As I stated in my previous post, I no longer possess Miss Silvia and Rocky…however, I still have plenty of friends that do own the duo so I wanted to share the knowledge I have gained in the last few years with them. First, I have to admit that I have learned more in the last month than I had in the past few years all because of one phenomenon: YouTube. So I will pass on my knowledge by using both videos that I have found along with some color commentary. Let’s get started.
Like speakers to an audiophile, the grinder is to a barista…I never realized that the grinder was the most important component. I read many fantastic articles, discussion threads, and reviews, but if you want to just read one, read this one from Home-Barista.com: Feature Spotlight on Espresso Grinders. One point I would like to share from the article:
...serious espresso fans emphatically agree on one point: The coffee grinder is a key factor separating ordinary espresso from the extraordinary.
If you are like me, this was a bit surprising. While I never wanted a cheap grinder, I didn’t realize it was more important than the espresso machine. The Rocky is a great grinder, not one of the top ones for the home barista, but not far away either. But fear not, with one simple trick you can give your Rocky a little help that will really improve your espressos…just watch this video.
Trust me, try this trick. As you are getting coffee grounds into your portafilter, mix it up a bit with chopsticks (or similar) and you will notice a positive difference in your shots. I was completely amazed when I first did this.
Next up, Taming Rancilio Silvia (aka Miss Silvia)
