What to do with my espresso while waiting for boiler to be ready to steam?

#1: Post by **gingi** » December 30th, 2013, 11:23 am

Hi there people,

Not like most of you I have a one-boiler machine (Silvia V3) and every time I pull a shot, I have to wait ~2 minutes until the light of the machine turns off, indicating that the boiler is ready and I start heating up the milk.

In the mean time, the cup is in room temp, and I believe its consistency and integrity are compromised during these two minutes (i might be wrong?)... question is - is there something I could do to prevent the "damage" caused by that wait?

The only thing I can think of is to create a vacuum on top of the cup, but it's kinda impractical.
Thanks!
Gingi

#2: Post by **keno** » December 30th, 2013, 11:36 am

I started out with a Silvia as well almost ten years ago. My solution to the problem you describe was to upgrade to an HX machine. Not sure that that's what you wanted to hear!

But I do recall that some people actually steam first with the Silvia, let the steamed milk sit for a bit, and then pull the shot. Check out this thread:

Brew espresso or steam milk first?

This way at least the shot is fresh. If you have to choose it's better to have the milk sit than the shot. But then again, in a cappuccino you may not notice the difference. Try an experiment and see.

#3: Post by **Mochamaker** » December 30th, 2013, 12:05 pm

I have a Silvia and have had it for a long time. I steam my milk first and pull the shot second. The down side... the milk "separates" and you won't get the smooth silkiness when you make a latte or cap... and you can't create latte art. That is all.

Personally, I think the taste is close to unaffected, just the mouth feel is off compared to an HX or a double boiler. I know a lot of people here will say upgrade your set up, but I say work with what you have, and enjoy every minute and ounce of it. good luck and enjoy your shots.

December 30th, 2013, 12:12 pm

You can move from steam to brew much faster than the other way by running water through the wand until the boiler is just below the boiling point. Swirl the milk and knock the jug against the counter while brewing the shot to prevent it from separating

December 30th, 2013, 12:44 pm

Or you can flip the steam switch on as soon as you start pulling your shot to give you a 30-second head start.

December 30th, 2013, 2:05 pm

Are you sure it's OK?

December 30th, 2013, 2:06 pm

keno wrote:I started out with a Silvia as well almost ten years ago. My solution to the problem you describe was to upgrade to an HX machine. Not sure that that's what you wanted to hear!

But I do recall that some people actually steam first with the Silvia, let the steamed milk sit for a bit, and then pull the shot. Check out this thread:

Brew espresso or steam milk first?

This way at least the shot is fresh. If you have to choose it's better to have the milk sit than the shot. But then again, in a cappuccino you may not notice the difference. Try an experiment and see.

You are right. I didn't want to hear that and it's not an applicable solution, so thanks!

December 30th, 2013, 3:17 pm

gingi wrote:Are you sure it's OK?

Yes. Electric heating elements have substantial lag time and you're pulling cooler water into the boiler. It will actually give you a more stable intra-shot temp.

December 30th, 2013, 3:42 pm

Thank you. I will do so.

#10: Post by **uscfroadie** » December 30th, 2013, 5:02 pm

gingi wrote:Are you sure it's OK?

Mike already beat me to it.

One more thing to add, you can reduce the time even further by venting out a little bit of water (couple ounces, no more) from the boiler as you are waiting for the machine to come up to steam temperature. This will create more headspace and will actually improve your steaming capability.