If you’re going to be finicky enough about your coffee that a few degrees variation in brew temperature is a big deal, you’d better start off with a decent espresso machine. The internet is replete with raves about Rancilio’s Silvia, so I’ll just touch on one key feature: temperature stability. Silvia contains a lot of heavy brass in the boiler, the grouphead, and the portafilter. Once all that brass gets up to operating temperature, it tends to stay there.
When you pull a two-ounce double, the hot brass of the grouphead and portafilter keep the brew water from cooling off before it hits the coffee grounds. Likewise, the brass boiler stays hot even as cool water from the reservoir replaces the water used to make the shot. Without good temperature stability during a shot, accurate temperature control is useless, if not downright impossible.
PID Shopping List | |||
|---|---|---|---|
PXR3-RCY2-4V | TTI Global | $129.00 | |
Solid-state relay (230V/40A out, DC in, zero switching) | RS1A23D40 | TTI Global | $26.00 |
Type J thermocouple, washer probe, at least 30" long | WTJ1-G06-AGN-030AN | TTI Global | $8.25 |
14-gauge wire (50′ spool) | n/a | Home Depot | $3.59 |
4mm washer and nut | n/a | Home Depot | $0.50 |
Double-sided foam tape | n/a | Home Depot | $3.00 |
Lamp extension cord, 6′ | 144983 | Home Depot | $0.97 |
Crimp-on connectors | 64-3038 | RadioShack | $1.69 |
Lighted rocker switch | 275-692 | RadioShack | $4.00 |
Project box, 5″x2.5″x2″ | 270-1803 | RadioShack | $3.69 |
