Silvia Espresso Machinet,0.3 liters, with Iron Frame and Stainless Steel Side Panels, 11.4 by 13.4-Inch

Miss Silvia can either be a dream machine or a regrettable purchase, but this has nothing to do with the machine and everything to do with the operator. Miss Silvia is a very simple and well built machine. Rancilio has been true to this concept since her inception. She sports a solid brass boiler, steel frame, and she's finely dressed in easy to clean stainless steel. There's no shortage of pressure, water, or heat. Everything about Miss Silvia is built to last. This simple, high-quality build approach isn't for everyone because it trades off automation for skill. A person who leans toward automatic, mediocre espresso will bemoan the simplicity of Miss Silvia. She lacks many modern features such as a PID controller, pressure gauge, timer, on/off scheduler, etc. Implementing such features in Miss Silvia would reduce her simplicity and dependability at her current price. Rancilio elected to favor quality and simplicity over automation to keep Miss Silvia's at her current price. That reality bridges us back to my opening comment that whether or not this is a dream machine comes down to the operator. I personally find it no chore at all to repeatably pull excellent quality shots from Miss Silvia. That's not an easy feat with numerous machines considerably more expensive then she is. However, to get these results I've followed my nature to study and practice. I've learned over the years with other equipment what it takes to pull excellent shots of espresso. While the espresso machine certainly does matter, pulling excellent quality shots goes far beyond the espresso machine. One must put in the time to learn about different roasts of coffee, grinds and grinders, tamping and tampers, heat consistency, maintaining pressure, and how to properly apply all these important areas to pull an excellent quality shot of espresso. I've applied my experience to Miss Silvia and enjoy the process of doing so. After getting to know her for a couple of months I have no trouble whatsoever enjoying one smooth shot of espresso after another... all with Miss Silvia in her stock configuration. It's also not in my nature to blame a tool if it doesn't do the job it was designed to do. That statement assumes two things. 1.) The tool was designed to do a job a specific way at a specific level of quality. 2.) The person using the tool understands how to use the tool properly in order to get the best results possible from the tool. Miss Silvia was designed to pull repeatably excellent quality shots of espresso. So an inability to get such results is the fault of the operator not Miss Silvia. If you're a person who likes analogies let me put it another way. If a person owns a high-quality pen but has terrible penmanship, a vacuum of creative writing ability, sparse knowledge of grammar, and a limited vocabulary is it the pen's fault they cannot write an engaging story? No, it's not the fault of the pen. It's the fault of the writer. With Miss Silivia it's the operator's fault if they cannot pull a high quality shot of espresso. That's the truth. With that analogy in mind I highly recommend Miss Silvia. If you understand the art of pulling excellent shots of espresso and are willing to put in the time to learn who she is and how she works she won't disappoint you. However, I don't recommend Miss Silvia if you refuse to get to know and understand her, or to study and practice the science of pulling repeatably great shots of espresso. If you don't enjoy the process and are only interested automation you will blame Miss Silivia for your own lack of ability to pull quality shots from her, and she really is a fantastic machine. If you're an instant-gratificationist I'm afraid there is no silver bullet to pulling repeatably great shots of espresso from Miss Silvia. You need to go for a more expensive automatic machine. The truth is there is a lot to learn about pulling great shots of espresso regardless of the machine. Even the most expensive espresso machine on the market would confront you with challenges. Every machine has a personality and Miss Silvia is no exception. She is, however, and exceptionally well-made machine for the money. Enjoying her build quality is a matter of the person, not a matter of the machine. Hope this helps you make a buying decision.

***UPDATE: I've had this machine for a little over a year now, and everything I said in the original review below still holds. I would like to add that regular maintenance of this machine is essential to keep it in good working order. Make sure you backflush regularly, de-scale (especially if you have hard water) and also clean out the grinder. I neglected to clean the grinder for the first 8 months and it was a mess to disassemble and pick out all the built-up coffee oils. So just make sure you do your regular maintenance on this machine and treat it nicely, and in return you can expect a consistently delicious espresso every time. PS: I finally mastered the oat milk latte....WORTH IT! Original Review below: _____________________ Ok, so I spend WAY too much money at the coffee shop. $5-6 per visit at my local shop, but why waste the money? I first started learning how to make 'proper' coffee back in 2013 with a DeLonghi Retro Bar32 that I picked up for about $75. Knowing very little, I initially struggled to figure out how to pull a good shot of espresso that wasn't watery or bitter. Most pre-ground coffee didn't work; but the experience did teach me how to operate a semi-manual machine, how to heat up the boiler, steam milk etc. etc. My biggest gripe was the milk steamer which didn't get me that nice microfoam and tended to make the milk more watery than anything. So, 4 years later (hat tip to the the DeLonghi for still going strong in 2018 btw!) I felt it was time to invest in something a little better. With an upper limit budget of $1000 and a LOT of research, I settled on the Rancilio Silvia. I understood the learning curve was steep but I wanted good coffee, darnit, and I was willing to work for it. Well, I've had the Silvia for a little bit over a month now, and I couldn't be more pleased. I purchased both the Silvia and Rocky doserless grinder at the same time from Cerini Coffee and Gifts in the Bronx (great seller!) and it arrived promptly and excellently packaged with a bonus lb of beans to get started! I now buy my beans from a local coffee roaster, and the Rocky grinder allows me to grind the freshest beans which I'm sure play greatly into the taste of the coffee. It took me some time to figure out the correct grinder setting that would get me the 2oz shot in 20-30 seconds with the right flavor, but once I got it 'dialed in' (coffee aficionado lingo for finding the right settings) it makes amazing coffee. My microfoam steaming skills are still under development, but I can make some great, thick cappuccino-style foam, which I generally dump on top of the finished product to generally delicious effect. Initially I considered getting the PID add-on for the machine, but honestly, after following the temperature surfing guidelines and paying attention to the lights, I've got it down to a pretty good system. Yes, the PID would probably satisfy my latent perfectionism, but I'm honestly getting a great cup of coffee without it. I just try to be as consistent as possible in terms of dosing, tamping and brew time and found this is a good combination. So, my vote is that the PID add-on is optional, a convenience but not essential. Note: For all you non-dairy drinkers out there, there's an additional learning curve to master: steaming non-dairy milk! Yay! But hang in there. After repeated practice, I find that I can get pretty good results with soy milk and most almond milks. Oat continues to be a challenge but one I'm committed to mastering because have you ever tried oat milk in a latte? (hint: it's delicious) For those who do prefer dairy, I've gotten the best results with cold 2% milk; however whole milk works too. Since this is already a significant financial investment in the machine, I would suggest also purchasing both a heavy tamper and a stainless steel milk foaming cup to complement your purchase. The tamp provided by Rancilio is plastic, and doesn't give the adequate pressure needed. The milk foaming pitcher helps you properly measure out and steam the right quantity of milk. In conclusion, I'm really happy with this machine. I only visit the coffee shop now to buy beans, and I enjoy making coffee for family and friends too! Yes, the initial outlay is expensive, but at $5-6 at the coffee shop, this is an investment that will pay for itself over time. Final note: For those on the fence about spending this money with no prior experience in coffee making - let me suggest starting with a lower-priced machine like a DeLonghi or similar and then getting a really good grinder. As a fun experiment, I made a latte on my old machine using the Rocky grinder, and it was pretty tasty! So, if you're not sure about spending a bunch of money on a machine, start with the grinder along with a lower-priced machine. The fresh-ground beans really make all the difference on any equipment.

The good - Very cool Italian design, made in Italy. Doesn't take up much counter space and makes excellent espresso and Lattes. Easy to clean and fun to experiment and operate. Great to practice your latte art. Makes fantastic micro foam for the milk. Wife says the coffee I make with it is as good as the professional coffee shop. The not so good - there is a technique to getting the best brew. MUST use fresh roasted coffee to get the best crema, older coffee does not pull the expected espresso. Must find the balance between coffee, grind and weight. My best espresso is pulled at 14.5-15 grams of the freshest coffee I can find not to exceed 20 days after roast date with my grinder set to just under a #2 grind. There is also a process to using the machine called temperature surfing. It involves steaming the milk first, then you run water through the steamer wand until the steam is gone and the jet is pure water. This is to lower the boiler temperature berfore making the espresso, this takes less time than pulling the espresso first and waiting the for the steamer to come up to temperature. Tons of info on U-tube on how to do this for this machine. It's very simple. It takes some practice to put together the perfect latte or pull the perfect espresso. But once you figure out the correct combination, you'll be critical of the professional latte and compare it to yours, if you ever pay $6 for a cup again. In all. Very happy with purchase. The reason for the 4 rating is that the machine should have come with a PID for the price. Lastly, I use bottled water, and this machine uses a lot of water. Update 12/27/18. I purchased the bottomless portafilter and have used it several dozen times. The espresso quality and crema made with the bottomless filter on this machine has far exceeded my expectations. This is all I use now. 20.3 grams of fresh roasted freshly ground coffee and in my opinion far exceeds what you pay for in a coffee shop. A must have accessory. Ive flipped head over heals for my Silvia and what I can make with it. Update 5-15-19. Machine operating well, I make 2 cups per day 7 days per week. Quality of coffee is outstanding! I havent paid for a coffee house Latte or Espresso since. Coffee house charges $3 to $6. My cost at home for exactly what I want and better quality, 68 cents. 6-15-20. Silvia still running well. I did the tune up wich is very simple and involves replacing the screen, wich really didnt need it, and the gasket. I back flush weekly and regular flush monthly. Silvia make as great an espresso or latte today as when new! Very happy with Silvia. Last update 12/30/21 - this machine is wonderful and continues to out perform. I found it has no problem quickly steaming 2 large lattes in a row. More than plenty of power in the steamer. Two cups or more for the last several years. Not a lick of trouble. I have easily replaced the gasket twice, and clean the group head once per year. I do a quick backflush weekly and thats it. I have thought of upgrading to a fancier machine like the Pro X or ECM, but cannot justify the cost and i don't believe it will produce as good a cup as my Ol Silvia. May 2022 - Silvia and Rocky still going strong after almost 4 years! Still makes fantastic espressos, lattes and other coffee drinks. This past week I took the entire Silvia and Rocky system into the mountains and made 8 cups of coffee every morning for 6 days straight for my friends. I found Silvia has enough pressure in the single boiler and can quickly steam 4 cups of milk in a row with out recharging the steamer. Still made fantastic Lattes! Very happy with this performance.

See edit for why the Breville Infuser turns out to be my solution. --------- I agree completely with the leading negative review. I have been on this road to serious cappuccino/espresso for some time, and I gave this machine a chance. I am the kind to tinker and find the way to make it work, but there is no case in which this machine is a good idea. I have been using a cheap Krups machine, and I can almost get good latte art on a decent shot with Crema with the Krups, which cost me $125. I decided to upgrade to the Silvia, and began to experiment, expecting it to take a long time to learn to use. I immediately bought fresh roasted espresso beans and threw out the older beans I had been using. I bought other new things to make it work, like tampers and pitchers for frothing. I could have made really decent cappuccinos someday if I had kept the Sylvia, but why bother? It is much easier (meaning still extremely difficult) to get the same good cappuccino out of a cheap machine. Why? Well let's look at the process I use on the Krups, and then compare to the Sylvia: 1) put the milk in the pitcher in the freezer until it is about 33 degrees. 2) grind the coffee with a hand ceramic burr grinder to the finest setting that still allows flow for the shot. 3) preheat the cup and the portafilter. 4) fill the portafilter not too full and don't tamp it. 5) froth the milk in a small 12 oz pitcher with +3.00 glasses and lots of light, using the sweet spot to infuse the milk with microfoam by 110 degrees, then rolling it until about 150 degrees. 6) swirl the milk while cleaning the steam wand, turn off the thermometer and drop it on the counter, still swirling milk. 7) still swirling, selection switch to coffee mode and turn the steam/coffee engage switch to steam mode to spit a little steam and allow the light to go off, and then turn that same switch to coffee mode to spray boiling water into the cup and cool the system to the right temp for espresso. Still swirling. 8) turn off the spray, insert the portafilter and turn it back on for about 4 seconds. Turn it off to let the puck soak and expand, again about 4 seconds. Turn it on again and pull the shot. Still swirling. 9) turn off machine and pour pretty pattern on the just pulled shot before it can settle. If you search the Internet for instructions about using the Sylvia, you will find fairly similar instructions for making a cappuccino on it! It took me more than half a year to come up with this process for the Krups, and some of it I learned after using similar techniques to try to get the Sylvia to work. Why spend $650 to go to this much trouble? Worse still, the Sylvia is so fickle that even once you go to this much trouble, you will often lose a drink because the stars just weren't aligned. I hate to criticize other reviewers, but I have to say that the high rating this machine gets comes from a dream. You want to believe you are a Barista, as the leading negative reviewer actually is, but just owning this machine and wasting immense amounts of time and money doesn't make you one. The fact that the machine is Italian doesn't make some kind of grand engineering feat. It is an engineering disaster. It requires constant spewing of water, to be caught by its thimble-sized drip tray. If you spew too much water in steam mode, you'll burn it out. It isn't smart enough to shut down or refill the boiler. The portafilter barely fits, and the single screen design makes no sense. My machine never once was able to drop a puck properly out of the portafilter, either, even when it made a decent shot. In summary, I wouldn't want this machine for $125, let alone $650. I do plan to upgrade again, hopefully to something better than a cheap Krups this time, either making my drinks better or easier or both. The Silvia did neither. UPDATE 2/28/2014: A lot has happened since writing that review, and I haven't had time to update it. I had the Rancilio for a week or so, I think. I have since bought a Breville Infuser, and the first cappuccino was better than anything the Rancilio made. To put it bluntly, the only good thing about the Rancilio is that its brass boiler will last a long time. But that just means lousy drinks for longer, so even that isn't good! The real problem is that Rancilio is rife with incompetent design, and the Infuser, though it lacks a brass boiler, is full of good design. Since buying the Infuser, I make great drinks 5-10 times per day, and just a few weeks after getting it I am pouring decent latte art on my drinks, not only coffee espresso, but all kinds of strong tea drinks like rooibos, mate, and chai. By the way, I still froth with the Krups because it does a fine job, about the same as the infuser, so now I effectively have a double-boiler system for less than the price of the useless Rancilio!

This echoes what many other reviewers say, and it's true: this is a very difficult machine to master in order to make a good cup of espresso. If you have the patience and inclination to spend that time, I have no doubt you will be pleased, as it is a very well made and very impressive machine. However, as a medium-level barista, and someone with only limited time in the morning, this was simply too finicky for me. I have used a machine with a pressurized portafilter for many years, which is very forgiving, and allows a sort of faux-crema from almost any grind of coffee. So I decided to step up to a non-pressurized portafilter model like the Silvia. OK, so I got a burr grinder and understood I would need to learn the right grind for the new machine. I did that as well, and found out, to my consternation, that the boiler on the Silvia does not come to the proper temperature once the boiler is heated up and the "heating" light has gone out. Instead, it appears the boiler gets to some random high temperature then it cools, then heats, then cools, and each owner of the Silvia seems to have their own unique method for "surfing" the temperature of the boiler to find the right moment to brew. This was the dividing line for me. I gather that's why they offer a more expensive model with a temperature gauge (PID) to tell you when to brew/steam. So, very regretfully, I had to give this up. I cannot bring myself to buy the ghastly Breville machines -- don't try to have them repaired, they are disposable, unlike the Silvia, which will probably last a lifetime -- so I'm stuck back with my old pressurized portafilter grandma machine. Sigh.

This is an amazing machine. I will say right off the bat that I am not a professional barista. I just like good espresso and tasty lattes. The short story is, yes, this takes some work to learn the machine, but it isn't THAT hard. So let me add to what others have said. Read on if you want. The first machine I ordered was the Gaggia Classic. It leaked from the first moment I got it. Amazon was AMAZING with customer service and returning it, but their Gaggias were recalled because mine was yet another complaint from an Amazon customer. So I had a decision to make. I looked and looked on Amazon and around the web, and I studied the Rancilio. I was nervous after reading the reviews, but I got it anyway. I am SO glad I did. First of all, you can tell the quality of this machine when you lift it out of the box. It is MUCH more solidly built than the Gaggia. This thing is a tank! Everything about it beats out the Gaggia in my opinion. The steam wand is better, the group head is more solid, the boiler is better... Everything. It is worth the extra money because it seems built to last. Second, yes, you need to get a good burr grinder, and you will need to experiment with different grinds across different coffee batches to get the right 25 second pull on your shots. But that is part of the fun! And the results with even a semi slow or a too fast shot aren't THAT bad. Seriously. I got the Gaggia grinder and it works just fine. Third, there is the temperature surfing issue. I researched this one and was a little frightened of the processes I read about... until I saw the easier one on the Clive Coffee website. You make your steamed milk first, and then run some water through the grouphead until the light comes back on. Wait for it to heat back up and the light to go off. This is when you can grind your espresso and get your portafilter loaded. When the light goes off, wait 30 seconds and then pull your shot. That's it! The results I get doing this are fabulous, for me, a non professional barista :) All in all, this is an awesome machine, and I am very happy that I got it.

Some people buy an expensive espresso machine because, hey, they have the money and they want something that goes along well with their overpriced Williams-Sonoma garbage.... Some people buy a truly midrange item thinking it's the best of the best, and are invariably disappointed because it didn't make them look good using it. And then other people having figured out that they just spent nearly $1000 on something that isn't perfect in every way feel the need to fall over themselves with praise because, honestly, they'd feel stupid if their friends knew how much that thing cost. But I'm none of these people... not any more. I'll try to be fair... It's true the Rancilio Silvia V3 has the capability to produce a great cup of espresso. It's also true that it's (EDIT: initially) notoriously difficult to use. It is *not* a super-automatic, but super-automatics have plenty of bells and whistles, a high price, and produce middling espresso. Practice will get your routine down, and as others have stated... watch the how-to videos from Gail and Kat @ Seattle Coffee Gear and others because the guide does not give you the best advice on how to get the most out of this machine (steam first?? No... good luck bringing it back down to brew temperature quickly... the brass boiler heats up much faster than it cools down). The pluses include the sturdiness of the parts, which are all of the same quality build as their commercial machines that run upwards of $16,000 on the high end. You will not find many machines below $1000 of that quality. But as with all professional or semi-professional equipment, there are tradeoffs between peak performance and consistent reliability. Pick one. I've had four German cars and they all drove great but electromechanical failures are a running joke. The reason you see people in $200,000 houses driving Range Rovers is because their resale value falls like a rock... because they're pieces of crap. So when people compare the Rancilio to a BMW, this is not necessarily a good thing. But if what you want is reliability, don't be an idiot... buy a Honda. I can handle an espresso machine breaking down, but I'd rather not futz with a car.... My Benz spent more time in the shop than it did on the road. It's not worth paying for a Benz to drive a Ford Focus rental car 2/3 of the time. But saying a Rancilio is as bad as a BMW or Benz is a bit harsh. It's true it's not that complicated to get some semblance of control with the "temperature surfing" you need to do ... but if your time is precious, then it's probably not the machine you want. OR invest in a PID controller.... which will waste far less water controlling your temperatures, give consistent brew without guesswork and still cost you in total less than say, a La Pavoni that has is not without its own quirks and problems (or regular maintenance needs). Yes, it wouldn't have been that expensive for Rancilio to revise the machine and give it a PID controller and improve its usability... but then they'd just charge upwards of $1100 for it regardless of how cheap a PID is at OEM prices. So I'm not going to deceive you or myself with the belief that it's ok if a luxury product is notoriously difficult to use. But there are in fact very few machines in this price range that will, with some care, last as long as the Rancilio.... and if you are accustomed to spending as much as my wife and I have poured down the drain at Starbucks in a year, even a crappy cup of espresso from a Rancilio is better and infinitely less expensive. So I think it's a good machine. It's better than average, with some areas for improvement that, if tweaked, could make it a brilliant home machine. Do you need fresh beans bought from the farm, roasted by yourself and blessed by buddhist monks? Only if it makes you feel better about your ironically un-Buddhist acquisitive predilection for shiny things (pro tip: Buy your $200 Bugatchi oxford shirts from the Rack for $25-50)... Plan to spend maybe $1200 between the Rancilio, a decent burr grinder and a PID... fine grind and brew temp control are far more important than bean quality which, if you're spending $15 a pound, doesn't vary as much as the cheap on/off thermostat on the Rancilio... And regularly descale/backflush. Again, watch the how-to's from Seattle Coffee Gear. They know their stuff and can make it a good experience. And if somehow the $1000 for the Silvia and a burr grinder, cleaning kit, etc. didn't break you but a PID will, or if you're being really adventurous, I'll disclose that I mastered brew temp in less than a week with... *drumroll* a meat thermometer. Watching the SCG videos carefully I noted that the "in cup" brew temperature of the water ejected from priming the group head is about 165 degrees F... you've got to play around with that a bit but in that neighborhood is where you'll get a solid shot with good crema. But if you're like 95% of the college graduates I see living in a disheveled apartment with a $700 espresso maker, and not well into your career where this purchase is going to hurt your pocketbook... re-evaluate your priorities. It's just coffee.

With maybe the exception of the Expobar Office which sits right at the top of the limit, in the sub-$1000 price range, the Rancilio Silvia should be your only choice for a home espresso machine. Silvia is built like a tank. Treat it well, keep it clean, and it will last you for years. The Things You Want: * The portafilter (the bit that holds the coffee) is full-sized and solid chromed brass. It retains heat nicely, so the brew going into your cup is at a proper temperature. The 58mm filter basket allows for a healthy dose of coffee. * 3-way Solenoid Valve: The electric solenoid brew valve opens to allow water to flow through the brewhead and coffee. When the brew switch is turned off, it immediately releases the pressure on the grounds and shunts the excess into the drip pan. The result is a compact puck of brewed grounds that can easily be knocked out of the filter. * Solid switches and mechanical components: The rocker switches are solid and last forever. The internal plumbing is solidly assembled, and the lines from the boiler are brass/copper. There are no finicky electronics inside this box - solid wiring, spade lugs, mechanical switches. This has one unfortunate side effect, but more on that later. * Omni-directional steam wand: It's mounted on a ball joint, so it swivels where you want it to - not just out to the side. A good thing for tight spaces. * Simple operation: very few things to go wrong. No built-in-grinder. No auto-brew or fussy push-button controls to malfunction. * All-metal casing and frame: The cladding's brushed stainless, and is low-maintenance. Wipe down with a damp cloth and mild soap every once in a while. The frame is cast iron. Heavy as heck if you're moving it, but it doesn't flex and keeps everything solidly in place. This machine will not vibrate itself loose. Things You Might Not Like: * The water lines from the reservoir and from the pump to the boiler are silicon rubber and/or flexible hi-temp vinyl. Some people have an issue with this. * The reservoir isn't the biggest, and is only accessible from the top - it cannot be lifted out without a lot of clearance. You can refill the water with the reservoir in place, but you have to have room to get to it. * Brewing consistently with Silvia takes some practice. That simple design is a couple decades old at this point, and uses electro-mechanical thermostats with a fairly wide dead band in the middle. A Google search on temperature-surfing will help you get more consistent results. This is the main complaint people have with the Silvia. * The big brass boiler takes a lot of time to heat up from brew temp to steam temp. If you're making lots of milk drinks, it's got plenty of capacity, but you'll want to brew all your coffee shots first before switching to steam. Things You Will/Might Want to Change: * Throw out the plastic tamper that comes in the box. Buy a good turned aluminum or steel tamper, preferably with a non-metal handle. Rapping the portafilter with a steel tamper (as opposed to the wood/nylon handle) to settle the grounds will put dings in the brass. * If you are fanatical about temperature control/consistency, there are kits available to convert to digital temp control. They're easy enough to wire in for someone with basic mechanical and electrical competency. Not necessary if you learn Silvia's peculiarities, but a reasonable project if you want precision. * You will want to replace your spice grinder/bean-basher or high-speed coffee whizzer with a good burr grinder. You can't expect reasonable results from a pump-driven espresso machine without a consistent grind, no matter what anyone tells you. Yes, that means you need to drop at least another hundred bucks on a coffee grinder to get a basic conical burr machine at minimum. Still, after a decade of home espresso experience, I'd stand firm on my opinion that Silvia's the best choice for the vast majority of coffee enthusiasts who don't want to cross into the four-figure prosumer market. You can get more automation at this price point, but at the expense of reliability/durability in my opinion. And while you can fix Silvia's thermostat issues if you want, you can't fix other machine's durability/performance problems.