Good evening all,

After years of frustrating use of a Capressa Combo unit, I finally broke down and purchased a Miss Silvia/Rocky with Doser combo pack if you will, and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival.

Admittedly, I may have gotten over my head a bit, as with my current unit, there's not much too it. You can't tamp, and you can't grind too fine, as the pump isn't strong enough to pull the espresso anyway. What you get is a very average (at best) shot of espresso. Oh, and once you 'pull your shot', the steamer has about 5 seconds left of steam to work with. All in all, it's not a good espresso machine, I realize that. With that said, it seems my forthcoming machine and grinder isn't terribly forgiving, so I was hoping to glean a little bit of information from all you Silvia pros to help me along my way. (Note: The primary reason I did buy this machine, and not a super automatic, was so I could 'tinker' and really pull a shot on my own. There's romance in that, much like why I only fish for trout with a fly rod, and only with those flies tied by me!

As such, if there are any absolute no-no's for me to stay away from and keep me on the right track, boy I sure would appreciate it. I don't expect any of your deepest Silvia secrets, unless you're willing to share them with me, in which case, I'd be very grateful!

So, thank you in advance for any tips and tricks you could send my way, and believe me, after my first shot is pulled, good or bad, I'll be sure to report!

Regards,

Mark

Check out the FAQs and Favorites, including the dedicated 'Rancilio Silvia and Rocky' section.

Hello Dan,

Thanks much, I hadn't seen that section...

Regards,

Mark

The Silvia was my first love. A great choice, and a machine I still miss.

My first bit of advice: Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different tamps, doses, distributions, headspace (that one was especially important on the Silvia)....it's all fun. If you get frustrated doing this, it's not the machine for you.

Second: It's not as "finicky" as everyone says. I now own a Vivaldi (apparently the easiest machine to use...HA...don't believe it). Single boiler, HX, even DB. They all require work to get dialed in.

Third: Get the PID. Not just for the taste, mostly for the convenience. That made a huge difference for me.

Lastly, watch out with your new Rocky. Some have been defective lately and can't grind fine enough for a shot longer than 10 seconds. If you have one, return it and get your refund while it's under warranty.

By the way, I'm a fly fisherman too. That mindset helps with the Silvia.

Good luck!

Good Morning Endo,

I sort of thought the Silvia was the choice for me, and I did draw that conclusion as Fly Fishing is nothing but tinkering, as you know.

Thanks a heap for the advice, I'm going to read up best I can before she arrives, and let the experimenting begin. I've spent so long with such a sub par machine, I think it will be fun to actually have the 'spresso horse power to actually try to pull a good shot AND froth some milk all within a few minutes period!

Again, thanks a lot for the advice, and I'll keep you poste.

BTW, Only 3 more weeks until our fly season opens here in WI...

Regards,

Mark

Regarding problem Rocky's :

Vibiemme Domobar Super + Rancilio Rocky = Impossible?

contains a lot of good information on setting up your grinder and what it should output.

espressonewb wrote:So, thank you in advance for any tips and tricks you could send my way, and believe me, after my first shot is pulled, good or bad, I'll be sure to report!

- go to my website:
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
- look in the RIGHT hand column for the "How To" section
- read #12: "HOME BARISTA'S GUIDE TO MAKING QUALITY ESPRESSO"

Thanks Randy, will do!

Mark

Randy's site is a good resource and has undoubtedly helped countless budding baristi, but it's by no means definitive.

• - Pucks are compost. Unless you believe in reading tea leaves.
  - A level tamp of 0 to 3 billion pounds is important with Silvia because there is no space between the group and the shower screen as on an e61. Twirling, polishing, coffee round the basket edge have no effect whatsoever.
  - Filling the basket and leveling can lead to over dosing. Better to begin with measured 14~15g constant dose.
  - Tamper shape and size are next to irrelevant. It should feel comfortable in the hand and not fit the basket too tightly.
  - Don't scrimp on coffee. If the grinder sits for more than 15 minutes, grind half a shot into the bin.
  - Coffee on the portafilter ears has no effect.
  - Hit the brew switch IMMEDIATELY after locking the PF.
  - KEEP NOTES until it's 2nd nature.

Bottom line, if after reading the FAQ here, it takes more than 15 minutes to pull a drinkable shot, you're trying too hard.

How about a video?