Clive News

Is a brass boiler better than an aluminum one?

The Silvia features a heavy-duty brass boiler. We’ve done our research and discovered that machines with aluminum boilers are more prone to failure. Aluminum expands and contracts with sharp fluctuations in temperature, which can lead to leakage in some cases. Also, aluminum is prone to significant corrosion depending on the ph level of your water. Many people are concerned about drinking hot water that has touched materials like plastic and aluminum. Brass is superior in terms of heat retention and avoids any of these potential pitfalls on aluminum boilers. Be sure to check out the manufacturer’s specifications before choosing an espresso machine. Most machines under $700 have an aluminum boiler.

Why don’t you have anything more affordable than the Silvia? Why spend $650 when I could spend $300 elsewhere?

Clive Coffee specializes in the highest quality espresso machines and coffeemakers available. We recognize that there are hundreds of machines out there that cost less than the Silvia, and we’ve tested many of them. In a nutshell, we’ve found the Silvia to be the only machine in its price range or below that we feel confident standing behind. It is the first machine under $700 that features high-quality components, professional build quality, sturdy feel in your hand, true espresso coffee and this level of dependability. Nothing on the machine feels cheap or plasticky. We ship these out with confidence that our customers will be satisfied with their experience.

You can spend less on an espresso machine but you will sacrifice power and performance, not to mention espresso quality and, overall, the level of pleasure you get from using the machine. Too many people find that their espresso machine sits unused on their countertop because it simply doesn’t make espresso drinks that taste that good. With a good grinder and a bit of practice, you too can make café quality espresso drinks with the Rancilio Silvia.

What about a PID Controller?

We are often asked if it’s necessary to have a PID on the Silvia.

PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) Control is a popular upgrade to Silvia machines. Basically, a PID controller closely monitors and electronically regulates the water temperature at the brew group.  PIDs help you to dial in a precise brewing temperature, which is especially important for straight shot enthusiasts. However, we find that a bit of attention and the right technique can reliably produce very fine espresso from the Silvia without the need for a $200-$300 upgrade.

Adding $300 to the $650 price of a Silvia gets you within striking distance of an E-61 grouphead machine, which would mean much better temperature stability and you would retain the manufacturer’s warranty. We recommend checking out the Quick Mill Alexia, which provides a number of dramatic upgrades in temperature stability, capacity, aesthetics, power and performance for just a little more money than a PID-adapted Silvia.

After months of developing concepts, designing, scrapping and redesigning our idea of what the perfect pour-over stand could offer, we were thrilled a few weeks ago to finally launch the exclusive Clive Stand and Dripper set to the world.  Since then, the response has indicated that our work paid off.  The Clive Stand has been called “Gorgeous,” Stunning,” “The prettiest coffee maker I’ve ever seen,” “Elegant” and “Amazing.” It has been featured on the very popular blog Design*Sponge and will appear in the next issue of the magazine House Beautiful.

At Clive Coffee, we always seek the perfect intersection of design and function. We insist that all of our products look great, feel durable, last a long time and, of course, brew great coffee. The Clive Stand has earned its share of aesthetic accolades, but the quality of the coffee that it brews is equally important. As with any brand new brewing mechanism introduced to the market, a new set of standards needs to be developed regarding the grind setting, proportions of coffee to water, pouring technique, etc.  The Clive Stand best accommodates two particular types of dripper cone – the Hario V60-02 glass dripper, and our locally hand-thrown porcelain Clive Dripper. Both of these fit snugly and look excellent in the handcrafted black walnut frame of the stand. Here, we’ll walk through what it takes to produce a fine cup of coffee from our Clive Dripper in the stand.

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Making great espresso at home requires a certain amount of practice. We are pleased to announce our home barista classes, which are designed to give you an introduction to the principles and practice of the craft.  This two hour class will cover the basics of dialing in your grind, pulling a great shot, and steaming milk. This class is very hands on, so come prepared to get your hands dirty in pursuit of great espresso! Class size is limited to 2 to 4 people to ensure a great experience.

Read the details and reserve your seat! Next class is Saturday, February 19th from 10 am to noon.

I was invited on Portland’s KPTV to talk about making great coffee at home. It’s very difficult to get all the crucial information in a 3 minute segment, but hopefully the message of fresh coffee made correctly came through. Click the image to view on KPTV/Associated Content.

Delaney Kelly of Carthagh Craft & Design just dropped of the first edition of the Clive Stand Triple. I couldn’t wait for our real photographer to take her sweet time with it, so I took a quick shot. It’s a beauty. Water Avenue Coffee will be the first shop in town to put this to good use. Read more about the stand, then get ready because the Triple will be available for purchase in early January.

The "drip tray" on the Stand is sealed with 4 coats of oil based polyurethane, than coated in food-safe wax. The Hario V60 cone and decanter fits perfectly.

After several months of hard work, we’re proud to open up our retail showroom to the public. It’s a work in progress, and admittedly looks a little “temporary.” We were planning on moving to a much bigger, brighter location this summer, but the lease fell through and so we’ve decided to make the best of our current location for now. We’d love to have you stop in to say hello!

To kick things off we’re throwing an impromptu, casual party for Black Friday. Stop by from 4-6 pm on Friday Nov 26th for local booze, great music, and 10% off for our local friends. See the details here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163979780305546

Google Map here: http://bit.ly/gvQxlS

More photos…

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We’ve put together a handy little guide to selecting coffees based off of the dominating flavor profile. We’ve categorized our coffees by Bright & Fruity, Robust & Smoky, Chocolaty & Nutty, and Sweet & Balanced. Check it out and explore some new coffees!

So much of the coffee on the market these days is really a commodity product that has been standardized to provide consistency. Generally, this means the coffee isn’t too terribly bad nor too terribly great. It’s a generic, non-offensive caffeine delivery mechanism.

An origin trip changes all that. It brings you, the roaster, face to face with the person that is growing and processing your coffee beans. It means you and farmer have talked shop over a cup of coffee, toured the processing mill that he set up himself, and met the family he’s feeding with the profits. It’s the antithesis of generic, commodity coffee.

A few months ago I toured five small farms in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, driving for hours over the steep hillsides that are covered in lush, deep green vegetation. The tropical sun is very intense at the high altitude, but the temperature when I was there was only around 75 degrees, and the constant breeze made it very comfortable. The city of San Jose is nestled in a valley that is surrounded by extremely steep hills, which are continually buffeted by clouds rolling in from the Pacific Ocean before dissipating over the tops of the hills. It reminded me of San Francisco and the surrounding hills on the peninsula. There’s a mystical quality to the fog breaking up just above the tree branches.

Tarrazu’s unique topography and proximity to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans brings microclimates of surprising variety, producing fantastic, rare coffees. The rich volcanic soil, high altitude, and dry summers produce a coffee that is sought internationally for its clean profile and bright acidity. However, great Costa Rican coffee must be cultivated with great care to bring out the best flavors. It takes a lot of work and foresight to steward the coffee from sapling to export.

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