Taste benefits from boiler insulation in PID Silvia?

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
Dave99
Posts: 8
Joined: 13 years ago

#1: Post by Dave99 »

Hello,

I saw a Silvia boiler / brew head insulation package for the price of a few bags of coffee:
http://www.pidsilvia.com/insulation.htm

Aside from benefits to electrical efficiency and electronic reliability, has anybody noticed improved taste of espresso shots specifically due to boiler and brew head insulation? Not much has been said about this key expectation.

Less heat loss to surroundings would ideally stabilize brew head temperatures during extraction - i.e. slower brew head temperature drop over a 25 - 30 s pull. However, I suspect boiler heat capacity dominates brew temperatures once water flows. Can anybody confirm whether insulating affects espresso taste? It would be used with a PID Silvia.

Thanks!

Dave

napierzaza
Posts: 221
Joined: 13 years ago

#2: Post by napierzaza »

I don't see how it would really affect the heat of the water since a lot of the heat is in the brass and the water itself. You're only extracting for 30 seconds. If saving money, decreasing recovery and having the element work less hard isn't enough than I guess don't bother.

adan0327
Posts: 32
Joined: 13 years ago

#3: Post by adan0327 »

The whole point of insulation is to reduce temperature drop. I have a gaggia with a pid and preheat coil. I actually observe a smaller temperature drop with the pre heat coil than without. I guess the insulation does help if you want to minimize the temperature drop.