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I wanted to add a PID to my new Rancilio Silvia (V3) espresso maker. After doing a bit of research, I settled on the Auber Instruments Model: KIT-RSP
Available here:www.auberins.com/index.php
In addition to getting better brew temperature control, I wanted to have better steam temperature control than the standard Silvia offers. This controller does the job. It also comes with a "pre-infusion" option, which is maligned or desired, depending on your preference.
The Auber kit is meant for installation between the group head and the steam wand, so comes with an aluminum "project box" with double stick tape. I wanted a cleaner installation so decided to go internal. I was concerned about exceeding the operating temperature range of the PID so I planned the installation around the inclusion of the project box to provide a degree of thermal protection.
Auber's kit includes detailed disassembly instructions for Silvia and installation instructions for the PID, along with detailed color photos of both. If you follow them you will not have any difficulty. I followed them to a "T" and Silvia fired up perfectly at the end of the installation. I would highly recommend Auber's kit for anyone else interested in this sort of thing.
I will add a minor caveat here: I am not a shill for Auber. I paid for my kit just like anyone else, and they aren't giving me anything to include their name here. I looked at several different companies that offer PID kits, and depending on your needs any one of them will work well for you. Because of this abundance of great products, I had a hard time deciding on which one would work best for me, but I ultimately assessed that this one most closely matched my needs/wants, so it's the one I went with. Here's a link to some other kits I considered: pidkits.com/. Look around, you're sure to find some neat mounting options.
Available here:www.auberins.com/index.php
In addition to getting better brew temperature control, I wanted to have better steam temperature control than the standard Silvia offers. This controller does the job. It also comes with a "pre-infusion" option, which is maligned or desired, depending on your preference.
The Auber kit is meant for installation between the group head and the steam wand, so comes with an aluminum "project box" with double stick tape. I wanted a cleaner installation so decided to go internal. I was concerned about exceeding the operating temperature range of the PID so I planned the installation around the inclusion of the project box to provide a degree of thermal protection.
Auber's kit includes detailed disassembly instructions for Silvia and installation instructions for the PID, along with detailed color photos of both. If you follow them you will not have any difficulty. I followed them to a "T" and Silvia fired up perfectly at the end of the installation. I would highly recommend Auber's kit for anyone else interested in this sort of thing.
I will add a minor caveat here: I am not a shill for Auber. I paid for my kit just like anyone else, and they aren't giving me anything to include their name here. I looked at several different companies that offer PID kits, and depending on your needs any one of them will work well for you. Because of this abundance of great products, I had a hard time deciding on which one would work best for me, but I ultimately assessed that this one most closely matched my needs/wants, so it's the one I went with. Here's a link to some other kits I considered: pidkits.com/. Look around, you're sure to find some neat mounting options.
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Signing UpStep 1Trace and cut
I opened Silvia's top and determined that the space between the Rancilio badge and the steam pipe was adequate for the project box installation.
Then I traced the outline of the project box front face's center cutout onto the front of Silvia.
3/32 holes drilled at each corner of the cutout tracing, then off to the races with my Dremel and a reinforced cutoff wheel.
I put a cloth inside to catch the brunt of the steel shavings, and covered the face of the machine as well.
Cut the rectangular hole a little small and use a flat file to open the hole up to fit the Auber PID.
Then I traced the outline of the project box front face's center cutout onto the front of Silvia.
3/32 holes drilled at each corner of the cutout tracing, then off to the races with my Dremel and a reinforced cutoff wheel.
I put a cloth inside to catch the brunt of the steel shavings, and covered the face of the machine as well.
Cut the rectangular hole a little small and use a flat file to open the hole up to fit the Auber PID.
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If it was going to be a problem, I figure that day would have put a fine point on it. As things stand now, there doesn't appear to be a need for cooling holes.
Thanks for checking out my instructable, and thanks for the comment.
Honestly, I left the PID at the factory settings - it seems to work very well for me there. If I feel the need to branch out to a different bean someday, I might have to play around with the temp and time settings. As it is, I'm working full time and playing with the kids the rest of the time, so I just figure "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
My primary goal was to eliminate the temp fluctuations inherent in the stock Sylvia and I accomplished that - it's been well worth my effort for both me and my coffee drinking friends.
cheers
For most of the PIDs available to add onto espresso machines, you're getting something that allows a much tighter temperature control band for the brewing cycle (primarily) and the steam cycle (if included in that PID model). Theoretically, this should enable you to be more consistent in pulling good shots, since you are removing some of the variability from the process. As I understand it, the built-in thermostat allows boiler temperature swings up to 30 or 40 degrees, which could lead to inconsistent results, even with everything else - type of coffee, grind, water type, tamp - being as consistent as you can make it.
Thank you for your interest!
I had a great time with the project - after I got past the part about "oh crap, I can't believe I am actually going to cut up my expensive new espresso maker." After seeing some of the other projects here, I thought this would be a good demonstration of what is possible, and it served as motivation to do a good job. I am very happy with the results - both with Ms. Silvia and with my first Instructable.