14 May 2007
Who is Silvia?
Who is Silvia? What is she,
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wise is she;
The heaven such grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.
Actually she is a coffee machine. About a month ago I bought a near-new Rancilio Silvia to replace my five-year-old Gaggia Carezza. Amongst coffee snobs the Silvia is considered the best quality domestic machine.
My Silvia has a secret. She is modded with an electronic temperature control that keeps the water temperature for brewing within 1°F of the set temperature. The normal thermostat in these machines typically only controls temperature to within 5–10°F. Some details are here.
I had a free coffee-making lesson with her at Di Bella Coffee and that has really improved my skills as a barista. Is it the new machine or my new technique that has resulted in my making better coffee now?
