stewie911

Was also thinking of a small lever machine, but can't find any on the internet.

Hi Guys I'm going off the grid and the Simonelli is too power hungry so I am looking at alternatives. Our drink of choice is cappuccinos. ( 8+ a day) My second in command is usually a Bialetti and a handheld milk frother, but the Bialetti is kind of a hassle to clean every time. Any other recommendations?

So it seems like another Oscar is giving problems. This weekend I heard steam coming from my Oscar and all of a sudden a load bang as the pressure valve opened up. I suspect the pressure stat or its diaphragm is broken

Sounds more like a temperature probe problem

How do you guys maintain your Oscars? I have the simonelli, currently on for 24h/day, and do the following. Weekly - Backflush with Cafiza espresso cleaner and soak portafilter in cafiza mixture.Monthly - Soak the screen in cafiza mizture6 monthly - Heat exchanger descale In the 2.5 years I had the machine I have replaced the brewhead gasket last month and have also done a boiler descale beginning of this year. To descale heat exchanger I did the following: I remove power to the two-way solenoid valve so no water can enter the boiler. Then I run a citric acid solution through the heat exchanger by operating the pump and let it sit there for a while.Operate the pump again to rinse the whole system. After the water runs clear (I do a taste test for the citric acid) from the brewhead I reconnect the solenoid and that's it.To descale the boiler I did the following: Disconnect heater element.Disconnect level fill switchFill reservoir with citric acid solutionOpen steamwand and let the boiler fill until water runs from steamwandLet sit for 30minOpen drain valve and drain boiler Repeat above steps with citric acid solution until clear water free of debris runs from boilerRepeat obove steps with clean water until water free of acid drains from boiler.Reconnect everything

So who else re-use? I've been doing it with for a while when I feel like having flavored coffee. Have used the caffeluxe capsules more than 5 times and still working fine.

Better start your rosemary early as they take ages to grow. I have all kinds of veggies/herbs, but nothing keeps the cat away. You could plant catnip at another corner of the garden or somewhere far away.

Probably not much going on in Gauteng on the garden side with all the rain. But does anyone know why the front tomato plant (which is in a container) has a darker colour than the other which is in the ground? Is this good or bad? Because of better worse watering/nutrients? Thanks

Yes, green beans. I'd like to try and roast some myself.

Do any of you guys buy raw beans in Gauteng and where?

Fully agree with this. I actually started to follow the IIFYM(If it fit your macros) diet. I know how many carbs/protein/fat/fibre I want to eat daily in order to be healthy and then eat whatever fits in there. I would never give up bread/pizza/pasta/chocolates/hamburgers

For weight loss/gain, it doesn't matter what diet you choose. You can do Atkins, Tim Noakes diet, No carb, high carb... the list goes on. It all comes down to calories in vs calories out. If you are willing to put in the effort, the only sure way is to count calories. You start by determining your avg calorie expenditure during the day. (there are loads of calculators online for this) Then you just eat between 0 and 500 calories below that. To build lean muscle, it has been proved through numerous studies that a ratio of 50:30:20 (carbs, protein, fat) is optimal for muscle building. This still gives you enough carbs to fuel your workouts. I suggest you read more at http://forum.simplyshredded.com/topic/13958/simply-shredded-faq/ If you want to build muscle and lose bodyfat, look at the people that does it best: bodybuilders. Thermogenic supplements do work, but the effect is neglectable.

Thanks for all the help guys, was almost on my way to get it repaired this morning

Thanks, where can I get the hobby grade superglue and fibreglass? Do you just sand it with a fine (around 250/300?) sandpaper?

Chain got caught between chainstay and cassette and it looks like a layer of carbon got ripped out. Should this be repaired or can I ride it like it is? (I think I know the answer)