I have removed the safety lock screw so I can easily remove the upper burrs by twisting off the hopper. This makes cleaning easier for me.
So far for Silvia the best upgrade I have added is a digital timer. Not only is it so convenient but I feel that my espresso is much better with a well warmed up Silvia. I am also trying to get comfortable with a new La Marzocco double basket. The dosing and tamping routine is quite different from the stock Silvia and I am not that comfortable with it yet. But it will come.
I have also started roasting my own beans in a FreshRoast plus. I still am giddy when I roast my own beans. I also appreciate not spending retail for beans when I have to waste a fair amount experimenting.
Next on the list is getting a thermocouple (maybe a Fluke 16 from eBay) so I can take Silvia’s temperature. Then maybe a little surfing. Although I confess that I have read a little about PIDs.
Bear with me please but where can I find a link for checking a Sylvia's pressure and what is the 'traveling pf" mentioned previously? By channeling, if your referring to water blowing by a properly ground and tamped load in the pf I am suffering that now so I would really appreciate the info.
For what its worth I got my Sylvia less than a month ago from WLL and the portafilter pictured on page one looks identical in every way to the one I'm holding in my hand. (???)
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 