Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine, Stainless Steel

La amamos en casa, es una joya

Seattle Coffee Gear was awesome when my machine turned out to have a malfunctioning internal part. This kind of stuff happens, and they were so responsive right away and arranged for me to ship the machine back. I loved the machine; they didn't have a replacement in stock, so I reordered the model with the built-in moment Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with PID. I fully expect it to be excellent. I love the brand and the customer support from Seattle Coffee Gear.

I used to have a duel boiler, fancy Breville espresso machine that worked great, until the little undetected until too late, steam leak inside the unit basically killed it from within. I decided for my next machine to go simple, and the Rancillio Silvia is about as simple as they come. It's very much an old school espresso machine, not a piece of digital electronics anywhere in sight ;-). It does its function well, but does require some advanced shot-pulling skills to pull a good shot but I was up for the challenge :-).

We’ve had this machine for two years. We used it to host a coffee bar and made hundreds of shots each time. We’ve never had any issues and love the quality.

Unfortunately it was the worst purchase I ever made. I got this machine despite bad reviews because my friend told me the heating elements where the water runs don’t have plastic components. Sure, I got this coffee machine only I never actually used it as it makes barely warm coffee and takes forever for the light to turn on once you turn on the machine. $1000 down the drain.

I bought this machine as my first espresso machine, against the consensus of the internet that this machine is “bad for beginners,” and that I should buy a Gaggia. I did some research and found that the Gaggia has an aluminum boiler, which Is a red flag for me for health reasons. I’m extremely happy that I bought the Silvia instead. The only plastic in the entire machine is in the switches, the cold water supply and return tubes, the cold water tank, the portafilter handle, wire insulation, and the group head fascia. Everything (*everything*) else is stainless, copper, or brass.The boiler heats up pretty fast. Not instant but it’s not so slow to be frustrating. You read about the drip tray being too small and yes, it really is too small. But it’s easy to pull it out and empty it. Would also recommend the flat shower screen mod, which is super easy to do and costs like $30. Also it vibrates pretty good, so you’ll want to use a cup on the heavier side to receive your espresso. The double basket that comes with it is a 15 gram basket, and I use 16 grams with no problems. This is not marked anywhere obvious that I could find. Temp surfing sounds complicated but you get used to it really fast.I use this machine to make 6-8 shots a day and the machine is flawless as long as you do your part. Just don’t forget to backflush and descale regularly.I’m living proof that you absolutely can use this machine as a complete espresso noob.

Sounds crazy but we got it for Christmas and tried to use it that morning. The instructions show a third vacuum tube (which only exists on the super upscale models, not on the one we bought). AND the trays on the top and the drip trays are wrapped in something that makes it look like it's not stainless steel--- it's a protector that doesn't look like a protector. Unwrap it, lol. My husband was afraid it was from a different model and there's nothing to indicate that it's wrapping.

Long term review.I really want to like it. Its exactly what a Espresso maker is not. It makes a great shot but its not hot. In fact its barely warm. It takes 15 minutes for this maker to heat up. The fact it cannot make a hot shot makes the quality of the shot not so great. Back to back shots take another 15 minutes to heat up. Not for couples. It has some great reviews but I cannot give one. Quality of the build is fantastic. 40 years of making Espresso I can do better with a press.