Hello from Maryland!

I have been reading HB for a week or two now and know that many experienced board members may find it annoying when a newbie asks a FAQ, but I have been unable to find an answer to my question.

I am new to the espresso world, having just purchased a Rancilio Silvia last week. I broke the first rule by getting a Saeco Titan grinder but must wait for my wife to forget about the $$ I just spent before I spend any more $$.

My problem is that, even though the grinder is set to the finest setting and I tamp as hard as I can (no bathroom scale in my house), the extraction begins almost immediately upon flipping the brew switch and goes blonde very quickly. The flow rate is quite high and my little espresso cups are filled well before 25 second is up. I dose to the top of the basket and sometimes a bit higher and try to tamp the sides as well as the center (I am still using the tamper that came with the machine).

I realize that a) I need more practice and b) I will accumulate better equipment over time but the fast extraction rate seems out of proportion to the lower quality equipment. I mean, the grind looks very consistent and fine to me and I tamp quite hard.

So any advice for this newbie? Perhaps I will video my shots and post it for comment if that seems like a good idea.

Thanks and I look forward to learning and participating in this forum.

I should add that the taste is not weak and is fact enjoyable but I can't help thinking that it could be even better!

The coffee is < 2 weeks old. I thought I read that stale coffee led to slow extraction, not the other way around?

I am starting to wonder if it is the tamper. I am having trouble with the edges and perhaps water is finding its way around the puck at the edges.

Problem #1- Grinder

Problem #2- Beans

Problem #359- Tamper

I am not saying that you have 359 problems though.

I recently got a new Silvia and went through similar issues with fast extractions. I had a Bodum Antigua grinder, and thought (like you) that while it might not be ideal, it would still make acceptable shots. Wrong. I had my local coffee shop grind a half pound on their bulk grinder's "espresso" setting. Only a slight improvement. Went back, had them do their finest grind with their dedicated espresso grinder. Success! (Well, success in the sense that it was fine enough to block any flow, which was my goal for that experiment). I added my Rocky, dialed it in, and life has been good.

So, the short story: listen to these people, they know of which they speak!

I had the same problem with my silvia. I was using the supplied coffee which was stale. Everyone here told me to get fresh coffee but I just couldn't seem to understand how that could change the flow THAT much. But eventually I listened and of course they were right.

Here are some extra silvia tips.
-perform a cooling flush before every shot (stop flush a few seconds after you stop hearing the hissing).
-single shot dose less than to the rim if you go to the rim the pf won't lock.
-preheating cups is important as the temp drops during the shot.
-if you can get another portafilter basket the provided one isn't good and it's a huge difference.

Well, I just ordered a Rocky. I hope my car doesn't break down for a few months or I will be walking to work! I bought the Saeco at Costco so I can at least return that one. I will post any changes in my extractions.

Hello back from MD!

I would recommend doing two things with your new Rocky. Finding the 0 point, and doing the teflon tape mod.

Both are simple. I found that putting some teflon tape around the top few threads gave me a little more control in my grind setting. The rocky is still a low end grinder in the grand scheme of all things coffee, but it can easily produce some great espresso when paired with Miss Silvia. I am still playing around with grind settings, and tamping strength, but a "bad" pour just means that i will be drinking a cappa .

Lately i have been grinding finer, and not tamping quite as hard. I also feel that the ridgeless LM double basket i bought had a lot to do with my improved shots. I accidentally purchased the ridged basket, and had been using a substandard tamper. This had led me to consistancy problems, or at least more then i feel i should have been getting.

Now that you are getting a better grinder comes trying to find the right temperature.

-Donovan