SOLIS SL70

[JOEMASTRO6]

I have a few questions about my new SL70. Once I turn it to ON and it begins to heat up, how long can I just leave it on? I like to have a nice espresso in the am and sometimes have another in a little bit, but would rather not have to go back and turn it ON, do the start up procedure etc. I have noticed my 2nd cup is better, where as it seems a bit hotter or something. How exactly do you get this MICRO-FOAM I read about and can't duplicate. I do use 1% fresh milk. I really like CREMA and found on this machine it likes very finely ground coffee.
Question 3- How hard do I tamp the coffee using the attached tampener?
Question 4- How aggressive do I screw on the portafilter, it seems I can turn it almost to the wand and can feel I am compacting the grinds in the portafilter, there seems to be plenty of adjustment room....
Any help would be appreciated.
thanks

 

[scubadoo97]

Joe, the SL70 really needs a good 45 min to heat up. You can warm up faster by running a lot of water through the PF and steam wand to get things toasty. As long as you don't have a leak and are dripping water you can leave it on for several hours. I have left mine on all day with no ill effects yet. I put mine on a timer so it comes on in the morning and shuts off by noon then comes on again around dinner time. Easy to bypass the timer or just turn the machine off if you aren't going to use it.

The SL70 is great for microfoam. I use a small pitcher since I'm only brewing one espresso at a time. The key is tipping the pitcher with the tip just under the surface and getting a whirlpool spinning of the milk. To Finnish I but the tip a little deeper while still getting a good spin. This will help dissipate any large bubbles you got if you had the tip too high.

If you are using the pressurized baskets then the built in tamper is okay. I would suggest getting the non pressurized baskets and a good heavy tamper. Some moisture will collect around the built in and you will be coffee sticking to it also it's hard to get a 30lb tamp with the built in.

I dial my PF into a 5:00 position most of the time and have even covered the hole in the PF. I go a lot of leaks in that area if it was not covered. Never could resolve the issue with Baratza but taping over the hole solve the problem.

What grinder are you using? I started out with the SM+ but soon bought a Mazzer Mini which took my espresso to a higher level for sure.
Good luck and have fun using your machine.

 

[JOEMASTRO6]

solis sl70

I bought a local "fresh roasted" espresso blend, that seemed dead, no smell, fair chrema, tastless and was croase perhaps a bit coarse. Next was purchase of strbucks espresso ground for espresso. This overstuffed the double filter, serious muscular tampening and the 5 oclock position produced decent brew with 1/2 inch crema. I thought fine ground was the key. Next I got a another purchase of strbucks espresso ground one level finer then espresso ground. This would produce only a dripple after 5 minutes. I tried it several ways eveen a single shot in the dbl shot and light packing no tampening and still it just dribbled. I had to mix it 1/3 to 2/3 coarse to use the stuff. Good thing I just experimenting. Thanks for the tips.
jm