Home Espresso FAQ (#)

  „(Do not over-fill or over-tamp a steam-pressure device. This mistaken attempt to cheat physics by hampering the function of the safety pressure relief valve can put your kitchen decor -- if not your very life -- at severe risk.)     There are two popular styles of pump-driven machines: Those that heat water in a pressurized tank resembling a small boiler and those that use some type of fast-acting heat exchanger, often referred to as a thermal block.     There are good and bad features of both styles. Each family of machine has its diehard fans.“

http://gawlowski.com/matt/html/ espresso_faq.html - Cached

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Some slightly related:

CoffeeKid - Cheating Miss Silvia

  „So, you want a shot of espresso, but your Miss silvia is colder than snow. What to do....Well, it's time to Cheat Miss Silvia!“

http://www.coffeekid.com/archived/rancilio/ cheatsilvia - Cached

Espresso! My Espresso! An Ongoing Internet Novel - CHAPTER 38

  „For me, I usually turn on Silvia and let her "idle" for at least an hour before use. For those without the patience or time to do so, see Coffeekid's website for "How to cheat Miss Silvia." I still think it is best to allow all of Miss Silvia to reach a stable temperature point through a long warm-up period. Get an appliance timer if you need to get her started before you get up in the morning. If you are going to use a timer, before shutting down Silvia each session, be sure to bleed through the steam wand using the hot water switch until a solid stream of water somes through.“

http://home.surewest.net/frcn/coffee/ coffee38.html - Cached

Archived in Thermal