Cheating Miss Silvia's Steam

For a number of years now, people have been 'cheating Miss Silvia'. It's just a few little hacks that make Miss Silvia even more functional.

My favorite hack is timing when I steam the milk so that I'm right at the top of the temperature range while keeping the boiler on. This gives me maximum pressure right through the process of texturing the milk - perfect for microfoam. 


Here's how I get plenty of consistent pressure:

1. Flick the steam switch
2. After 50 seconds, draw out the 'top water' by opening the steam valve until the steam is pretty dry. Close the valve again.
3. 1 minute and 25 seconds after I first flicked the switch, it's time to steam the milk.

Don't leave your grinds, even for half an hour.

I tested my pour with the same batch of beans, same day, same dosage and tamp (as best I can tell), and let me tell you, leaving your coffee ground for even half an hour makes a big difference.


So, I'm extra-converted... fresh coffee means freshly ground. Even half an hour is too long.

Can Grinding Early Ruin the Coffee?

This morning I ground my home-roasted Ethiopian Harar about ten minutes before I needed it. I felt like the grind, dosage and tamp were great, but my goodness it was under-extracted!

I'll test another double-shot tonight and see if the problem is something else.

Roasting Coffee with Popcorn Popper

I decided it was time to start roasting my own coffee, and the best place to start was with a popcorn popper.

I had a friend looking to sell her stuff before moving interstate, and picked up her great Crazy Popper for $10. Then, with some green beans bought from a local coffee dealer, I was on my way.

That first pour, the first shot you pull from beans I roasted myself, was very satisfying. Tasty too. Give it a go.