Making a Macchiato with a Rancilio Silvia

[MiscelaneousMadness]

very nice job!!! Can't go wrong with Campos, my favourite coffee place. :)

[Illyria23alyssa]

what an awesome soundtrack. the song made the video, thanks dude!

[Patriotis1]

The point is to put a cold milk just a bit and then to add a little foam on the top. Somewhere they don't even put a foam on, because cold milk by itself only creates the''machia''(italian word for''stain'')

[gyped]

i'm looking elsewhere, screw St Germain

[jonathanhenyolson]

a macchiato is a shot stained with milk.

[paino70]

Grazie al tuo video siamo riusciti a fare un buon caffè con la crema..Che marca di potrei usare x un caffè ancora migliore?Considera che io non ho la macchina da macinare..

[psybaron]

nice video mate.. looks like u are really enjoying making ur coffee. :)

[818katia]

Please HELP!!! I have the same machine Rancilio Silvia, but my espreso comes out like regular coffe, like it was made from instant coffe, ITS AWFUL!!! What could be the problem? May be someone knows? I use special coffe for espresso, grind at the moment, but it NEVER comes out like on the videos. Any comments and suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.

[TheJMcBrizzle]

@818katia ... First off, are you buying pre ground coffee or are you using a grinder at home? Are you tamping at 30lbs of force? Try tampimg harder and grind finer.

[818katia]

@TheJMcBrizzle Thanks for respond, well, I've tried both, pre ground and grounding at home, about this tamping thing I don't think that I'm doing it at 30 lbs of force, but I'll try. Another thing I heard is that the grinder is very important in this case, but the one I have is very simple. Is it really so important what kind of grinder I use? I will follow your advise and we'll see the results. Thank you.

[pbmsmith1]

@818katia Me too. I have tried changing the fineness of the grind and the tamping pressure ans till get almost no crema...did you find a solution

[818katia]

@pbmsmith1 hi. I did grind finer and tamped very hard and I finally got the espresso they show in video, so thanks to TheJMcBrizzle now I make a good espresso shot. Thanks for having this site because advises you get here are very useful!!

[pecalbar]

nice music

[infamousmonster]

Egats, I have a Silvia too. Good technique. Everything looks fine. But I would never drink shots like that. Way too bitter. Give me 6 oz of milk to accompany each shot LOL

[ryanland1]

looks a little thin boss. flow was a little too fast.

[Back2Brent]

Impressive... what is the music?

[mlcoo17]

Outstanding coffee making music.

[sodtheboss]

hi!

I have the Silvia from a little more than month... but.... i can't make a good espresso!((((

I know, need pratice ;) and... a good tamper (the plastic one with the Silvia I think is not so good!

I would like to ask:

1) what size you put in your grinder? (I have the Rocky too, but doserless)

2) how many oz (or gr.) you put in the filter?

thank you in advance!)))

[grokker]

@sodtheboss

adjust the grinder as needed. every grinder's size setting will be different form each other so don't go by what other people are using. aim for a 23 second shot. if the water is pouring through the espresso like a leaky faucet, then make the grinder setting finer. if its taking too long to extract, make it coarser.

[MIKETOMEK]

What a awesome technique.....SO clean,every part and attention to detail. THANKS for the pointers--I noticed!!

[rmcasady]

Great video! I dig the SOUNDS. Who is that? may i ask?

[Brett0804]

@rmcasady Zero 7 : Simple things

[Admalmighty]

Sorry, tell me if I'm wrong - but I thought "macchiato" meant "marked" in Italian...therefore the espresso goes on top of the milk?

[aecollins1]

@Admalmighty There is "espresso macchiato" and "latte macchiato". I made the former - espresso stained with milk.

[nickmarcou]

@Admalmighty Yes, marked/stained. The coffee is stained by the milk/foam. Coffee goes in first.

[florida995]

@gaceconi1

By the way, your Italian born neighbor doesn't sound like knows how to froth milk with the Silvia. With a commercial machine...maybe a half turn. But with the Silvia you need to open it up full bore...several full twists open. Don't be shy. With practice you'll have velvety smooth milk.

[florida995]

@gaceconi1

Hmmm. With zero previous espresso making experience, after a few tries I had good extraction at 25 seconds, nice crema and sweet rich esspresso. Do some more reading and some more practice on the Silvia. She's a great lady.

If you're burning the milk you're not using a thermometer. If you extraction is too fast then your rocky setting isn't fine enough or tamp isn't 30 lbs.

[gaceconi1]

I just bought this Silvia after having a cheap Krups steam model and I must say, I am very disappointed with this machine. I cannot steam milk for the life of me, always burning it. I've watched all these videos, used different milk, in the freezer to 34 degrees, ect... but to no avail. I also bought the Rocky grinder and am using a #5 setting and the espresso comes out in 10 seconds. I tamp fairly hard as well. This thing is so damn temperamental, I want to send it back! Any suggestions?

[sjhoenen]

As you say there're plenty of rancilio frothing movies on youtube, so do not be disappointed with the machine, but rather with yourself. :) Coffeegeek has a very nice guide on frothing.

[WSTrail17]

@gaceconi1

[WSTrail17]

@gaceconi1

Don't get down the Silvia is a great machine. It does take some practice to master but.... On the steam, I use a 12oz (small pitcher) and get great results with about 3 to 4oz of cold milk (I use skim, it's a family thing) and get nice velvet smooth milk, 30 seconds or so with no motion then stretch the milk (45 seconds tops total) On the 10 sec. shots--- Way too short! dial down your grinder until you choke the machine and then back it off for the 25 to 30 second shot.

[gaceconi1]

@WSTrail17

I finally got it thanks to an Italian born neighbor. He used to work in a bar in Italy and make espresso/cappuccino all the time. He had me put the steam wand all the way to the bottom and turn the steam on about 1/4 to 1/2 turn. The key he said was to listen for the change in sound from a higher pitch whine to a lower tone. Then raise the tip up aerating the milk as you come up. Then he had me bring the tip just above the surface and let it froth away.

[DankFaktory]

@gaceconi1 Its not the machine, its your technique/lack of skill

[gaceconi1]

Already done IKE. One thing Rancilio should have never changed was the 3 hole frothing tip. I see multiple holes on the commercial machines. I like the Silvia. I never had a problem with the espresso, just the milk frothing. More practice.....thats all.

[ronnysizematters]

The silvia has hardly any competition it its pricerange. It's rly good for espressi.

For cappu and latte it's ok but not great. Because you cant make espresso and steam milk at the same time.

If you do the espresso 1st which afaik is the proper way you then have to heat up to steam.

If you made the milk 1st youd have to cool down after.

Either the milk or the coffee will be sitting around on its own for about one minute before they get together. No drama but not great.

[jazzbobrown]

after steaming, when the boiler and tubes are way too hot, all u do is flush water out for 5-10 secs, and the temperature goes down again. You may also use the middle switch (pump) to add more cold water. I sell and demonstrate the machine a lot, and always end up with excellent espressos -the customers come back and buy beans from me, and I always ask them about how the machine works, and they stick to my suggestions and praise their own espresso. Test it out!

[benjorgensen1]

well thats why one wouhld run a very long cooling flush. but yes, that is one risk of pulling the shot first. my personal solution for this (future tense- i cont yet have a silvia) is to remove the water tank and in its place put a small steam boiler or thermblock back there so steaming and brewing are separate.

[contreras86]

hey what setting on the grinder do you have it on ?

[TheVagabondMugen]

whats the music track?

[evariste78]

The music track is "sure thing" from St. Germain. Album Tourist of 2000.

[greezyfetus]

Great vid , cool music , great extraction.  Make me one next time .

[luongdung]

Where did you get those cups?

[aecollins1]

They are Bodum "Piccolo Passione". I just picked them up from my local kitchenware place.

[gosax]

coffee looks great, thanks for the educational video.

hated the music though

[igrantyou]

@gosax I just got a new guitar and soloed over the the music cause i was so sparse... so I enjoyed it, and the vid :P

[adimperial]

Nice.. Can you tell me where you got that black base/mat underneath the Silvia&Rocky?

[aecollins1]

It's actually just a piece a black lacquered wood from an old computer desk!

[TheBrokenEclipse]

good idea, it makes it look more.... complete.

also, nice vid, makes me want a Macchiato!

[leesauce123]

No offense,

but, 1st, You should forth the milk b4 you poured the shout!

2nd, your used about 1 and half mins to dosed and tamp the portfilter, the portafilter ot cold quick...decrease the espresso cream.

But nice video!

[rama3i]

I do the same things like he did. But the difference is, i place my cup on top of the machine to keep it warm while i froth the milk.

If we froth first, milk is getting cold during our espresso preparation. Cold milk won't blend with the coffee, it will float. The other things is, temperature surfing seems harder to do.

[leesauce123]

Good point, but i always forth the milk in the same time with pouring a shot.

And Macchiato should be a drink that the milk mix with the espresso, if you do mix them toghter. It wont be a Macchiato, it will call a "Cortado"

[leesauce123]

And also, the shot will only last 10 second after you pour it, so you can't forth the milk and pour the shot in the same time, i still suggest forth the milk first. Because the shot only takes 25 second.

Thanks for the discussion, hope we can exchange more opinion about coffee.

[forhimalone88]

10 seconds? rubbish

because this machine is only single boiler. If you heat the milk first, the temperature of the tubes and group head will be way too hot and you will scold the coffee...

[gaceconi1]

Yes. I always do the coffee first, then the milk due to the single boiler and the need to cool down in order to reach proper brewing temp. The light is not truly indicative of the true temp of the water coming into the brew head.

[ronnysizematters]

most ppl rly do the coffee 1st.

and dont forget, frothing the milk takes "only" 25 secs too, the problem is either way you have to adjust temperatures for the next step no matter what you do 1st.

Even with temperature surfing it will be about a minute before you can pour your milk into the coffee so one of em has to wait.

I think there are certain practical reasons why it's better to make the coffee 1st, but I cant think of any myself right now :).

[GenieLaurenShow]

christian knew it was you without seeing your face :S

nice video =] xoxo

[vasiasm]

what is this song?

[djshaft57]

1 ounce of criticism tho ... i would have actually cut it as soon as "tiger stripes"become blonde and if ur calibration is right youd know when thatd happen , this way youve diluted ur espresso and to add insult to injury youve let the blonde and consequently bitter portion , try a harder tamp and cut it soon as u it goes blonde

[vasiasm]

nice c'afe audio, tnx for the video

[matero30]

I would have steamed the milk first because by the time you were done the shots had been sitting around for ages.

[beckbeckdanno]

slick

[54spiritedwill54]

Great choise of music.

[luongdung]

you look like a pro barista!!

[henar430]

Hello,congratulations on the video! One question, how many time warming the silvia making before the shot? Thanks.

[paperguns22442]

hey when you are makin a machiato do you froth or streatch the milk?

[lancemaurer]

Nice. With a sound track as good as that I could watch paint dry and be happy but this was pretty a good video. You need a second camera angle for the milk froth action...

[jmhere07]

cool you have the same knock box as me cool you did a great job on this vid :)

[mywytefeet]

Why are people complaining about the grinder? Isn't that a Rocky? May not be a MM but still gets the job done well.

[aecollins1]

I think bigDeeOT's grinder comment is about trio628's previous comment (about buying a new machine)

[mywytefeet]

yes, my mistake.  Nice video. It looked like it took about 17 seconds to pull the shots, isn't that a bit short?

[mywytefeet]

never mind, your shots looked good. I can't do math haha.

[aecollins1]

Cheers, thanks for the comments!

[paperguns22442]

ya the shots are a little short they should take 20-30 secs

[nismojo]

Album is St Germain "Pasenger"

[Cocoburner]

Nice one. I just got one of these and love it. Haven't figured out the frothing part, though. Would like to have seen that in a bit more detail.

Index618 ... that's St. Germain. Forget which CD. Might be Boulevard ... can't remember.

[wisie]

Great video

[index618]

Hey... what song is that? I really like it.

[frazli]

agreed,cruisy music.

[aecollins1]

The song is 'Sure Thing' by St Germain

[index618]

I just have to say... there are a lot of espresso videos...  yours is the best. For one reason; you look like you know what you're doing. Every move you make is efficient, with a touch of flare.

[trio628]

damn, thats a nice shot, now I gotta convince my parents to buy me a $595 espresso machine for my birthday!

[bigDeeOT]

Well that would be pretty pointless seeing as how you probably don't have a decent grinder.

[trio628]

of course I would get a new grinder, grind is almost one of the most important things.

[coffeegeek26]

Wow...I really like the black base under your grinder and machine...where did you get it, who makes it, and what is its construction...if you don't mind my asking. Thanks!

[aecollins1]

It's actually just a piece a black lacquered wood from an old computer desk. It just happens to be the perfect size to fit the machine and grinder!

[jbjerrum]

Hi there.. Nice video. Now, I dare unpack and start using my Silvia.. How come yours have a build-in soundsystem plying funky music?? ;-)

[Thundergod60]

I'd have stopped the shots a few seconds earlier from the look of it on the video.

[aecollins1]

Thanks for the comment! I agree - it did go too long. While the shot was going, I think I got a bit distracted while trying to get the camera to focus a little better.

[inuyashafangirl1]

coffee making is a LABOUR OF LOVE!!

[tehzjiv]

what song is that?

[aecollins1]

It's 'Sure Thing' by St Germain

[luongdung]

wish i could have the Rancilio Silvia but nah, too expensive for me

[goldenbeach]

Well done..That looks great..

I have the same set with the rocky grinder but I am not sure how thick should I grind the beans? What do you recon?

[Asonqualityguitars]

The key is to keep trying until you get it right. Grind some coffee and tamp like you usually would. If you underextract - grind finer, if over grind coarser. Good luck!

[bigDeeOT]

Solid advice.

[krautmc1]

yo dog looks great. I too own Ms Silvia and she is a daily part of my routine. My father in law got me hooked, and now his running with a Spaziole Vivaldi. Have you measure what brew temp your getting with that surfing technic just wondering. Still searching for the perfect shot

[jstarr0803]

Where did you get your Bar Base Rubber mat?

[roisterboy]

why pull your shots first??

[chainsahw]

Great choise of music.