What is PID?

October 1, 2022

As we all know, the temperature is extremely critical when brewing coffee. The water temperature for coffee should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, according to any true coffee enthusiast. Oftentimes, espresso machines have a device called a Proportional Integral Derivative, or PID for short. Temperature, flow, pressure, speed, and other variables can be controlled by a PID controller. PIDs are essentially control loop feedback mechanisms that monitor and control the temperature that is needed for an ideal cup. With a PID system, the temperature is regulated by an advanced algorithm so it stays at exactly the right level.

Do I need a PID in my espresso machine?

As a result of many small factors, this controller constantly calculates temperature changes due to many variables. One major variable is the ambient air temperature around your espresso machine.

The temperature of your water would fluctuate if your espresso machine wasn't equipped with a PID. This change in temperature might result in a significant change to your espresso's taste. Simply put, PID controllers try to anticipate what may happen in the espresso machine's environment. In this way, the temperature is kept in check before it goes out of control.

A few more reasons to consider a PID espresso machine would be:

The fact that coffee beans have varying ideal brew temperatures. With the help of PID, this is a variable you would be given complete control over in your brewing process.
Steam boilers can also benefit from PID temperature control. Steaming performance can be fine-tuned by adjusting the steam boiler temperature. Steam pressure increases with higher temperatures, while steam pressure decreases with lower temperatures.
Café-level consistency with every cup. We've all had that one exceptional cup of espresso at some point and ideally this is something we could enjoy time and time again. With a PID, it essentially eliminates the temperature variable for the brewing process.

Summary

Hopefully you now have a decent understanding of PID controllers and how important they are. You can browse all of our PID controlled espresso machines by clicking here.

Solid piece and great service!

A great buy for beginners, a solid machine. Great service from Nick and super fast shipping! We’ll definitely come back here for an upgrade later on.

Outstanding Machine (But Takes Practice)

This is my first manual espresso machine after starting with a cheap full auto and later upgrading to a semi-auto BES870XL. I love the sheer amount of control that I have over my shots, from the pressure the machine brews at to the amount of water that goes into the shot (more so with a double), pre-infusion time, and flow of the steam coming out of the wand. It takes a lot of time getting dialed in right to produce a good shot, and I am still working on my technique, though it has improved greatly in the past few weeks that I've had this machine.

Out of the box:
I'll start with the most disappointing thing for anyone who reads this: The tamper this machine comes with is a cheap, flimsy, plastic 48mm disc that doesn't even cover the surface area of your 49mm portafilter. If you don't have one already, save yourself the extra wait and get yourself a nice, heavy 49mm tamper when you buy this (I got a solid stainless tamper by Silmur and it's perfect) and throw the plastic one into the trash upon arrival.
Now for the good: Everything was well-packaged in molded styrofoam to minimize the chance of impact damage. Everything came out looking shiny and beautiful with no damage. Assembly was pretty straightforward, and the owner's manual gives you just enough information to get started. Disclaimer: the manual does not tell the user how to adjust the pressurestat if you find that your machine is not in the right zone out of the box, or if you really want to fine-tune your extraction. But fear not: simple but tedious pressurestat adjustments are a quick Google/YouTube search away (butter knife and small ratchet with phillips and flat head bits to get the job done not included).

Brewing with this bad boy requires a ton of patience. If you're new to manuals, do not expect to pull amazing shots right away. Even semi-autos have their nuances, though not nearly as many. First, make sure that you can see the meniscus (that bottom line at the top of your water) in the sight glass. This will ensure that your boiler is neither under nor overfilled. It doesn't take long to heat up and get to pressure. Once it's ready to go, the rest is up to you (take lots of notes; it helps!). After a few weeks of active use, I've just about gotten it down (until I get different beans, that is). The steam wand is another well-designed piece of this machine, and produces the silkiest microfoam I have ever made. You control the output, and it is immediate steam on demand. Do let some out to get the wand up to temp and avoid it shooting straight hot water into your pitcher before frothing it up. Back to brewing: It does seem to run a bit hot, and I've read that the general consensus is that the ideal brewing temperature is right when it gets up to pressure, and then after that the user should to apply a cold cloth to the groupset to keep temperatures down and avoid burnt shots. I'll start following that advice and see how my extraction improves.

I've been having a ton of fun with this machine, and don't think I could ever go back to anything short of a manual espresso machine after this experience. It's definitely one of my favorite additions to my coffee-making collection, and I'll probably love it even more when I finally do pull that perfect shot.