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February 2, 2007
Rebuilding the machines 
I've been doing a ton of work lately on my espresso machines.
The Isomac Venus is in parts as I work on integrating a PID , new OPV system and boiler insulation all at once. What should have been a weekend project has turned into a 2 month ordeal as I wait on parts orders and often find parts that just don't fit right. When finished though, I'm pretty sure there will be a GIANT improvement in temperature stability and overall taste + performance.
The Expobar has been getting work done as well -- I've already insulated the boiler , using 1/2" thick silicon foam rubber: Its FDA approved, rated to over 500°F, and won't shed like the fiberglass/ceramic offerings. I measured 4x, cut once, and it was a great fit. Even better is the performance on the machine. Heat-up time is down to 30minutes for the whole machine (15 for the boiler only) -- before I had to wait 45. Whats more impressive is shot temp stability and boiler cycling - nearly every shot I've pulled has been simply amazing , nothing goes sour from a temp drop. The heating element cycles less frequently and for a shorter time now too. Digging through the expobar I've found a few parts that I'm not too crazy with -- the silicon tubing between the boiler and OPV valve keeps popping off the compression fitting: so I'm going to replace it with a braided steel tube. I'm also looking at putting in some guages - but thats just an idea... for now.
Posted by Jonathan at February 2, 2007 7:08 PM
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