What is Adaptive PID?

You may have noticed that our espresso machines feature ‘adaptive PID’. This feature has everything to do with counteracting temperature fluctuations while making your espresso.

As you may know, temperature is very important for making the perfect cup of coffee. The brewing temperature should be between 89 and 95 °C. Brewing an espresso at a higher temperature leads to a more bitter coffee, while a lower temperature gives a more acidic flavour. However, the optimal brewing temperature can vary for different roasts and blends.

The espresso machines in our Perfetta range feature the opportunity to change the temperature of the brew (above or below default setting), which can thus be beneficial for your perfect coffee.

Traditional thermostat vs PID

A traditional thermostat reaches the desired temperature and then turns off the heating element if the temperature rises above that desired temperature. It then turns it back on when the temperature falls below this desired value. This results in temperature fluctuation and inconsistent brewing temperatures.

Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control ensures a stable and controlled water temperature, allowing the full flavour of your espresso to develop. PID control uses an advanced algorithm to regulate the temperature. This way, the temperature remains constant throughout the brewing process.

You can often adjust the temperature of espresso machines that have PID control. This can have a big impact on the taste of your espresso. This is ideal because each coffee bean has a different ideal brewing temperature.

Adaptive PID

There is also a difference between regular PID control and Adaptive PID. Regular PID uses the same parameters for all functions of the espresso machine and is thus a compromise between the different functions. Adaptive PID provides multiple temperature control for the steam function, hot water function and the brewing process.

This multiple temperature control ensures that the temperature is regulated when you froth milk, make tea and when your perfect espresso is being prepared. Adaptive PID thus ensures temperature stability at all levels.

The Solis Grind & Infuse Perfetta and Barista Perfetta Plus feature such Adaptive PID controller.

Source:

https://solis.com/int_en/blog/what-is-adaptive-pid/