Hello & Greetings,

Longtime lurker here and my apologies if this is a question that has been covered before but I did use the search function and could not find an answer.

I was hoping to get members opinions on what, if anything is the difference between these two brands of PID's and if there are any advantages to one or the other.

By the way, I have a Rancilio Silvia.

Thanks!

Leonard Bayard wrote:Hello & Greetings,

Longtime lurker here and my apologies if this is a question that has been covered before but I did use the search function and could not find an answer.

I was hoping to get members opinions on what, if anything is the difference between these two brands of PID's and if there are any advantages to one or the other.

By the way, I have a Rancilio Silvia.

Thanks!

I think that the Watlow would be a "higher quality" product, but for your application it won't make any difference at all. I am wondering if your question is in response to some misleading advertising that a particular ebay seller uses/has used for PID'd Silvias he tries to sell. If it is, then just ignore it.

ken

I would agree with Ken.

For your use it will not matter. I have four thermoblock units in my laboratory that are controlled by Watlow PID's and calibrated they are rock solid at 0.1* temperatures but we have a need for that resolution. My espresso machine is fine with its delta PID which has worked for 1 1/2 years with only occasional auto tuning the only "maintenance" necessary.

Ken Fox wrote:I think that the Watlow would be a "higher quality" product, but for your application it won't make any difference at all. I am wondering if your question is in response to some misleading advertising that a particular ebay seller uses/has used for PID'd Silvias he tries to sell. If it is, then just ignore it.

ken

Thanks for your reply.

Actually, I didn't even know that they were being offered on eBay. These were the two brands that I became aware of through this forum.

I have had a very informative correspondence with a member here and now am on the fence about paying for further mods or just learning more with my Rancilio (first machine for me) and upgrading down the road.

Leonard Bayard wrote:
I have had a very informative correspondence with a member here and now am on the fence about paying for further mods or just learning more with my Rancilio (first machine for me) and upgrading down the road.

When Andy S and Randy G and some other pioneers first PID'd their Silvias, it was "cutting edge" for the home user. During the many years since that sort of modification was introduced, there have been a lot of new machines introduced into the home marketplace, including a gazillion different E-61 boxes. By the time that you pay up for a Silvia, which many would regard as being quite expensive for what it is, and then pay extra for modifying it with a PID controller, you are getting up fairly close to the price of an entry level E-61 machine.

Virtually any home heat exchanger machine will be easier to use and will give more reproducible shots, than will a Silvia. Since the Silvia does retain a large percentage of its original purchase price when resold, it makes a lot of sense to use the machine in unmodified form, then to resell it when you have the funds, to help finance a better machine at a higher level of performance. The intermediate step of PID'ing the Silvia is probably no longer a very good use of money given the number of choices out there in home machines at this time.

ken

I am starting to think along the same lines. I have to say that the Rancilio has produced by far the best coffee that I have ever made, but now I sort of feel cursed that I found this forum!

I just bought the thing in December and I'm now casting covetous glances at such machines like the Alex Duetto II.

I still am happy with my purchase but I guess it's true when they say that a little knowledge is dangerous.