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Silvia bottomless portafilter

  • 05-12-2008 10:09pm
    #1
    Kannon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm going to treat myself to one of these. Currently i have to use two single shot cups for my double shot as i don't want to use a mug and my other glasses/cups don't really fit properly between the spouts. Can anyone offer opinions on them? Do they make a big difference?

    I see there is one for the Silvia on Happy Donkey. There is another on Espressoparts but it there is about 40 dollars in the difference. However i can't really tell if there is a difference. If i'm getting one i'd prefer to get a half-decent one.

    Any advice appreciated.
    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    IsThatSo?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 988 ✭✭✭IsThatSo?


    Check out post 66 here:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055119956&page=5

    Some of the posters here will be able to let you know if they make a difference or not, I just wanted to show you the pics :)


  • #3
    Mr Magnolia
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,440 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mr Magnolia


    There's 2 big things about the bottomless portafilter:

    1) Great for diagnosing channeling, when you look up at the BPF while the pour is beginning and then throughout the pour the distribution of coffee pouring should be even across the bottom, if it's not then there's channeling going on and you should work to eliminate it; make sure there's no clumping, make sure you've got even distribution of the grinds, make sure you're grooming is effective/correct.

    2) It's dead sexah!


  • #4
    SeaSide
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭SeaSide


    Prob gonna go for one myself. The Happy Donkey looks fine and there'll be no customs when bringing it in. Let me know if you want to split postage costs.


  • #5
    RE*AC*TOR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,482 ✭✭✭RE*AC*TOR


    Happy Donkey bottomless portafilters are of excellent quality.

    I more or less exclusively use the bottomless portafilter.There is less contact time between the coffee and metal, to me, the crema is better, the whole thing is easier to clean, easier to tamp. The only downside is if you wanted to split shots.


  • #6
    IsThatSo?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 988 ✭✭✭IsThatSo?


    Mr Magnolia wrote: »
    make sure you're grooming is effective/correct.

    Grooming??

    I am a newbie and doing quite well, getting my shot in about 23 seconds with decent crema. I have noticed though that the coffee comes through one side slightly faster than the other. I distribute and tamp evenly, far as I can tell. (Using a Gaggia MDF on 6 to grind and its working well). If I knew what you meant by grooming it might be the key :)


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  • #7
    alastair
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,309 ✭✭✭✭alastair


    SeaSide wrote: »
    Prob gonna go for one myself. The Happy Donkey looks fine and there'll be no customs when bringing it in. Let me know if you want to split postage costs.

    Same story here - if anyone's up for sharing post costs I'll hop on board.

    Also - anyone interested in a group bean buy just before Christmas?


  • #8
    Kannon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭Kannon


    alastair wrote: »
    Same story here - if anyone's up for sharing post costs I'll hop on board.
    SeaSide wrote: »
    Prob gonna go for one myself. The Happy Donkey looks fine and there'll be no customs when bringing it in. Let me know if you want to split postage costs.

    That sounds good, i'd be into sharing costs. SeaSide are you in Dublin? I live in Dublin but can only get into city centre at weekends really.
    IsThatSo? wrote: »
    I have noticed though that the coffee comes through one side slightly faster than the other. I distribute and tamp evenly, far as I can tell.

    I'm having the same problem as this. I'm even thinking that the side that comes out quicker gives slightly more diluted and bitter coffee, although that could just be a mental thing.


  • #9
    RE*AC*TOR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,482 ✭✭✭RE*AC*TOR


    alastair wrote: »
    Also - anyone interested in a group bean buy just before Christmas?

    Always up for this.


  • #10
    SeaSide
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭SeaSide


    PM sent to Kannon.

    I'll skip the group buy as I've a kilo of green to use up and I expect to get some coffee for christmas.


  • #11
    Kannon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭Kannon


    PM sent to alastair.


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  • #12
    alastair
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,309 ✭✭✭✭alastair


    RE*AC*TOR wrote: »
    Always up for this.

    Great stuff - any suggestions?


  • #13
    Mr Magnolia
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,440 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mr Magnolia


    I'm also up for a group buy as usual :)
    IsThatSo? wrote: »
    Grooming??

    I am a newbie and doing quite well, getting my shot in about 23 seconds with decent crema. I have noticed though that the coffee comes through one side slightly faster than the other. I distribute and tamp evenly, far as I can tell. (Using a Gaggia MDF on 6 to grind and its working well). If I knew what you meant by grooming it might be the key :)

    This is a distribution technique that spreads the ground coffee evenly across the basket after filling.

    I used to fill the basket and then tamp an uneven surface of coffee, a '/\' type mound in the basket. Tamping this unevenly filled basket (coffee higher in the middle than around the sides), after tamping it all looks fine but there is a higher compression of coffee in the middle of the puck than anywhere else in the basket.

    As a result the water does not 'flow' through the puck evenly, instead it's channeled around the outside of the basket. The ground coffee around this channel gets over extracted leading to that bitter thin tasting espresso.

    To resolve this you could use a basic NESW Groom, it basically just means running the heaped grinds around the top of the basket to the North, then East, then South, then Westerly fashion, moving any excess coffee out of the basket on the final motion.

    If you're getting a flow on one side and not so much on the other your tamp may need adjusting.


  • #14
    RE*AC*TOR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,482 ✭✭✭RE*AC*TOR


    Perhaps one of:

    http://www.49thparallelroasters.com/
    http://www.paradiseroasters.com/

    Although there are options this side of the Atlantic.


  • #15
    IsThatSo?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 988 ✭✭✭IsThatSo?


    Mr Magnolia wrote: »
    I'm also up for a group buy as usual :)



    This is a distribution technique that spreads the ground coffee evenly across the basket after filling.

    I used to fill the basket and then tamp an uneven surface of coffee, a '/\' type mound in the basket. Tamping this unevenly filled basket (coffee higher in the middle than around the sides), after tamping it all looks fine but there is a higher compression of coffee in the middle of the puck than anywhere else in the basket.

    As a result the water does not 'flow' through the puck evenly, instead it's channeled around the outside of the basket. The ground coffee around this channel gets over extracted leading to that bitter thin tasting espresso.

    To resolve this you could use a basic NESW Groom, it basically just means running the heaped grinds around the top of the basket to the North, then East, then South, then Westerly fashion, moving any excess coffee out of the basket on the final motion.

    If you're getting a flow on one side and not so much on the other your tamp may need adjusting.

    Aha!!! I saw something similiar on one of RE*AC*TORs' vids. I was smoothing it out a little, but not that diligently.

    TYVM :D


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