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Incoming Espresso Machine for my Birthday!

So I've always been a drip coffee kinda guy and only had the pleasure of drinking espresso when out and about.
Although after trying an Aeropress for about six months, my game has definitely been upped a notch or two.

Anyway, about a month or two back, this idea sorta keeps swirling through my mind, " You really need to bite the bullet and get an espresso machine. Don't you want to be sitting on your porch drinking an espresso like Tony Soprano outside the pork shop? Just a few more years until retirement (hopefully) and less chance of a luxury purchase then. You know how you like binging the streaming services... think how much better that could be with an espresso, a flatwhite or latte."

On and on, over and over. The seed was planted and germinating. Like a splinter in the back of my mind or a tiny hole in a tooth with a broken filling that you can't keep your tongue off of.

So I started heavy researching the subject about a month ago. Reading, reading, youtube, etc. Almost information overload. At first I was just going to get a Bambino but I come from the buy once/cry once school so after more research, I decided I wanted something more prosumer that would last a long time and could be easily serviced.

So I finally settled on the Italian made Quick Mill Silvano Evo. It has a boiler for the brew side and thermo block heat for the milk steaming side. PID temp control w/ shot timer, bar gauge for brew pressure and the OPV can be adjusted externally. It seems to be a nice solid machine and - the wife has agreed - the perfect birthday present for my 61st next month (if I pay half, haha). So it is pre-ordered and should arrive at port around the 15th, then another 7-10 days to clear customs afterwhich it will be shipped to me by the dealer. Hopefully, by July 2nd (birthday) but if a bit later, no biggie.

So fellow beanheads, I may have a lot of questions after that time about cleaning, backflushing and yes, brewing. Have pity on a newb. Hope I don't drive you nuts but man O man, I am super chuffed over this machine. Maybe I can learn to do that cool latte art like @Leverspro
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Espresso is far too fancy for both my blood, and my income bracket. But congrats to you for your birthday gift that you paid half for. But you and I both know, your not gonna truly enjoy the purchase, until you have had a chance to use it. So, when it gets there, I wanna see lots of pictures, and I want to read your review of your new espresso machine. Here's hoping, that you will truly enjoy it, once you had the first sip from your cup.

This was my experience when I took the first sip of an Arabica bean coffee from Kirkland signature, brewed in my 1-cup drip maker. I couldn't believe how good it tasted vs the average store bought coffee beans I normally get. I am sure if I percolated the arabica bean, it taste even better, but I got them for my personal 1-cup machine, so good enough for me!
 
Espresso is far too fancy for both my blood, and my income bracket. But congrats to you for your birthday gift that you paid half for. But you and I both know, your not gonna truly enjoy the purchase, until you have had a chance to use it. So, when it gets there, I wanna see lots of pictures, and I want to read your review of your new espresso machine. Here's hoping, that you will truly enjoy it, once you had the first sip from your cup.

This was my experience when I took the first sip of an Arabica bean coffee from Kirkland signature, brewed in my 1-cup drip maker. I couldn't believe how good it tasted vs the average store bought coffee beans I normally get. I am sure if I percolated the arabica bean, it taste even better, but I got them for my personal 1-cup machine, so good enough for me!

Which 1-cup are you using? The drip workhorse for me and the wife over the last 5 years or more has been a 10- cup Bunn. Lately though, she uses the Bunn and I use the Aeropress mainly, but with our limited counter space I foresee a problem when the Silvano shows up. I was planning to get a 1-cup for the smaller footprint so she can still have her quick morning cup before work since she shies away from the Aeropress effort. I was eyeballing the Instant Pot 2in1 but it seems a bit pricey.

As far as the price on espresso machines, they can range from $300 on up. I'm just a simple blue-collar man and did a lot of soul searching but honestly, adding up all the money I've spent over the last 8 years on razors, soaps, aftershaves, blades, etc., I spent well over what I paid for the Silvano so I suppose like anything in life it comes down to needs, wants and priorities. If you're happy, then I'm happy. 👍

However, I'd still highly recommend that you give the Aeropress a try someday. They are inexpensive and don't be surprised if it really brings out the taste of that Kirkland Signature even more.
 
That is a nice machine you have coming, I didn't even have to look it up! I don't remember if it has a touchscreen interface or pushbutton, but either way it should be a solid investment. You may want to invest a few hundred more into a precision filter basket, tamper and other accessories. It can add up quick. A proper frothing pitcher can be a bit of a personal preference thing and may take a couple to find the right one. Same with the baskets, sometimes 18g in a 20g basket works best. Probably the most important thing, now that I think about it, is the quality of your water. Ignoring that is a quick way to early repair. There are affordable solutions, but you do need to give it some thought. Congratulations!
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Which 1-cup are you using? The drip workhorse for me and the wife over the last 5 years or more has been a 10- cup Bunn. Lately though, she uses the Bunn and I use the Aeropress mainly, but with our limited counter space I foresee a problem when the Silvano shows up. I was planning to get a 1-cup for the smaller footprint so she can still have her quick morning cup before work since she shies away from the Aeropress effort. I was eyeballing the Instant Pot 2in1 but it seems a bit pricey.

As far as the price on espresso machines, they can range from $300 on up. I'm just a simple blue-collar man and did a lot of soul searching but honestly, adding up all the money I've spent over the last 8 years on razors, soaps, aftershaves, blades, etc., I spent well over what I paid for the Silvano so I suppose like anything in life it comes down to needs, wants and priorities. If you're happy, then I'm happy. 👍

However, I'd still highly recommend that you give the Aeropress a try someday. They are inexpensive and don't be surprised if it really brings out the taste of that Kirkland Signature even more.

Well, I am so glad you asked! 😁

Hamilton Beach 49987 Coffee Brewer known as The Scoop!
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Fill the 40-OZ capacity reservoir!

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Open the bay door, put coffee grounds in the scoop filter!

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Then just press the power button on the control console, easy!

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And your lovely mug is filled with delicious coffee, brewed to perfection!

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Now, when you mentioned that you got an espresso machine, one of my first thoughts, other then cost, was the foot print. Espresso machines are known to have 3 times the footprint of a normal drip maker. You may not have the counter space required, but if you have an island table, you could use that. Or, if your lucky like me, you have another desk that you are not using in your home, and just place it on the desk with a towel or blanket underneath it to catch spills.

Your a regular oh enabler you are Sweeney, you are getting the Aeropress back on my mind again, I tell ya. lol!
 
Sounds like a great machine. Keep it descaled from time to time and it should be a great experience for you. It does take some time to get a great cup, so be patient. Also, you might consider a bottomless portartafilter to detect any channelling.
 
That is a nice machine you have coming, I didn't even have to look it up! I don't remember if it has a touchscreen interface or pushbutton, but either way it should be a solid investment. You may want to invest a few hundred more into a precision filter basket, tamper and other accessories. It can add up quick. A proper frothing pitcher can be a bit of a personal preference thing and may take a couple to find the right one. Same with the baskets, sometimes 18g in a 20g basket works best. Probably the most important thing, now that I think about it, is the quality of your water. Ignoring that is a quick way to early repair. There are affordable solutions, but you do need to give it some thought. Congratulations!

I used my calibrated TDS to test my well water and got a reading of 55 ppm. From what I can ascertain, that is a safe range as far as soft/hard? I have a question or two on the subject of baskets and portafilters. Please see below.
Sounds like a great machine. Keep it descaled from time to time and it should be a great experience for you. It does take some time to get a great cup, so be patient. Also, you might consider a bottomless portartafilter to detect any channelling.
Thanks for the input mates. My first priority is a tamper but also a good bottomless portafilter.

Do I want ridged or ridgeless?

Is a 20mg basket the best size for pulling double shots?

Any recommendations on the basket? I'm looking at the VST Precision and the IMS Barista Pro nanotech 20g(?)

For the bottomless portafilter, I've read that the one from Profitec is a good fit and I'm eyeballing a nice wooden handled one from Clive Coffee , just concerned about a good fit/seal. The bottomless portafilter should already come with a basket, correct?

For a grinder, I use a 1Zpresso K-pro. It's pretty decent for a hand grinder so I'm hoping it'll be up to the task for espresso grind.

I'm also looking at the Greater Goods scale but I'm open to advice/suggestions on any of this stuff.
Thanks
 
@Sweeney_
That seems like a nice machine. Congratulations.
My advice is very simple and comes from 20 years of roasting my own beans.
If you have a grinder (often considered to be more important than the espresso machine), I can recommend Medaglio d’oro beans which are widely available and much cheaper than a lot of more boutique style beans. Better than most costing 3x the price.
If you do not have a decent grinder, beg borrow or steal money to get one. If you are using pre-ground beans you will be enjoying a fraction of the pleasure your new machine will provide. :)
 
Even if you don't buy one, have a look at Decent's page on baskets. They also have a scale that they compare to Brewista for only $30. I use a hand grinder also because to get the same level burs, I would have to spend $1200 for electric. I prefer 18g baskets or less myself, but that may take some trial and error. Remember if you pull too ristretto, you will end up with wet mush to clean up. Sometimes, the basket size can help just as one example. The bottomless from Clive Coffee should be good, but I don't have any personal experience with it or your machine. Probably more trial and error. I usually wait till I have the stock item in hand to measure. I am looking forward to seeing your machine and how everything goes for you, will expand my own knowledge.
 
I am still relatively new to espresso, or at least using a quality machine. I had a mediocre one years ago. The portafilter I purchased was a 58 mm rimless. I am not sure if I would have preferred a rimmed one. I have both and the rimmed is hard to get out but I have to be careful that the rimless doesn't pop out of the portafilter. Normally it isn't much of a problem, but it happens. However, once I started using the bottomless portartafilter I never change it, so a rimmed would have been fine. The reason I don't change it is because I like the triple shot and love seeing the espresso come through the portafilter, which makes no sense but is true.

Edit: also either brand is excellent. I don't believe you can go wrong with those two.
 
@Sweeney_
You will know if you grinder is OK if your pour is a bit over the 20 second mark. Much less than that and it might be a struggle as some people say it’s hard to crank that grinder on fine settings. The darker the bean the easier you’ll find it.
 
Yeah, don't watch the James Hoffman videos whatever you do... 🤪

Ha, too late. I've been on his channel for a couple weeks. Also, I remembered where I saw one of those Decent machines (although didn't realize what it was) it was sitting on Lance Hedrick's countertop in one of his videos. I saw that screen and thought what is that Tesla-looking thing, something he jimmied up and modded?
😆
 
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