[geeks] A wizard's steam valve has a knob on the end

[Dan Sikorski]

On Jul 23, 2013, at 12:12 PM, Phil Stracchino <alaric at metrocast.net> wrote:

> On 07/23/13 12:38, Dan Sikorski wrote:
>> Which espresso machine?  If my measurements are correct, the knob from my
>> Rancilio Silvia would fit, and while it is not quite the construction
you're
>> looking for, it's been very solid in my weekend use for the past several
>> years.  Knob diameter on the v3 knob is 2", so a little bigger than you're
>> looking for, but the diameter of the v2 knob is 1.5".  (I have both
hanging
>> around because i replaced my v2 steam wand with a v3 shortly after they
came
>> out and was too much of a packrat to throw the old one away.)
>
> Mine is a Gaggia Classic.  By the look of the Silvia knob, I'm guessing
> the Silvia's steam valve is buried much more deeply inside the machine
> than the Gaggia's (the shaft of the Gaggia's valve actually protrudes
> about 3/16" past the body), so I'm guessing the Silvia knob probably
> wouldn't adapt well to the Gaggia.

Indeed, the valve is a few inches behind the front panel, so the knob extends
into the machine to reach it.  But, given that it seems that valves/knobs
might be fairly standard, it's probably worth a look around espressoparts.com
or elsewhere to see what else might work.

>
> I have been considering fitting a Silvia steam wand, though; I
> understand it's a fairly popular modification to the Gaggia Classic,
> which is considered to have an inferior steam wand.  However, that
> doesn't entail replacing the valve.
>

The upgrade from the v2 to v3 steam wand was a very nice improvement on mine.
The wand is attached via a ball joint instead of just a swivel, and the design
of the nozzle is much better.

> Ideally, what I'd honestly like to do is replace the Gaggia needle-type
> steam valve altogether with a quarter-turn ball valve, which seems to me
> to be far more suitable for the purpose in the first place.  The needle
> valve on the Gaggia *ALWAYS* eventually wears and accumulates hard-water
> scale, and then it doesn't shut off properly, and you have to start
> twisting harder and harder on the knob trying to stop it from leaking
> steam and boiling water, and then the knob cracks.  :p

I've also thought that the valves used really didn't seem logical.  I don't
know of any reason to partially open the valve, I always want it fully open or
fully closed, and the fact that the valve needs more than one turn of the
wrist to fully open seems to make it less than ideal.  I've seen commercial
machines that seem to be much easier to use in that respect, but every time i
think of (further) modifying the espresso machine I consider that it's a
machine that very reliably produces what I want from it.   I'm happy with what
I've done, and if i need repair down the line I'll certainly do it, but down
the modification and upgrade road lies madness, I'm afraid.  For significant
improvement in the overall process I'd probably need to move up to a double
boiler machine, which is simply more than i'm looking to spend on such things
at this time; more of my hobby dollars and time are going toward brewing
beverages other than coffee at home lately.  :)