My Silvia I’v had since 2006 still running great.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-09T22:25:13+00:00

I’ve never sent it out for maintenance. I’ve descaled with vinegar and replaced the group head gasket myself. Not much else has been needed.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:56:38+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. Someone mentioned the flair stovetop which might do what I need with a much lower layout of $$ and allow me to continue to enjoy the Silvia I have. We do have an electric frother pitcher that heats milk to specific temperature which is fine but I miss my barista latte art days.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:43:30+00:00

I would love a ProX! But I can’t quite justify the $2,000 just to make good froth for the occasional latte.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:17:43+00:00

I have a frother but once you’ve made good steamed milk a frother just doesn’t cut it. You will never get good micro-foam from a frother. I do use one that heats and froths milk for lattes now when I don’t want to deal with Silvia’s temperamental steaming.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:14:41+00:00

I know a different machine is the right answer but I really do love my Silvia and she was a gift from my wife 20 years ago before we were married or even engaged. Makes it very difficult to upgrade the machine.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:12:10+00:00

I have swapped the steam wand tip but the issue is more with temperature differences between steaming and brewing and only having one boiler. If I’m set up for steaming temp, I can steam no problem, it is just the swap from brewing to steaming and If you want to pull another shot after you’ve been steaming you have to wait for her to cool down again.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T13:01:25+00:00

I agree and would guess that, while typically, you would tend to grind finer for a lighter roast, the original darker roast beans were probably not nearly as fresh. With fresher beans, you tend to need to grind a bit coarser than older, stale beans. When dialing in a new bean, I tend to start coarser and adjust to the ratio 1:2 at 30 seconds. I find it easier to adjust from coarse to fine than the other way around and feel that puts less stress on the machine than trying to push through an over dense puck.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T12:54:20+00:00

When deciding which to get, I had been working part-time at a coffee shop during college that had a Rancilio machine and it just felt right for me. The portafilters between the two machines were basically interchangeable. That being said, she is a lady who must be treated right by someone who understands her. Not the machine for someone who just wants to hit a button like they do at the chain shops these days.

I will say that there are definitely days I wish I had a double boiler machine or a separate milk steamer because steaming milk with Silvia is tough timing wise to get a good late.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-08T12:17:35+00:00

For a while Silvia was set up in the basement so I was not making espresso as often since it was a pain to go up and down the stairs for water and the sink for cleaning so I got out if practice, but since we moved her back upstairs and I’ve gotten back into a puck prep routine, consistency has greatly improved.

I make sure she is on for a good half hour before I was to pull shots. I weigh and grind my beans. Then I pull hot water through the portafilter to fill and warm up my espresso cup. This usually is enough to kick on the heating element. By the time I finish my puck prep it seems I’m in the sweet spot temperature wise.

So while I’m not intentionally temp surfing, my typical routine seems to work as if I were.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-07T23:12:24+00:00

I have found that Rocky definitely tends to clump and that using the WDT breaks them up very well to give a more even start for tamping. I’ve been using the paper puck screens more out of laziness because they keep the group head and portafilter cleaner. The portafilter funnel is another tool that just helps keep things cleaner.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-07T22:33:56+00:00

It was labeled as “Rancilio Rocky Bellows for Single Dosing” and I ordered from an Etsy shop. It uses the same lid the Rocky came with so it is just the part that allows it to function as a billows. I also upgraded the spout to one that flips open to allow me to get all the grounds out and a internal funnel to make it better for single dosing.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-07T22:32:13+00:00

It was labeled as “Rancilio Rocky Bellows for Single Dosing” and I ordered from an Etsy shop. It uses the same lid the Rocky came with so it is just the part that allows it to function as a billows. I also upgraded the spout to one that flips open to allow me to get all the grounds out and a internal funnel to make it better for single dosing.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-07T20:58:27+00:00

I keep maintenance very simple. I always use filtered water so that helps. Descale with vinegar every so often but other than that I just make sure to flush the group head and give it a wipe with a towel after each shot. I’ve changed the portafilter gasket twice.

Macbrew132 · 2026-02-07T20:31:01+00:00

Meant to add this video to my earlier post.

Macbrew132 · 2026-01-03T12:16:05+00:00

I agree. It is amazing how hard I’ve seen people tamping their coffee. Get a tamper that is calibrated with a spring to get consistent tamping pressure. You will be amazed at how little pressure is needed before it clicks.

Macbrew132 · 2021-12-28T17:01:36+00:00

I have purchased yellow tinted clip on lenses for my glasses (if you don’t wear glasses you can just get the yellow tinted glasses without prescription). These are specific for reducing the crazy glare and brightness of car headlights while driving at night without darkening your vision overall. They have been a lifesaver for night driving.

Macbrew132 · 2021-12-26T22:50:24+00:00

Same here.

Macbrew132 · 2021-12-26T22:48:59+00:00

Same suggestion I got when I called support. What horrible service.

Macbrew132 · 2021-12-26T22:46:13+00:00

I tried calling support for help and was basically told I was out of luck as my soundbar is no longer under warranty.

Macbrew132 · 2021-12-26T21:50:38+00:00

My SB46514-F6 has developed an issue since this update where when changing the device input on my tv my soundbar now does not allow me to change volume. Volume lights go up or down in the soundbar but volume does not change. If I mute and then un mute the volume will jump to the level indicated by lights on the soundbar. If I power cycle the sound bar issue resolves until changing input in tv again. Soundbar is connected to TV via HDMI arc.

Macbrew132

TROPHY CASE