Got a New Silvia for Christmas - now I am going through the requisite learning phase with this machine. Please forgive me in advance if this problem has been addressed before, I did search the forum and found nothing. This seems like it would be a common problem, so I am surprised to not find it addressed.

Anyway, here is my issue...

I have a nice Redwood and Stainless Steel 58mm tamper. I measure out exactly 14g of grind into the "ridged" filter that came with the Silvia (New Version), the problem is the "ridge" stops my tamper. What gives?

I have been forced to use the tiny plastic one that came with the machine to set a proper tamp! Am I missing something? do I need to buy a ridgeless filter or something?

Thanks in advance for any help!

JasonBlu wrote:...the problem is the "ridge" stops my tamper. What gives?

I would dose up to the middle of the ridge.

HB wrote:I would dose up to the middle of the ridge.

Please forgive me for being dense, but I don't understand. Isn't 14g an unchangeable standard? I bought an accurate gram scale just to ensure I got this point correct ... wait, does this have to do with what I have read about needing to "overdose" the Silvias?

14 grams is a good starting point, but there are no absolutes. Try dosing, placing a nickel on top of the puck, then locking in. If the nickel isn't pressed into the puck by the dispersion screen, you're good to go.

I have been using that combo, with a few breaks trying out a triple basket, for 7 years. The ridge shouldn't be an issue, it's an indentation on the inside of the rancilio basket that came with my machine. (basket on the left) The shoulder is potentially an issue if you underdose. Rather than trying to measure out exactly 14 g, slightly overfill the basket, level, and tamp. You'll never hit the shoulder, unless you're one of those worlds strongest man competitors. I have an electronic scale on the way via slow boat from Hong Kong, so I'll start measuring, but what I do now is fill the basket with beans, slightly overfull. My grinder (Compak K3 Elite) leaves about 2g in the chute. That gives me a slightly overfull basket. I use the handle of one those little bodum spoons to level (little black circle spoon with the skinny round handle), and tamp, currently with an RB 58mm flat.

When I first got the machine I got what I thought was the 'recommended' La Marzocco style ridgeless, (basket on the right, sorry cropped most of it out to fit.) but it had high shoulders and I bottomed out on that one, so it's sitting in a drawer.

There's a post somewhere on this site where members are 'discussing' proper dosing, and someone took the time to measure the volume of various double baskets. They were not all created equal.

<minirant>
What is the purpose of the basket ridge, anyway? Ridgeless baskets are held in quite securely by the spring clip, so that's not it. The ridge serves a visual reference for dosing, but I think there are better alternatives. If you've gotta have a ridge, at least make it an outtie rather than an innie.
</minirant>

Now that that's out of my system: I'm going to recommend getting a different basket. It's silly to restrict your dosing options because of a basket ridge. My personal preference is ridgeless baskets. These slip in and out of the PF easily enough that you can prepare the puck in the basket alone (out of the PF) if you so desire.

HB wrote:14 grams is a good starting point, but there are no absolutes. Try dosing, placing a nickel on top of the puck, then locking in. If the nickel isn't pressed into the puck by the dispersion screen, you're good to go.

I don't think the nickel trick wil work on the Silvia, often the huge hex bold holding the shower screen in place will already stick in the puck when dosing ~14g...

RapidCoffee wrote:<minirant>
What is the purpose of the basket ridge, anyway? Ridgeless baskets are held in quite securely by the spring clip, so that's not it. The ridge serves a visual reference for dosing, but I think there are better alternatives. If you've gotta have a ridge, at least make it an outtie rather than an innie.
</minirant>

The ridge is an outtie... So I can't imagine the tamper getting stuck on it?

LGB wrote:The ridge is an outtie... So I can't imagine the tamper getting stuck on it?

Yeah, well, that's the subject of another minirant. I have two "LM" ridged baskets, outtie ridges, supposedly 58mm... but my 58mm tampers all hang up just below the rim. Useless disks of aluminum unless I want to invest in a 57mm tamper, not worth the shipping costs to return...

RapidCoffee wrote:Yeah, well, that's the subject of another minirant. I have two "LM" ridged baskets, outtie ridges, supposedly 58mm... but my 58mm tampers all hang up just below the rim. Useless disks of aluminum unless I want to invest in a 57mm tamper, not worth the shipping costs to return...

Ok, cool - john are right on track with what I am talking about. For a minute I thought I was the only one! 57mm would seem better. Maybe this will help visualize what I am talking about...get this...with NO coffee in the filter, the 58mm tamper stops at the line. No amount of human force will drop it any lower - now it may not be the ridge, but possibly the fact that the filter fillets in at the bottom and could be what is actually stopping it, but this said, I know that with 14g's of fine, fluffy coffee grounds, this arrangement is not allowing me to put 30psi on it. The ridge or fillet is stopping me from packing it properly. Proof is further evident when I pull a shot. It shoots through in like 10 seconds, all white nasty quasi-crema, etc. I have to switch to the cheapo plastic tamper to finish the job. ugh. It still confuses me that more people haven't had the same experience, considering the Silvia's popularity / proliferation and the fact that all documentation out there recommends a 58mm tamper.

As for the nickel trick - the hex bolt digs into my pucks as it is...another thing I am already annoyed with...I can just visualize this creating a channel right down the middle. Guess I need to get a naked PF to see for myself. Separate rant though, so...I'll stop there.

So where can I get a simple, ridge-less (and fillet-less??) filter that will fit in this Silvia. I haven't even seen such a thing as a 57mm tamper so I am thinking I would have to go that direction.

Thanks all, for all the quick responses already.

Cheers!

RapidCoffee wrote:<minirant>
What is the purpose of the basket ridge, anyway? Ridgeless baskets are held in quite securely by the spring clip, so that's not it. The ridge serves a visual reference for dosing, but I think there are better alternatives. If you've gotta have a ridge, at least make it an outtie rather than an innie.
</minirant>

Now that that's out of my system: I'm going to recommend getting a different basket. It's silly to restrict your dosing options because of a basket ridge. My personal preference is ridgeless baskets. These slip in and out of the PF easily enough that you can prepare the puck in the basket alone (out of the PF) if you so desire.

Thanks - this makes alot of sense. Now I am just wondering why Rancilio accessorizes their machine with this type of filter. Strange.